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: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not
grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you,
that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance
for every good work.
As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has
given to the poor; His righteousness remains forever."
Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread
for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the
fruits of your righteousness,
while you are enriched in everything for all
liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
Gospel Reading: Luke 5:1-11
Now so it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the
word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had
gone from them and were washing their nets.
Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked
him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the
multitudes from the boat.
Now when He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out
into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all
night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."
And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish,
and their net was breaking.
So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and
help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to
sink.
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "
Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of
fish which they had taken;
and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were
partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now
on you will catch men."
So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all
and followed Him.
Saints and Feasts
Thecla the Protomartyr & Equal to the Apostles; St. Silouan of Athos; Coprios the Righteous; Juvenaly & Peter the Aleut, New Martyrs of Alaska
