John 20.11-18 (8th Matins Gospel)

11A Marija stajaše napolju kod groba i plakaše. I kad plakaše nadviri se nad grob, 12I vidje dva anðela u bijelijem haljinama gdje sjede jedan èelo glave a jedan èelo nogu gdje bješe ležalo tijelo Isusovo. 13I rekoše joj oni: ženo! što plaèeš? Reèe im: uzeše Gospoda mojega, i ne znam gdje ga metnuše. 14I ovo rekavši obazre se natrag, i vidje Isusa gdje stoji, i ne znadijaše da je Isus. 15Isus joj reèe: ženo! što plaèeš? koga tražiš? A ona misleæi da je vrtar reèe mu: gospodine! ako si ga ti uzeo kaži mi gdje si ga metnuo, i ja æu ga uzeti. 16Isus joj reèe: Marija! A ona obazrevši se reèe mu: Ravuni! koje znaèi uèitelju. 17Reèe joj Isus: ne dohvataj se do mene, jer se još ne vratih k ocu svojemu; nego idi k braæi mojoj, i kaži im: vraæam se k ocu svojemu i ocu vašemu, i Bogu svojemu i Bogu vašemu. 18A Marija Magdalina otide, i javi uèenicima da vidje Gospoda i kaza joj ovo.

2 Corinthians 11.31-12.9 (Epistle)

31Bog i otac Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, koji je blagosloven vavijek, zna da ne lažem. 32U Damasku neznabožaèki knez cara Arete èuvaše grad Damask i šæaše da me uhvati; i kroz prozor spustiše me u kotarici preko zida, i izbjegoh iz njegovijeh ruku.

1Ali mi se ne pomaže hvaliti, jer æu doæi na viðenja i otkrivenja Gospodnja. 2Znam èovjeka u Hristu koji prije èetrnaest godina ili u tijelu, ne znam; ili osim tijela, ne znam: Bog zna) bi odnesen do treæega neba. 3I znam za takovog èovjeka ili u tijelu, ili osim tijela, ne znam: Bog zna) 4Da bi odnesen u raj, i èu neiskazane rijeèi kojijeh èovjeku nije slobodno govoriti. 5Tijem æu se hvaliti, a sobom se neæu hvaliti, veæ ako slabostima svojima. 6Jer kad bih se i htio hvaliti, ne bih bio bezuman, jer bih istinu kazao; ali štedim da ne bi ko više pomislio za mene nego što me vidi ili èuje što od mene. 7I da se ne bih ponio za premnoga otkrivenja, dade mi se žalac u meso, anðeo sotonin, da me æuša da se ne ponosim. 8Zato triput Gospoda molih da otstupi od mene. 9I reèe mi: dosta ti je moja blagodat; jer se moja sila u slabosti pokazuje sasvijem. Daklem æe se najslaðe hvaliti svojijem slabostima, da se useli u mene sila Hristova.

Luke 8.5-15 (Gospel)

5Iziðe sijaè da sije sjeme svoje; i kad sijaše, jedno pade kraj puta, i pogazi se, i ptice nebeske pozobaše ga. 6A drugo pade na kamen, i iznikavši osuši se, jer nemaše vlage. 7I drugo pade u trnje, i uzraste trnje, i udavi ga. 8A drugo pade na zemlju dobru, i iznikavši donese rod sto puta onoliko. Govoreæi ovo povika: ko ima uši da èuje neka èuje. 9A uèenici njegovi pitahu ga govoreæi: šta znaèi prièa ova? 10A on reèe: vama je dano da znate tajne carstva Božijega; a ostalima u prièama, da gledajuæi ne vide, i èujuæi ne razumiju. 11A prièa ova znaèi: sjeme je rijeè Božija. 12A koje je kraj puta to su oni koji slušaju, ali potom dolazi ðavo, i uzima rijeè iz srca njihovoga, da ne vjeruju i da se ne spasu. 13A koje je na kamenu to su oni koji kad èuju s radosti primaju rijeè; i ovi korijena nemaju koji za neko vrijeme vjeruju, a kad doðe vrijeme kušanja otpadnu. 14A koje u trnje pade to su oni koji slušaju, i otišavši od brige i bogatstva i slasti ovoga života zaguše se, i rod ne sazri. 15A koje je na dobroj zemlji to su oni koji rijeè slušaju, i u dobrome i èistom srcu drže, i rod donose u trpljenju. Ovo govoreæi povika: ko ima uši da èuje neka èuje.

Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt (1908).

“Saint John of Kronstadt was a married priest, who lived with his wife in virginity. Through his untiring labours in his priestly duties and love for the poor and sinners, he was granted by our Lord great gifts of clairvoyance and miracle-working, to such a degree that in the last years of his life miracles of healings — both of body and of soul — were performed countless times each day through his prayers, often for people who had only written to him asking his help. During his lifetime he was known throughout Russia, as well as in the Western world. He has left us his diary My Life in Christ as a spiritual treasure for Christians of every age; simple in language, it expounds the deepest mysteries of our Faith with that wisdom which is given only to a heart purified by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Foreseeing as a true prophet the Revolution of 1917, he unsparingly rebuked the growing apostasy among the people; he foretold that the very name of Russia would be changed. As the darkness of unbelief grew thicker, he shone forth as a beacon of unquenchable piety, comforting the faithful through the many miracles that he worked and the fatherly love and simplicity with which he received all. Saint John reposed in peace in 1908.” (Great Horologion)

Holy Prophet Joel (8th c. BC)

His name means “The Lord is God.” He is counted second among the “minor Prophets.” The Old Testament book of his prophecies, which bears his name, includes his prophecy of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Joel 2:28), which was quoted by the Apostle Peter (Acts 2:17).

Holy Martyr Varus and those with him (304)

“He was a Roman officer in Egypt and a secret Christian. When seven Christian teachers were thrown into prison, Varus kept visiting them there, supplying their needs and serving them with great devotion. He marvelled at the martyrs, and grieved that fear would not let him stand up as a martyr for Christ. These men of God gave him courage, and Varus made up his mind to go and be tortured with them. One of these godly men died in prison, and, when the wicked governor had the martyrs brought before him and saw that there were only six of them, he asked where the seventh was. ‘I am the seventh!’, cried Varus. The furious governor had him tortured first. He ordered that he be flogged with dry thongs, then that he be tied to a tree and hacked to pieces bit by bit with knives until he gave his holy soul to God. His body was then thrown onto a dung-heap. A woman of Palestinian birth, Cleopatra, the widow of an officer, was there with her son John. She secretly took the relics of the holy martyr off the dung-heap and buried them in her house. She then asked the governor’s permission to take the body of her dead husband back from Egypt to Palestine. As she was an officer’s widow, the governor at once gave her permission. This blessed Christian woman, Cleopatra, however, took the body, not of her husband but of the holy martyr Varus, taking it to her village of Edra, near Tabor, and burying it there. She then built a church dedicated to St Varus, and he appeared to her often from the other world, resplendent as an angel of God.” (Prologue)

Holy Hieromartyr Sadoth (Shahdost) and his 128 companions (342)

During the fierce persecution of Christians by the Persian King Shapur II, Saint Sadoth succeeded the Martyr Symeon (April 17) as Bishop of Seleucia. His name in Persian, Shah-dost, means ‘Friend of the King’; but the earthly Shah saw him as no friend, and the holy bishop knew that his days on earth were numbered. One night in a dream, Sadoth saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven. At the top stood Bishop Symeon, who called joyfully to him: ‘Climb up, Sadoth, and do not be afraid! I climbed up yesterday; you will climb up today.’ Waking, Sadoth knew that he would soon be called to martyrdom. He immediately set out to encourage his flock and to exhort them to stand firm for Christ in the coming day of persecution.

A few days later the persecutors came in the King’s name to arrest the holy Bishop; with him they seized 128 priests, deacons, monks and simple believers. All were held in prison for five months, being brought forth repeatedly and tortured in ways too cruel to describe; but not a single one could be brought to worship the sun. Finally, all were condemned to die by the sword. The 128 martyrs, chained together, sang joyous hymns as they went to the place of execution. They did not cease to sing until the death of the last Martyr. Sadoth himself, however, was taken in chains to the city of Beit Lapat, where he was beheaded a few days later.