Summary of Today’s Readings & Commemorations

• Epistle: St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 1:7-17
• Gospel: Mark 8:1-10
• Saint of the Day: Saint Eumenius the Wonderworker, Bishop of Gortyna in Crete

Epistle of the Day

St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 1:7-17

Brethren, we have redemption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us[cite: 1]. For He has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of His will, according to His purpose which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth[cite: 1]. In Him, according to the purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will, we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of His glory[cite: 1]. In Him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory[cite: 1]. For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him[cite: 1].

Gospel of the Day

Mark 8:1-10

At that time, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way.”[cite: 1] And His disciples answered Him, “How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?”[cite: 1] And He asked them, “How many loaves have you?”[cite: 1] They said, “Seven.”[cite: 1] And He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground; and He took the seven loaves, and having given thanks He broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd[cite: 1]. And they had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He commanded that these also should be set before them[cite: 1]. And they ate, and were satisfied; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full[cite: 1]. And there were about four thousand people[cite: 1]. And He sent them away; and immediately He got into the boat with His disciples, and went to the district of Dalmanutha[cite: 1].

Gospel Reflection

Jesus sees that a large crowd has been following Him for three days without food, and He feels compassion for them[cite: 1]. Instead of sending them away hungry, He takes the small amount of food available, seven loaves and a few fish, blesses it, and miraculously feeds about 4,000 people[cite: 1]. There is even food left over afterward[cite: 1].

It teaches us to trust God with what we have, even when it seems too little[cite: 1]. Jesus took a small amount of food and made it enough for thousands[cite: 1]. What seems impossible or insufficient to us can become more than enough through God[cite: 1].

The Gospel shows us that Jesus cares about both our spiritual and physical needs[cite: 1]. The crowd stayed with Him because they wanted to hear His teachings, and He did not ignore their hunger[cite: 1].

Saint of the Day

Saint Eumenius the Wonderworker, Bishop of Gortyna in Crete

Commemorated on September 18th

From the Synaxarion, Saint Eumenius devoted himself from a young age to asceticism, humility, and prayer[cite: 1]. He was constantly repentant, weeping for his sins, and was known for never judging or speaking badly about anyone[cite: 1]. Because of his holy life, the people of Gortyna chose him to become their bishop[cite: 1].

As bishop, he faithfully guided his people, followed the Holy Spirit, and worked miracles through his prayers[cite: 1]. He later travelled to Rome, where he taught and performed miracles, and then journeyed to the Thebaid in Egypt[cite: 1]. There, without even intending to perform a miracle, his prayer brought an end to a drought[cite: 1]. He eventually fell asleep in the Lord in the Thebaid, and his body was brought back to Gortyna in Crete[cite: 1].