Romans 7.1-13
(Epistle)
1Or don’t you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?
2For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.
3So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.
4Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God.
5For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death.
6But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.
7What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
8But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.
9I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
10The commandment which was for life, this I found to be for death;
11for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.
12Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, righteous, and good.
13Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was producing death in me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceedingly sinful.
Galatians 5.22-6.2
(Epistle, Athanasius of Mount Athos)
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
25If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.
26Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.
1Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted.
2Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Matthew 9.36-10.8
(Gospel)
36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
38Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”
1He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness.
2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother;
3Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus;
4Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans.
6Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’
8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give.
Matthew 11.27-30
(Gospel, Athanasius of Mount Athos)
27All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.
28“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”