Thursday Dec. 26, 2025 / Jan. 8 ns 2026 † Synaxis of the Theotokos; St. Evthymios the Confessor, Bishop of Sárdis ~ No Fasting ~ Synaxis: Heb. 2:11-18; St. Matt. 2:13-23

Thursday

December 26, 2025

January 8 new style

2026

~ No Fasting ~

ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE NATIVITY, the Christian Church gives glory and thanksgiving to the Most-holy Theotokos, who gave birth to our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. This feast is called "the Synaxis'' because on this day all of the faithful gather to glorify her, the Most-holy Theotokos, and to solemnly and universally celebrate a feast in her honor. In Ohrid, it has been the tradition from ancient times that, on the eve of the second day of Nativity, Vespers has been celebrated only in the Church of the Most-holy Theotokos called the Chieftain [Èelnica]. All the clergy with the people gather together to glorify the Most-pure Mother of God.


St. Evthýmios the Confessor, Bishop of Sárdis

When you are about to pray to our Lady the Holy Virgin, be firmly assured, before praying, that you will not depart from her without having received mercy. To think thus and to have confidence in her is meet and right. She is, the All-Merciful Mother of the All-Merciful God, the Word, and her mercies, incalculably great and innumerable, have been declared from all ages by all Christian Churches; she is, indeed, an abyss of mercies and bounties, as is said of her... 

+ St. John of Kronstadt

Hebrews 2:11-18 KJV

11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.


Saint Matthew 2:13-23 KJV

13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.

21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Are you Lukewarm or Eager for Christ?

{Ed.}
As the period of increased Prayer and Fasting brought us to the Resurrection, have we resurrected a little so we can gaze upon Christ, or are we back to the "same old, same old" carnal, ultimately empty pursuits?  As it is said:  "One day we will no longer be able to satisfy our desires"


Revelation 3:15-16 King James Version (KJV)

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Are you are eager to have this or that, to go here and there, veracious for just about anything in Creation and yet minimally attentive (lukewarm) to the Truth that the Creator of all things wants you to enjoy them with restraint but yet, at the same time, forsake this life entirely because He wants ALL OF YOUR YOUR BEING, ALL OF YOUR HEART? You can indeed gain much from this mortal, temporary life but for how long and at what cost? Are you willing to lose Jesus Christ, Who is Himself, Paradise without end?

There WILL be those who will hear from Christ: St. Matthew 7:23 KJV  . . .  I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
But in fact, they never knew Him.

If our love for Christ, is confirmed in us by Him, then we need not fear.

Saint Anthony the Great

Ask yourself: Do you believe Him when He says that all of the hairs of your head are numbered? Do you believe He knew every thought you would have before He made you? And, the same for all the people and all of Creation, who are and have gone before and will come after us?

Be honest, can any transient mind, a mind still inclined to hate, war, ambition, even begin to grasp such a God exists?

Furthermore, ask yourself, did He make this life a desert, void of joy etc.? No! Like a mother who pacifies and indulges her child while pushing it to walk on its own, our most merciful and loving God gives us innumerable delights in this brief life but is He not clear about what He expects from us in return?
Well, are you eager for Him? Or are you like those who live in a fantasy, a dream with little to no thought about your judgement date; the time of which you have nothing to say.

Is this life anything more than an ultra real tangible dream, confirmed when we wake from it after death? Yes, but only one thing needful!!

It is an opportunity to PLEASE CHRIST GOD! An opportunity to avoid suffering the consequences from DISPLEASING CHRIST GOD!

And lets ask ourselves: How hard was it for God to incarnate? How hard to resurrect from the dead? Was it something He "needed" to do? Did He not call all things into being without even breathing or a thought? Did He need help to do so and from where would it come?

As the Great Andrew of Crete calls: Arise my soul! Why are you sleeping? The Holy Trinity has NO needs. Nevertheless, we know with certainty that He came in the flesh in order for us to believe that we, WE, who are temporarily carnal, can live this life, die to this life, resurrect and our immortal souls ascend with Him into PARADISE/LIFE ETERNAL
If we are not eager for Him with all our heart then what value a life of death? Many individuals, even "religions", fast just as strictly and some even more frequently than we but for who? For what? for peace? For health? For a god or gods who are not God? 

Christ is the Son of the Father, the Creator, the Prince of Peace.  Without Him, we can do nothing. He IS Truth, the Life and the Resurrection.

Ask yourself, who does the following describe?

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
St Matthew 15:8