Prayer Before Reading Holy Scripture
O Master Who loves mankind, illuminate our hearts with the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our mind to understand the teachings of Your Gospel. Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, that we may overcome all carnal desires, entering upon a spiritual life and understanding and acting in all things according to Your holy will. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ God, and to You we give glory together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.
Epistle Reading: Ephesians 6:10-17
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the
power of His might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be
able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,
having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the
gospel of peace;
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will
be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God;
Gospel Reading: Luke 13:10-17
Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity
eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.
But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "
Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."
And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made
straight, and glorified God.
But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation,
because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There
are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on
them, and not on the Sabbath day."
The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each
one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and
lead it away to water it?
"So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom
Satan has bound; think of it; for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond
on the Sabbath?"
And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to
shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were
done by Him.
Saints and Feasts
Alypius the Stylite of Adrianopolis; St. Nicon ; Stylianos the Monk of Paphlagonia; George the New Martyr of Chios; Innocent of Irkutsk
