St Paul the Confessor of Constantinople; Rep. St Herman, Archbishop of Kazan; Ven. Luke of Sicily (Taormina)

Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ²a servant of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man. ³For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. ⁴For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law, ⁵who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.” ⁶But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law.

“I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God; ⁹but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of God’s angels. ¹⁰Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. ¹¹When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer or what you will say; ¹²for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”