Acts 12.25-13.12 (Epistle)

25A Varnava i Savle predavši pomoæ vratiše se iz Jerusalima u Antiohiju, uzevši sa sobom i Jovana koji se zvaše Marko.

1A u crkvi koja bješe u Antiohiji bijahu neki proroci i uèitelji, to jest: Varnava i Simeun koji se zvaše Nigar, i Lukije Kirinac, i Manail odgajeni s Irodom èetverovlasnikom, i Savle. 2A kad oni služahu Gospodu i pošæahu, reèe Duh sveti: odvojte mi Varnavu i Savla na djelo na koje ih pozvah. 3Tada postivši i pomolivši se Bogu metnuše ruke na njih, i otpustiše ih. 4Ovi dakle poslani od Duha svetoga siðoše u Seleukiju, i odande otploviše u Kipar. 5I došavši u Salamin javiše rijeè Božiju u zbornicama Jevrejskima; a imahu i Jovana slugu. 6A kad proðoše ostrvo tja do Pafa, naðoše nekakvoga èovjeka vraèara i lažna proroka, Jevrejina, kome bješe ime Varisus, 7Koji bješe s namjesnikom Srðem Pavlom, èovjekom razumnijem. Ovaj dozvavši Varnavu i Savla zaiska da èuje rijeè Božiju. 8A Elima vraèar jer to znaèi ime njegovo) stade im se suprotiti, gledajuæi da odvrati namjesnika od vjere. 9A Savle koji se zvaše i Pavle, pun Duha svetoga pogledavši na nj 10Reèe: o napunjeni svakoga lukavstva i svake pakosti, sine ðavolji! neprijatelju svake pravde! zar ne prestaješ kvariti pravijeh putova Gospodnjijeh? 11I sad eto ruke Gospodnje na te, i da budeš slijep da ne vidiš sunca za neko vrijeme. I ujedanput napade na nj mrak i tama, i pipajuæi tražaše voða. 12Tada namjesnik, kad vidje šta bi, vjerova, diveæi se nauci Gospodnjoj.

John 8.51-59 (Gospel)

51Zaista, zaista vam kažem: ko održi rijeè moju neæe vidjeti smrti dovijeka. 52Tada mu rekoše Jevreji: sad vidjesmo da je ðavo u tebi: Avraam umrije i proroci, a ti govoriš: ko održi rijeè moju neæe okusiti smrti dovijeka. 53Eda li si ti veæi od oca našega Avraama, koji umrije? I proroci pomriješe: ko se ti sam gradiš? 54Isus odgovori: ako se ja sam slavim, slava je moja ništa: otac je moj koji me slavi, za kojega vi govorite da je vaš Bog. 55I ne poznajete ga, a ja ga znam; i ako reèem da ga ne znam biæu laža kao vi. Nego ga znam, i rijeè njegovu držim. 56Avraam, otac vaš, bio je rad da vidi dan moj; i vidje, i obradova se. 57Tada mu rekoše Jevreji: još ti nema pedeset godina, i Avraama li si vidio? 58A Isus im reèe: zaista, zaista vam kažem: ja sam prije nego se Avraam rodio. 59Tada uzeše kamenje da bace na nj; a Isus se sakri, i iziðe iz crkve prošavši izmeðu njih i otide tako.

Martyr Thalelaeus at Aegae in Cilicia and those with him (327)

The holy Thalelaeus is counted as one of the Unmercenary Physicians. He was a physician, born in Lebanon to a Berucius (a bishop) and Romylia. During the persecutions by the Emperor Numerian, he fled to Cilicia, but was captured and brought before Theodore, the governor. When Thalelaeus boldly confessed Christ, the cruel governor ordered two soldiers, Alexander and Asterius, to bore holes through his leg-bones, pass a rope through them, and hang him from a tree. But the executioners, by the power of God, were momentarily deprived of their wits and bored through a wooden plank instead, which they hung in the tree. The governor angrily ordered that the soldiers be flogged; during their flogging they cried out: ‘The Lord is alive to us; from now on, we are become Christians. We believe in Christ, and suffer for Him.’ Hearing these words, the governor ordered that both be beheaded. He then seized their awl and attempted to bore through Thalelaeus’ legs himself; but his hand suddenly became paralyzed. The compassionate physician prayed to Christ and healed his persecutor’ hand. His heart still hardened, the governor next ordered that the Saint be thrown into water and drowned; but he survived. Next he was thrown to wild beasts, but they licked his feet and rubbed tamely against him. Finally the holy Martyr was beheaded.

Our Father among the Saints Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow (1378)

He was born in Moscow in 1292. In 1354 he was ordained Metropolitan of Moscow by Philotheus, Patriarch of Constantinople. He founded several monasteries, including the first women’s monastery in Moscow. He translated the Holy Gospel from Greek into Slavonic. At that time Russia was under the rule of the Tartars, and St Alexis twice visited the Tartar Khan to plead with him to ease the oppression of the Russian people. On one of these visits he healed Taidula, the Khan’s wife. He founded the Chudov Monastery in Moscow on land given him by the Khan and his wife in thanksgiving for this miraculous healing; the Saint’s relics are enshrined at this same monastery. This is the feast of the uncovering of his holy relics in 1431.