Readings and saints

Monday, December 1, 2025

November 18 on the Old Calendar

Prophet Nahum

Monday of the 26th 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 8This week’s Resurrection hymns are sung in the eighth 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 Timothy 1:1-7

Traditional

¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; ²Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

³As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, ⁴Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. ⁵Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: ⁶From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; ⁷Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

Modern

¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope, ²to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine, ⁴and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith. ⁵But the goal of this command is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith, ⁶from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking, ⁷desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say nor about what they strongly affirm.

Gospel

Luke 19:37-44

Traditional

³⁷And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; ³⁸Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. ³⁹And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. ⁴⁰And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

⁴¹And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, ⁴²Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. ⁴³For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, ⁴⁴And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Modern

³⁷As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen, ³⁸saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!” ³⁹Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” ⁴⁰He answered them, “I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.”

⁴¹When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it, ⁴²saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³For the days will come on you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side, ⁴⁴and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.”

Remembered on this day

The Prophet Nahum

Nahum prophesied about the Assyrian city of Nineveh in the seventh century before Christ. His short biblical book announces the downfall of a power feared for its violence. It also speaks of God as a refuge for those who trust Him. We know little about Nahum’s own life; even the location of his hometown, Elkosh, is uncertain. His remembrance offers hope to people facing cruelty: human power does not have the last word.

How he died
Tradition holds that he reposed in peace.

The Prophet Nahum: the full page

Also remembered today: Saint Philaret the Merciful of Constantinople (762); Our Venerable Father Eligius (Eloi), Bishop of Noyon (660).

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.