1 Corinthians 4.1-5 (Epistle)

1Iată cum trebuie să fim priviţi noi: ca nişte slujitori ai lui Hristos şi ca nişte ispravnici ai tainelor lui Dumnezeu. 2Încolo, ce se cere de la ispravnici este ca fiecare să fie găsit credincios în lucrul încredinţat lui. 3Cât despre mine, prea puţin îmi pasă dacă sunt judecat de voi sau de un scaun omenesc de judecată. Ba încă, nici eu însumi nu mă mai judec pe mine. 4Căci n-am nimic împotriva mea; totuşi nu pentru aceasta sunt socotit neprihănit: Cel ce mă judecă este Domnul. 5De aceea să nu judecaţi nimic înainte de vreme, până va veni Domnul, care va scoate la lumină lucrurile ascunse în întuneric şi va descoperi gândurile inimilor. Atunci, fiecare îşi va căpăta lauda de la Dumnezeu.

Matthew 23.1-12 (Gospel)

1Atunci Isus, pe când cuvânta gloatelor şi ucenicilor Săi, 2a zis: „Cărturarii şi fariseii şed pe scaunul lui Moise. 3Deci toate lucrurile pe care vă spun ei să le păziţi, păziţi-le şi faceţi-le; dar după faptele lor să nu faceţi. Căci ei zic, dar nu fac. 4Ei leagă sarcini grele şi cu anevoie de purtat şi le pun pe umerii oamenilor, dar ei nici cu degetul nu vor să le mişte. 5Toate faptele lor le fac pentru ca să fie văzuţi de oameni. Astfel, îşi fac filacteriile late, îşi fac poalele veşmintelor cu ciucuri lungi; 6umblă după locurile dintâi la ospeţe şi după scaunele dintâi în sinagogi; 7le place să le facă oamenii plecăciuni prin pieţe şi să le zică: „Rabi! Rabi!” 8Voi să nu vă numiţi Rabi! Fiindcă Unul singur este Învăţătorul vostru: Hristos, şi voi toţi sunteţi fraţi. 9Şi „Tată” să nu numiţi pe nimeni pe pământ; pentru că Unul singur este Tatăl vostru: Acela care este în ceruri. 10Să nu vă numiţi „Dascăli”; căci Unul singur este Dascălul vostru: Hristosul. 11Cel mai mare dintre voi să fie slujitorul vostru. 12Oricine se va înălţa va fi smerit; şi oricine se va smeri va fi înălţat.

The Placing of the Sash of the Most Holy Theotokos (395-408? 886- 912?)

At the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, her sash came into the possession of the Apostle Thomas and after various transfers came to Cappadocia. It was later taken from there to Constantinople, where it was kept in a sealed casket in the Church of the Theotokos at Blachernae, at the time of the Emperor Arcadius (395-408). The casket was not opened until the reign of the Emperor Leo the Wise (886-912), when the Empress Zoe, who was ill, had a vision in which she was told to have the sash placed upon her. The Emperor obtained the blessing of the Patriarch, the sash was placed upon the Empress, and she was immediately healed. Some accounts say that today’s feast celebrates the bringing of the sash to Constantinople; others that it commemorates the miraculous healing of the Empress.

Hieromartyr Cyprian, bishop of Carthage (258)

He was born around 190 to pagan parents in North Africa. Before baptism he was distinguished in Carthage as a teacher of philosophy and rhetoric. He came to faith in Christ and was baptized at a young age; as soon as he became a Christian he abandoned his prestigious teacher’s position, sold his many possessions and gave all his wealth to the poor. He was ordained presbyter in 247, Bishop of Carthage in 248. He was known for his gentleness and paternal care for his flock, combined with firm opposition to heretics. His extensive writings still guide the Church today.

For his confession of Christ, he was beheaded under the Emperor Valerian on September 14; since that is the date of the Exaltation of the Cross, his feast is kept today. At the time of his execution he left twenty-five gold pieces (a huge sum) for the executioner who beheaded him.

St Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople (471)

He was known for his gentleness and his ascetical way of life. He would not ordain any man who did not know the Psalter by heart. He presided at a local council in which simony in the Church was anathematized. In his own lifetime he worked miracles, and he was told the time of his death in a vision. The famous monastery of Studion was built in his time, with his blessing. He reposed in peace.

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (651)

Around AD 635, Saint Oswald (5 August), King of Northumbria, appealed to the monks of the Monastery of Iona to send missionaries to his mostly-pagan kingdom. (An earlier mission had ended with the death of St Edwin in 633.) The fathers of the monastery chose St Aidan and consecrated him bishop. He founded a monastery (and his episcopal seat) on the island of Lindisfarne, and undertook missionary journeys, always on foot, throughout the kingdom, with King Oswald often accompanying him and serving as his interpreter. He lived in great poverty, using all the gifts he received as alms for the poor or to buy back captives and slaves. He was the spiritual father of St Hilda (17 Nov.), and founded the first women’s monasteries in Northumbria. He reposed in peace in 651, and was buried at Lindisfarne.

Note: Northumbria was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in what is now northeastern England and southern Scotland.