The Holy Martyrs Trophimus, Sabbatius, and Dorymedontus.
Post-feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Galatians 4:8-21; Mark 6:45-53.
Read Mark 6:45-53
The temptation or desire for personal gain and profit is a difficult obstacle to avoid. God blesses each of us with many good things and in doing so He does not discriminate. It is our own sense of justice that causes us to expect that God will give more or better things to those of us who believe that we have been more deserving than others. We can even become bitter towards God when we believe that we are more deserving of receiving God’s blessings than others. It is because we are focusing on our own needs instead of the needs of others that we get caught in this way of thinking. When we are able to recognize that the needs of others are just as important as our own needs then it becomes easier to accept that God is simply providing for their needs as well as ours. Let us try to avoid the idea that those who are more deserving should be given more.