Friday 16th January 2026
Fast day: wine and oil allowed
Veneration of the Precious Chains of the Holy Apostle Peter
Today we commemorate:
St. Honoratus, archbishop of Arles and founder of Lerins Monastery (429). St. Romilos, monk of Mt Athos, disciple of St. Gregory of Sinai, and with him SS Nestor, Martinius, Daniel, Sisoes, Zosimas, and Gregory (1375). New Hieromartyr Damaskinos (1771). Blessed Maximus the priest, of Totma, Vologda, Fool-for-Christ (1650). Holy martyrs Pseusippus, Eleusippus, and Meleusippus the brothers, their grandmother Leonilla, and with them Neon, Turbo, and Jonilla, in Cappadocia (c.180). St. Macarius Kalogeras, hierodeacon of Patmos
British Isles and Ireland:
St. Fursey of Burgh Castle, Enlightener of East Anglia (650). St. Dunchaid O’Braoin, abbot of Clonmacnoise (988).
1 Peter 1:1-2,10-12,2:6-10; Mark 5:22-24,35-6:1
For the Commemoration: Acts 12:1-11; John 21:14-25
Readings in bold type are those appointed by the Typikon for use at the Liturgy
1 Peter 1:1-2,10-12,2:6-10
Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles of the Diaspora of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father for obedience through the Spirit of sanctification and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you, and may peace prevail. … The prophets who prophesied of the grace to be yours enquired and delved deeply into this salvation; they investigated whom the Spirit of Christ was showing them and when it would be, and they testified beforehand to the sufferings of Christ and to the glories to follow them. It was revealed to them that they were serving, not themselves, but you. These things have now been declared to you by those who preached the Gospel to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things that the angels long to glimpse. … It is why Scripture includes this: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion the cornerstone, chosen and precious, and those who believe in him will not be put to shame.’ For you who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, he is ‘the stone the builders rejected that has become the cornerstone’ and ‘a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over.’ They stumble over the word, as they were destined to do, because they refuse to believe. But you are a chosen lineage, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people purchased to proclaim the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people. Those who had not received mercy have now received mercy.
Mark 5:22-24,35-6:1
At that time one of the synagogue rulers named Jairus appeared. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and earnestly begged him, saying, ‘My little daughter is about to die. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be saved and will live.’ And he went with him. A large crowd followed him, and they were pressing against him. … While he was still speaking, some people came from the synagogue ruler’s house, saying, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher further?’ But Jesus heard the message and immediately said to the synagogue ruler, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe.’ He would not allow anyone to accompany him, except Peter and James, and John the brother of James. When he arrived at the synagogue ruler’s house, he found uproar and much weeping and wailing. He went in and said to them, ‘Why are you making this uproar and weeping? The child is not dead but is sleeping.’ But they laughed at him. After he had driven everyone out, he took the child’s father and mother and those with him and went in to where the child was lying. He took the child by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koumi,’ which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you arise.’ At once the little girl, who was twelve years old, got up and walked around; and they were astounded, greatly astonished. He then strictly charged them that no one should know about this, and he asked that something be given her to eat. From there he set out and returned to his home town, and his disciples followed him.
Acts 12:1-11
At that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to inflict evil upon some of those in the Church. James the brother of John he put to the sword, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he went further. During the Days of Unleavened Bread he also took Peter whom he arrested and put in prison, handing him over to four squads of four soldiers to guard him. He intended after Passover to bring him out before the people. While Peter was being held in prison, fervent prayer to God was being kept up by the Church on his behalf. The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, and in front of the gate sentries were guarding the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord was there, and a light shone in the cell. Prodding Peter in the ribs, he roused him saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And his chains fell from his hands. The angel then said to him, ‘Get dressed and put on your sandals,’ and he did so. Then he told him, ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.’ He set off and followed him, but he did not realise that what the angel was doing was real; he supposed he was seeing a vision. When they had passed through the first and second guardrooms they arrived at the iron gate leading out into the city, and it opened for them of its own accord. They went through it and continued down one street, and then the angel suddenly left him. Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I know it is true that the Lord sent his angel, and that he has rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’
John 21:14-25
At that time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after he had risen from the dead. He said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?’ He told him, ‘Yes, Lord. You know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He asked him again, a second time, ‘Simon son of Jonah, do you love me?’ Peter replied, ‘Yes, Lord. You know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He asked him a third time, ‘Simon son of Jonah, do you love me?’ Peter was distressed because he asked him for a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said, ‘Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Truly, truly I tell you that when you were young you would dress yourself and go wherever you wanted. But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you, and they will carry you where you would rather not go.’ He said this to indicate by what kind of death he would glorify God. And after saying that, he told him, ‘Follow me.’ Peter turned around and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following. He was the one who at supper leant on his breast and asked, ‘Lord, who is it that is betraying you?’ On seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You are to follow me.’ The saying then spread among the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die, although Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, ‘If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?’ It is this disciple who bears witness to these things and has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did. If they were to be recorded individually, I do not think that the world itself would have room enough for the books written. Amen.