Sunday 14th December 2025
Nativity Fast: wine and oil allowed
Tone 2 - Eothinon 5
Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, 11th of Luke
Today we commemorate:
Holy Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucis and Callinicus of Apollonia (250). St. Venantius Fortunatus, hymnographer and bishop of Poitiers (7th C). Holy martyrs Apollonius, Philemon, Arianus, and Theoctychus of Alexandria (3rd C)
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Hygbald, abbot of Hibaldstow (7th C). SS. Fingar and Phiala, and 770 other martyr companions (5th C).
Colossians 3:4-11; Luke 14:16-24; Matthew 22:14
Readings in bold type are those appointed by the Typikon for use at the Liturgy
Colossians 3:4-11
Brothers and sisters, when Christ, our life, is revealed, then we too shall be revealed with him in glory. Put to death then the parts of you that are of the earth: immorality, impurity, lust, depraved desire, and greed that is idolatry. The wrath of God is coming upon the children of disobedience because of these things with which you also once occupied yourselves when you lived among them. But now rid yourselves of them all: anger, hot-headedness, malice, blasphemy, foul language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another. You have put off the old self with its practices and put on the new that is being restored in understanding according to the image of him who created it, where there is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Luke 14:16-24; Matthew 22:14
The Lord told this parable. ‘There was a man who held a great feast and invited many, and at supper time he sent his servant to tell those invited, “Come, because everything is now ready.” But as one, they all asked to be excused. The first told him, “I have bought a field and I need to go and see it. I beg you to accept my apologies.” And another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen and I am going to try them out. I beg you to accept my apologies.” And another said, “I have married a wife, and that is why I cannot come.” When that servant came in and reported this to his master, the enraged householder told his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring in here the poor, the disabled, the infirm and the blind.” And the servant said, “Lord, it has been done as you commanded, and still there is room.” The master then told the servant, “Go out to the roads and hedges, and make them come in so that my house may be filled. For I tell you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.” … Because many are invited but few are chosen.’