Orthodox Daily Readings

Epistle: James 3:11-4:6

11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?

12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.

16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

17 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.

18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

2 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.

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

4 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.

5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Gospel: Mark 10:11-16

11 So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.

12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Commemorated on this day

Leavetaking of the Theophany . St. Savva I, first Archbishop of Serbia (1237). The Holy Fathers slain at Sinai and Raithu: Isaiah, Savva, Moses and his disciple Moses, Jeremiah, Paul, Adam, Sergius, Domnus, Proclus, Hypatius, Isaac, Macarius, Mark, Benjamin, Eusebius, Elias, and others (4th-5th c.). St. Nina (Nino), Equal-to-the-Apostles, Enlightener of the Georgians (355). St. Joseph Analytinus of Raithu (4th c.). Ven. Theodulus, son of Ven. Nilus of Sinai (5th c.). Ven. Stephen, Abbot of Khenolakkos Monastery near Chalcedon (8th c.). Saint Meletios, Bishop of Ryazan (19th c.). Hieromartyr Platon, the first Bishop of Estonia, and all the New Martyrs of Estonia (1869).