Thursday, 7 January 2027

Synaxis of St John the Baptist

Thursday of the 32nd week after Pentecost

270 days after Pascha · Tone 6 · Red squigg (doxology typikon symbol) · No Fast (Fish, Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

★ Synaxis of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John

The Synaxis of the Baptist is a feast celebrated on 7 January, the day following the great feast of Theophany. The word synaxis means a gathering of the faithful in church for purposes of honouring and venerating the saint or saints commemorated. This feast honours the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John, who is called the greatest of the prophets by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Church established this synaxis following the ancient custom of glorifying those righteous servants of God who most closely served in or witnessed great and celebrated events of Christ's life. Saint John the Baptist was the one whom the Lord chose to baptise Him in the Jordan River, and it was John who prepared the way for the Saviour's public ministry through his preaching of repentance and his baptism of the people. Saint John came before Christ, proclaiming that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand and calling men to repentance and the remission of sins. He was the bridge connecting the Old Testament and the New Testament, and thus he concluded the history of the Old Testament and opened the era of the New Testament. Of John, Christ said, "Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist." Saint John was martyred for his courageous witness and his rebuke of King Herod Antipas, who had unlawfully taken his brother Philip's wife, Herodias, as his own. The holy Forerunner was imprisoned and eventually beheaded because he would not compromise his prophetic witness to the truth. The Synaxis of John honours and celebrates his glorious life, his ministry as the Forerunner of Christ, his steadfast faith, and his martyrdom.

New-Martyr Athanasius of Attalia

1700

New-Martyr Athanasius of Attalia was a Christian martyr who lived in the later centuries of the Ottoman occupation and died for his steadfast confession of the Orthodox faith. He was condemned to death for his refusal to renounce Christ and embrace Islam, remaining faithful to his baptismal vows despite threats and torture. He was beheaded in the year 1700 in Smyrna, sealing his witness with his blood. As a "New Martyr" of the post-Byzantine period, Saint Athanasius exemplified the perseverance and courage of Orthodox Christians living under religious oppression, maintaining their faith and transmitting it to future generations despite grave persecution.

Venerable Paisius of Uglich

Venerable Paisius was a Russian monastic saint who lived in or near the city of Uglich in Russia. Through ascetical labours, fasting, prayer, and obedience to the monastic rule, he attained great holiness and became a model of Orthodox monasticism. His life exemplifies the Russian tradition of hesychasm and deep spiritual commitment to union with God through the veneration of the mystery of Christ and the intercession of the Theotokos and the saints. Though specific details of his life are limited in the surviving historical records, his memory is preserved in the Orthodox calendar as a testament to his sanctity and monastic virtue.

Our Venerable Father Cedd, Bishop of Essex and Abbot of Lastingham

664

He and his brother Chad (Mar. 2) were from an English family, educated under Saint Aidan (Aug. 31) of Lindisfarne. Both brothers entered monastic life at Lindisfarne and later became bishops. Cedd travelled as an evangelist among the people of Essex, where Saint Finan (Feb. 17) consecrated him to be their first bishop. He founded two monasteries in Essex, one of whose churches still stands; he built yet another monastery at Lastingham in Yorkshire, where he lived until his repose. He spoke both Irish and Anglo-Saxon, and served as a translator for the Irish at the Synod of Whitby in 664. He reposed at Lastingham not long after the Synod.

Daily readings

Epistle

— Forerunner weekly cycle

Acts — Acts 19.1-8

¹And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

¹And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: ²He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. ²and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given. ³And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. ³And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John’s baptism. ⁴Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. ⁴And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. ⁵When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁵And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. ⁶And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. ⁷And they were in all about twelve men. ⁷And all the men were about twelve. ⁸And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

⁸And he entered into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Epistle

James — James 4.7-5.9

⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁷Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. ⁸Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. ⁹Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ⁹Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. ¹⁰Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.

¹¹Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. ¹¹Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. ¹²There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? ¹²One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?

¹³Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:

¹³Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: ¹⁴whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. ¹⁴Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. ¹⁵For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that. ¹⁵For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. ¹⁶But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil. ¹⁶But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. ¹⁷To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. ¹⁷Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

¹Come now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you.

¹Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. ²Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. ²Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. ³Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days. ³Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. ⁴Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. ⁴Behold, the hire of the laborers who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. ⁵Ye have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure; ye have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁵Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. ⁶Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. ⁶Ye have condemned, ye have killed the righteous one; he doth not resist you.

⁷Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

⁷Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain. ⁸Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ⁸Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. ⁹Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. ⁹Murmur not, brethren, one against another, that ye be not judged: behold, the judge standeth before the doors.

Gospel

— Forerunner weekly cycle

John — John 1.29-34

²⁹The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

²⁹On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world! ³⁰This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. ³⁰This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man who is become before me: for he was before me. ³¹And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. ³¹And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water. ³²And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. ³²And John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon him. ³³And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. ³³And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit. ³⁴And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. ³⁴And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.

Gospel

Luke — Luke 18.31-34

³¹Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

³¹And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of man. ³²For he shall be delivered up unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon: ³²For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: ³³And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. ³³and they shall scourge and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. ³⁴And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. ³⁴And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said.