1 John 3.21-4.6 (Epistle)

21Ljubazni! ako nam srce naše ne zazre, slobodu imamo pred Bogom; 22I što god zaištemo, primiæemo od njega, jer zapovijesti njegove držimo i èinimo što je njemu ugodno. 23I ovo je zapovijest njegova da vjerujemo u ime sina njegova Isusa Hrista, i da ljubimo jedan drugoga kao što nam je dao zapovijest. 24I koji drži zapovijesti njegove u njemu stoji, i on u njemu. I po tom poznajemo da stoji u nama, po Duhu koga nam je dao.

1Ljubazni! ne vjerujte svakome duhu, nego kušajte duhove jesu li od Boga; jer mnogi lažni proroci iziðoše na svijet. 2Po ovome poznajte Duha Božijega, i duha lažnoga; svaki duh koji priznaje da je Isus Hristos u tijelu došao, od Boga je; 3A svaki duh koji ne priznaje da je Isus Hristos u tijelu došao, nije od Boga: i ovaj je antihristov, za kojega èuste da æe doæi, i sad je veæ na svijetu. 4Vi ste od Boga, djeèice, i nadvladaste ih, jer je veæi koji je u vama negoli koji je na svijetu. 5Oni su od svijeta, zato govore od svijeta, i svijet ih sluša. 6Mi smo od Boga; koji poznaje Boga sluša nas, a koji nije od Boga ne sluša nas. Po ovom poznajemo duha istine i duha prijevare.

Mark 14.43-15.1 (Gospel)

43I odmah dok on još govoraše, doðe Juda, jedan od dvanaestorice, i s njim ljudi mnogi s noževima i s koljem od glavara sveštenièkijeh i od književnika i starješina. 44I izdajnik njegov dade im znak govoreæi: koga ja cjelivam onaj je: držite ga, i vodite ga èuvajuæi. 45I došavši odmah pristupi k njemu, i reèe: Ravi! ravi! i cjeliva ga. 46A oni metnuše ruke svoje na nj i uhvatiše ga. 47A jedan od onijeh što stajahu ondje izvadi nož te udari slugu poglavara sveštenièkoga, i otsijeèe mu uho. 48I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe im: kao na hajduka izišli ste s noževima i s koljem da me uhvatite, 49A svaki dan sam bio kod vas u crkvi i uèio, i ne uhvatiste me. Ali da se zbude pismo. 50I ostavivši ga uèenici svi pobjegoše. 51I za njim iðaše nekakav mladiæ ogrnut platnom po golu tijelu; i uhvatiše onoga mladiæa. 52A on ostavivši platno go pobježe od njih. 53I dovedoše Isusa k poglavaru sveštenièkome, i stekoše se k njemu svi glavari sveštenièki i književnici i starješine. 54I Petar ide za njim izdaleka do u dvor poglavara sveštenièkoga, i sjeðaše sa slugama, i grijaše se kod ognja. 55A glavari sveštenièki i sva skupština tražahu na Isusa svjedoèanstva da ga ubiju; i ne naðoše; 56Jer mnogi svjedoèahu lažno na njega i svjedoèanstva ne bijahu jednaka. 57I jedni ustavši svjedoèahu na njega lažno govoreæi: 58Mi smo èuli gdje on govori: ja æu razvaliti ovu crkvu koja je rukama naèinjena, i za tri dana naèiniæu drugu koja neæe biti rukama naèinjena. 59I ni ovo svjedoèanstvo njihovo ne bijaše jednako. 60I ustavši poglavar sveštenièki na srijedu zapita Isusa govoreæi: zar ništa ne odgovaraš što ovi na tebe svjedoèe? 61A on muèaše i ništa ne odgovaraše. Opet poglavar sveštenièki zapita i reèe: jesi li ti Hristos, sin blagoslovenoga? 62A Isus reèe: jesam; i vidjeæete sina èovjeèijega gdje sjedi s desne strane sile i ide na oblacima nebeskijem. 63A poglavar sveštenièki razdrije svoje haljine, i reèe: šta nam trebaju više svjedoci? 64Èuste hulu na Boga; šta mislite? A oni svi kazaše da je zaslužio smrt. 65I poèeše jedni pljuvati na nj, i pokrivati mu lice, i æušati ga, i govoriti mu: proreci; i sluge ga bijahu po obrazima. 66I kad bijaše Petar dolje na dvoru, doðe jedna od sluškinja poglavara sveštenièkoga, 67I vidjevši Petra gdje se grije pogleda na nj i reèe: i ti si bio s Isusom Nazareæaninom. 68A on se odreèe govoreæi: ne znam niti razumijem šta ti govoriš. I iziðe napolje pred dvor: i pijetao zapjeva. 69I opet kad ga vidje sluškinja, poèe govoriti onima što stajahu ondje: ovaj je od njih. 70A on se opet odricaše. I malo zatijem opet oni što stajahu ondje rekoše Petru: vaistinu si od njih: jer si Galilejac, i govor ti je onakovi. 71A on se poèe kleti i preklinjati: ne znam toga èovjeka za koga vi govorite. 72I drugi put zapjeva pijetao. I opomenu se Petar rijeèi što mu reèe Isus: dok pijetao dvaput ne zapjeva odreæi æeš me se triput. I stade plakati.

