افسسیان ۱.۱-۹ (رساله)

۱از پولس که به خواست خدا رسول مسیحْ عیسی است، به مقدسینِ ساکن در شهر اَفِسُس، به آنان که در مسیحْ عیسی وفادارند: ۲فیض و سلامتی از سوی خدا، پدر ما، و خداوندْ عیسی مسیح، بر شما باد. ۳متبارک باد خدا و پدر خداوند ما عیسی مسیح، که ما را در مسیح به هر برکت روحانی در جایهای آسمانی مبارک ساخته است. ۴زیرا پیش از آفرینش جهان، ما را در وی برگزید تا در حضورش مقدّس و بی‌عیب باشیم. و در محبت، ۵بنا بر قصد نیکوی ارادۀ خود، ما را از پیش تعیین کرد تا به واسطۀ عیسی مسیح از مقام پسرخواندگی او برخوردار شویم؛ ۶تا بدین وسیله فیض پرجلال او ستوده شود، فیضی که در آن محبوب به‌رایگان به ما بخشیده شده است. ۷در او، ما به واسطۀ خون وی رهایی یافته‌ایم، که این همان آمرزش گناهان است، که آن را به اندازۀ غنای فیض خود، ۸همراه با حکمت و فهم کامل، به‌فراوانی به ما بخشیده است. ۹او راز ارادۀ خود را به ما شناسانید، بنا بر قصد نیکوی خود که در مسیح نمایان ساخت

مرقس ۷.۲۴-۳۰ (انجیل)

۲۴عیسی آنجا را ترک گفت و به نواحی صور و صِیدون رفت. به خانه‌ای درآمد؛ امّا نمی‌خواست کسی باخبر شود. با این حال نتوانست حضور خود را پنهان دارد. ۲۵زنی که دختر کوچکش روح پلید داشت، چون شنید او آنجاست، بی‌درنگ آمد و به پاهای او افتاد. ۲۶آن زن که یونانی و از مردمان فینیقیۀ سوریه بود، از عیسی تمنا کرد دیو را از دخترش بیرون کند. ۲۷عیسی به او گفت: «بگذار نخست فرزندان سیر شوند، زیرا نان فرزندان را گرفتن و پیش سگان انداختن روا نیست.» ۲۸زن پاسخ داد: «بله، سرورم، امّا سگان نیز در پای سفره از خرده‌های نان فرزندان می‌خورند.» ۲۹عیسی به او گفت: «به‌خاطر این سخنت، برو که دیو از دخترت بیرون آمد!» ۳۰آن زن چون به خانه رسید، دید که دخترش بر بستر دراز کشیده و دیو از او بیرون شده است.

شهید سوفیا و دخترانش ایمان، امید و محبت (۱۳۷)

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.

پدر مقدس ما لامبرت, اسقف ماستریخت (۷۰۵)

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.