1 Thessalonians 2.1-8 (Epistle)

1Jer sami znate, braæo, ulazak naš k vama da ne bi uzalud; 2Nego postradavši prije i osramoæeni bivši, kao što znate, u Filibi, oslobodismo se u Bogu svojemu kazivati vama jevanðelje Božije s velikom borbom. 3Jer utjeha naša nije od prijevare, ni od neèistote, ni u lukavstvu; 4Nego kako nas okuša Bog da smo vjerni da primimo jevanðelje, tako govorimo, ne kao ljudima ugaðajuæi nego Bogu koji kuša srca naša. 5Jer nigda iz laskanja ne govorismo k vama, kao što znate, niti iz uzroka lakomstva: Bog je svjedok; 6Niti tražeæi od ljudi slave, ni od vas, ni od drugijeh. 7Mogli smo vam biti na dosadu, kao Hristovi apostoli; ali bismo krotki meðu vama, kao što dojilica njeguje svoju djecu. 8Tako smo vas rado imali da smo gotovi bili dati vam ne samo jevanðelje Božije, nego i duše svoje, jer ste nam omiljeli.

Luke 9.44-50 (Gospel)

44Metnite vi u uši svoje ove rijeèi: jer sin èovjeèij treba da se preda u ruke èovjeèije. 45A oni ne razumješe rijeèi ove; jer bješe sakrivena od njih da je ne mogoše razumjeti; i bojahu se da ga zapitaju za ovu rijeè. 46A uðe misao u njih ko bi najveæi bio meðu njima. 47A Isus znajuæi pomisli srca njihovijeh uze dijete i metnu ga preda se, 48I reèe im: koji primi ovo dijete u ime moje, mene prima; i koji mene prima, prima onoga koji me je poslao; jer koji je najmanji meðu vama on je veliki. 49A Jovan odgovarajuæi reèe: uèitelju! vidjesmo jednoga gdje imenom tvojijem izgoni ðavole, i zabranismo mu, jer ne ide s nama za tobom. 50I reèe mu Isus: ne branite; jer ko nije protiv vas s vama je.

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.