Jude 1-10 (Epistle)

1Od Jude, Isusa Hrista sluge, a brata Jakovljeva, zvanima, koji su osveæeni Bogom ocem i održani Isusom Hristom: 2Milost i mir i ljubav da vam se umnoži. 3Ljubazni! starajuæi se jednako da vam pišem za opšte vaše spasenije, bi mi potrebno da vam pišem moleæi da se borite za pravednu vjeru, koja je jedanput dana svetima. 4Jer se uvukoše neki bezbožni ljudi, koji su davno odreðeni na ovo osuðenje, i Boga našega blagodat pretvaraju u neèistotu, i jedinoga gospodara Boga i Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista odrièu se. 5Ali æu vam napomenuti, kad i vi znate ovo jedanput, da Gospod izbavi narod iz zemlje Misirske, potom pogubi one koji ne vjerovaše. 6I anðele koji ne držaše svojega starješinstva nego ostaviše svoj stan èuva u vjeènijem okovima pod mrakom za sud velikoga dana. 7Kao što i Sodom i Gomor, i okolni njihovi gradovi, koji su se prokurvali onako kao i oni, i hodili za drugijem mesom, postaviše se za ugled i muèe se u vjeènom ognju: 8Tako dakle i ovi što sanjajuæi tijelo pogane, a poglavarstva se odrièu, i na slavu hule. 9A Mihailo Aranðel, kad se prepiraše s ðavolom i govoraše za Mojsijevo tijelo, ne smijaše prokleta suda da izgovori, nego reèe: Gospod neka ti zaprijeti. 10A ovi hule na ono što ne znadu; a što znadu po prirodi kao nerazumna životinja, u onom se raspadaju.

Luke 22.39-42, 45-23.1 (Gospel)

39I izišavši otide po obièaju na goru Maslinsku; a za njim otidoše uèenici njegovi. 40A kad doðe na mjesto reèe im: molite se Bogu da ne padnete u napast. 41I sam otstupi od njih kako se može kamenom dobaciti, i kleknuvši na koljena moljaše se Bogu 42Govoreæi: oèe! kad bi htio da proneseš ovu èašu mimo mene! ali ne moja volja nego tvoja da bude. 45I ustavši od molitve doðe k uèenicima svojijem, i naðe ih a oni spavaju od žalosti, 46I reèe im: što spavate? ustanite, molite se Bogu da ne padnete u napast. 47Dok on pak još govoraše, gle, narod i jedan od dvanaestorice, koji se zvaše Juda, iðaše pred njima, i pristupi k Isusu da ga cjeliva. Jer im ovo bijaše dao znak: koga cjelivam onaj je. 48A Isus mu reèe: Juda! zar cjelivom izdaješ sina èovjeèijega? 49A kad oni što bijahu s njim vidješe šta æe biti, rekoše mu: Gospode! da bijemo nožem? 50I udari jedan od njih slugu poglavara sveštenièkoga, i otsijeèe mu desno uho. 51A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe: ostavite to. I dohvativši se do uha njegova iscijeli ga. 52A glavarima sveštenièkijem i vojvodama crkvenijem i starješinama koji bijahu došli na nj reèe Isus: zar kao na hajduka iziðoste s noževima i koljem da me uhvatite? 53Svaki dan bio sam s vama u crkvi i ne digoste ruku na mene; ali je sad vaš èas i oblast tame. 54A kad ga uhvatiše, odvedoše ga i uvedoše u dvor poglavara sveštenièkoga. A Petar iðaše za njim izdaleka. 55A kad oni naložiše oganj nasred dvora i sjeðahu zajedno, i Petar sjeðaše meðu njima. 56Vidjevši ga pak jedna sluškinja gdje sjedi kod ognja, i pogledavši na nj reèe: i ovaj bješe s njim. 57A on ga se odreèe govoreæi: ženo! ne poznajem ga. 58I malo zatijem vidje ga drugi i reèe: i ti si od njih. A Petar reèe: èovjeèe! nijesam. 59I pošto proðe oko jednoga sahata drugi neko potvrðivaše govoreæi: zaista i ovaj bješe s njim; jer je Galilejac. 60A Petar reèe: èovjeèe! ne znam šta govoriš. I odmah dok on još govoraše zapjeva pijetao. 61I obazrevši se Gospod pogleda na Petra, i Petar se opomenu rijeèi Gospodnje kako mu reèe: prije nego pijetao zapjeva odreæi æeš me se triput. 62I izišavši napolje plaka gorko. 63A ljudi koji držahu Isusa rugahu mu se, i bijahu ga. 64I pokrivši ga bijahu ga po obrazu i pitahu ga govoreæi: proreci ko te udari? 65I druge mnoge hule govorahu na nj. 66I kad svanu, sabraše se starješine narodne i glavari sveštenièki i književnici, i odvedoše ga u svoj sud 67Govoreæi: jesi li ti Hristos? kaži nam. A on im reèe: ako vam i kažem, neæete vjerovati. 68A ako vas i zapitam, neæete mi odgovoriti, niti æete me pustiti. 69Otsele æe sin èovjeèij sjediti s desne strane sile Božije. 70Svi pak rekoše: ti li si dakle sin Božij? A on im reèe: vi kažete da sam ja. 71A oni rekoše: šta nam trebaju više svjedoèanstva? jer sami èusmo iz usta njegovijeh.

