Prophet Ezekiel; Our Righteous Fathers John and Symeon, the Fool for Christ's Sake (570); Marcella, Virgin-Martyr of Chios (ca. 1500)

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. ¹⁵For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

¹⁶The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; ¹⁷and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

¹⁸For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us. ¹⁹For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him. ¹⁰As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹²When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. ¹³But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”