Fasting Rules
Meat
Allowed
Fish
Allowed
Dairy
Allowed
Oil
Allowed
Wine
Allowed
Saints & Commemorations
Saturday before Elevation
Ven. Theodora of Alexandria
While a young married woman, she committed adultery with another man. Seized by remorse, she fled her husband’s house, dressed herself as a man, renamed herself Theodore, and entered a men’s monastery, pretending to be a eunuch. “Theodore“‘s fasts, prayers, vigils and tears amazed “his” brethren. Her secret wa
While a young married woman, she committed adultery with another man. Seized by remorse, she fled her husband’s house, dressed herself as a man, renamed herself Theodore, and entered a men’s monastery, pretending to be a eunuch. “Theodore“‘s fasts, prayers, vigils and tears amazed “his” brethren. Her secret was only discovered after her death. She had spent nine full years devoting her life to repentance for one sin. During her life she showed herself to be a wonderworker, taming wild beasts and healing sicknesses. Her husband came to her funeral, then lived until his death in the cell of his former wife.
Trans. Rel. Ven. Sergius and Herman
Demetrios & Evanthea the Martyrs & their son Demetrianos
St Euphrosynos the Cook of Alexandria (9th c.)
His icon is found in countless Orthodox kitchens. A simple and holy man, when he entered monastic life in Alexandria he was judged unfit for any service more demanding than kitchen work. There he labored without complaint, looked down upon by most of the other monks. One night the abbot dreamed that he was in Paradise, and there met Euphrosynos, who gave him a branch that bore three fragrant apples.
His icon is found in countless Orthodox kitchens. A simple and holy man, when he entered monastic life in Alexandria he was judged unfit for any service more demanding than kitchen work. There he labored without complaint, looked down upon by most of the other monks. One night the abbot dreamed that he was in Paradise, and there met Euphrosynos, who gave him a branch that bore three fragrant apples. Awakening, the abbot found the same apples on his pillow. He hurried to find Euphrosynos and asked him, `Where were you last night, brother?’ Euphrosynos only replied, `Where were you, Father?’ The abbot gathered the monks and told them the wonderful story, by which they all realized the cook’s holiness. But Euphrosynos, unwilling to endure the praise of men, fled the monastery for the desert.
St Paphnutius the Confessor (4th c.)
“A bishop of the Egyptian Thebaid, he suffered greatly for the Orthodox faith: heretics put out one of his eyes and broke his left leg. He took part in the First Ecumenical Council, refuting the Arian heresy with great power. The Emperor Constantine valued him greatly and often kissed him on the missing eye, lost for the truth of Orthodoxy. A
“A bishop of the Egyptian Thebaid, he suffered greatly for the Orthodox faith: heretics put out one of his eyes and broke his left leg. He took part in the First Ecumenical Council, refuting the Arian heresy with great power. The Emperor Constantine valued him greatly and often kissed him on the missing eye, lost for the truth of Orthodoxy. At the council, he stood in opposition to the western representatives, who proposed that secular priests be completely forbidden to marry. He was chaste throughout the whole of his life.” (Prologue)
Canonization of St Xenia of St Petersburg (1978)
She is commemorated on January 24.
Scripture Readings
☩Epistle
1 Corinthians 1:26-29
26
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29
That no flesh should glory in his presence.
☩Gospel
Matthew 20:29-34
29
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
30
And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
31
And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
32
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
33
They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
34
So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Liturgical data sourced from OCA.org and orthocal.info