Orthodox Calendar

23. децембар 2025.
Tuesday of the 29th week after Pentecost

Nativity Fast — Wine and Oil are Allowed

Commemorations

  • The Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete (250)
  • Our Venerable Father Paul, Archbishop of Neocaesarea (4th c.)
  • Our Holy Father Nahum of Ochrid, Wonderworker and Enlightener of the Slavs (ca. 900)

Scripture Readings

Hebrews 4.1-13 (Epistle)

1Da se bojimo dakle da kako dok je još ostavljeno obeæanje da se ulazi u pokoj njegov, ne odocni koji od vas. 2Jer je nama objavljeno kao i onima; ali onima ne pomaže èuvena rijeè, jer ne vjerovaše oni koji èuše. 3Jer mi koji vjerovasmo ulazimo u pokoj, kao što reèe: zato se zakleh u gnjevu svojemu da neæe uæi u pokoj moj, ako su djela i bila gotova od postanja svijeta. 4Jer negdje reèe za sedmi dan ovako: i poèinu Bog u dan sedmi od sviju djela svojijeh. 5I na ovom mjestu opet: neæe uæi u pokoj moj. 6Buduæi pak da neki imaju da uðu u njega, i oni kojima je najprije javljeno ne uðoše za neposlušanje; 7Opet odredi jedan dan, danas, govoreæi u Davidu po tolikom vremenu, kao što se prije kaza: danas ako glas njegov èujete, ne budite drvenastijeh srca. 8Jer da je Isus one doveo u pokoj, ne bi za drugi dan govorio potom. 9Daklem je ostavljeno još poèivanje narodu Božijemu. 10Jer koji uðe u pokoj njegov, i on poèiva od djela svojijeh, kao i Bog od svojijeh. 11Da se postaramo dakle uæi u taj pokoj, da ne upadne ko u onu istu gatku nevjerstva. 12Jer je živa rijeè Božija, i jaka, i oštrija od svakoga maèa oštra s obje strane, i prolazi tja do rastavljanja i duše i duha, i zglavaka i mozga, i sudi mislima i pomislima srdaènijem. 13I nema tvari nepoznate pred njim, nego je sve golo i otkriveno pred oèima onoga kojemu govorimo.

Mark 10.2-12 (Gospel)

2I pristupivši fariseji upitaše ga kušajuæi: može li èovjek pustiti ženu? 3A on odgovarajuæi reèe im: šta vam zapovijeda Mojsije? 4A oni rekoše: Mojsije dopusti da joj se da raspusna knjiga i da se pusti. 5I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe im: po tvrði vašega srca napisa vam on zapovijest ovu. 6A u poèetku stvorenja muža i ženu stvorio ih je Bog. 7Zato ostavi èovjek oca svojega i mater i prilijepi se k ženi svojoj, 8I budu dvoje jedno tijelo. Tako nijesu više dvoje nego jedno tijelo. 9A što je Bog sastavio èovjek da ne rastavlja. 10I u kuæi opet zapitaše ga za to uèenici njegovi. 11I reèe im: koji pusti ženu i oženi se drugom, èini preljubu na njoj. 12I ako žena ostavi muža svojega i poðe za drugoga, èini preljubu.

Commemorations

The Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete (250)

All ten suffered for Christ together on Crete during the reign of the Emperor Decius. They were tormented and humiliated for thirty days, but bore their trials with such serenity that the Governor feared that others would be converted to the Faith, so had all of them beheaded.

Our Venerable Father Paul, Archbishop of Neocaesarea (4th c.)

This holy bishop was so revered that he was summoned by the Emperor Licinius himself, who attempted to turn him from the Faith. When this failed, the Emperor ordered that molten metal be poured on the bishop’s hands, which left them paralyzed and horribly disfigured. Years went by, Christianity was legalized by Constantine the Great and, when the Council of Nicaea was summoned, St Paul was among those bishops who were called to attend. Many of the bishops who attended bore in their bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus (Gal. 6:17): noses, ears or eyes lost, scars and burns from their trials for Christ. At the Council, the Emperor Constantine knelt before St Paul and kissed his hands as holy relics, saying ‘I will never tire of kissing these hands which have lost their life for the sake of my Christ.’ After the Council, the holy bishop served in Neocaesarea for several more years, then reposed in peace.

Our Holy Father Nahum of Ochrid, Wonderworker and Enlightener of the Slavs (ca. 900)

He was a disciple of Saints Cyril and Methodius (May 11), and traveled with them on their missionary journey to the Slavs. With them and their other companions, he endured many trials, including several imprisonments at the hands of the Latin Franks, who were seeking to seize control of the region of Moravia in order to impose the Latin language and to spread the heresy of the filioque. For a time their troubles were relieved by Pope Hadrian II, who supported the mission and made St Methodius Archbishop of Pannonia, with jurisdiction over the Eastern European Slav lands. But when St Methodius died, St Nahum and his companions were imprisoned once more, then sent into exile, where they finally found shelter in the Orthodox Kingdom of Bulgaria. There they were able to continue their work of evangelization in the Slavonic language. Saint Nahum founded the Monastery that bears his name on the shore of Lake Ochrid. After his repose his relics were brought there for burial, and are venerated there today.