Romans 15.7-16 (Epistle)

7Therefore accept one another, even as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God. 8Now I say that Christ has been made a servant of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will give praise to you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.”

10Again he says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

11Again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Let all the peoples praise him.”

12Again, Isaiah says, “There will be the root of Jesse, he who arises to rule over the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles will hope.”

13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope in the power of the Holy Spirit.

14I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others. 15But I write the more boldly to you in part as reminding you, because of the grace that was given to me by God, 16that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12.38-45 (Gospel)

38Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

39But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.

43“When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, and doesn’t find it. 44Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came;’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.”

Martyr Agrippina of Rome

She lived in virginity in Rome during the reign of Valerian (253-260) — as the Prologue says, ‘expelling the stench of the passions from her heart with the sweet-smelling perfume of purity and chastity.’ She voluntarily presented herself to the pagans and announced herself to be a Christian, for which she was tortured to death. Her friends Vassa, Paula and Agathonica took her relics to Sicily for burial. A church was built there in her name, and many miracles were worked there.

Commemoration of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God

Moscow was besieged by the Tartar king Ahmet. Prince Ivan Vasillievich brought troops to defend the city, but they were far outnumbered by the Tartar forces. Despairing of their hope in human protection, the people of the city pleaded for deliverance to the holy Mother of God before her icon. The Tartar forces were unaccountably struck with terror, and retreated in confusion, saving the city. On this day, the miracle, and the holy icon through which it was brought about, is commemorated in Russia.