St Abercius, Equal-to-the-Apostles; Venerable Lot of Egypt (5th c.); Holy Seven Youths of Ephesus

Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants: ²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³I thank my God whenever I remember you, ⁴always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy, ⁵for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now; ⁶being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.

Turning to the disciples, he said, “All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son desires to reveal him.”

²³Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see, ²⁴for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.”