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: James 3:11-4:6
Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same
opening?
Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear
figs? Thus no spring can yield both salt water and fresh.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good
conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts,
do not boast and lie against the truth.
This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly,
sensual, demonic.
For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every
evil thing will be there.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality and without hypocrisy.
Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who
make peace.
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come
from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot
obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may
spend it on your pleasures.
Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship
with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend
of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit
who dwells in us yearns jealously"?
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the
proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Gospel Reading: Mark 11:23-26
"For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, '
Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever
he says.
"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you
pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against
anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your
trespasses.
"But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in
heaven forgive your trespasses."
Saints and Feasts
Apodosis of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; Melania the Younger, Nun of Rome; The Martyr and Presbyter Zoticus of Rome, Patron of Orphans
