Readings and saints

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

October 16 on the Old Calendar

Martyr Anastasia the Roman

Wednesday of the 21st week after Pentecost

Venerable Martyr
St. Anastasia the Roman
Fasting
Fast day: no meat, fish, dairy, eggs, wine, or oil.Your priest can tell you how to keep the fast.
Tone
Tone 3This week’s Resurrection hymns are sung in the third of the Church’s eight tones.

The readings

Translation

Traditional: the King James Version (1611) for the New Testament. Underlined words are explained in Words of Prayer.

Modern: the World English Bible for the New Testament. Your choice is remembered on this device.

Epistle

Colossians 1:18-23

Traditional

18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Modern

18He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross. 21You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds, 22yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him, 23if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

Gospel

Luke 11:9-13

Traditional

9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Modern

9“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. 11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he? 13If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

Remembered on this day

St. Anastasia the Roman

Anastasia is remembered as a young Christian woman from Rome who suffered martyrdom in the third century. Tradition holds that she lived among women devoted to prayer and refused to give up her faith when brought before the authorities. The Church remembers her courage and love for Christ. Much about her life is uncertain. What has endured is the memory of a young woman whose life mattered to God, even when those in power treated it as worthless.

How she died
Tradition holds that Anastasia was tortured and beheaded.

St. Anastasia the Roman: the full page

Also remembered today: Ven. Avram of Rostov; Our Holy Father Abramius (366) and his niece Mary (371) of Mesopotamia.

Calendar: Orthocal, following the Revised Julian (New) Calendar of the Orthodox Church in America. Parishes on the Old Calendar keep each day 13 days later. Check your own parish calendar.