Ven. Theodora of Alexandria; Trans. Rel. Ven. Sergius and Herman; St Euphrosynos the Cook of Alexandria (9th c.)

But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been removed. ¹²I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off.

¹³For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. ¹⁴For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another.

¹⁶But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, ²¹envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”

²⁰Now there were certain Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast. ²¹Therefore, these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” ²²Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.

²³Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

²⁷“Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time’? But I came to this time for this cause.

²⁸Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

²⁹Therefore the multitude who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. ³²And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.

³⁴The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

³⁵Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.