Our holy father Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, is one of the four great doctors of the Byzantine Church, called the Father of Orthodoxy. He opposed the Arians with admirable zeal and endured exile for 46 years. He died in 373.
Our holy father Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, opposed the Nestorians and taught that the divine and human natures in Christ are united in oneness of person, and that the Theotokos ought truly to be called Mother of God. He presided over the 3rd Ecumenical Council at Ephesus in 431. He died in 444.
Shining with works of true faith, you quenched every heretical dogma. You were conquerors in victory and enriched everyone by your holiness. You adorned the Church with regal glory, and you justly found Christ who shows us mercy.
O archbishops, remarkable for your piety and devotion, heroic defenders of the Church of Christ, protect all those who beg of you: O merciful Ones, through your intercession save those who honor you with fervor.
Hebrews 13: 7-16
Brothers and sisters: remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you; consider how their lives ended, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching. It is good to have our hearts strengthened by the grace of God and not by foods which are useless to those who take them as a standard for a living. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. The bodies of the animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus died outside the gate, to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us go to him outside the camp, bearing the insults which he bore. For here we have no lasting city; we are seeking one which is to come. Through him let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which acknowledge his name. Do not neglect good deeds and generosity; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.
Matthew 5:14-19
The Lord said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father.”
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the holy ones at Colossae, faithful brothers in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.
We always give thanks to God, the Father our Lord Jesus Christ in our prayers for you because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love you bear toward all the saints – moved as you are by the hope held in store for you in heaven. You heard of this hope through the message of truth, the gospel, which has to come to you, has borne fruit, and has continued to grow in your midst, as it has everywhere in the world. This has been the case from the day you first heard it and comprehended God’s gracious intention.
Luke 16: 10-15
The Lord said, “If you can trust a man in little things, you can also trust him greater; while anyone unjust in a slight matter is also unjust in greater. If you cannot be trusted with elusive wealth, who will trust you with lasting? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s money, who will give you what is your own? No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other or be attentive to one and despise the other. You cannot give yourself to God and money.” The Pharisees, who were avaricious men, heard all this and began to deride him. Jesus said to them: “You justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God reads your hearts. What man thinks important, God holds in contempt.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Friday, January 17 –
