Romans 7.14-8.2 (Epistle)

14Ştim, în adevăr, că Legea este duhovnicească; dar eu sunt pământesc, vândut rob păcatului. 15Căci nu ştiu ce fac: nu fac ce vreau, ci fac ce urăsc. 16Acum, dacă fac ce nu vreau, mărturisesc prin aceasta că Legea este bună. 17Şi atunci, nu mai sunt eu cel ce face lucrul acesta, ci păcatul care locuieşte în mine. 18Ştiu, în adevăr, că nimic bun nu locuieşte în mine, adică în firea mea pământească, pentru că, ce-i drept, am voinţa să fac binele, dar n-am puterea să-l fac. 19Căci binele pe care vreau să-l fac, nu-l fac, ci răul pe care nu vreau să-l fac, iată ce fac! 20Şi dacă fac ce nu vreau să fac, nu mai sunt eu cel ce face lucrul acesta, ci păcatul care locuieşte în mine. 21Găsesc, dar, în mine legea aceasta: când vreau să fac binele, răul este lipit de mine. 22Fiindcă, după omul dinăuntru, îmi place Legea lui Dumnezeu; 23dar văd în mădularele mele o altă lege care se luptă împotriva legii primite de mintea mea şi mă ţine rob legii păcatului care este în mădularele mele. 24O, nenorocitul de mine! Cine mă va izbăvi de acest trup de moarte…?

25Mulţumiri fie aduse lui Dumnezeu, prin Isus Hristos, Domnul nostru!… Astfel, dar, cu mintea, eu slujesc Legii lui Dumnezeu; dar cu firea pământească slujesc legii păcatului. 1Acum, dar, nu este nicio osândire pentru cei ce sunt în Hristos Isus, care nu trăiesc după îndemnurile firii pământeşti, ci după îndemnurile Duhului. 2În adevăr, legea Duhului de viaţă în Hristos Isus m-a izbăvit de legea păcatului şi a morţii.

Matthew 10.9-15 (Gospel)

9Să nu luaţi nici aur, nici argint, nici aramă în brâiele voastre, 10nici traistă pentru drum, nici două haine, nici încălţăminte, nici toiag, căci vrednic este lucrătorul de hrana lui. 11În orice cetate sau sat veţi intra, să cercetaţi cine este acolo vrednic şi să rămâneţi la el până veţi pleca. 12La intrarea voastră în casă, uraţi-i de bine; 13şi, dacă este casa aceea vrednică, pacea voastră să vină peste ea; dar, dacă nu este vrednică, pacea voastră să se întoarcă la voi. 14Dacă nu vă va primi cineva, nici nu va asculta cuvintele voastre, să ieşiţi din casa sau din cetatea aceea şi să scuturaţi praful de pe picioarele voastre.” 15Adevărat vă spun că, în ziua judecăţii, va fi mai uşor pentru ţinutul Sodomei şi Gomorei, decât pentru cetatea aceea.

Our Holy Father Sisoës the Great of Egypt (429)

One of the greatest of the Desert Fathers, he lived in asceticism at Scetis in Egypt. After the death of St Anthony the great, Abba Sisoës became a hermit in Anthony’s cave, saying “Thus in the cave of a lion, a fox makes his dwelling.” In his own lifetime he was granted the grace to heal the sick, drive out unclean spirits, and even raise the dead.

As his death approached after a long life in the desert, his brethren gathered around him. His face began to shine, and he said, “See, Abba Anthony is here!” then, “See, the choir of the prophets is here!” Seeing that he seemed to be speaking with someone, his brethren asked him who it was. He replied, “The Angels are here, and I am asking them for time to repent.” Amazed, they asked him what he could have to repent of, to which he replied, “Brethren, I do not know if I have even begun to repent.” Finally, his face became as bright as the sun, and he said, “See, the Lord is here, and He says, ‘Bring Me the vessel of the desert.’” With this, he gave his soul up to God, and his entire dwelling was filled with light and sweet fragrance.

Some of his teaching, as told in the Prologue: “St Sisoës taught his monks: ‘When temptation comes to a man, that man must give himself over to the will of God, and acknowledge that the temptation comes upon him because of his sins. If something good comes to pass, he must acknowledge that it comes about by the providence of God.’ A monk asked him: ‘How can I please God and be saved?’ The saint replied: ‘If you desire to please God, withdraw from the world, separate yourself from the earth, leave aside creation and draw near to the Creator, unite yourself to God with prayers and tears, and you will find rest in this world and in the next.’ A monk asked Sisoes: ‘How can I acquire humility?’ The saint replied: ‘When a man learns to regard every man as better than himself, he thus acquires humility.’ Ammon complained to Sisoes that he could not memorise the wise sayings that he had read, to be able to quote them in conversation with others. The saint replied: ‘It is not necessary. That which is necessary is to acquire purity of mind and to speak from this purity, placing one’s hope in God.’”

Holy Martyrs Marinus and Martha, and those with them (269)

Marinus and Martha were wealthy Persians; but they sold all their goods and traveled to Rome with their sons Audifax, Habakkuk, Valentine, and Cyrinus, in order to venerate the holy relics of the apostles and martyrs. When the Emperor Claudius asked them why they had come so far, at such cost, to seek the dead in Rome, they answered ‘We are servants of Christ, and are come to venerate the holy apostles whose immortal souls are alive with God, that they may be our intercessors with Christ our God.’ All of them were sentenced to interrogation and to death if they would not deny Christ. Valentine, who was a priest, was handed over to a General named Asterius. When Valentine healed Asterius’ daughter, who had been blind for two years, Asterius and his entire household accepted Christ and were baptised by Valentine. All of them, along with Marinus and Martha and their family, underwent torture and death for the sake of Christ.