Luke 9.49-56 (Gospel)

49And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

Ephesians 5.33-6.9 (Epistle)

33Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 5Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. 9And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

St Abercius, Bishop of Hierapolis, Wonderworker and Equal to the Apostles (167)

He was bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia of Asia Minor, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, a persecutor of Christians. During a pagan festival, Abercius was instructed by an Angel to throw down the idols of Apollo and other pagan gods. When his work was discovered, the people of the city were outraged; but instead of hiding, the bishop went to the marketplace and openly confessed the Christian faith. The people grew angrier still, but when Abercius healed three possessed men they were amazed and listened to him more closely. He preached the Faith with such power that the entire city and surrounding countryside became Christian.

These miracles reached the ears of the Emperor, whose daughter was suffering from demonic possession. The Emperor summoned Abercius to Rome, where he was enabled to cast out the spirit and perform several other miracles. The Empress offered him a large reward of gold for healing her daughter, but he would not accept it. On his way home, he was instructed in a vision to travel to Syria. He travelled first to Antioch and surrounding cities, then as far as Mesopotamia, proclaiming Christ and teaching the faith everywhere he went. No other bishop of his time travelled so widely in the service of the Gospel; for this reason he is called Equal to the Apostles.

After several years he returned to Phrygia, where he lived the remainder of his life in peace, shepherding his flock.

Venerable Lot of Egypt (5th c.)

He was one of the company of ascetic Fathers who fled the world into the Egyptian desert in the fourth and fifth centuries.

Once Abba Lot went to his spiritual father Joseph and asked him, simply, ‘What shall I do to be saved?’ Abba Joseph stretched his hands toward heaven and his fingers became ten flames. He said, ‘If you desire it, you can become entirely as a fire.’

A brother once came to Abba Lot in terrible distress and said to him, ‘I have committed a great sin, that I cannot admit to the Fathers.’ ‘Confess it to me and I will bear it for you,’ answered the Elder. ‘I have fallen into fornication,’ the brother said, ‘and to do so, I sacrificed to idols.’ The Elder said to him, ‘Take heart: no sin is beyond God’s mercy. Repentance is always possible. Go and sit in your cave; eat only every other day, and we will each take an equal share of the burden of your offence.’ After three weeks of keeping the same penance, Abba Lot received assurance from God that the brother’s repentance was acceptable. For the rest of his life, the brother served as the Elder’s disciple.

Holy Seven Youths of Ephesus

They are also commemorated August 4. See that date for their story.