The holy martyrs: the presbyter Pamphilius, Porphyry, and their companions, who received the crowns of martyrdom: Pamphilus the priest; Valentine, a deacon of Jerusalem; Paul, born in the city of Jamnia, who passed two years in prison; Porphyry, a servant of Pamphilus; Seleucus the Cappadocian, who was of high military rank; Theodulus, an old man from the family of the governor Firmilian; and finally, Julian the Cappadocian, who, coming from abroad that very same hour, when he kissed the martyrs’ bodies, was accused of being a Christian and ordered by the governor to be burned over a slow fire.
Your martyrs, O Lord our God, in their struggles received incorruptible crowns from you. With Your strengths, they brought down the tyrants and broke the cowardly valor of demons. Through their prayer, O Christ our God, save our souls.
The courageous martyrs of Christ went with joy and unbending determination to the frightful tortures prepared for them from which they obtained eternal glory. They are constantly interceding for us who praise their struggle.
1st Corinthians 6: 12-20
Brothers and sisters: “Everything is lawful for me” but that does not mean that everything is good for me. “Everything is lawful for me” – but I will not let myself be enslaved by anything. “Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will do away with them both in the end” – but the body is not for immorality; it is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. God, who raised up the Lord, will raise us also by his power.
Do you not see that your bodies are members of Christ? Would you have me take Christ’s members and make them the members of a prostitute? God forbid! Can you not see that the man who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? Scripture says, “The two shall become one flesh.” But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun lewd conduct. Every other sin a man commits is outside his body, but the fornicator sins against his own body. You must know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within pp the Spirit you have received from God. You are not your own. You have been purchased, and at a price. So glorify God in your body.
Luke 15: 11-32
The Lord told this parable: “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that is coming to me.’ So the father divided up the property. Some days later this younger son collected all his belongings and went off to a distant land, where he squandered his money on dissolute living. After he had spent everything, a great famine broke out in that country and he was in dire need. So he attached himself to one of the propertied class of the place, who sent him to his farm to take care of the pigs. He longed to fill his belly with the husks that were fodder for the pigs, but no one made a move to give him anything. Coming to his senses at last, he said: ‘How many hired hands at my father’s place have more than enough to eat, while here I am starving! I will break away and return to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against God and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son. Treat me like one of your hired hands.’
With that he set off for his father’s house. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was deeply moved. He ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ The father said to his servants: ‘Quick! Bring out the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Take the fatted calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and is found.’ Then the celebration began.
“Meanwhile the elder son was out on the land. As he neared the house on his way home, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked him the reason for the dancing and the music. The servant answered; ‘You brother is home, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has him back in good health.’ The son grew angry at this and would not go in; but his father came out and began to plead with him.
“He said to his father in reply: ‘For years now I have slaved for you. I never disobeyed one of your orders, yet you never gave me so much as a kid goat to celebrate with my friends. Then, when this son of yours returns after having gone through your property with loose women, you kill the fatted calf for him.’
“‘My son,’ replied the father, ‘you are with me always, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice! This brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life. He was lost, and is found.’”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Saturday, February 15 –
