Saints Pontian, Pope and Hippolytus, Priest, Martyrs

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2“Son of man, you live in the midst of a provoking house. They have eyes to see, and they do not see; and ears to hear, and they do not hear. For they are a provoking house. 3As for you, then, son of man, prepare for yourself the supplies for traveling far away, and travel away in the daytime in their sight. And you shall travel from your place to another place in their sight, so that perhaps they may consider it. For they are a provoking house. 4And you shall carry your supplies outside, like the supplies of one who is traveling far away, in the daytime in their sight. Then you shall go forth in the evening in their presence, just as one goes forth who is moving far away. 5Dig for yourself through the wall, before their eyes. And you shall go out through it. 6In their sight, you shall be carried on shoulders, you shall be carried in the dark. You shall cover your face, and you shall not see the ground. For I have appointed you as a portent for the house of Israel.” 7Therefore, I did just as he had instructed me. I brought out my supplies in the daytime, like the supplies of one who is moving far away. And in the evening, I dug myself through the wall by hand. And I went out in the dark, and I was carried on shoulders, in their sight. 8And the word of the Lord came to me, in the morning, saying: 9“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the provoking house, said to you: ‘What are you doing?’ 10Say to them: Thus says the Lord God: This is the burden concerning my leader who is in Jerusalem, and concerning the entire house of Israel, who are in their midst. 11Say: I am your portent. Just as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They will be taken captive and moved far away. 12And the leader who is in their midst will be carried on shoulders; he will go forth in darkness. They will dig through the wall, so that they may lead him away. His face will be covered, so that he may not see the land with his eye.

56Yet they tempted and aggravated God Most High, and they did not keep his testaments.

57And they turned themselves aside, and they did not serve the covenant. In the same manner as their fathers, they were turned backwards, like a crooked bow.

58They impelled him to anger on their hills, and they provoked him to rivalry with their graven images.

59God listened, and he spurned them, and he reduced Israel greatly, almost to nothing.

…

61And he delivered their virtue into captivity, and their beauty into the hands of the enemy.

62And he enclosed his people with the sword, and he spurned his inheritance.

18:21Then Peter, drawing near to him, said: “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Even seven times?” 22Jesus said to him: “I do not say to you, even seven times, but even seventy times seven times. 23Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a man who was king, who wanted to take account of his servants. 24And when he had begun taking account, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25But since he did not have any way to repay it, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children, and all that he had, in order to repay it. 26But that servant, falling prostrate, begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay it all to you.’ 27Then the lord of that servant, being moved with pity, released him, and he forgave his debt. 28But when that servant departed, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarius. And taking hold of him, he choked him, saying: ‘Repay what you owe.’ 29And his fellow servant, falling prostrate, petitioned him, saying: ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay it all to you.’ 30But he was not willing. Instead, he went out and had him sent to prison, until he would repay the debt. 31Now his fellow servants, seeing what was done, were greatly saddened, and they went and reported to their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord called him, and he said to him: ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you all your debt, because you pleaded with me. 33Therefore, should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I also had compassion on you?’ 34And his lord, being angry, handed him over to the torturers, until he repaid the entire debt. 35So, too, shall my heavenly Father do to you, if each one of you will not forgive his brother from your hearts.”

19:1And it happened that, when Jesus had completed these words, he moved away from Galilee, and he arrived within the borders of Judea, across the Jordan.