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2025 |
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On Saturday | December 6 |
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The Readings from the Regular Cycle |
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The Epistle |
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Saturday of the 26th Week |
The reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. |
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Gal. 3:8 – 12 |
Brethren, the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “in you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are men of faith are blessed with Abraham who had faith. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for “the righteous shall live by faith”; but the law does not rest on faith, for “He who does them shall live by them.” [RSV] |
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The Gospel |
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Saturday of the 11th Week of Luke |
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke. |
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Lk. 12:32 – 40 |
The Lord said, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour.” [RSV] |
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The Readings for the Commemoration |
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2025 |
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December 6 |
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Memory of Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra |
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The Readings from Vespers the Previous Evening |
From Menaion - - - |
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Pr 10:8a, 7a; 3:13 – 16, 18; 8:32, 34, 4, 12, 14, 17, 5 – 9; 22:24, 22; 15:4b |
The remembrance of the righteous is with eulogies; the blessing of the Lord is upon the head of a righteous man. Blessed is a man who finds wisdom, and a mortal who sees discernment; for the profits gained from wisdom are better than the treasures of gold and silver. Wisdom is more valuable than precious stones, and nothing evil will withstand her. She is well known to all who come near her, and no honor is worthy of her. Righteousness proceeds from her mouth, and she carries law and mercy upon her tongue. Now therefore, my son, hear me: Blessed is the man who shall hearken to me and the man who shall guard my ways; for my issues are the issues of life, and grace is prepared from the Lord. You, O men, I exhort, and I utter my voice to the sons of men. I, wisdom, dwell with counsel, and I call upon knowledge and understanding. Counsel and safety are mine; discernment is mine, and strength is mine. I love those who love me, and those who seek me shall find me. Understand astuteness, O simple ones, and put it in your heart, O uninstructed ones. Obey me, for I speak sacred things, and from my lips I will bring forth things that are true. For my mouth shall speak the truth, but false lips are an abomination before me. All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; there is nothing in them crooked or twisted. All things are evident to those who understand and true to those who find knowledge. Therefore, I teach you a true word and good knowledge to be obeyed, that you might answer words of truth to those who question you, that your hope might be in the Lord, and the one who guards it will be filled with the Spirit. [SAAS] |
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Pr 10:31 – 32; 11:1 – 10 |
The mouth of a righteous man distills wisdom, but the tongue of an unrighteous man utterly destroys. The lips of righteous men distill grace, but the mouth of the ungodly is perverse. Deceitful scales are an abomination before the Lord, but a righteous weight is acceptable to Him. Wherever arrogance enters, there also is dishonor, but the mouth of the humble meditates on wisdom. When a righteous man dies, he leaves regret, but the destruction of the ungodly is immediate and brings joy. Righteousness cuts straight and blameless paths, but ungodliness embraces wrongdoing. The righteousness of upright men delivers them, but lawless men are taken to their destruction. When a righteous man dies, his hope does not perish, but the boast of the ungodly perishes. A righteous man escapes from a snare, but the ungodly man is handed over in his place. There is a snare for citizens in the mouth of the ungodly, but the perception of the righteous is prosperous. A city stays upright in the good things of the righteous, but it is razed to the ground by the mouths of the ungodly. A man in need of discernment treats citizens with contempt, but a man of discernment keeps quiet. [SAAS] |
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WSol 4:7 – 15 |
Though a righteous man may die before his time, he shall be at rest. For old age is not honored for its length of existence, nor measured by its number of years; but discernment is gray hair for mankind, and a spotless life is the maturity of old age. There was once a man pleasing to God and loved by Him, and while living among sinners he was taken up. He was caught up lest evil change his understanding or deceit deceive his soul. For envy arising from lack of judgment obscures what is good, and a whirling of desire undermines an innocent heart. He was made perfect, for in a short time he fulfilled long years, for his soul was pleasing to the Lord; therefore, He took him early from the midst of evil. Yet peoples saw this but did not understand, nor take such a thing to heart, that the Lord’s grace and mercy are with His elect and that He watches over His holy ones. [SAAS] |
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The Epistle |
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For the Hierarch. |
The reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews. |
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Heb. 13:17 – 21 |
Brethren, obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you for every good work that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. [RSV] |
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The Gospel |
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For the Hierarch. |
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke. |
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Lk. 6:17 – 23 |
At that time, Jesus stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.” [RSV] |
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Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion. |
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Synaxarion |
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From the Menaion. |
On December 6, we commemorate our Father among the saints Nicholas the Wonder-worker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. |
On this day we also commemorate the holy Neo-martyr Nicholas of Caramania, who witnessed in Smyrna in the year 1657. |
By their holy intercessions, O God, have mercy on us. Amen. |
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Fasting Rule |
Fish: fish, oil and wine are allowed. Refrain from meat, dairy and eggs. |
It is the Christmas fast. |