Church calendar · 2027

4 August Wednesday

Old Style — 22 July

Holy Myrrhbearer Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles (I)

Fast day Tone 5

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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

All the lives for this day — 2

The tone and the day's psalms

This week's tone is 5Eight 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

Great martyrdom is a sign of a great nature, as is great victoriousness. Great martyrdom is the same as a great victory, which falls to the lot of a man of great nature; only the victor is happy because he himself delights in what victory brings, whereas the martyr burns away like a candle and only lights the way for others.