Acts 3.11-16 (Epistle)

11A kad se iscijeljeni hromi držaše Petra i Jovana, navališe k njima svi ljudi u trijem, koji se zvaše Solomunov, i èuðahu se. 12A kad vidje Petar, odgovaraše ljudima: ljudi Izrailjci! što se èudite ovome? Ili šta gledate na nas, kao da smo svojom silom ili pobožnošæu uèinili da on ide? 13Bog Avraamov i Isakov i Jakovljev, Bog otaca našijeh, proslavi sina svojega Isusa, kojega vi predadoste i odrekoste ga se pred licem Pilatovijem kad on sudi da ga pusti. 14A vi sveca i pravednika odrekoste se, i isprosiste èovjeka krvnika da vam pokloni; 15A naèelnika života ubiste, kojega Bog vaskrse iz mrtvijeh, èemu smo mi svjedoci. 16I za vjeru imena njegova ovoga, koga vidite i poznajete, utvrdi ime njegovo; i vjera koja je kroza nj dade mu cijelo zdravlje ovo pred svima vama.

John 3.22-33 (Gospel)

22A potom doðe Isus i uèenici njegovi u Judejsku zemlju, i ondje življaše s njima i kršæavaše. 23A Jovan kršæavaše u Enonu blizu Salima, jer ondje bješe mnogo vode; i dolažahu te ih kršæavaše. 24Jer još ne bijaše Jovan baèen u tamnicu. 25Tada postade raspra meðu uèenicima Jovanovijem i Jevrejima oko èišæenja. 26I doðoše k Jovanu i rekoše mu: Ravi! onaj što bješe s tobom preko Jordana, za koga si ti svjedoèio, evo on kršæava, i svi idu k njemu. 27Jovan odgovori i reèe: ne može èovjek ništa primati ako mu ne bude dano s neba. 28Vi sami meni svjedoèite da rekoh: ja nijesam Hristos, nego sam poslan pred njim. 29Ko ima nevjestu ženik je, a prijatelj ženikov stoji i sluša ga, i radošæu raduje se glasu ženikovu. Ova dakle radost moja ispuni se. 30Onaj treba da raste, a ja da se umaljujem. 31Koji odozgo dolazi nad svima je; koji je sa zemlje od zemlje je, i govori od zemlje; koji dolazi s neba nad svima je. 32I što vidje i èu ono svjedoèi; i svjedoèanstva njegova niko ne prima. 33Koji primi njegovo svjedoèanstvo, potvrdi da je Bog istinit.

Hieromartyr Basil, bishop of Amasia and Righteous Virgin Glaphyra (322)

Licinius was co-emperor with Constantine the Great. At his accession, he had agreed to tolerate Christianity in his territories, but soon turned to persecuting the Christians, and to a variety of carnal sins. He conceived a passion for Glaphyra, a Christian virgin handmaid of the Empress Constantia. When Glaphyra told Constantia of this, the Empress sent her away to Amasia in the East for her protection. There she was received and protected by Bishop Basil of that city. Licinius learned where Glaphyra was hiding and ordered that both she and the bishop be brought to him as prisoners. The soldiers who came for her found that she had already died, so they returned with only Bishop Basil, who was subjected to cruel tortures, then beheaded. His body was cast into the sea, but, with the help of an angel of God, his people found his body, retrieved it from the sea, and returned it to Amasia.

The Prologue adds, “The Emperor Constantine raised an army against Licinius, overcame him, arrested him and sent him into exile in Gaul, where he ended his God-hating days.”

St Stephen,Bishop of Perm (1396)

As a young man he entered monastic life at the monastery of St Gregory the Theologian in Rostov. Learning that the land of Perm (on the western slopes of the Ural Mountains) was still immured in paganism, he was filled with a desire to bring the Gospel to its people. He set about learning the language, created an alphabet and translated the service books. With the blessing of the Metropolitan of Moscow he then set out and began his apostolic labors. When, after much difficulty and many sufferings, he had gathered a community of baptised Christians, he was made Bishop of the region. Once, in his old age, he returned to Moscow, where he reposed in 1396.