James 3.11-4.6 (Epistle)

11Eda li može izvor iz jedne glave toèiti slatko i grko? 12Može li, braæo moja, smokva masline raðati ili vinova loza smokve? Tako nijedan izvor ne daje slane i slatke vode. 13Ko je meðu vama mudar i pametan neka pokaže od dobra življenja djela svoja u krotosti i premudrosti. 14Ako li imate grku zavist i svaðu u srcima svojijem, ne hvalite se, ni lažite na istinu. 15Ovo nije ona premudrost što silazi odozgo, nego zemaljska, ljudska, ðavolska. 16Jer gdje je zavist i svaða ondje je nesloga i svaka zla stvar. 17A koja je premudrost odozgo ona je najprije èista, a potom mirna, krotka, pokorna, puna milosti i dobrijeh plodova, bez hatera, i nelicemjerna. 18A plod pravde u miru sije se onima koji mir èine.

1Otkuda ratovi i raspre meðu nama? Ne otuda li, od slasti vašijeh, koje se bore u vašijem udima? 2Želite i nemate; ubijate i zavidite, i ne možete da dobijete; borite se i vojujete, i nemate, jer ne ištete. 3Ištete, i ne primate, jer zlo ištete, da u slastima svojijem trošite. 4Preljuboèinci i preljuboèinice! ne znate li da je prijateljstvo ovoga svijeta neprijateljstvo Bogu? Jer koji hoæe svijetu prijatelj da bude, neprijatelj Božij postaje. 5Ili mislite da pismo uzalud govori: duh koji u nama živi mrzi na zavist? 6A on daje veæu blagodat. Jer govori: Gospod suproti se ponositima, a poniženima daje blagodat.

Mark 11.22-26 (Gospel)

22I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe im: 23Imajte vjeru Božiju; jer vam zaista kažem: ako ko reèe gori ovoj: digni se i baci se u more, i ne posumnja u srcu svojemu, nego uzvjeruje da æe biti kao što govori: biæe mu što god reèe. 24Zato vam kažem: sve što ištete u svojoj molitvi vjerujte da æete primiti; i biæe vam. 25I kad stojite na molitvi, praštajte ako što imate na koga: da i otac vaš koji je na nebesima oprosti vama pogrješke vaše. 26Ako li pak vi ne opraštate, ni otac vaš koji je na nebesima neæe oprostiti vama pogrješaka vašijeh.

Translation of the relics of St Ignatius of Antioch (107)

For his life, see December 20.

After his martyrdom, devoured by wild beasts in the amphitheater in Rome, only a few bones remained. These precious relics were gathered by the faithful, who took them back to Antioch, where they were received with joy by his former flock.

St Andrei Rublev, iconographer (1430)

Many consider him the greatest iconographer of all time, and his “Holy Trinity” the finest icon. Very little is known of his life. He was born around 1360, and probably studied with the Byzantine iconographer Theophanes the Greek. He is known to have created icons for the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow and the Cathedral of the Dormition at Vladimir. He created a highly spiritual and distinctively Russian iconographic style that set the standard for Russian iconography for centuries thereafter. It is said that he knew St Sergius of Radonezh (July 5). In his later years he became a monk.

Our Holy Father Aphrahat the Persian (4th c.)

He was from the pagan Persian aristocracy, but came to faith in Christ and left his home for the Christian city of Edessa, where he was baptized. He later moved to Antioch, where he lived in prayer and asceticism a short distance from the city. He ate nothing but a small amount of bread until he was extremely old, when he added some greens to his diet. Though he knew very little Greek, he was empowered by the Holy Spirit to win many converts to Christ and to confound the learned Arian heretics who were disturbing the Church in Antioch.

When Aphrahat learned that the Arian Emperor Valens was persecuting Christ’s Church, he moved to the city to support the true Faith. One day the Emperor himself met Aphrahat in the city square and asked him why he had left his solitude and come to Antioch. The Saint answered ‘Tell me this: if I were a maiden at home in my secluded apartment and saw someone setting fire to my father’s house, would you not advise me to put out the blaze as soon as possible? That is what I am doing now, because the Church, the heavenly Father’s house, is burning down in the fire that you have set!’ One of the Emperor’s attendants threatened Aphrahat with death for this impertinence; but the attendant himself later perished, drowned as he was heating water for the Emperor’s bath. This made the Emperor afraid to persecute the holy one, who continued to preach the true Faith and to perform many miracles. He reposed in peace.

Repose of Blessed Father Dimitrios Gagastathis (1975)

Though not yet officially a Saint of the Church, Papa Dimitrios is widely revered in Greece and abroad. His life is an inspiring example of the possibility of great holiness for those living in the world: a simple married parish priest, he spent forty-two years serving his childhood parish, and had nine daughters. He was a spiritual child of Elder Amphilochios of Patmos, and in turn became a spiritual father to many. His biography describes his last years thus: “On October 1, 1973, he resigned for reasons of health. Since then, he remained confined at home, living as a saint with incessant prayer, glorifying and thanking God for the trial of his illness. He delivered his holy soul to the hands of the living God on January 29, 1975, in peace.”

For more on Papa-dimitri, read this biographical sketch.