Orthodox Readings

Friday, August 21, 2026

Apostle Thaddeus of the Seventy; Avram, Archimandrite of Smolensk; Holy Martyrs Bassa and her sons Theognis, Agapios, and Pistis (4th c.)

Friday of the 12th week after Pentecost

Tone 2. Fast day: strict. What this means

The Epistle

2 Corinthians 7:10–16

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you. 13Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. 14For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth. 15And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. 16I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.

The Gospel for Thaddaeus

Mark 3:13–21

And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. 14And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, 15And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: 16And Simon he surnamed Peter; 17And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: 18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, 19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house. 20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

Commemorated today

  • Apostle Thaddeus of the Seventy
  • Avram, Archimandrite of Smolensk
  • Athanasios Patelaros, Patriarch of Constantinople
  • Holy Martyrs Bassa and her sons Theognis, Agapios, and Pistis (4th c.)
  • Holy Forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Hymns and lives of the saints are on the Online Chapel of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.

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