Galatians 4.8-21 (Epistle)

8Odinioară, când nu cunoşteaţi pe Dumnezeu, eraţi robiţi celor ce din firea lor nu sunt dumnezei. 9Dar acum, după ce aţi cunoscut pe Dumnezeu sau, mai bine zis, după ce aţi fost cunoscuţi de Dumnezeu, cum vă mai întoarceţi iarăşi la acele învăţături începătoare, slabe şi sărăcăcioase, cărora vreţi să vă supuneţi din nou? 10Voi păziţi zile, luni, vremuri şi ani. 11Mă tem să nu mă fi ostenit degeaba pentru voi. 12Fraţilor, vă rog să fiţi ca mine, căci şi eu sunt ca voi. Nu mi-aţi făcut nicio nedreptate. 13Dimpotrivă, ştiţi că în neputinţa trupului v-am propovăduit Evanghelia pentru întâia dată. 14Şi n-aţi arătat nici dispreţ, nici dezgust faţă de ceea ce era o ispită pentru voi în trupul meu; dimpotrivă, m-aţi primit ca pe un înger al lui Dumnezeu, ca pe însuşi Hristos Isus. 15Unde este, dar, fericirea voastră? Căci vă mărturisesc că, dacă ar fi fost cu putinţă, v-aţi fi scos până şi ochii şi mi i-aţi fi dat. 16M-am făcut oare vrăjmaşul vostru pentru că v-am spus adevărul? 17Nu cu gând bun sunt plini de râvnă ei pentru voi, ci vor să vă dezlipească de noi, ca să fiţi plini de râvnă faţă de ei. 18Este bine să fii plin de râvnă totdeauna pentru bine, nu numai când sunt de faţă la voi. 19Copilaşii mei, pentru care iarăşi simt durerile naşterii, până ce va lua Hristos chip în voi! 20O, cum aş vrea să fiu acum de faţă la voi şi să-mi schimb glasul; căci nu ştiu ce să mai cred! 21Spuneţi-mi voi, care voiţi să fiţi sub Lege, n-ascultaţi voi Legea?

Mark 6.45-53 (Gospel)

45Îndată, Isus a silit pe ucenicii Săi să intre în corabie şi să treacă înaintea Lui de cealaltă parte, spre Betsaida. În timpul acesta, El avea să dea drumul norodului. 46După ce Şi-a luat rămas bun de la norod, S-a dus pe munte ca să Se roage. 47Când s-a înserat, corabia era în mijlocul mării, iar Isus era singur pe ţărm. 48A văzut pe ucenici că se necăjesc cu vâslirea, căci vântul le era împotrivă. Şi, într-a patra strajă din noapte, a mers la ei, umblând pe mare, şi voia să treacă pe lângă ei. 49Când L-au văzut ei umblând pe mare, li s-a părut că este o nălucă, şi au ţipat; 50pentru că toţi L-au văzut şi s-au înspăimântat. Isus a vorbit îndată cu ei şi le-a zis: „Îndrăzniţi, Eu sunt, nu vă temeţi!” 51Apoi S-a suit la ei în corabie, şi a stat vântul. Ei au rămas uimiţi şi înmărmuriţi, 52căci nu înţeleseseră minunea cu pâinile, fiindcă le era inima împietrită. 53După ce au trecut marea, au venit în ţinutul Ghenezaretului şi au tras la mal.

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.