Readings and saints

Monday, November 17, 2025

November 4 on the Old Calendar

St Gregory the Wonderworker

Monday of the 24th week after Pentecost

Fasting: Nativity Fast: no meat, fish, dairy, eggs, wine, or oil.Your priest can tell you how to keep the fast.
Tone: Tone 6This week’s Resurrection hymns are sung in the sixth of the Church’s eight tones.

The readings

TranslationTraditionalModernSide by side

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

1 Thessalonians 2:20-3:8

Traditional

²⁰For ye are our glory and joy.

¹Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; ²And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: ³That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. ⁴For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. ⁵For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain. ⁶But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you: ⁷Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: ⁸For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

Modern

²⁰For you are our glory and our joy.

¹Therefore when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone, ²and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith, ³that no one would be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task. ⁴For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know. ⁵For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain. ⁶But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you. ⁷For this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith. ⁸For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

Gospel

Luke 14:12-15

Traditional

¹²Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. ¹³But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: ¹⁴And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

¹⁵And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

Modern

¹²He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back. ¹³But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind; ¹⁴and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”

¹⁵When one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will feast in God’s Kingdom!”

Remembered on this day

Gregory the Wonderworker

Gregory served as bishop of Neocaesarea in Asia Minor during the third century. He studied with Origen and helped a small Christian community grow in faith. The Church remembers him as the Wonderworker because of the many miracles associated with his ministry. His surviving letter also shows a bishop concerned with how Christians treated neighbors during a time of invasion and hardship. His life joins prayer and teaching with the everyday work of caring for people.

How he died
He reposed in peace.

Gregory the Wonderworker: the full page

Also remembered today: Ven. Nikon of Radonezh; Our Holy Father Longinus (4th or 5th c.); Our Holy Mother Hilda, Abbess of Whitby (680).

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.