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: Philippians 1:1-7
Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, To all the
saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
always in every prayer of mine making request for you all
with joy,
for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day
until now,
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun
a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
just as it is right for me to think this of you all,
because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the
defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of
grace.
Gospel Reading: Luke 4:37-44
And the report about Him went out into every place in the
surrounding region.
Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But
Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of
Him concerning her.
So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.
And immediately she arose and served them.
Now when the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick
with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every
one of them and healed them.
And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You
are the Christ, the Son of God!" And He, rebuking them, did not allow them
to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.
Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.
And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from
leaving them;
but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the
other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."
And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
Saints and Feasts
Euphrosyne of Alexandria; Paphnoutios the Martyr & his 546 Companions in Egypt; Our Righteous Father Sergius of Radonezh
