Martyr Nestor of Thessalonica; St Procla, the wife of Pontius Pilate.; Our Venerable Father Demetrius of Basarabov (Romania) (13th c.)

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we need not say anything. ⁹For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead: Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

When he finished praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”

²He said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. ³Give us day by day our daily bread. ⁴Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”

⁵He said to them, “Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight and tell him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, ⁶for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,’ ⁷and he from within will answer and say, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give it to you’? ⁸I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs.

⁹“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.