2 Thessalonians 2.1-12 (Epistle)

1Cât priveşte venirea Domnului nostru Isus Hristos şi strângerea noastră laolaltă cu El, vă rugăm, fraţilor, 2să nu vă lăsaţi clătinaţi aşa de repede în mintea voastră şi să nu vă tulburaţi de vreun duh, nici de vreo vorbă, nici de vreo epistolă, ca venind de la noi, ca şi cum ziua Domnului ar fi şi venit chiar. 3Nimeni să nu vă amăgească în vreun chip; căci nu va veni înainte ca să fi venit lepădarea de credinţă şi de a se descoperi omul fărădelegii, fiul pierzării, 4potrivnicul care se înalţă mai presus de tot ce se numeşte „Dumnezeu” sau de ce este vrednic de închinare. Aşa că se va aşeza în Templul lui Dumnezeu, dându-se drept Dumnezeu. 5Nu vă aduceţi aminte cum vă spuneam lucrurile acestea, când eram încă la voi? 6Şi acum ştiţi bine ce-l opreşte ca să nu se descopere decât la vremea lui. 7Căci taina fărădelegii a şi început să lucreze; trebuie numai ca cel ce o opreşte acum să fie luat din drumul ei. 8Şi atunci se va arăta acel nelegiuit pe care Domnul Isus îl va nimici cu suflarea gurii Sale şi-l va prăpădi cu arătarea venirii Sale. 9Arătarea lui se va face prin puterea Satanei, cu tot felul de minuni, de semne şi puteri mincinoase 10şi cu toate amăgirile nelegiuirii, pentru cei ce sunt pe calea pierzării, pentru că n-au primit dragostea adevărului ca să fie mântuiţi. 11Din această pricină, Dumnezeu le trimite o lucrare de rătăcire, ca să creadă o minciună, 12pentru ca toţi cei ce n-au crezut adevărul, ci au găsit plăcere în nelegiuire, să fie osândiţi.

Mark 8.30-34 (Gospel)

30Isus le-a poruncit cu tărie să nu spună nimănui lucrul acesta despre El. 31Atunci a început să-i înveţe că Fiul omului trebuie să pătimească mult, să fie tăgăduit de bătrâni, de preoţii cei mai de seamă şi de cărturari, să fie omorât, şi după trei zile să învie. 32Le spunea lucrurile acestea pe faţă. Petru însă L-a luat deoparte şi a început să-L mustre. 33Dar Isus S-a întors şi S-a uitat la ucenicii Săi, a mustrat pe Petru şi i-a zis: „Înapoia Mea, Satano! Fiindcă tu nu te gândeşti la lucrurile lui Dumnezeu, ci la lucrurile oamenilor.” 34Apoi a chemat la El norodul împreună cu ucenicii Săi şi le-a zis: „Dacă voieşte cineva să vină după Mine, să se lepede de sine însuşi, să-şi ia crucea şi să Mă urmeze.

Our Venerable Father Daniel the Stylite (490)

He was from Samosata in Mesopotamia, and became a monk at the age of twelve. As a young monk he visited St Symeon the Stylite (September 1) to receive his blessing. Years later he moved to the neighborhood of Constantinople at the request of the holy Patriarch Anatolius (July 3), whom he had healed of a deadly ailment through his prayers. For a time Daniel lived in the church of the Archangel Michael at Anaplus, but nine years later St Symeon the Stylite appeared to him in a vision and told him to imitate Symeon’s ascesis of living on a pillar. For the remaining thirty-three years of his life the Saint did just that. He stood immovably in prayer regardless of the weather: once after a storm his disciples found him standing covered with ice. He was much loved by several Emperors (including Leo the Great), who sought him out for counsel. He reposed at the age of eighty-four, having lived through the reigns of three Emperors.

Saint Nikon the Dry of the Kiev Caves (1101)

He was a monk in Kiev, taken into slavery by a band of Polovtsi (Turkic raiders who were troubling the country at that time) along with the holy Martyr Eustratius (March 28). He humbly refused to be ransomed by his family and therefore suffered a harsh captivity for three years. Despite this, he prayed constantly for his captors, worked miracles for their sake, and once healed their leader from a deadly illness. One day St Eustratius appeared to him in a vision and told him that he would be set free in three days. When he told his captors, they severed the tendons of his knees and ankles and kept him under guard. But at the appointed time he was miraculously transported to Kiev, where he suddenly appeared in church among his astonished brethren. The Saint did not want his chains removed until his Abbot said “Brother, if the Lord wanted to see you in these chains, he would not have delivered you from captivity!” He was so withered from his hardships that he became known as Nikon the Dry. Later, the captor whom he had healed came to the Monastery of the Caves and became a disciple of his former slave.

Our Venerable Father Luke the New Stylite (979)

He was an Anatolian, and in his youth served in the Byzantine army in the war against the Bulgar Tsar Symeon. After the war, he left the army to become a monk, and was in time ordained to the priesthood. For a time he served as an army chaplain, living even more austerely than he had as a monk and distributing all his possessions to soldiers in need.

He entered the Monastery of St Zacharias on Mount Olympus in Bithynia, where he was appointed steward. Here his ascetical labors reached new levels. He kept a large stone in his mouth so that he would be unable to speak, and spent each night in a tree. When his exploits threatened to attract admiration, Luke fled to his homeland and lived for a few years in an isolated cave. Then, following in the footsteps of Symeon the Elder (September 1), Symeon the Younger (May 24), Daniel (today) and Alypius (November 26), he began to live as a stylite, dwelling on a tall pillar near Constantinople. Here he became a powerful intercessor for those who flocked to him for healing or counsel, and countless miracles were worked through his prayers.

Saint Luke lived on his pillar for more than forty years without interruption, and fell asleep in peace, aged more than one hundred. He was buried in the Monastery of St Bassian.