Acts 10.44-11.10 (Epistle)

44Pe când rostea Petru cuvintele acestea, S-a coborât Duhul Sfânt peste toţi cei ce ascultau Cuvântul. 45Toţi credincioşii tăiaţi împrejur care veniseră cu Petru au rămas uimiţi când au văzut că darul Duhului Sfânt s-a vărsat şi peste Neamuri. 46Căci îi auzeau vorbind în limbi şi mărind pe Dumnezeu. Atunci Petru a zis: 47„Se poate opri apa ca să nu fie botezaţi aceştia care au primit Duhul Sfânt ca şi noi?”

48Şi a poruncit să fie botezaţi în Numele Domnului Isus Hristos. Atunci l-au rugat să mai rămână câteva zile la ei. 1Apostolii şi fraţii care erau în Iudeea, au auzit că şi Neamurile au primit Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu. 2Şi, când s-a suit Petru la Ierusalim, îl mustrau cei tăiaţi împrejur 3şi ziceau: „Ai intrat în casă la nişte oameni netăiaţi împrejur şi ai mâncat cu ei.” 4Petru a început să le spună pe rând cele întâmplate. El a zis: 5„Eram în cetatea Iope; şi, pe când mă rugam, am căzut într-o răpire sufletească şi am avut o vedenie: un vas ca o faţă de masă mare, legată cu cele patru colţuri, se cobora din cer şi a venit până la mine. 6Când m-am uitat în ea, am văzut dobitoacele cu patru picioare de pe pământ, fiarele, târâtoarele şi păsările cerului. 7Şi am auzit un glas care mi-a zis: „Petre, scoală-te, taie şi mănâncă.” 8Dar eu am răspuns: „Nicidecum, Doamne, căci nimic spurcat sau necurat n-a intrat vreodată în gura mea.” 9Şi glasul mi-a zis a doua oară din cer: „Ce a curăţat Dumnezeu, să nu numeşti spurcat.” 10Lucrul acesta s-a făcut de trei ori; apoi toate au fost ridicate iarăşi în cer.

John 8.21-30 (Gospel)

21Isus le-a mai spus: „Eu Mă duc, şi Mă veţi căuta şi veţi muri în păcatul vostru; acolo unde Mă duc Eu, voi nu puteţi veni.” 22Atunci iudeii au zis: „Doar n-o avea de gând să Se omoare, de zice: „Unde Mă duc Eu, voi nu puteţi veni”!” 23„Voi sunteţi de jos”, le-a zis El, „Eu sunt de sus: voi sunteţi din lumea aceasta, Eu nu sunt din lumea aceasta. 24De aceea v-am spus că veţi muri în păcatele voastre; căci, dacă nu credeţi că Eu sunt, veţi muri în păcatele voastre.” 25„Cine eşti Tu?”, I-au zis ei. Isus le-a răspuns: „Ceea ce de la început vă spun că sunt. 26Am multe de zis despre voi şi de osândit în voi; dar Cel ce M-a trimis este adevărat; şi Eu, ce am auzit de la El, aceea spun lumii.” 27Ei n-au înţeles că le vorbea despre Tatăl. 28Isus deci le-a zis: „Când veţi înălţa pe Fiul omului, atunci veţi cunoaşte că Eu sunt şi că nu fac nimic de la Mine însumi, ci vorbesc după cum M-a învăţat Tatăl Meu. 29Cel ce M-a trimis este cu Mine; Tatăl nu M-a lăsat singur, pentru că totdeauna fac ce-I este plăcut.” 30Pe când vorbea Isus astfel, mulţi au crezut în El.

Our Holy Father Theodore the Sanctified (368), disciple of St Pachomius the Great

He was born and raised an unbeliever, but came to faith in Christ as a young man. Not long after being baptised, he heard of Pachomius (May 15) and fled to join him in the desert. Saint Pachomius accepted Theodore as a monk and, because of his humility and obedience, came to esteem him most highly of all the brethren. Theodore’s sister joined him in the desert, taking up life in a women’s monastery and becoming its abbess. When their mother came to bring them back from the desert, she in turn was persuaded to stay in the women’s monastery as a monastic. Finally, Theodore’s brother Paphnutius also came to the monastery and was tonsured.

Once the Bishop of Panopolis asked Saint Pachomius to build a monastery for him; Pachomius entrusted Theodore to carry out the work. Some of the brethren grumbled at the authority given to Theodore, for he was younger than many of them; but St Pachomius said: ‘Theodore and I fulfill the same service for God; and he also has the authority to give orders as father.’ When St Pachomius reposed, he left St Theodore to be spiritual father to the monasteries that he had founded, a task which he faithfully fulfilled until his death at a great age.

St Nicholas Mystikos, Patriarch of Constantinople (930)

He was known for the purity and austerity of his life. When the Emperor Leo VI married a fourth time (his three previous wives having died), the Patriarch barred him from the church. The Emperor sent the Patriarch into exile and had his marriage approved by delegates of the Roman Pope. When the Emperor died, Nicholas was restored to the Patriarchal throne, and called a Council in 925, at which fourth marriages were forbidded in the Church under any circumstance. He died peacefully.

The title Mystikos was given to some high-ranking members of the Imperial council (perhaps because they met in secret). The Patriarch was a courtier with this title before he forsook the world and was tonsured a monk.

Note: From early times, the Eastern and Latin churches have differed in their views on marriage. The Latin church held, and still holds, that marriage is dissolved by death, so in theory any number of re-marriages is permissible (a view that the Emperor Leo sought to exploit). The Eastern Church has traditionally been uncomfortable with any second marriage — some of the Fathers even call the re-marriage of widows or widowers “bigamy”. Still the Eastern church tolerates re-marriage (even after divorce) as a concession for the salvation of those who cannot sustain the single state.

Blessed Musa the Maiden (5th c.)

“St Gregory the Dialogist relates of her that she was a mere nine years old when the most holy Mother of God appeared to her on two occasions, surrounded by virgins bathed in light. When Musa expressed her desire to be included in the resplendent company of the Queen of heaven, the Mother of God told her that she would come for her and take her within a month, outlining for her how she should spend those thirty days. On the twenty-fifth day, Musa took to her bed and on the thirtieth day the most pure and holy Mother again appeared to her, calling to her in a quiet voice, to which Musa replied: ‘Here I am waiting, my Lady! I’m ready!’, and she breathed forth her spirit. She passed from this life to life eternal in the fifth century.” (Prologue)

St Brendan the Voyager, abbot of Clonfert (ca. 577)

He was born around 484 at Tralee in Kerry, Ireland. He founded several monasteries in Ireland, of which the chief was Cluain Ferta Brenaind (anglicized as Clonfert) in County Galway. His missionary and pastoral travels took him on voyages to the Scottish islands, and possibly to Wales; thus in his own time he was known as ‘Brendan the Voyager.’ He reposed in peace.

Early in the ninth century, a Latin saga, Navigatio Brendani (The Voyage of Brendan) made him the hero of a Christian adventure that included voyages to unknown lands far to the west of Ireland. The account provides strong evidence that Irish voyagers visited America as early as the 8th century, before the Vikings; but whether St Brendan himself made these voyages is disputed.