## [Sunday before the Nativity - 21 December](
Sunday before the Nativity
The Sunday before the Nativity of Christ we commemorate Adam and Eve (the first-created), the righteous Abel, son of Adam, the righteous Seth, son ...
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🎶troparion🎶
Great are the accomplishments of faith,
for the Three Holy Youths rejoiced in the source of the flame, as if by restful waters,
and the Prophet Daniel appeared
as a shepherd of lions as of sheep.
By their prayers, O Christ God, save our souls.
🎶kontakion🎶
You would not worship an image made by hands, O thrice-blessed youths;
but shielded by the ineffable Essence, you were glorified through your ordeal by fire.
In the midst of the unbearable fire you called upon God, crying:
"Hasten, O compassionate One,
and in Your mercy come to our aid,
for if You will, You can do so."
Be glad, O Bethlehem! Prepare yourself, O Ephratha;
for the Lamb is on her way to give birth to the Great Shepherd she carries in her womb.
The God-bearing Fathers will rejoice, beholding Him,
and with the shepherds, they will praise the Virgin who nurses Him.
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## [Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch - 20 December](
Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch
The Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, was a disciple of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, as was also Saint Polycarp, Bishop ...
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🎶troparion🎶
By sharing in the ways of the Apostles,
you became a successor to their throne.
Through the practice of virtue, you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God;
by teaching the word of truth without error, you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood.
Hieromartyr Ignatius, entreat Christ God to save our souls.
🎶kontakion🎶
The stirring celebration of your victorious fight
is an announcement of the One who is to be born of the Virgin.
In your eagerness to possess Him forever,
you hastened to be devoured by the wild beasts.
Therefore, O glorious Ignatius, you were called the bearer of God!
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Looks like the wife and I are gonna need to call up the grandparents to watch the kids so we can get a date night lined up.
FYI, this trailer contains strong language
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# [Scripture Readings for Saturday, 20 December 2025 (OCA)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/20
## [Epistle reading for the 28th Saturday after Pentecost (Ephesians 1:16-23)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/20/3)
>do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
## [Epistle reading for the Saturday before Nativity (Galatians 3:8-12)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/20/1)
>And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
## [Gospel reading for the 13th Saturday of Luke (Luke 14:1-11)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/20/4)
>Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” And they could not answer Him regarding these things. So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
## [Gospel reading for the Saturday before Nativity (Luke 13:18-29)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/20/2)
>Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.
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## [Forefeast of the Nativity of our Lord - 20 December](
Forefeast of the Nativity of our Lord
The Forefeast of the Nativity of the Lord begins on December 20. From now on, most of the liturgical hymns will be concerned with the birth of the ...
)
🎶troparion🎶
Prepare, O Bethlehem, for Eden has been opened to all!
Adorn yourself, O Ephratha, for the Tree of Life blossoms forth from the Virgin in the cave!
Her womb is a spiritual paradise planted with the Divine Fruit;
if we eat of it, we shall live forever and not die like Adam.
Christ is born to raise up again what fell in former times, His image.
🎶kontakion🎶
Today the Virgin comes to the cave
to give birth ineffably to the pre-eternal Word.
Hearing this, rejoice, O inhabited earth!
With the angels and the shepherds glorify
the pre-eternal God, Whose will it was to appear as a young child!
#Christian #OrthodoxChristian #Orthodox #Orthostr #Saint
## [Martyr Boniface at Tarsus in Cilicia, and Righteous Aglaϊa of Rome - 19 December](
Martyr Boniface at Tarsus in Cilicia, and Righteous Aglaϊa of Rome
The Holy Martyr Boniface was the slave of a rich young Roman woman named Aglaϊa, and he lived with her in iniquitous cohabitation. Both, however, ...
)
🎶troparion🎶
Fervently, you followed the renowned Martyrs
steadfastly confessing Christ before unbelievers, O wise Boniface.
You returned your relics to the august Aglaϊa
as an imperishable treasure;
from them flow healing and mercy for the world.
🎶kontakion🎶
You offered yourself voluntarily as a blameless sacrifice
to Him Who is about to be born of the Virgin for your sake,
O Saint, and wise crown-bearer Boniface.
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# [Scripture Readings for Friday, 19 December 2025 (OCA)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/19)
## [Epistle reading for the 28th Friday after Pentecost (Titus 1:15-2:10)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/19/1)
>To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things – that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.
## [Gospel reading for the 13th Friday of Luke (Mark 9:33-41)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/19/2)
>Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
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## [Martyr Sebastian at Rome, and his companions - 18 December](
Martyr Sebastian at Rome, and his companions
The Holy Martyr Sebastian was born in the city of Narbonum in Gaul (modern France), and he received his education at Mediolanum (now Milan). Under ...
)
🎶troparion🎶
O Sebastian, spurning the assemblies of the wicked,
you gathered the wise martyrs
who with you cast down the enemy;
and standing worthily before the throne of God,
you gladden those who cry to you:
Glory to him who has strengthened you!
Glory to him who has granted you a crown!
Glory to him who through you works healing for all!
🎶kontakion🎶
Excelling in godly zeal,
you gathered a band of martyrs from which you shone as a star.
The arrows that wounded your body, O Sebastian,
pierced the hearts of the enemy.
Therefore Christ has glorified you!
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# [Scripture Readings for Thursday, 18 December 2025 (OCA)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/18)
## [Epistle reading for the 28th Thursday after Pentecost (Titus 1:5-2:1)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/18/1)
>For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you – if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:
## [Gospel reading for the 13th Thursday of Luke (Mark 9:10-16)](oca.org/readings/daily/2025/12/18/2)
>So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant. And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.” And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
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## [Prophet Daniel - 17 December](
Prophet Daniel
The Holy Prophet Daniel is the fourth of the major prophets. In the years following 600 B.C. Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians, the Temple...
)
🎶troparion🎶
Great are the accomplishments of faith,
for the Three Holy Youths rejoiced in the source of the flame, as if by restful waters,
and the Prophet Daniel appeared as a shepherd of lions as of sheep.
By their prayers, O Christ God, save our souls.
🎶kontakion🎶
Cleansed by the Spirit
your pure heart became a vessel of clearest prophecy;
you saw things far away as if they were near. When cast into the den you tamed the lions.
Therefore we honor you, O blessed Prophet, glorious Daniel.
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