Acts 10.21-33 (Epistle)

21A Petar sišavši k ljudima poslanijem k sebi od Kornilija reèe: evo ja sam koga tražite; što ste došli? 22A oni rekoše: Kornilije kapetan, èovjek pravedan i bogobojazan, poznat kod svega naroda Jevrejskoga, primio je zapovijest od anðela svetoga da dozove tebe u svoj dom i da èuje rijeèi od tebe. 23Onda ih dozva unutra i ugosti. A sjutradan ustavši Petar poðe s njima, i neki od braæe koja bješe u Jopi poðoše s njim. 24I sjutradan uðoše u Æesariju. A Kornilije èekaše ih sazvavši rodbinu svoju i ljubazne prijatelje. 25A kad Petar šæaše da uðe, srete ga Kornilije, i padnuvši na noge njegove pokloni se. 26I Petar ga podiže govoreæi: ustani, i ja sam èovjek. 27I s njim govoreæi uðe, i naðe mnoge koji se bijahu sabrali. 28I reèe im: vi znate kako je neprilièno èovjeku Jevrejinu družiti se ili dolaziti k tuðinu; ali Bog meni pokaza da nijednoga èovjeka ne zovem pogana ili neèista; 29Zato i bez sumnje doðoh pozvan. Pitam vas dakle zašto poslaste po mene? 30I Kornilije reèe: od èetvrtoga dana do ovoga èasa ja postih, i u deveti sahat moljah se Bogu u svojoj kuæi; i gle, èovjek stade preda mnom u haljini sjajnoj, 31I reèe: Kornilije! uslišena bi molitva tvoja i milostinje tvoje pomenuše se pred Bogom. 32Pošlji dakle u Jopu i dozovi Simona koji se zove Petar: on stoji u kuæi Simona kožara kod mora, koji kad doðe kazaæe ti. 33Onda ja odmah poslah k tebi; i ti si dobro uèinio što si došao. Sad dakle mi svi stojimo pred Bogom da èujemo sve što je tebi od Boga zapovjeðeno.

John 7.1-13 (Gospel)

1I potom hoðaše Isus po Galileji; jer po Judeji ne šæadijaše da hodi, jer gledahu Jevreji da ga ubiju. 2Bijaše pak blizu praznik Jevrejski graðenje sjenica. 3Tada mu rekoše braæa njegova: iziði odavde i idi u Judeju, da i uèenici tvoji vide djela tvoja koja èiniš; 4Jer niko ne èini što tajno a sam traži da je poznat. Ako to èiniš javi sebe svijetu. 5Jer ni braæa njegova ne vjerovahu ga. 6Tada im reèe Isus: vrijeme moje još nije došlo, a vrijeme je vaše svagda gotovo. 7Ne može svijet mrziti na vas: a na mene mrzi, jer ja svjedoèim za nj da su djela njegova zla. 8Vi iziðite na praznik ovaj: ja još neæu iziæi na praznik ovaj, jer se moje vrijeme još nije navršilo. 9Rekavši im ovo osta u Galileji. 10A kad iziðoše braæa njegova na praznik, tada i sam iziðe, ne javno nego kao tajno. 11A Jevreji ga tražahu na praznik i govorahu: gdje je on? 12I bijahu za nj mnoge raspre u narodu: jedni govorahu da je dobar, a drugi: nije, nego vara narod. 13Ali niko ne govoraše javno za nj od straha Jevrejskoga.

Holy Virgin-martyr Glykeria at Heraclea (141).

At a pagan festival in Thrace, when the Governor of the region was offering sacrifice to the idols, St Glyceria entered the temple and declared herself to be a handmaid of Christ. When the governor commanded her to make sacrifice to the gods, she overturned the statue of Zeus, smashing it to pieces. For this, and for her continued refusal to deny her faith, she was seized and subjected to many tortures. First, the governor had her sealed in a prison cell with the intention of starving her to death; but an angel appeared to Glykeria and gave her heavenly food. When enough time had passed that the governor was certain that Glykeria had perished, he opened her cell, and all present were astonished to see her alive, healthy and full of joy. At this her jailer, Laodicius, confessed Christ and was beheaded. Glykeria was then thrown into a fire, but stood in it unharmed, praising God like the Three Children in Babylon. Finally she was cast to wild beasts, where she gave up her soul to God. A healing myrrh flowed from her relics.

Holy Martyr Alexander of Rome (298)

He was an eighteen-year-old soldier in the army of the Emperor Maximian. When a public sacrifice was made to the Roman idols, Alexander refused to take part, for which he was brought before the Captain Tiberian, who told him he must either deny Christ or die. When he stood fast for Christ, he was arrested and taken through Macedonia to Byzantium, being cruelly tortured at every stop along the way. But everywhere he went, the Christians flocked to him, encouraging him and asking his blessing. His mother, Pimenia, travelled with him for the entire journey. In all his sufferings, Alexander was visited many times by an angel of God, who relieved his pain and encouraged him. As his Lord had commanded, Alexander loved and prayed for his enemies: At a place called Carasura, when the soldiers guarding him were suffering from thirst, he prayed, and a spring of cold water burst out of a dry place.

Finally, on the bank of the river Ergina, Tiberian ordered that Alexander be beheaded. As the executioner raised his sword, he saw radiant angels of God all around the holy Martyr, and was afraid to strike. Alexander asked the executioner why he had stayed his hand and, hearing the answer, prayed to God that he might send the angels away so that the executioner would not be afraid. The angels vanished, and Alexander received his crown of martyrdom. Pimenia, his mother, buried her son’s body, and many miracles of healing were worked at his grave. Some time later, Alexander appeared to his mother and told her of her approaching death, which occurred not long afterward.