James 2.14-26 (Epistle)

14What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? 15And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, 16and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? 17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. 18Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

19You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder. 20But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? 21Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected. 23So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. 24You see then that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. 25In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

Mark 8.11-21 (Gospel)

11The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven and testing him. 12He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

13He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side. 14They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”

16They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”

17Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened? 18Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember?

19When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Twelve.”

20“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Seven.”

21He asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?”

Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucis, Callinicus

These martyrs contested in Asia Minor during the reign of Decius. Thyrsus and Leucis were executed after horrible torture for confessing themselves as Christians and rebuking the Governor for his slaughter of their brethren. Callinicus was a pagan priest, converted by witnessing the martyrdom and miracles of St Thyrsus; he was beheaded.

Holy Martyrs Philemon, Apollonius, Arian and those with them (3rd c.)

“During the reign of Diocletian (284-305), the Governor of Antinoe in the Thebaid of Upper Egypt was Arian, a fierce persecutor who had sent many Christians to a violent death, among them Saints Timothy and Maura (see May 3) and Saint Sabine (Mar. 16). When he had imprisoned thirty-seven Christians for their confession of faith, one of them, named Apollonius, a reader of the Church, lost his courage at the sight of the instruments of torture, and thought how he might escape torments without denying Christ. He gave money to Philemon, a flute-player and a pagan, that he might put on Apollonius’ clothes and offer sacrifices before Arian, so that all would think Apollonius to have done the Governor’s will, and he might be released. Philemon agreed to this, but when the time came to offer sacrifice, enlightened by divine grace, he declared himself a Christian instead. He and Apollonius, who also confessed Christ when the fraud was exposed, were both beheaded. Before beheading them, Arian had commanded that they be shot with arrows, but while they remained unharmed, Arian himself was wounded by one of the arrows; Saint Philemon foretold that after his martyrdom, Arian would be healed at his tomb. When this came to pass, Arian, the persecutor who had slain so many servants of Christ, himself believed in Christ and was baptized with four of his body-guards. Diocletian heard of this and had Arian and his body-guards brought to him. For their confession of Christ, they were cast into the sea, and received the crown of life everlasting.” (Great Horologion)