Hebrews 10.1-18 (Epistle)

1Jer zakon imajuæi sjen dobara koja æe doæi, a ne samo oblièje stvari, ne može nikada savršiti one koji pristupaju svake godine i prinose one iste žrtve. 2Inaèe bi prestale prinositi se, kad oni koji služe ne bi više imali nikake savjesti za grijehe, kad se jednom oèiste; 3Nego se njima svake godine èini spomen za grijehe. 4Jer krv junèija i jarèija ne može uzeti grijeha. 5Zato ulazeæi u svijet govori: žrtava i darova nijesi htio, ali si mi tijelo pripravio. 6Žrtve i prilozi za grijeh nijesu ti bili ugodni. 7Tada rekoh: evo doðoh, u poèetku knjige pisano je za mene, da uèinim volju tvoju, Bože. 8I više kazavši: priloga i prinosa i žrtava, i žrtava za grijehe nijesi htio, niti su ti bili ugodni, što se po zakonu prinose; 9Tada reèe: evo doðoh da uèinim volju tvoju, Bože. Ukida prvo da postavi drugo. 10Po kojoj smo volji mi osveæeni prinosom tijela Isusa Hrista jednom. 11I svaki sveštenik stoji svaki dan služeæi i jedne žrtve mnogo puta prinoseæi koje nikad ne mogu uzeti grijeha. 12A on prinesavši jedinu žrtvu za grijehe sjedi svagda s desne strane Bogu, 13Èekajuæi dalje dok se polože neprijatelji njegovi podnožje nogama njegovima. 14Jer jednijem prinosom savršio je vavijek one koji bivaju osveæeni. 15A svjedoèi nam i Duh sveti; jer kao što je naprijed kazano: 16Ovo je zavjet koji æu naèiniti s njima poslije onijeh dana, govori Gospod: daæu zakone svoje u srca njihova, i u mislima njihovijem napisaæu ih; 17I grijeha njihovijeh i bezakonja njihovijeh neæu više spominjati. 18A gdje je oproštenje ovijeh ondje više nema priloga za grijehe.

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 Holy Father Paul of Thebes (342)

He was born in Egypt in the reign of the Emperor Decius. Though his parents left him a large inheritance, he abandoned it and fled into the desert around the year 250 to escape the bloody persecution of Christians raging at that time. After walking for several days, he found an isolated cave with a large palm tree and a spring of fresh water nearby. Settling here in solitude, he gave himself up to constant prayer.

Many years passed. Saint Anthony the Great, having reached the age of ninety (in about the year 342) was tempted by the thought that no one else had ever lived a life so dedicated to God as his. That night, he was told in a dream that there was another hermit in the desert more perfect than himself, who had reached the age of 113 years. Anthony rose, took up his staff, and walked straight into the desert, trusting God to lead him where he should go. He was threatened by various beasts sent by the Devil, but he tamed them with the sign of the Cross, and they showed him the way he should go. Finally a wolf brought him to St Paul’s cave. They embraced as brothers in Christ and spent the night in prayer. The next day Paul confided to Anthony that he was about to die, and that God had brought Anthony thence to give him honorable burial. As he had said, St Paul reposed the next day and, with many tears, St Anthony buried him in a cloak given him by St Athanasius the Great, assisted by two lions who dug out the grave with their paws.

Our Holy Father John Kalyvites (the hut-dweller) (ca. 450)

He was the son of Eutropius, a prominent senator, and Theodora, who lived in Constantinople. At the age of twelve, he secretly fled his home, taking nothing but a Gospel book with him. Entering the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones in the City, he gave himself up with fervor to a life of prayer, self-denial and obedience. For three years he ate only on Sundays after taking communion, and became so thin and haggard that he bore no resemblance to the young nobleman who had entered the monastery.

Tormented by longing to see his parents, but unwilling to give up the ascetic struggle, he left the monastery with his Abbot’s blessing, dressed in beggar’s rags, and took up residence in a poor hut near the gate of his parents’ house. Here he lived, mocked by those who had once been his servants and despised by his own parents, who no longer recognized him.

After three years, Christ appeared to him and told him that his end was drawing near, and that in three days angels would come to take him home. John sent a message to his parents, asking them to visit his hut. In perplexity, they came, and John, showing them the Gospel book that they had given him as a child, revealed to them that he was their son, and that he was about to die. They embraced him, rejoicing at their reunion but weeping for his departure from this life. Immediately, he gave back his soul to God.

The whole City of Constantinople was stirred by the story, and great crowds came to John’s burial service. A church was later built on the site of his hut, and many miracles were wrought there through the Saint’s prayers.

Saint Ita of Kileedy, Ireland (570)

The gentle and motherly St. Ita was descended from the high kings of Tara. From her youth she loved God ardently and shone with the radiance of a soul that loves virtue. Because of her purity of heart she was able to hear the voice of God and communicate it to others. Despite her father’s opposition she embraced the monastic life in her youth. In obedience to the revelation of an angel she went to the people of Ui Conaill in the southwestern part of Ireland. While she was there, the foundation of a convent was laid. It soon grew into a monastic school for the education of boys, quickly becoming known for its high level of learning and moral purity. The most famous of her many students was St. Brendan of Clonfert (May 16). She went to the other world in great holiness to dwell forever with the risen Lord in the year 570.

—from the 2003 Saint Herman Calendar