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Beginning of the Eccesiastical Year (Indiction)
Today we are celebrating the Ecclesiastical New Year, which began on September 1st, during
which we are called to relive the whole life of Christ: from Christmas to Pascha, from Pascha to Pentecost, we are exhorted
to unite ourselves to Christ in his birth and in his growth, to Christ suffering, to Christ dying, to Christ in triumph and
to Christ inspiring his Church. The liturgical year helps form Christ in us, from
his birth to the full stature of the perfect man.
Since 1989, this Feast has also been known as the Feast of Creation. The
custom began with Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios I and in 2025 Pope Francis named September 1st the World Day of Prayer for
the Care of Creation. This year’s theme is Living Water, drawn from
Ezekiel’s vision of a river that brings life to dry land. Pope Leo XIV’s message for 2026 adds Isaiah’s
words about beating swords into plowshares, joining the healing of the earth to the making of peace.
The Epistle read for this feast reminds us of the duty we have to pray for our
brothers and sisters. It is particularly suitable that, on this first day of the Church Year, we should bring to our Lord’s
heart all those whom justice or charity bind to us. The Gospel read
at the Liturgy today, tells of Jesus returning to Nazareth, entering a synagogue, and reading a portion of Scripture, which
he then proclaims “is today fulfilled in your hearing.”
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The readings below are for Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Today's Epistle reading: [1 Timothy 2.1-7]
First of all, then,
I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high
positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable
in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For
there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for
all —this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying),
a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
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Today's Gospel reading: [Luke 4.16-22]
When he came to
Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the
place where it was written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it
back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They
said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"
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