Virgin Martyr Anysia at Thessalonica; Our Holy Father Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia (1563); Gideon the New Martyr of Mount Athos

See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven, ²⁶whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.”

²²But I exhort you, brothers, endure the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. ²³Know that our brother Timothy has been freed, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you.

²⁴Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. The Italians greet you.

²⁵Grace be with you all. Amen.

Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

¹²The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry. ¹³Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came to see if perhaps he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴Jesus told it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” and his disciples heard it.

¹⁵They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves. ¹⁶He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple. ¹⁷He taught, saying to them, “Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers!”

¹⁸The chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.

¹⁹When evening came, he went out of the city. ²⁰As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots. ²¹Peter, remembering, said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.”

²²Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. ²³For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening, he shall have whatever he says.