Prophet Nahum; Saint Philaret the Merciful of Constantinople (762); Our Venerable Father Eligius (Eloi), Bishop of Noyon (660)

Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor and some for dishonor. ²¹If anyone therefore purges himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master’s use, prepared for every good work.

²²Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³But refuse foolish and ignorant questionings, knowing that they generate strife. ²⁴The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient, ²⁵in gentleness correcting those who oppose him. Perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen, ³⁸saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!”

³⁹Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

⁴⁰He answered them, “I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.”

⁴¹When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it, ⁴²saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³For the days will come on you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side, ⁴⁴and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.”