Philippians 1.8-14 (Epistle)

8For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

9This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ, 11being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

12Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News, 13so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ, 14and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

Luke 5.12-16 (Gospel)

12While he was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

13He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him. 14He commanded him to tell no one, “But go your way and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”

15But the report concerning him spread much more, and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities. 16But he withdrew himself into the desert and prayed.

Greatmartyr Nicetas the Goth

He was a Goth of noble birth among his people, a disciple of Bishop Theophilus of the Goths, who took part in the First Ecumenical Council. When he confronted Athanaric, the pagan ruler of the Goths, for his persecution of Christians and for his unbelief, Nicetas was cruelly tortured and finally burned to death. Though he died in the flames, his body was brought forth unharmed. His relics were taken by his friend Marianus to Mopsuestia in Cilicia, where a church dedicated to the Saint was built.

Holy Martyr Porphyrius (361).

“An actor, he first mocked at Christians before Julian the Apostate. On one occasion, when he was mimicking the Christian mystery of Baptism, he was dipped into the water, pronouncing the words: ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ When he emerged from the water, he cried out: ‘Now I am a Christian!’ Everyone thought that this was in jest, as always, but he held firm to it, stopped mocking Christians and finally suffered for Christ. He was beheaded in 361, and entered into the Kingdom of Christ.” (Prologue)

We rightly condemn worship that is purely external; but the life of St Porphyrius reminds us in a striking way that the ‘externals’ of the Faith have a power that can work to convert the heart of man. St Porphyrius used the words of Holy Baptism not only carelessly but mockingly, yet by God’s grace he emerged from the waters truly renewed into Christ.