Galatians 5.11-21 (Epistle)

11A ja, braæo, ako još obrezanje propovijedam, zašto me gone? Tako se ukide sablazan krstova. 12O da bi otsjeèeni bili oni koji vas kvare! 13Jer ste vi, braæo, na slobodu pozvani: samo da vaša sloboda ne bude na želju tjelesnu, nego iz ljubavi služite jedan drugome. 14Jer se sav zakon izvršuje u jednoj rijeèi, to jest: ljubi bližnjega svojega kao sebe. 15Ali ako se meðu sobom koljete i jedete, gledajte da jedan drugoga ne istrijebite. 16Velim pak: po duhu hodite, i želja tjelesnijeh ne izvršujte. 17Jer tijelo želi protiv duha, a duh protiv tijela; a ovo se protivi jedno drugome, da ne èinite ono šta hoæete. 18Ako li vas duh vodi, nijeste pod zakonom. 19A poznata su djela tjelesna, koja su preljuboèinstvo, kurvarstvo, neèistota, besramnost, 20Idolopoklonstvo, èaranja, neprijateljstva, svaðe, pakosti, srdnje, prkosi, raspre, sablazni, jeresi, 21Zavisti, ubistva, pijanstva, žderanja, i ostala ovakova, za koja vam naprijed kazujem, kao što i kazah naprijed, da oni koji takova èine neæe naslijediti carstva Božijega.

Mark 7.5-16 (Gospel)

5A potom pitahu ga fariseji i književnici: zašto uèenici tvoji ne žive kao što nam je ostalo od starijeh, nego jedu hljeb neumivenijem rukama? 6A on odgovarajuæi reèe im: dobro je prorokovao Isaija za vas licemjere, kao što je pisano: ovi ljudi usnama me poštuju, a srce njihovo daleko stoji od mene. 7No zaludu me poštuju uèeæi naukama, zapovijestima ljudskijem. 8Jer ostaviste zapovijesti Božije, a držite obièaje ljudske, pranje žbanova i èaša; i druga mnoga takova èinite. 9I reèe im: dobro ukidate zapovijest Božiju da svoj obièaj saèuvate. 10Jer Mojsije reèe: poštuj oca svojega i mater svoju; i: koji opsuje oca ili mater smræu da umre. 11A vi kažete: ako reèe èovjek ocu ili materi: korvan, to jest: prilog je èim bih ti ja mogao pomoæi. 12I tako ne date mu ništa uèiniti ocu svojemu ili materi svojoj, 13Ukidajuæi rijeè Božiju svojijem obièajem koji ste postavili; i ovako mnogo koješta èinite. 14I dozvavši sav narod reèe im: poslušajte mene svi, i razumijte. 15Ništa nema što bi èovjeka moglo opoganiti da uðe spolja u njega, nego što izlazi iz njega ono je što pogani èovjeka. 16Ako ko ima uši da èuje neka èuje.

Martyr Mamas of Caesarea in Cappadocia (275), and his parents, Martyrs Theodotus and Rufina

He began his life in the cruelest of circumstances: both of his parents were imprisoned for their faith in Christ. First his father, Theodotus, died in prison, then his mother, Rufina, died shortly after his birth, so the infant was left alone in prison beside the bodies of his parents. But an angel appeared to the widow Ammia, telling her to go to the prison and rescue the child. Ammia obtained the city governor’s permission to bury the parents and bring the child home. He was called Mamas because he was mute until the age of five and his first word was `Mama’. Despite his late beginning, he showed unusual intelligence and, having been brought up in piety, soon openly proclaimed his Christian faith. When he was only fifteen years old he was arrested and brought before the Emperor Aurelian. The Emperor, perhaps seeking to spare the boy, told him to deny Christ only with his lips, and the State would not concern itself with his heart. Mamas replied `I shall not deny my God and King Jesus Christ either in my heart or with my lips.’ He was sent to be tortured, but miraculously escaped and lived in the mountains near Caesarea. There he lived in solitude and prayer and befriended many wild beasts. In time, he was discovered by the persecutors and stabbed to death with a trident by a pagan priest.

St John IV, Patriarch of Constantinople, known as John the Faster (595)

He was born and raised in Constantinople. When he came of age he worked as a goldsmith and an engraver at the mint; but, renouncing worldly things, he was ordained a deacon and given charge of the distribution of alms in Constantinople. He gave freely to all with no consideration of their worthiness. The Synaxarion says ‘the more he distributed the more God filled his purse, so that it seemed inexhaustible.’

Upon the death of Patriarch Eutyches in 582, John became Patriarch and reigned for thirteen years, reposing in peace in 595. (It was during his reign that the term “Ecumenical Patriarch” began to be used to refer to the Patriarch of Constantinople.) St John was known for his great asceticism and fasting, and as a powerful intercessor and wonderworker. So generous was he to the poor that he used up all his funds in almsgiving and had to ask the Emperor for a loan, which he used to give more alms. After his repose, his only possessions were found to be an old cassock, a linen shirt and a wooden spoon.

Righteous Eleazar, son of Aaron and second High Priest of Israel

He was the son of Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel, and he in turn became the second High Priest. He reposed in peace.

Repose of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) of Platina (1982). (August 20 OC)

This modern-day pioneer of Orthodoxy and monasticism in America has not been glorified as a Saint of the Church, though many individuals ask his prayers and icons of him have been painted.

Eugene Rose was born in 1934 in California, where he spent all his life. Following an intense spiritual search that took him through study of several Eastern Religions (he earned a graduate degree in Chinese Philosophy), he providentially encountered the Russian Orthodox community in San Francisco, and in 1962 was received into the Orthodox Church. The sanctity of Archbishop (now Saint) John Maximovich was especially important to his development in the Faith.

After a few more years living in the world, he and his friend Gleb Podmosensky founded a small monastic brotherhood in the wilderness of far northern California; in time they were tonsured as monks and ordained as priests: Fr Seraphim and Fr Herman. At a time when Orthodoxy was almost invisible in North America, the monastery became a beacon of Orthodoxy for Americans seeking an authentic Christian faith.

Fr Seraphim reposed in 1982 at the age of forty-eight. Many of his writings are still in print. A biography, Father Seraphim Rose: His life and works, by Hieromonk Damascene, is highly recommended.