Church calendar · 2026

7 July Tuesday

Old Style — 24 June

Nativity of St John the Baptist

Apostles' Fast Tone 4

The 6th week after Pentecost. Tuesday

The Nativity of St John the Baptist

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Commemoration

Tap a name to open the life

2 of 2 names — the rest are in Georgian only

All the lives for this day — 2

Readings

For the Forerunner: 1) Gen 17:15–17, 19; 18:11–14; 21:1–2; 2) Judg 13:2–8, 13–14; 3) Isa 40:13, 9; 41:17–18; 45:8; 48:20–21; 54:1

At Matins: Lk 1:24–25, 57–68, 76, 80 (§3)

For the Forerunner: Rom 13:11 – 14:4 (§118); Lk 1:1–25, 57–68, 76, 80 (§1)

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

Forgiving offences is the indispensable condition for receiving from God forgiveness for our own sins; the second is impossible without the first. “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged” (Luke 6:37), the Lord commands. Archbishop Macarius