Thursday 8th January 2026
Afterfeast of The Theophany
Today we commemorate:
St. George the Chozebite, abbot (7th C). Righteous Prophet Shemaiah (10th C. BC). St. Domnica of Constantinople (c.474). SS Atticus (425) and Cyrus (714), patriarchs of Constantinople. Venerable Gregory, Wonderworker of the Kievan Caves (1093). St. Agatho of Egypt, monk (4th C). St. Emilian the Confessor, bishop of Cyzicus (9th C). Holy martyr Abo the Perfumer of Baghdad, who suffered at Tbilisi, Georgia (786). New-Martyr Kyran. Holy martyr Theophilos the deacon, and Helladius, of Libya (4th C)
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Ergnad of Ulster (5th C). St. Albert of Cashel (7th C). St. Pega, anchoress in Northamptonshire (c.719). St. Athelhelm, 20th archbishop of Canterbury (923). St. Wulsin, bishop of Sherborne (1002).
James 1:19-27; Mark 12:38-44
Readings in bold type are those appointed by the Typikon for use at the Liturgy
James 1:19-27
My beloved brothers and sisters, let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for man’s wrath does not accomplish God’s righteousness. That is why you are to throw off all filthiness and the profusion of evil and accept with humility the implanted word which is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word, not just hearers who deceive themselves, because anyone who is a hearer of the word but not a doer is like a man staring in a mirror at the face that nature gave him. He stares at himself, but as soon as he moves away he forgets what he was like. But those who look closely into the perfect law of freedom and persevere, not as hearers who forget but as doers who act, will be blessed in what they do. If any think they are religious but do not bridle their tongues, they are deceiving their hearts and their religion is useless. Religion that is pure and undefiled in the sight of God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress; to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Mark 12:38-44
The Lord said, ‘Watch out for the scribes who love to walk around in flowing robes, and the greetings in the marketplaces, and the front seats in the synagogues and the top tables at feasts. They gobble up widows’ property, and for outward show pray at great length. They will receive an especially severe condemnation.’ Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and was watching the crowd put money into the treasury. Many who were rich threw in a large amount. A poor widow appeared, and she put in two tiny coins amounting to a quarter of a penny. He called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all of those giving to the treasury, for they all put in from their surplus, but she, in her poverty, put in everything she had to live on.’