1 John 2.18-3.10 (Epistle)

18Djeco! pošljednje je vrijeme, i kao što èuste da æe doæi antihrist, i sad mnogi antihristi postaše; po tom poznajemo da je pošljednji èas. 19Od nas iziðoše, ali ne biše od nas: kad bi bili od nas onda bi ostali s nama; ali da se jave da nijesu svi od nas. 20I vi imate pomazanje od svetoga, i znate sve. 21Ne pisah vam kao da ne znate istine, nego što je znate, i znate da nikakva laž nije od istine. 22Ko je lažljivac osim onoga koji odrièe da Isus nije Hristos? Ovo je antihrist, koji se odrièe oca i sina. 23Koji se god odrièe sina ni oca nema; a koji priznaje sina, i oca ima. 24Vi dakle što èuste ispoèetka u vama neka stoji; ako u vama ostane što èuste ispoèetka, i vi æete ostati u sinu i u ocu. 25I ovo je obeæanje koje nam on obeæa, život vjeèni. 26Ovo vam pisah za one koji vas varaju. 27I vi pomazanje što primiste od njega, u vama stoji, i ne trebujete da vas ko uèi; nego kako vas to samo pomazanje uèi u svemu, i istinito je, i nije laž, i kao što vas nauèi ostanite u njemu. 28I sad, djeèice, ostanite u njemu da imamo slobodu kad se javi, i da se ne osramotimo pred njim o njegovu dolasku. 29Ako znate da je pravednik, poznajte da je svaki koji tvori pravdu od njega roðen.

1Vidite kakvu nam je ljubav dao otac, da se djeca Božija nazovemo i budemo; zato svijet ne poznaje nas, jer njega ne pozna. 2Ljubazni! sad smo djeca Božija, i još se ne pokaza šta æemo biti; nego znamo da kad se pokaže, biæemo kao i on, jer æemo ga vidjeti kao što jest. 3I svaki koji ovaj nad ima na njega, èisti se, kao i on što je èist. 4Svaki koji èini grijeh i bezakonje èini: i grijeh je bezakonje. 5I znate da se on javi da grijehe naše uzme; i grijeha u njemu nema. 6Koji god u njemu stoji ne griješi; koji god griješi ne vidje ga niti ga pozna. 7Djeèice! niko da vas ne vara: koji pravdu tvori pravednik je, kao što je on pravedan; 8Koji tvori grijeh od ðavola je, jer ðavo griješi od poèetka. Zato se javi sin Božij da raskopa djela ðavolja. 9Koji je god roðen od Boga ne èini grijeha, jer njegovo sjeme stoji u njemu, i ne može griješiti, jer je roðen od Boga. 10Po tom se poznaju djeca Božija i djeca ðavolja: koji god ne tvori pravde, nije od Boga, i koji ne ljubi brata svojega.

Mark 11.1-11 (Gospel)

1I kad se približi k Jerusalimu, k Vitfazi i Vitaniji, kod gore Maslinske, posla dvojicu od uèenika svojijeh 2I reèe im: idite u selo što je prema vama, i odmah kako uðete u njega naæi æete magare privezano, na koje niko od ljudi nije usjedao; odriješite ga i dovedite. 3I ako vam ko reèe: šta to èinite? kažite: treba Gospodu; i odmah æe ga poslati amo. 4A oni otidoše, i naðoše magare privezano kod vrata napolju na raskršæu, i odriješiše ga. 5I neki od onijeh što stajahu ondje rekoše im: zašto driješite magare? 6A oni rekoše im kao što im zapovjedi Isus; i ostaviše ih. 7I dovedoše magare k Isusu, i metnuše na nj haljine svoje; i usjede na nj. 8A mnogi prostriješe haljine svoje po putu; a jedni rezahu granje od drveta, i prostirahu po putu. 9A koji iðahu pred njim i za njim, vikahu govoreæi: Osana! blagosloven koji ide u ime Gospodnje! 10Blagosloveno carstvo oca našega Davida koje ide u ime Gospodnje! Osana na visini! 11I uðe Isus u Jerusalim, i u crkvu; i promotrivši sve, kad bi uveèe, iziðe u Vitaniju s dvanaestoricom.

Great-martyr Theodore the Tyro (ca. 306)

The Greek Tyron means “conscript.” This holy Martyr of Christ came from Pontus and was a Roman legionary during Maximian’s persecution (ca. 303). Though he had been a Christian since childhood, he kept his faith secret while in the army. While his cohort was stationed near a town called Euchaita, he learned that the people there were being terrorized by a dragon which lived in the neighboring forest. He set off to face the dragon, praying to God that the outcome of the contest would be a sign to him of whether the time had come to offer himself for martyrdom. He found the fire-spitting monster and, arming himself with the sign of the Cross, drove his spear through its head and killed it.

His success convinced him that, having vanquished this fleshly dragon, he was ready to vanquish the spiritual dragon, the Devil. When the commander of his camp next ordered a sacrifice to the Gods, Theodore boldly refused, saying “I am a Christian!” Further, he encouraged the other Christians in his company to do the same. That night he went to a nearby pagan temple of Rhea, mother of the gods, and burned it down. He was seen by the caretaker of the temple and was brought unresisting to the governor Publius. Theodore was thrown into a solitary dungeon cell; there he refused bread and water, saying that Christ had promised him food from heaven. He spent his time there chanting hymns with the angels, so that the guards were convinced that other Christians had somehow joined him in his cell.

When all argument, cajolery, bribery and threat had failed to turn the soldier from Christ, the governor resorted to torture, subjecting the Saint to terrible mutilations; but when Theodore endured them calmly and resolutely, the governor began to fear that his example would encourage other Christians, and ordered that he be burned. Taken to the stake, the Martyr walked freely into the flames, where he gave back his soul to God. When his body was ransomed and taken from the ashes by a pious Christian, it was found to be untouched. A church was built in Euchaita in honor of the Martyr; many pilgrims came there for the healing of soul and body.

In 361, the Emperor Julian the Apostate ordered the Prefect of Constantinople to have all foods in the marketplaces sprinkled with blood of animals sacrificed to the pagan gods during the first week of Lent, so that Christians would be unable to escape contact with idolatry. But St Theodore appeared in a vision to Patriarch Eudoxius (360-364), warned him of the plan and told him to instruct his flock not to buy any food in the marketplace, but to eat kolyva made from boiled wheat grains. So, through the Saint’s intervention, the people were preserved from the stain of idolatry. Ever since, the Church has commemorated the miracle on the first Saturday of Great Lent. Since that time kolyva has come to be offered also in honor of the Saints and in memory of the departed. The whole grain represents the body, sown corruptible, which will be raised incorruptible (2 Cor. 15:37); it is usually sweetened with honey to signify the delights of Paradise.