1 John 2.7-17 (Epistle)

7Ljubazni! ne pišem vam nove zapovijesti, nego zapovijest staru koju imaste ispoèetka. Zapovijest stara jest rijeè koju èuste ispoèetka. 8Opet vam pišem novu zapovijest, koja je zaista u njemu i u vama; jer tama prolazi, i vidjelo pravo veæ svijetli. 9Koji govori da je u vidjelu, a mrzi na svojega brata, još je u tami. 10Koji ljubi brata svojega, u vidjelu živi, i sablazni u njemu nema. 11A koji mrzi na svojega brata, u tami je, i u tami hodi, i ne zna kuda ide, jer mu tama zaslijepi oèi. 12Pišem vam, djeèice, da vam se opraštaju grijesi imena njegova radi. 13Pišem vam, oci, jer poznaste onoga koji nema poèetka. Pišem vam, mladiæi, jer nadvladaste neèastivoga. Pišem vam, djeco, jer poznaste oca. 14Pisah vam, oci, jer poznaste onoga koji je od poèetka. Pisah vam, mladiæi, jer ste jaki, i rijeè Božija u vama stoji, i nadvladaste neèastivoga. 15Ne ljubite svijeta ni što je na svijetu. Ako ko ljubi svijet, nema ljubavi oèine u njemu. 16Jer sve što je na svijetu, tjelesna želja, i želja oèiju, i ponos života, nije od oca, nego je od ovoga svijeta. 17I svijet prolazi i želja njegova; a koji tvori volju Božiju ostaje dovijeka.

Mark 14.3-9 (Gospel)

3I kad bijaše on u Vitaniji u kuæi Simona gubavoga i sjeðaše za trpezom, doðe žena sa sklenicom mnogocjenoga mira èistoga nardova, i razbivši sklenicu ljevaše mu na glavu. 4A neki se srðahu govoreæi: zašto se to miro prosipa tako? 5Jer se mogaše za nj uzeti više od trista groša i dati siromasima. I vikahu na nju. 6A Isus reèe: ostavite je; šta joj smetate? ona uèini dobro djelo na meni. 7Jer siromahe imate svagda sa sobom, i kad god hoæete možete im dobro èiniti; a mene nemate svagda. 8Ona što može, uèini: ona pomaza naprijed tijelo moje za ukop. 9Zaista vam kažem: gdje se god uspropovijeda jevanðelje ovo po svemu svijetu, kazaæe se i to za spomen njezin.

Our Holy Father Auxentius (470)

He was of Persian origin, born in Syria. As a young man, he distinguished himself as a member of the court of the Emperor Theodosius the Younger. Seeing the vanity of the world’s honors and pleasures, he became a monk in Constantinople; but when the people began to praise his holiness, he fled to Mount Oxeia near Chalcedon, which later became known as Auxentius’ Mountain. There he built a small hut and lived in reclusion; but in time he was discovered by some shepherds, and the faithful began to come in increasing numbers for his teaching, blessing, prayers and healing. He performed countless miracles, but such was his humility that he always sought to avoid their being attributed to him. When he was asked to pray for someone’s healing, he would try to refuse, saying “I too am a sinful man.” But, when he was prevailed on by the pleas of the people, he would call on all of them to pray together for the healing; or he would remind them that God would give according to their faith; or he would say to the sick person “The Lord Jesus Christ heals you.” When the Emperor Marcian summoned the Fourth Ecumenical Council to Chalcedon, he ordered that the hermit join the assembly of holy Fathers. Auxentius refused, saying that doctrinal teaching was the province of bishops, not monks. The Emperor’s envoys took him by force. He was greeted with honor by the Emperor, and affirmed all the decisions of the Council.

He never returned to Mount Oxeia, but settled in an even wilder and more remote spot on Mount Skopa, which later came to be called Mount St Auxentius. His disciples built him a tiny wooden hut with one small window through which he could converse with his steady stream of visitors. He reposed in peace in 470. A great crowd gathered for his funeral, and his holy relics were taken into the care of a women’s monastery whose spiritual Father he had been.

Mount St Auxentius soon became a center of hesychastic life, with seven monasteries.

Saint Cyril, Equal to the Apostles and Enlightener of the Slavs (869)

See the joint commemoration of Sts Cyril and Methodius on May 11.

Venerable Maron the Hermit of Syria (ca. 423)

This ascetic and wonderworker was a friend of St John Chrysostom. Read his life here.