1I ustavši njih sve mnoštvo odvedoše ga k Pilatu.

St Tarasios, archbishop of Constantinople (806)

He was a nobleman born in Constantinople, and distinguished himself in a secular career, rising in the year 780 to the rank of protasecretis, Principal Secretary of State to the Emperor Constantine VI and his mother the Empress Irene, who was serving as regent.

His life took a sudden turn when, in 784, Patriarch Paul IV resigned, recommending Tarasios as the only man capable of restoring the Patriarchate, ravaged by the iconoclast heresy, to true Faith and full communion with the other Patriarchates. Tarasios, though unwilling, was virtually forced to accept the Patriarchate by the rulers and the Senate: he agreed at last on condition that an Ecumenical Council be summoned immediately to put an end to the iconoclast heresy. In a few days he was raised from a layman through all the degrees of the clergy and on December 25 784, was consecrated Archbishop of Constantinople.

At Saint Tarasios’ insistence, the Imperial rulers summoned a Church Council, which met at Constantinople in 786. Before its sessions had even begun, iconoclasts burst into the church and drove out the Fathers, who were forced to reconvene in Nicaea, where the first session opened. Patriarch Tarasios presided, and the Council concluded with a condemnation of the iconoclast heresy and the restoration of veneration of the holy images.

As Archbishop, the Saint was a model of humility, compassion, and firmness in the Faith. He refused to have any servants and dressed simply, a living rebuke to the luxury that had corrupted the clergy at that time. His works of charity were so great that he became known to the people as ‘the new Joseph’: he founded hospices and shelters, distributed the Church’s wealth freely to the poor, and often invited the poor to his own table to share his simple fare. He insisted on exercising all gentleness and mercy in restoring repentant heretics to the Church, a policy that met with opposition from the more severe leaders of the Studion monastery. At the same time he was unbending in the defense of the Faith: when the Emperor Constantine came of age he repudiated his wife Mary in order to marry Theodota, one of her servants. The Patriarch refused to bless the adulterous union and threatened the Emperor with excommunication if he persisted in sin. The Emperor had Tarasios imprisoned, forced his licit wife to enter a monastery, and found a priest, Joseph, to bless his second marriage. The following year Constantine was blinded and dethroned, and Tarasios regained his freedom.

The holy Patriarch continued to serve his Church faithfully, occupying the episcopal throne for a total of twenty-six years. In his last years, despite a long and painful illness, he continued to serve the Divine Liturgy daily, supporting himself with his staff. In the year 806, serving at the altar, he began to chant from Psalm 85, Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me, and gave up his soul to God.

“In 820, the Emperor Leo the Armenian, who for seven years had supported the iconoclasts and had fiercely persecuted the Orthodox, had a disturbing dream. He saw a stern-looking Saint Tarasius ordering a man by the name of Michael to run Leo himself through with a sword. Six days later, Leo was in fact assasinated by Michael the Stammerer, who seized power… In physical appearance, Saint Tarasius is said to have closely resembled Saint Gregory the Theologian.” (Synaxarion)