21 January Thursday
Old Style — 8 JanuaryToday
Holy Martyr Abo of Tbilisi (formerly an Arab), martyred in Tbilisi (+786)

This year's detailed calendar has not been published yet — these are calculated dates.
Commemorated — from the synaxarion
Tap a name to open the life
- Holy Martyr Abo of Tbilisi (formerly an Arab), martyred in Tbilisi (+786)›
- Venerable George of Choziba (VII)›
- Venerable Domnica of Constantinople (+c. 474)›
- Gregory the Wonderworker (+1093)›
- St Elias the Egyptian, the Hermit (IV)›
- Venerable Martyr Carterius, Presbyter of Caesarea in Cappadocia (+304)›
- Holy Martyrs Julian, Celsus, Antony, Anastasius, Basilissa and Marionilla, Seven Children and Twenty Soldiers (+313)›
The tone and the day's psalms
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:
- At Matins · kathisma 13Psalms 91–100›
- At Matins · kathisma 14Psalms 101–104›
- At Vespers · kathisma 15Psalms 105–108›
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
We owe our spiritual fathers far more than our fathers according to the flesh, who give us birth for this world and for life together with this world, while they give us birth for heaven and for eternal life together with God.
— St John Chrysostom · #
Icons of the day's saints — from our shop
All icons →For every day — candles and incense
Candles and incense →Icon: Icon of Christ — Sinai, 6th c. · Public domain










