Readings and saints

Thursday, December 17, 2026

December 4 on the Old Calendar

Holy Prophet Daniel and Three Holy Youths

Thursday of the 29th week after Pentecost

Prophet · Holy Youths

Daniel and the Three Holy Youths

Fasting: Wine and oil are allowed (Nativity Fast): no meat, fish, dairy, or eggs.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

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

Hebrews 7:1-6

Traditional

¹For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; ²To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; ³Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. ⁴Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. ⁵And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: ⁶But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

Modern

¹For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ²to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, “king of righteousness”, and then also “king of Salem”, which means “king of peace”, ³without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually. ⁴Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth out of the best plunder. ⁵They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham, ⁶but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.

Gospel

Mark 9:10-16

Traditional

¹⁰And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

¹¹And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? ¹²And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. ¹³But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

¹⁴And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. ¹⁵And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. ¹⁶And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

Modern

¹⁰They kept this saying to themselves, questioning what the “rising from the dead” meant.

¹¹They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹²He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised? ¹³But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about him.”

¹⁴Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them. ¹⁵Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, greeted him. ¹⁶He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”

Remembered on this day

Daniel and the Three Holy Youths

Daniel and the three youths, Ananias, Azarias and Misael, belong to the biblical story of Judah’s exile in Babylon. Daniel continued praying when it brought him into danger, while his companions refused to worship the king’s golden image. Scripture tells of their deliverance from lions and from the furnace. Their remembrance encourages faithfulness when the people around us demand that we put something else before God.

How they died
Accounts of their deaths differ: some traditions say all four reposed in peace; others say they were beheaded.

Daniel and the Three Holy Youths: the full page

Also remembered today: Our Holy Father Dionysius the New of Zakinthos (1624).

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.