Holy Hieromartyr Lucian, Presbyter of the Church of Antioch (312); Ven. Euthymius the New of Thessalonica; Savinos the Bishop of Catania

For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

⁹This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰so that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ, ¹¹being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

¹²Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News, ¹³so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ, ¹⁴and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ²⁴For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake will save it. ²⁵For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self? ²⁶For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels. ²⁷But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here who will in no way taste of death until they see God’s Kingdom.”