Galatians 3.15-22 (Epistle)

15Braæo, po èovjeku govorim, niko èovjeèijega potvrðena zavjeta ne odbacuje niti mu što domeæe. 16A Avraamu i sjemenu njegovu reèena biše obeæanja. A ne veli: i sjemenima, kao za mnoga, nego kao za jedno: i sjemenu tvojemu, koje je Hristos. 17Ovo pak velim: zavjeta, koji je od Boga potvrðen za Hrista, ne odbacuje zakon, koji je postao poslije èetiri stotine i trideset godina, da ukine obeæanje. 18Jer ako je našljedstvo od zakona, onda veæ nije od obeæanja, a Avraamu obeæanjem darova Bog. 19Šta æe dakle zakon? Radi grijeha dodade se dokle doðe sjeme kojemu se obeæa, i postavili su ga anðeli rukom posrednika. 20Ali posrednik nije jednoga; a Bog je jedan. 21Eda li je dakle zakon protivan obeæanjima Božijim? Bože saèuvaj! Jer da je dan zakon koji može oživljeti, zaista bi od zakona bila pravda. 22Ali pismo zatvori sve pod grijeh, da se obeæanje dade kroz vjeru Isusa Hrista onima koji vjeruju.

Mark 6.7-13 (Gospel)

7I dozva dvanaestoricu, i poèe ih slati dva i dva, i davaše im vlast nad duhovima neèistijem. 8I zapovjedi im da ništa ne uzimaju na put osim jednoga štapa: ni torbe ni hljeba ni novaca u pojasu; 9Nego obuveni u opanke, i ne oblaèiti dviju haljina. 10I reèe im: gdje uðete u dom ondje ostanite dok ne iziðete odande. 11I ako vas ko ne primi i ne posluša vas, izlazeæi odande otresite prah s nogu svojijeh za svjedoèanstvo njima. Zaista vam kažem: lakše æe biti Sodomu i Gomoru u dan strašnoga suda nego gradu onome. 12I otišavši propovijedahu da se treba kajati; 13I ðavole mnoge izgonjahu; i mazahu uljem mnoge bolesnike; i iscjeljivahu.

Martyrs Sophia and her three daughters Faith, Hope and Love, at Rome (137)

Sophia was a widow in Rome in the time of the Emperor Hadrian, and raised her three daughters in the Faith. When the four of them were brought before the persecutors, Faith was twelve years old, Hope was ten, and Love was nine. Ordered to make sacrifice to the goddess Artemis, all of them humbly refused. All three daughters were tortured, then executed, before their mother’s eyes. Sophia buried their bodies and mourned at their grave for three days and nights, then fell asleep in peace. For her steadfastness and solidarity with her daughters’ sufferings she is counted as a martyr along with them. Sophia means “wisdom” in Greek; the three daughters’ names in Greek are Pistis, Elpis, and Agape; in Russian, Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov. They are represented on many icons.

Our Holy Father Lambert, Bishop of Maastricht (705)

He was born to a noble family in Maastricht (in modern-day Netherlands). When his spiritual father Bishop Theodard was killed in 671, St Lambert was elected Bishop of Maastricht despite his youth. He was loved by his flock for his holiness, ascetic labors and almsgiving, but was driven from his see in 675 after his patron King Childeric II was assasinated. He withdrew to the Monastery of Stavelot where he lived for seven years as one of the brethren, claiming no privileges despite his office. Once, getting up to pray during the night, he accidentally disturbed the monastic silence. The Abbot called out for whoever was responsible to do penance by standing barefoot in the snow before a cross outside the monastery church. In the morning the Abbot was dismayed to see the Bishop standing barefoot, covered with snow, before the cross, his face shining. The Abbot sought to apologize, but Lambert replied that he was honored to serve God like the Apostles, in cold and nakedness.

When King Pepin of Heristal took power in 681, he restored Lambert to his see, despite the Saint’s desire to remain in obscurity. The holy bishop renewed his pastoral labors with vigor, visiting the most distant parishes and preaching the Gospel to the pagans who still inhabited the area, despite danger and threats. But when King Pepin put away his wife and replaced her with his concubine Alpais, St Lambert was the only Bishop who dared to rebuke him. For this he incurred the wrath of Alpais, who ordered his death. His assassins carried out their evil commission, even though they found a cross shining above the humble dwelling where he was staying.

Saint Lambert is one of the best-loved Saints of the Netherlands and Belgium, where many parish churches are dedicated to him. His relics are now in the Belgian city of Liège.