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: Colossians 1:24-29
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my
flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His
body, which is the church,
of which I became a minister according to the stewardship
from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from
generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of
the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the
hope of glory.
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man
in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
To this end I also labor, striving according to His
working which works in me mightily.
Gospel Reading: Luke 9:7-11
Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he
was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the
dead,
and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of
the old prophets had risen again.
And Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I
hear such things?" And he sought to see Him.
And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that
they had done. And He took them and went aside privately into a deserted
place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He
received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those
who had need of healing.
Saints and Feasts
Symeon the New Theologian; Probus, Andronicus, & Tarachus, Martyrs of Tarsus; Martin the Merciful, Bishop of Tours; Cosmas the Hymnographer, Bishop of Maiuma
