2 Thessalonians 2.1-12 (Epistle)

1Ali vas molimo, braæo, za dolazak Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, i za naš sastanak u njemu, 2Da se ne date lasno pokrenuti od uma, niti da se plašite, ni duhom ni rijeèju, ni poslanicom, kao da je od nas poslana, da je veæ nastao dan Hristov. 3Da vas niko ne prevari nikakijem naèinom; jer neæe doæi dok ne doðe najprije otpad, i ne pokaže se èovjek bezakonja, sin pogibli, 4Koji se protivi i podiže više svega što se zove Bog ili se poštuje, tako da æe on sjesti u crkvi Božijoj kao Bog pokazujuæi sebe da je Bog. 5Ne pamtite li da sam vam ovo kazivao još kad sam kod vas bio? 6I sad znate što zadržava da se ne javi u svoje vrijeme. 7Jer se veæ radi tajna bezakonja, samo dok se ukloni onaj koji sad zadržava. 8Pa æe se onda javiti bezakonik, kojega æe Gospod Isus ubiti duhom usta svojijeh, i iskorijeniti svjetlošæu dolaska svojega; 9Kojega je dolazak po èinjenju sotoninu sa svakom silom, i znacima i lažnijem èudesima, 10I sa svakom prijevarom nepravde meðu onima koji ginu: jer ljubavi istine ne primiše, da bi se spasli. 11I zato æe im Bog poslati silu prijevare, da vjeruju laži; 12Da prime sud svi koji ne vjerovaše istini, nego volješe nepravdu.

Mark 8.30-34 (Gospel)

30I zaprijeti im da nikom ne kazuju za njega. 31I poèe ih uèiti da sinu èovjeèijemu valja mnogo postradati, i da æe ga okriviti starješine i glavari sveštenièki i književnici, i da æe ga ubiti, i treæi dan da æe ustati. 32I govoraše o tom ne ustruèavajuæi se. I Petar uze ga i poèe ga odvraæati. 33A on obrnuvši se i pogledavši na uèenike svoje zaprijeti Petru govoreæi: idi od mene sotono; jer ti ne misliš što je Božije nego što je ljudsko. 34I dozvavši narod s uèenicima svojima reèe im: ko hoæe za mnom da ide neka se odreèe sebe i uzme krst svoj, i za mnom ide.

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.