Acts 19.1-8 (Epistle)

1Dogodi se pak, kad bješe Apolos u Korintu, da Pavle prolažaše gornje zemlje, i doðe u Efes, i našavši neke uèenike 2Reèe im: jeste li primili Duha svetoga kad ste vjerovali? A oni mu rekoše: nijesmo ni èuli da ima Duh sveti. 3A on im reèe: na što se dakle krstiste? A oni rekoše: na krštenje Jovanovo. 4A Pavle reèe: Jovan krsti krštenjem pokajanja, govoreæi narodu da vjeruju onoga koji æe za njim doæi, to jest, Hrista Isusa. 5A kad to èuše, krstiše se u ime Gospoda Isusa. 6A kad Pavle metnu ruke na njih, siðe Duh sveti na njih, i govorahu jezike i proricahu. 7A bijaše ljudi svega oko dvanaest. 8I ušavši u zbornicu govoraše slobodno tri mjeseca uèeæi i uvjeravajuæi za carstvo Božije.

John 14.1-11 (Gospel)

1Da se ne plaši srce vaše, vjerujte Boga, i mene vjerujte. 2Mnogi su stanovi u kuæi oca mojega. A da nije tako, kazao bih vam: idem da vam pripravim mjesto. 3I kad otidem i pripravim vam mjesto, opet æu doæi, i uzeæu vas k sebi da i vi budete gdje sam ja. 4I kuda ja idem znate, i put znate. 5Reèe mu Toma: Gospode! ne znamo kuda ideš; i kako možemo put znati? 6Isus mu reèe: ja sam put i istina i život; niko neæe doæi k ocu do kroza me. 7Kad biste mene znali onda biste znali i oca mojega; i otsele poznajete ga, i vidjeste ga. 8Reèe mu Filip: Gospode! pokaži nam oca, i biæe nam dosta. 9Isus mu reèe: toliko sam vrijeme s vama i nijesi me poznao, Filipe? koji vidje mene, vidje oca; pa kako ti govoriš: pokaži nam oca? 10Zar ne vjeruješ da sam ja u ocu i otac u meni? Rijeèi koje vam ja govorim ne govorim od sebe; nego otac koji stoji u meni on tvori djela. 11Vjerujte meni da sam ja u ocu i otac u meni; ako li meni ne vjerujete, vjerujte mi po tijem djelima.

St Isaac, founder of the Dalmatian Monastery at Constantinople (383)

While a hermit in the east, Isaac heard that the Arians, supported by the Emperor Valens, were persecuting Orthodoxy. Leaving his seclusion, he traveled to Constantinople, where he lived in a small hut. He confronted the Emperor, telling him that if he did not cease his persecutions and embrace the true Faith, disaster would befall him. The Emperor ignored his words, and shortly thereafter was killed in a battle with the Goths. The Emperor Theodosius the Great then came to the throne, restoring peace to the Church. Hearing of Isaac and his prophecy, the Emperor sent for Isaac and prostrated before him. Isaac wished to return to the desert, but was persuaded to remain as a monk in Constantinople. He took part in the Second Ecumenical Council, where he shone in zeal for the Faith; the Third Ecumenical Council made him archimandrite over all the monasteries in the City. (Some say that the monastery founded by him is called the Dalmatian Monastery because it was built by Dalmatus, a wealthy nobleman of the City; others say that it was founded by St Isaac himself and later took its name from Abbot Dalmatus, who succeeded Isaac). In his own lifetime St Isaac was known far and wide as a wonderworker and one endowed with the gift of prophecy.

Saint Isaac is also commemorated in August 3, along with Dalmatus and his son Faustus.

St Macrina, grandmother of St Basil the Great (4th c.)

“The grandmother of St Basil the Great, she was outstanding for her intellect and piety. She was a disciple of St Gregory the Wonder-worker of Neocaesarea. In the reign of Diocletian, she abandoned her home and hid in the forests and desert places with her husband, Basil. Although their home was confiscated, they felt no pangs of regret. Stripped of everything except their love for God, they settled in an ancient forest and spent seven years there. By God’s providence, goats would come down from the mountains and provide them with food. They both died peacefully in the fourth century, after great sufferings for the Christian faith.” (Prologue)