1 Thessalonians 1.1-5 (Epistle)

1Pavel, Silvan şi Timotei, către Biserica tesalonicenilor, care este în Dumnezeu Tatăl şi în Domnul Isus Hristos: Har şi pace de la Dumnezeu, Tatăl nostru, şi de la Domnul Isus Hristos. 2Mulţumim totdeauna lui Dumnezeu pentru voi toţi pe care vă pomenim necurmat în rugăciunile noastre; 3căci ne aducem aminte fără încetare, înaintea lui Dumnezeu, Tatăl nostru, de lucrarea credinţei voastre, de osteneala dragostei voastre şi de tăria nădejdii în Domnul nostru Isus Hristos! 4Ştim, fraţi preaiubiţi de Dumnezeu, alegerea voastră. 5În adevăr, Evanghelia noastră v-a fost propovăduită nu numai cu vorbe, ci cu putere, cu Duhul Sfânt şi cu o mare îndrăzneală. Căci ştiţi că, din dragoste pentru voi, am fost aşa printre voi.

Luke 12.13-15, 22-31 (Gospel)

13Unul din mulţime a zis lui Isus: „Învăţătorule, spune fratelui meu să împartă cu mine moştenirea noastră.” 14„Omule”, i-a răspuns Isus, „cine M-a pus pe Mine judecător sau împărţitor peste voi?” 15Apoi le-a zis: „Vedeţi şi păziţi-vă de orice fel de lăcomie de bani; căci viaţa cuiva nu stă în belşugul avuţiei lui.” 22Isus a zis apoi ucenicilor Săi: „De aceea vă spun: nu vă îngrijoraţi cu privire la viaţa voastră, gândindu-vă ce veţi mânca, nici cu privire la trupul vostru, gândindu-vă cu ce vă veţi îmbrăca. 23Viaţa este mai mult decât hrana, şi trupul mai mult decât îmbrăcămintea. 24Uitaţi-vă cu băgare de seamă la corbi: ei nu seamănă, nici nu seceră, n-au nici cămară, nici grânar; şi totuşi Dumnezeu îi hrăneşte. Cu cât mai de preţ sunteţi voi decât păsările! 25Şi apoi, cine dintre voi, chiar îngrijorându-se, poate să adauge un cot la lungimea vieţii lui? 26Deci, dacă nu puteţi face nici cel mai mic lucru, pentru ce vă mai îngrijoraţi de celelalte? 27Uitaţi-vă cu băgare de seamă cum cresc crinii: ei nu torc, nici nu ţes; totuşi vă spun că nici Solomon, în toată slava lui, n-a fost îmbrăcat ca unul din ei. 28Dacă astfel îmbracă Dumnezeu iarba, care astăzi este pe câmp, iar mâine va fi aruncată în cuptor, cu cât mai mult vă va îmbrăca El pe voi, puţin credincioşilor? 29Să nu căutaţi ce veţi mânca sau ce veţi bea şi nu vă frământaţi mintea. 30Căci toate aceste lucruri Neamurile lumii le caută. Tatăl vostru ştie că aveţi trebuinţă de ele. 31Căutaţi mai întâi Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu, şi toate aceste lucruri vi se vor da pe deasupra.

Holy Apostles of the Seventy Olympas, Rodion, Erastus, Sosipater and Quartus

All of these Apostles were among the Seventy, and all are mentioned by St Paul in Romans 16. Saints Olympas and Rodion followed St Peter to Rome and were beheaded under Nero around the year 54. The other three reposed in peace after serving the Church as bishops: St Sosipater as Bishop of Iconium; St Erastus (described by St Paul as city treasurer of Corinth) as Bishop of Paneas (Caesarea Philippi); St Quartus as Bishop of Beirut. Quartus is said to have converted most of the citizens of Beirut to faith in Christ before his repose.

Our Venerable Father Arsenios of Cappadocia, the Wonderworker (1924)

“Cappadocia (in eastern Turkey) is virtually devoid of Christians now, but in 1840, when St Arsenios was born there, there were still vital Orthodox communities. He became a monk and was sent to his native town, Farasa, to serve the people. He became known as a mighty intercessor before God, praying for all who came to him, Muslims as well as Christians. His countless miracles of healing became known throughout Cappadocia; those who could not come to see him would sometimes send articles of clothing for him to pray over. He became known as Hadjiefendis, a Muslim term of honour for pilgrims, because he made pilgrimage to the Holy Land every ten years on foot. He never accepted any gifts in return for his prayers and healings, saying ‘Our faith is not for sale!’

“He concealed his holiness as much as he could beneath a rough and sharp-tempered exterior. If anyone expressed admiration for him, he would reply “So you think I’m a saint? I’m only a sinner worse than you. Don’t you see that I even lose my temper? The miracles you see are done by Christ. I do no more than lift up my hands and pray to him.” But as the Scriptures say, the prayers of a righteous man avail much, and when St Arsenios lifted up his hands, wonders often followed.

“He lived in a small cell with an earthen floor, fasted often and was in the habit of shutting himself in his cell for at least two whole days every week to devote himself entirely to prayer.

“Father Arsenios predicted the expulsion of the Greeks from Asia Minor before it happened, and organized his flock for departure. When the expulsion order came in 1924, the aged Saint led his faithful on a 400-mile journey across Turkey on foot. He had foretold that he would only live forty days after reaching Greece, and this came to pass. His last words were “The soul, the soul, take care of it more than the flesh, which will return to earth and be eaten by worms!” Two days later, on November 10, 1924, he died in peace at the age of eighty-three. Since 1970, many apparitions and miracles have occurred near his holy relics, which reside in the Monastery of Souroti near Thessalonica. He was officially glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1986.”

— Source: Orthodox Parish of St John of Kronstadt (UK)

The primary source for the life of St Arsenios is Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian, compiled by Elder Païsios of the Holy Mountain, who was baptized as an infant by the Saint.