Ven. Parasceva of Serbia; Holy Martyrs Nazarius, Gervasius, Protasius, and Celsus of Milan (1st c.); Saint Cosmas the Hymnographer (8th c.)

In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ⁹making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him ¹⁰to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him. ¹¹We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will, ¹²to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. ¹³In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.

¹⁵For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you and the love which you have toward all the saints, ¹⁶don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, ¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him,

The day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms and lodge and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.”

¹³But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.”

¹⁴For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵They did so, and made them all sit down. ¹⁶He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. ¹⁷They ate and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

¹⁸As he was praying alone, the disciples were near him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”