Colossians 2.20-3.3 (Epistle)

20Ako dakle umrijeste s Hristom stihijama svijeta, zašto se kao živeæi u svijetu prepirete: 21Ne dohvati se, ne okusi, ne opipaj; koje je sve na pogibao onome koji èini, 22Po zapovijestima i naukama ljudskima? 23Koje je samo po rijeèi premudrost samovoljno izbrane službe i poniznosti i nešteðenja tijela, ne za èast kaku, za punjenje tijela.

1Ako dakle vaskrsnuste s Hristom, tražite ono što je gore gdje Hristos sjedi s desne strane Boga. 2Mislite o onome što je gore a ne što je na zemlji. 3Jer umrijeste, i vaš je život sakriven s Hristom u Bogu.

Luke 11.1-10 (Gospel)

1I kad se moljaše Bogu na jednom mjestu pa presta, reèe mu neki od uèenika njegovijeh: Gospode! nauèi nas moliti se Bogu, kao što i Jovan nauèi svoje uèenike. 2A on im reèe: kad se molite Bogu govorite: oèe naš koji si na nebesima, da se sveti ime tvoje; da doðe carstvo tvoje; da bude volja tvoja i na zemlji kao na nebu; 3Hljeb naš potrebni daji nam svaki dan; 4I oprosti nam grijehe naše, jer i mi opraštamo svakome dužniku svojemu; i ne navedi nas u napast; nego nas izbavi oda zla. 5I reèe im: koji od vas ima prijatelja, i otide mu u ponoæi i reèe mu: prijatelju! daj mi tri hljeba u zajam; 6Jer mi doðe prijatelj s puta, i nemam mu šta postaviti; 7A on iznutra odgovarajuæi da reèe: ne uznemiruj me; veæ su vrata zatvorena i djeca su moja sa mnom u postelji, i ne mogu ustati da ti dam. 8I kažem vam: ako i ne ustane da mu da zato što mu je prijatelj, ali za njegovo bezobrazno iskanje ustaæe i daæe mu koliko treba. 9I ja vama kažem: ištite i daæe vam se: tražite i naæi æete; kucajte i otvoriæe vam se. 10Jer svaki koji ište, prima; i koji traži, nalazi; i koji kuca, otvora mu se.

St Abercius, Bishop of Hierapolis, Wonderworker and Equal to the Apostles (167)

He was bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia of Asia Minor, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, a persecutor of Christians. During a pagan festival, Abercius was instructed by an Angel to throw down the idols of Apollo and other pagan gods. When his work was discovered, the people of the city were outraged; but instead of hiding, the bishop went to the marketplace and openly confessed the Christian faith. The people grew angrier still, but when Abercius healed three possessed men they were amazed and listened to him more closely. He preached the Faith with such power that the entire city and surrounding countryside became Christian.

These miracles reached the ears of the Emperor, whose daughter was suffering from demonic possession. The Emperor summoned Abercius to Rome, where he was enabled to cast out the spirit and perform several other miracles. The Empress offered him a large reward of gold for healing her daughter, but he would not accept it. On his way home, he was instructed in a vision to travel to Syria. He travelled first to Antioch and surrounding cities, then as far as Mesopotamia, proclaiming Christ and teaching the faith everywhere he went. No other bishop of his time travelled so widely in the service of the Gospel; for this reason he is called Equal to the Apostles.

After several years he returned to Phrygia, where he lived the remainder of his life in peace, shepherding his flock.

Venerable Lot of Egypt (5th c.)

He was one of the company of ascetic Fathers who fled the world into the Egyptian desert in the fourth and fifth centuries.

Once Abba Lot went to his spiritual father Joseph and asked him, simply, ‘What shall I do to be saved?’ Abba Joseph stretched his hands toward heaven and his fingers became ten flames. He said, ‘If you desire it, you can become entirely as a fire.’

A brother once came to Abba Lot in terrible distress and said to him, ‘I have committed a great sin, that I cannot admit to the Fathers.’ ‘Confess it to me and I will bear it for you,’ answered the Elder. ‘I have fallen into fornication,’ the brother said, ‘and to do so, I sacrificed to idols.’ The Elder said to him, ‘Take heart: no sin is beyond God’s mercy. Repentance is always possible. Go and sit in your cave; eat only every other day, and we will each take an equal share of the burden of your offence.’ After three weeks of keeping the same penance, Abba Lot received assurance from God that the brother’s repentance was acceptable. For the rest of his life, the brother served as the Elder’s disciple.

Holy Seven Youths of Ephesus

They are also commemorated August 4. See that date for their story.