Ven. Joannicus the Great; The Holy Hieromartyrs Nicander, Bishop of Myra, and Hermias the Presbyter; Porphyrios the Mime

For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. ⁹For what thanksgiving can we give again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God, ¹⁰night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

¹¹Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. ¹²May the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all men, even as we also do toward you, ¹³to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light; but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵Therefore see whether the light that is in you isn’t darkness. ³⁶If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light.”

³⁷Now as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him. He went in and sat at the table. ³⁸When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed himself before dinner. ³⁹The Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. ⁴⁰You foolish ones, didn’t he who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹But give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and behold, all things will be clean to you.