Church calendar · 2026

26 February Thursday

Old Style — 13 February

St Martin the Merciful

Great Lent Tone 4

The 1st week of Great Lent. Thursday

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Venerable Martinian (V), and Venerable Zoe and Photinia (V)

Commemoration

Tap a name to open the life

4 of 4 names — the rest are in Georgian only

All the lives for this day — 4

Readings

At the Sixth Hour: Isa 2:11–21

At Vespers: Gen 2:4–19; Prov 3:1–18

The tone and the day's psalms

This week's tone is 4Eight tones — the Octoechos

What is a tone?

A tone is not a psalm number. It is the mode in which that week's resurrection hymns are sung — the whole week's Vespers, Matins and Liturgy are set in one tone.

There are eight tones, and they change each week. The cycle opens with the first tone on Thomas Sunday after Pascha and returns to the first every eight weeks; Bright Week itself has no tone of its own. A new tone begins on Saturday evening, with the new church week.

The Psalter is divided into twenty kathismata and, by the usual rule, is read through once a week. Appointed for this day:

This is the usual rule. In Great Lent the Psalter is read twice a week, and the kathismata are divided differently.

Word of the day

Prayer is not wearisome labour. It is an inward work, a warm outpouring of the soul. True, prayer needs fasting and vigil. Fasting calms the passions, and vigil kills them. Prayer lifts a man up on wings to heaven, sending down to him heavenly gifts.

— Saint Anthimos of Chios · #