Ephesians 6.18-24 (Epistle)

18Faceţi în toată vremea, prin Duhul, tot felul de rugăciuni şi cereri. Vegheaţi la aceasta, cu toată stăruinţa, şi rugăciune pentru toţi sfinţii 19şi pentru mine, ca ori de câte ori îmi deschid gura să mi se dea cuvânt, ca să fac cunoscut cu îndrăzneală taina Evangheliei, 20al cărei sol în lanţuri sunt; pentru ca, zic, să vorbesc cu îndrăzneală, cum trebuie să vorbesc. 21Acum, ca să ştiţi şi voi despre mine, Tihic, preaiubitul frate şi slujitor credincios în Domnul, vă va face cunoscut totul. 22Vi l-am trimis înadins, ca să luaţi cunoştinţă despre starea noastră şi să vă îmbărbăteze inimile. 23Pace, fraţilor, şi dragoste împreună cu credinţa din partea lui Dumnezeu Tatăl şi din partea Domnului Isus Hristos! 24Harul să fie cu toţi cei ce iubesc pe Domnul nostru Isus Hristos în curăţie. Amin.

Luke 7.31-35 (Gospel)

31Cu cine voi asemăna, dar, pe oamenii din neamul acesta? Şi cu cine seamănă ei? 32Seamănă cu nişte copii care stau în piaţă şi strigă unii către alţii: „V-am cântat din fluier, şi n-aţi jucat; v-am cântat de jale, şi n-aţi plâns.” 33În adevăr, a venit Ioan Botezătorul, nici mâncând pâine, nici bând vin, şi ziceţi: „Are drac.” 34A venit Fiul omului, mâncând şi bând, şi ziceţi: „Iată un om mâncăcios şi băutor de vin, un prieten al vameşilor şi al păcătoşilor.” 35Totuşi Înţelepciunea a fost găsită dreaptă de toţi copiii ei.”

Holy Martyrs Eulampius and Eulampia (196)

They were brother and sister, from Nicomedia, who suffered for Christ during the reign of Maximian. Eulampius was arrested for his Christian faith; when his sister received the news, she hurried to join him. Both were subjected to various cruel tortures, including being cast into fire and boiling pitch, from which they miraculously emerged unharmed. Finally, Eulampius was beheaded, and Eulampia gave up her spirit before she too could be beheaded.

Blessed Fool for Christ Andrew of Totma (1637)

“Saint Andrew came of a family of devout, unlettered peasants. He obtained an education by going to church and, on the death of his parents, became a novice at the Monastery of Galich, in the diocese of Kostroma. The Abbot, who was remarkable for his wisdom, discerned Andrew’s spiritual gifts and encouraged him to undertake the unusual and difficult ascesis of Foolishness-for-Christ. Andrew left the monastery to lead a wayfaring life, but often returned to reveal his thoughts and deeds to his starets. On his Elder’s death, he settled near the Church of the Resurrection in the town of Totma, where he was completely unknown. He spent the whole night in prayer and during the day begged alms that he forthwith gave to the poor. He went barefoot summer and winter and lived on nothing but bread and water. Every year he made a pilgrimage to the holy places of the region. One day he was accosted by the chief of an outlandish tribe. The man was suffering from an eye complaint and asked Andrew, who was already looked upon as a wonderworker, to cure him. Andrew fled, but the wild man washed his eyes in the snow trodden by the Saint and was healed.

“Worn out by ascesis and privation, Saint Andrew foreknew the day of his decease. He called a priest, confessed and communicated in the holy Mysteries, and not long after he fell asleep in the Lord, a heavenly scent pervading the room where his body lay. Some time later, the Saint appeared to a sick woman as she slept, holding the Gospel for her to venerate and telling her to pray at his tomb. When she awoke, the woman was healed.” (Synaxarion)