Tuesday 24th February 2026
Lenten Fast: wine and oil allowed
First and Second Findings of the Head of the Forerunner and Baptist John
Today we commemorate:
Uncovering of the relics of St. Romanus, Prince of Uglich (1486).
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Cummain Ailbe (‘the White’), abbot of Iona (669). St. Liudhard (c.600).
Isaiah 1:19-2:3; Genesis 1:14-23; Proverbs 1:20-33; Great Compline: Matthew 6:1-13
For the Commemoration: 2 Corinthians 4:6-15; Matthew 11:2-15
Isaiah 1:19-2:3
The Lord says this, ‘If you are willing and listen to me, you will eat the good produce of the land. But if you are not willing and do not listen to me, the sword will destroy you.’ For the mouth of the Lord has said this. How like a harlot the faithful city of Zion has become, she who was full of justice and where righteousness once resided, but now murderers. Your silver is worthless; your tavern-keepers mix wine with water; your rulers are rebellious and keep company with thieves. They love gifts and run after bribes. They do not defend the orphans and take no account of justice for widows. Therefore this is what the Master, the Lord of Sabaoth, says, ‘Woe to the mighty men of Israel, for my wrath shall not cease against my adversaries, and I shall execute judgement upon my enemies. And I shall bring my hand upon you and purge you into purity; but the rebellious I shall destroy and I shall remove from you all the lawless, and all who are arrogant I shall humble. I shall appoint your judges as before, and your counsellors as at the beginning. And after that you will be called the city of righteousness, the faithful mother city, Zion. For her captivity will be saved with justice and with mercy. But the lawless and the sinners will be crushed together, and those who forsake the Lord will be no more. Because of this they will be ashamed of their idols which were their delight, and embarrassed by their groves that they desired; and they will be like a terebinth tree that has shed its leaves, and like a garden with no water. Their strength will be like a thread of flax, and their works like sparks of fire; the lawless and the sinners will be burnt together, and there will be no one to quench them.’ The word that came from the Lord to Isaiah son of Amos concerning Judah, and concerning Jerusalem: In the last days the Mountain of the Lord will be revealed, and the House of God will be upon the highest of the mountains and raised above the hills, and all the nations shall come to it. Many nations will visit and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will show us his way, and we shall walk in it.’
Genesis 1:14-23
God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth to separate the day from the night, and let them indicate seasons and days and years. Let them light the firmament of heaven and give light upon the earth,’ and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars. God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth and to rule the day and the night and to separate the light from the darkness, and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth things that move and live, and birds that fly over the earth against the firmament of heaven,’ and it was so. God made the great sea creatures and everything that lives which the waters brought forth according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind, and God saw that they were good. God blessed them, saying, ‘Increase and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
Proverbs 1:20-33
Wisdom sings aloud in the streets; she strides boldly in the squares. She preaches from the top of the walls; she takes her seat at the gates of the mighty, at the gates of the city she speaks boldly. The simple cling to righteousness, and they will not be ashamed. But the foolish, those who delight in arrogance and have become ungodly, hate wisdom and are liable to censure. I shall take breath to speak out and to teach you my word, for when I called you did not listen, and when I spoke at length you ignored me. You have set at nothing my counsels and given no attention to my warnings. Therefore I shall laugh at your destruction and rejoice when ruin comes upon you. Yes, when unrest comes upon you suddenly and your downfall strikes like a tempest, and when trouble and siege descend upon you or ruin faces you, you will find when you call upon me that I shall not listen to you. The wicked will seek me but not find me because they hated wisdom and did not choose the word of the Lord, nor would they pay attention to my advice but despised my correction. Therefore they eat the fruits of their own actions and are filled with their own ungodliness. Because they have wronged the simple they will be destroyed, and scrutiny will be the undoing of the ungodly. But the one who listens to me will live in hope and be at peace without fear of evil.
Great Compline:
Matthew 6:1-13
The Lord said, ‘Be careful not to do your almsgiving in front of people for them to see, because then you would have no reward from your Father in heaven. When you give alms, you are not to trumpet it in advance as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that people will honour them. Truly I tell you that they have their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your almsgiving may be secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray in the synagogues and standing on street corners so that people will see them. Truly I tell you that they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room and shut your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you openly. When you pray, do not say things repeatedly as the Gentiles do, for they think that by saying much they will be heard. Do not imitate them because your Father knows what you need before you ask him. But pray like this: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, as in heaven, so on the earth. Give us today our bread, sufficient for the day. And forgive us our debts even as we forgive our debtors. Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory into the ages. Amen.’
The text and chapter and verse references of the Old Testament readings are those of the Septuagint
2 Corinthians 4:6-15
Brothers and sisters, God, who has said, ‘Out of the darkness light shall shine,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay pots, because the supreme power is from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are struck down, but not destroyed. At all times we carry in our bodies the death of the Lord Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being delivered up to death for the sake of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. Death is therefore at work in us, but life in you. We have the same Spirit of faith as that which is written: ‘I believed and therefore I spoke.’ We too believe and therefore we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will also through Jesus raise us up and present us with you. Everything is because of you, for as grace increases, the thanksgiving of many more will overflow to the glory of God.
Matthew 11:2-15
At that time when John, in prison, heard what the Christ was doing, he sent two of his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is coming, or are we to look for someone else?’ Jesus gave them this reply, ‘Go and report to John what you are hearing and seeing: the blind recover their sight and the lame walk; lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised and the Gospel is proclaimed to the poor. And whoever is not offended by me is blessed.’ As they were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed being shaken by the wind? No? What did you go out to see? A man dressed in elegant clothing? But those who wear elegant clothes are in royal palaces. What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet, for he is the one of whom it is written, “Behold I am sending my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way before you.” Truly I tell you that there has not arisen among those born of women anyone greater than John the Baptiser, yet the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is. From the days of John the Baptiser until now the Kingdom of Heaven continues to suffer violence, and the violent plunder it by force. All the prophets and the Law prophesied until John and, if you will accept it, he is Elijah whose coming was expected. Let those who have ears for listening, listen.’