(Church Calendar)
Saints of the Day
August 4 / 17. Holy Seven Youths (the Seven Sleepers) of Ephesus: Maximilian, Jamblicus, Martinian, John, Dionysius, Exacustodian (Constantine), and Antoninus. Martyr Eudocia of Persia. Martyr Eleutherius of Constantinople. New Hieromartyr Cosmas of Aitolia, Equal-to-the-Apostles (also entered at August 24). (Greek Calendar: Martyr Thathuil. Martyr Ia and 9,000 with her.)
Photo of the Day
A friend of thirty years, Brother Peter Ciolino, superior of the Roman Catholic Capuchin Franciscan House of Studies, in Berkeley, CA., visited the Monastery this week.
Quote for the Day:
If we begin, with firm intention, to live according to God’s Law, we must not fear any sort of attack by those who do not understand, for to him who has truly begun to live according to God’s Law, all that happens to him at the hands of men, happens for his help and to the glory of God.
Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic”The Prologue from Ochrid”
Scripture Readings for the Day
2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5
Collection for the Judean Saints
16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. 17 For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. 18 And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, 19 and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, 20 avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us— 21 providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
22 And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you. 23 If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.
Administering the Gift
1 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. 3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.
Mark 3:13-19
The Twelve Apostles
13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.