Thursday 1st January 2026
Liturgy of St Basil
Circumcision of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; Basil the Great, Archbishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia
Today we commemorate:
St. Gregory, bishop of Nazianzus, father of St. Gregory the Theologian (4th C). Holy martyr Basil of Ancyra (362). New martyr Peter of The Peloponnese. Holy martyr Theodotos. St. Theodosius of Tryglia, abbot. St. Almachius (391). St. Fulgentius, bishop of Ruspe in North Africa (533).
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Maelrhys of the Isle of Bardsey (6th C). SS Elvan and Mydwyn, missionaries of Britain (2nd C). St. Beoc, abbot of Lough Derg (5th C). St. Connat, abbess of Kildare (590). St. Cuan (6th C). St. Fanchea, abbess of Rossory (585). St. Ernan mac Eoghan (c.640).
Hebrews 10:35-11:7; Mark 11:27-33
For the Commemoration: Colossians 2:8-12; Luke 2:20-21, 40-52
Readings in bold type are those appointed by the Typikon for use at the Liturgy
Hebrews 10:35-11:7
Brothers and sisters, do not let go of your confidence which holds a great reward, because you need perseverance so that when you have done the will of God you may receive the promise. ‘For in a little while he who is coming will be here, and he will not delay. Then the righteous will live by faith, though my soul is not pleased with any who draw back.’ But we are not among those drawing back towards destruction, but among those of faith for the preservation of the soul. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. People of old bore witness to this. By faith we understand that the ages were formed by the word of God, in that what is seen has come to be from what is not apparent. By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain, through which he was accredited as righteous, with God bearing witness to his gifts; and in this way, though he is dead, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was carried over without seeing death. He was not to be found because God had carried him over, and before he was carried over he had been accredited as altogether pleasing to God. Without faith it is impossible to please, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, after he was warned about things not yet seen, was moved by holy fear and built an ark to save his household, through which he condemned the world but became heir to the righteousness that accords with faith.
Mark 11:27-33
At that time Jesus entered Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came up to him and asked him, ‘On what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you the authority to do this?’ In reply Jesus said to them, ‘I too shall ask you one question. Give me an answer and I shall tell you on what authority I am doing these things. The baptism of John: was it from heaven or of human origin? Tell me.’ They argued among themselves saying, ‘If we say from heaven, he will reply, “Why then did you not believe him?” But what if we say of human origin?’ They were afraid of the people, for everyone held that John was truly a prophet, and so they answered Jesus by saying, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither am I telling you on what authority I am doing these things.’
Colossians 2:8-12
Brothers and sisters, see that no one carries you away with the philosophy and empty delusion that accords with human tradition and the elemental principles of the world, but does not accord with Christ. For in him resides all the fullness of the divine nature in bodily form, and in him, who is the head of all rule and authority, you are fulfilled. In him you were circumcised with a circumcision performed, not by human hand, but by the casting off of the sinful body of flesh, by the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith by the working of God who raised him from the dead.
Luke 2:20-21, 40-52
At that time the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When the eight days had passed for the child to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given to him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. … The child grew and became strong in spirit, full of wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. Now each year his parents would make the journey to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem for the feast, as was the custom. The days passed, and on their return the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his mother and Joseph did not know; they supposed that he was in the company. They went a day’s journey and then began looking for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they turned back to Jerusalem, searching for him. It was three days later that they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone listening to him was astonished at his intellect and by his responses. When they saw him they were astounded, and his mother said to him, ‘Son, why did you do this to us? Your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.’ He asked them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I had to be about my Father’s business?’ But they did not understand what he said to them. He then went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother remembered in her heart all that was said. And Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and with people.