1I odmah ujutru uèiniše vijeæu glavari sveštenièki sa starješinama i književnicima, i sav sabor, i svezavši Isusa odvedoše ga i predadoše Pilatu.

Apostles Archippus and Philemon of the Seventy, and Martyr Apphia

Archippus was the son of Saints Philemon (Nov. 22) and Apphia (Feb. 15), and, like them, was a disciple of the Apostle Paul, who calls him “our fellow soldier” (Philm. 2). He and his father preached the Gospel at Colossae, and Archippus probably served as a priest for the church that gathered there at his family’s house (Col. 4:17). Archippus’ fervor in preaching the Gospel of Christ so angered the pagans that they seized him and brought him before the governor Androcles. When the Saint refused to sacrifice to Artemis, he was stripped, beaten, tormented in various ways, and finally stoned to death.

Our Venerable Mother Philothea of Athens (1589)

“This bright star of compassion arose in the dark days of the Turkish occupation to shed God’s mercy upon the oppressed people of Athens and to guide many endangered souls onto the path of righteousness.” (Synaxarion)

She was born in 1528 to the prominent Venizelou family, miraculously answering her mother’s prayer of many years. Though even in childhood she showed a love for ascesis and prayer, she was much sought-after as a wealthy heiress, and was married at the age of twelve to a rough, violent man. She endured his ill-treatment nobly, and prayed daily for his conversion. After three years, the brutal husband died, and Philothea gave herself entirely to a life of prayer and fasting, living like a hermitess though still in her parents’ house. When her parents died ten years later, she used her entire fortune to found a convent. Its design had been given her in a vision by the Apostle Andrew, and it was dedicated to him. Alongside the monastery, she founded a hospital, a hospice for the poor, and schools where boys and girls could receive a Christian education, something obviously not provided by the Turkish rulers.

As soon as the monastery was begun, she took monastic vows under the name of Philothea, and she, her own maidservants, and many young women of the city, became the first nuns there. Philothea continued in her boundless compassion for the poor and infirm, whom she visited and tended. She was so free in her almsgiving that more than once the monastery was left without food or other necessities of life, and the sisters began to complain about her. But each time, large donations appeared unexpectedly and saved the community from starvation.

Philothea offered asylum and refuge to Christian slave women who had fled their masters to preserve their faith and chastity. This angered the Turks, who surrounded the monastery, seized Philothea, and brought her before the judge. She was told to deny Christ or die, and when she refused was sentenced to death; but some influential Athenian Greeks were able to intervene on her behalf and to obtain her release.

Immediately upon her release she redoubled her prayers, her apostolic labors and her works of mercy, and was soon granted the gift of working miracles and healings. So many disciples came to join her that she established a second monastery. Her growing influence aroused the hatred of some of the Turks, who broke into the monastery one night and beat her violently, leaving her half-dead. She bore the effects of her injuries patiently, and after a short time gave back her soul to God in 1589.

Twenty years after her repose, a beautiful scent began to issue from her tomb. Her precious relics, venerated at the Cathedral in Athens, remain incorrupt to this day.