Tuesday 30th December 2025
Afterfeast of The Nativity of Christ
Today we commemorate:
Virgin-Martyr Anysia at Thessalonica (305). St. Timon the deacon, of the Seventy (1st C). New Martyr Gideon of Karakallou, Mt. Athos (1818). Holy martyr Philoterus of Nicomedia, and with him Six Soldiers and One Count (311). Righteous Father Leondus the Archimandrite
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Egwin, bishop of Worcester and founder of Evesham Abbey (717).
Hebrews 9:8-23; Mark 11:11-23
Readings in bold type are those appointed by the Typikon for use at the Liturgy
Hebrews 9:8-23
Brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit showed that while the first Tent still stood, the way to the Holy Places was yet to be revealed. This is symbolic for the present time in that neither the gifts nor sacrifices offered are able to make perfect with regard to conscience the one who worships. They are only about food and drink and various ablutions, and regulations of the flesh that are imposed until the time for restoration. But when Christ came as the High Priest of the good things to come, it was through the greater and more perfect Tent not made by human hands, that is, not of this creation, and it was not with the blood of goats and bullocks but with his own blood that he entered the Holy Place once and for all having obtained everlasting redemption. For if sprinkling the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sanctifies, purifying the flesh of those who are defiled, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself blameless to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? This is why he is the mediator of a new covenant, because a death has taken place for the redemption of transgressions under the first covenant so that those who are called may receive the promise of an everlasting inheritance. For where there is a testamentary covenant, of necessity it bears upon the death of the testator, because the testament of the dead has force; conversely, it has no force at all while the testator is alive. That is why even the first covenant was not instituted without blood, because when every commandment according to the law had been proclaimed to all the people by Moses, he took the blood of bullocks and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant that God has laid upon you.’ And in the same way he sprinkled both the Tent and all the ritual vessels with blood. According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood forgiveness does not happen. Therefore it was necessary for the symbols of what is in the heavens to be purified in this way, but the heavenly things themselves, with better sacrifices than these.
Mark 11:11-23
At that time Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. He looked around at everything, and as it was already late he left for Bethany with the Twelve. On the next day when they left Bethany, he was hungry. In the distance he noticed a fig tree with leaves and went to see whether or not he would find anything on it, but when he reached it he found nothing but leaves because it was not the season for figs. He spoke to it, saying, ‘May no one ever again eat fruit from you,’ and his disciples heard him. Once more they entered Jerusalem, and Jesus went into the temple. He began to drive out those buying and selling in the temple, overthrowing the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those selling doves, and he would not allow anyone to carry goods through the temple. Then he taught them. He said, ‘Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a den of thieves.’ The scribes and the Pharisees and the chief priests heard him. They were looking for a way to kill him, but they were afraid of him because the whole crowd was carried away by his teaching. When evening came he made his way out of the city. Then in the morning, as they passed by, they saw that the fig tree was shrivelled from the roots. Peter, remembering, said to him, ‘Rabbi, look: the fig tree that you cursed has shrivelled up.’ In reply Jesus told them, ‘Have faith in God. Truly I tell you that if you were to say to this mountain, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” with no doubt in your heart but believing that what you say is happening, whatever you ask will be yours.’