Skip to main content

Daily Orthodox - January 3rd, 2025

Today is Friday of the 28th Week after Pentecost.

Fasting Obligations

  • OCA, GOARCH, Antioch: No fasting obligations.

Today, we commemorate...

  1. The Prophet Malachi

Chronologically, Malachi was the last of the prophets. He was born after the return of the Hebrews from the Babylonian Captivity in 538 B.C. He was unusually handsome in countenance. According to tradition, the people called him an angel, perhaps because of his external beauty or because of his spiritual purity, or even perhaps because of his association with an angel of God. On many occasions he spoke face to face with an angel. When this occurred, others heard the angel's voice, but they were not worthy to see the face of the angel. The young Malachi prophesied that which the angel proclaimed. He cried out against ungrateful Israel and against the lawless priests. Five hundred years before Christ, Malachi clearly prophesied the coming and the mission of John the Baptist (Malachi 3:1). But he is chiefly the prophet of the day of the Dread Judgment. He reposed in the Lord while still young. Following him, there were no more prophets in Israel until John the Baptist.

  1. The Holy Martyr Gordius of Caesarea in Cappadocia (ca. 314)

Gordius was born in Caesarea of Cappadocia. He was an officer in the Roman army during the reign of Emperor Licinius. When a terrible persecution of the Christians broke out, Gordius left the army and his rank and withdrew to the wilderness of Sinai. Alone on Mount Horeb, Gordius spent his time in prayer and contemplation of the mysteries of heaven and earth. He pondered the vanity and worthlessness of all that men strive and fight for on earth, and finally came to the desire to die and enter into the eternal and incorruptible life. With this desire he descended into the town at the time of certain pagan races and games. Gordius presented himself to the governor of that town, declaring that he was a Christian. In vain did the governor try, through flatteries and threats, to dissuade him from the Faith. Gordius remained unwavering and firm as a diamond, saying: "Is it not sheer folly to purchase, with this short-lived life, a life of eternal torment and spiritual death?" Being condemned to death, he joyfully hurried to the scaffold and, along the way, spoke to the executioners of the glorious and sweet teachings of Christ. With the name of Christ on his lips, Gordius offered his young body to the sword and his righteous soul to God, in the year 320.

  1. Saint Genevieve of Paris (ca. 502)

Genevieve was born in the village of Nanterre, seven miles from Paris, about the year 420. She is the patroness of the city of Paris. Through fasting, prayer and almsgiving she was made worthy of the Kingdom of God, and she reposed on January 3, 512, in the eighty-ninth year of her life. Her relics were for the most part burnt and thrown into the River Seine by the Revolutionaries in 1793.

  1. St. Findlugan of Islay (7th c.)

  2. St. Peter of Atroa (837)

  3. St. Thomais of Lesbos (10th c.)

  4. Righteous Euthymius (Taqaishvili) the Man of God, of Tbilisi (1953)

  5. The Venerable Acacius of Latros, the Wonderworker, who founded the Lavra of the Mother of God of the Myrsyrion

For more information on today's saints or commemorations not provided, see https://www.oca.org/saints/lives (Slavic) and/or https://www.goarch.org/chapel (Greek).

Reflection

Reflections are added when it includes additional stories from the life of a saint commemorated today.

Daily Scriptures

Slavic
  • Epistle: Titus 1:15-2:10

<15> To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. <16> They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. <1> But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: <2> that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; <3> the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— <4> that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, <5> to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. <6> Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, <7> in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, <8> sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. <9> Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, <10> not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

  • Gospel: Mark 13:1-8

<1> Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" <2> And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down." <3> Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, <4> "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?" <5> And Jesus, answering them, began to say: "Take heed that no one deceives you. <6> For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many. <7> But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. <8> For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

Greek
  • Epistle: Acts 10:44-11:10

<44> While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. <45> And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. <46> For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, <47> "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" <48> And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days. <1> Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. <2> And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, <3> saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!" <4> But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: <5> "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. <6> When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. <7> And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' <8> But I said, 'Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.' <9> But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God has cleansed you must not call common.' <10> Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

  • Gospel: John 1:18-28

<18> No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. <19> Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" <20> He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." <21> And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." <22> Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" <23> He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord," ' as the prophet Isaiah said." <24> Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. <25> And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" <26> John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. <27> It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." <28> These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Back to top