1 May Saturday
Old Style — 18 AprilToday

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
- Our Venerable Father Basil (Ratishvili) (XIII)›
- Venerable John, Disciple of Gregory of Decapolis (IX)›
- Martyrs Victor, Zoticus, Zeno, Acindynus and Severian (+303)›
- St Cosmas the Confessor, Bishop of Chalcedon, and the Venerable Auxentius (+815–820)›
- Martyr John the New (+1526)›
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 16Psalms 109–117›
- At Matins · kathisma 17Psalms 118›
- At Vespers · kathisma 1Psalms 1–8›
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
A man who boasts of his own virtue proves by this very thing that he has no true virtue. Inward contentment of heart is a sign of his folly.
For every day — candles and incense
Candles and incense →Icon: Icon of Christ — Sinai, 6th c. · Public domain







