Friday 19th December 2025
Nativity Fast: strict fast
Today we commemorate:
Holy martyr Boniface and his Companions, at Tarsus in Cilicia, and the Righteous Aglais (Aglaida) of Rome (290). Holy martyr Eutyches of Thessalonica and with him 200 men and 70 women. Righteous Gregentius, archbishop of Omirits in Ethiopia (552)
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Manirus, bishop and Apostle of the north of Scotland.
Titus 1:15-2:10; Mark 9:33-41
Readings in bold type are those appointed by the Typikon for use at the Liturgy
Titus 1:15-2:10
Titus, my son, while to the pure everything is pure, to the defiled and faithless nothing is pure. For them, both mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God but deny him by their deeds. They are detestable and disobedient and unfit for any good work. As for you, let what you say be appropriate for sound teaching. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine, teachers of what is good so that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love the children, to be sensible and modest, good managers of the home, obedient to their own husbands so that God’s word may not be brought into disrepute. Encourage the younger men likewise to be sensible, showing yourself in every way to be an example of good works by teaching sincerity, dignified behaviour, incorruptibility: a sound irreproachable message so that any opponent may be put to shame and have nothing detrimental to say about us. Slaves are to be obedient to their own masters and in every way agreeable, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing complete good faith so that they honour the teaching of our Saviour God in every way.
Mark 9:33-41
At that time Jesus arrived in Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked the disciples, ‘What were you discussing among yourselves on the road?’ But they remained silent because on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down and addressed the Twelve, telling them, ‘Anyone who wants to be first is to be last of all and servant of all.’ He caught up a little child whom he placed among them. Then he took the child in his arms and said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name is welcoming me, and whoever welcomes me is not welcoming me but the one who sent me.’ John spoke up, saying to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in your name, and we told him not to because he does not follow us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not prevent him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will easily be able to revile me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you that those who give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, will not lose their reward.’