Philippians 4.10-23 (Epistle)

10Obradovah se pak vrlo u Gospodu što se opet opomenuste starati se za mene; kao što se i staraste, ali se nezgodnijem vremenom zadržaste. 11Ne govorim zbog nedostatka, jer se ja navikoh biti dovoljan onijem u èemu sam. 12Znam se i poniziti, znam i izobilovati; u svemu i svakojako navikoh, i sit biti, i gladovati, i izobilovati, i nemati. 13Sve mogu u Isusu Hristu, koji mi moæ daje. 14Ali dobro uèiniste što se primiste moje nevolje. 15A znate i vi, Filibljani, da od poèetka jevanðelja, kad iziðoh iz Maæedonije, nijedna mi crkva ne prista u stvar davanja i uzimanja osim vas jednijeh; 16Jer i u Solun i jednom i drugom poslaste mi u potrebu moju. 17Ne kao da tražim dara, nego tražim ploda koji se množi na korist vašu. 18A ja sam primio sve i imam izobila. Ispunio sam se primivši od Epafrodita što ste mi poslali, slatki miris, prilog prijatan, ugodan Bogu. 19A Bog moj da ispuni svaku potrebu vašu po bogatstvu svojemu u slavi, u Hristu Isusu. 20A Bogu i ocu našemu slava va vijek vijeka. Amin. 21Pozdravite svakoga svetog u Hristu Isusu. Pozdravljaju vas braæa što su sa mnom. 22Pozdravljaju vas svi sveti, a osobito koji su iz doma Æesareva. 23Blagodat Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista sa svima vama. Amin.

Luke 10.22-24 (Gospel)

22I okrenuvši se k uèenicima reèe: sve je meni predao otac moj, i niko ne zna ko je sin osim oca, ni ko je otac osim sina, i ako sin hoæe kome kazati. 23I okrenuvši se k uèenicima nasamo reèe: blago oèima koje vide što vi vidite. 24Jer vam kažem da su mnogi proroci i carevi željeli vidjeti što vi vidite, i ne vidješe; i èuti što vi èujete, i ne èuše.

Holy Martyr Nestor, Companion of St Demetrius (306)

See St Demetrius, commemorated yesterday, October 26.

St Procla, the wife of Pontius Pilate.

When Pilate was about to judge Christ, Procla attempted to dissuade him, saying “Have nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.” Pilate ignored her warning. (See Matthew 27). St Procla reposed in peace.

Our Venerable Father Demetrius of Basarabov (Romania) (13th c.)

He was born early in the thirteenth century to a peasant family in the village of Basarov, then part of Bulgaria. Even in childhood, he gave himself to fasting and prayer. Once, walking across a field, he accidentally stepped on a bird’s nest in the grass, killing the young birds. He was so filled with remorse that he went barefoot for three years, winter and summer, in penance. When he was grown he joined a monastery and, after a few years of community life, received a blessing to dwell in a cave near the River Lom. After many years of solitary struggle, he reposed in his cave. Three hundred years passed, during which all memory of the simple ascetic was lost. Then, one Spring the river flooded the cave and carried off Demetrius’ body, which had lain incorrupt in the cave for centuries. The body was carried downstream and buried in gravel. Another hundred years went by, and the Saint appeared in a dream to a paralyzed girl, telling her to ask her parents to take her to the river bank, where she would be healed. The family, along with many clergy and villagers, went to a spot where some local people had earlier seen an unexplained light. They dug and soon unearthed the still-incorrupt and radiant body of St Demetrius, by which the girl was instantly healed. A church was built in the village of Basarabov to honor the precious relics, and through the years the Saint worked many miracles there.

In 1774, during the Russian-Turkish war, General Peter Saltikov ordered the holy relics taken to Russia so that they would not be desecrated by the Turks. When the relics came to Bucharest, a pious Christian friend of the General begged him not to deprive the country of one of its most precious saints; so the General took only one of the Saint’s hands, sending it to the Kiev Caves Lavra. Saint Demetrius’ body was placed in the cathedral of Bucharest, where it has been venerated ever since. Every year on October 27, a three-day festival is held in the Saint’s honor, attended by crowds of the faithful.