Apostles of 70 Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas; St Irene, Abbess of the Convent of Chrysovalantou (912); Our Righteous Father Paul of Xeropotamou

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily service. ²The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables. ³Therefore, select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. ⁴But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.”

⁵These words pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch, ⁶whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

⁷The word of God increased and the number of the disciples greatly multiplied in Jerusalem. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves. ¹³He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!”

¹⁴The lame and the blind came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

¹⁷He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there.

¹⁸Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.

¹⁹Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

²⁰When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”