From byzcath.org, oremus.org, rongolini.com:
Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: the Fast of the Nativity
Scriptural Readings:
Friday of the 29th Week after Pentecost
Hebrews 7:18-25
Hebrews 7:18-2518There is, on the one hand, the abrogation of an earlier commandment because it was weak and ineffectual 19(for the law made nothing perfect); there is, on the other hand, the introduction of a better hope, through which we approach God. 20This was confirmed with an oath; for others who became priests took their office without an oath, 21but this one became a priest with an oath, because of the one who said to him, “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever’”— 22accordingly Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant. 23Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Luke 21:37-22:8
Luke 21:37-22:837Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. 38And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.
22Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. 2The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people. 3Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; 4he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. 5They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. 6So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
7Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.”
The Synaxarion:
December 17
Memory of the holy Prophet Daniel and the Three Youths:
Anania, Azaria, and Misael (Fourth century B.C.)
The Book of Daniel tells of a holy prophet who belonged to the tribe of Juda and descended from the royal line. When still young, he was led away with his three young companions to Babylon at the time of the captivity of King Joakim in 605 B.C. Chosen for service to the King of the Assyrians, they received new names: Daniel was named Baltassar; Anania, Sidrach; Misael, Misach; and Azaria, Abdenago. They were raised in the royal palace and taught the wisdom of the Chaldeans. Three years later, Daniel, after having interpreted the mysterious dream of King Nabuchodonosor, and vindicated Susanna from the unjust accusations of the two elders, was made governor by the King of the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect of the Satraps, the Persian major governors, over all the wise men of Babylon. Under the reign of Belsassar, Nabuchodonosor's son, Daniel explained the handwriting on the palace wall to the King. When Darius the Mede, also called Cyrus, beseiged and occupied Babylon in 538 B.C., Daniel was named one of the three great ministers that Cyrus had established to head the one hundred and twenty satraps of his kingdom. Falsely denounced by his enemies, he was thrown into a lions' den, but, sustained by assistance from on high, he closed the lions mouths. Among the lions, he was like a shepherd among his ewes.
As for his three young companions, having refused to prostrate themselves before a statue of Nabuchodonosor, they were thrown into the white-hot furnace. Remaining intact in the middle of the flames, they glorified God by the beautiful hymn that the liturgy has inserted into the Seventh and Eighth Odes of the stichologia.
Fifth Class Feast.
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