Romans 1.1-7, 13-17 (Epistle)

1Od Pavla, sluge Isusa Hrista, pozvanoga apostola izabranoga za jevanðelje Božije, 2Koje Bog naprijed obeæa preko proroka svojijeh u svetijem pismima 3O sinu svojemu, koji je po tijelu roðen od sjemena Davidova, 4A posvjedoèen silno za sina Božijega Duhom svetinje po vaskrseniju iz mrtvijeh, Isusu Hristu Gospodu našemu, 5Preko kojega primismo blagodat i apostolstvo, da pokorimo sve neznabošce vjeri imena njegovoga; 6Meðu kojima ste i vi pozvani Isusu Hristu, 7Svima koji su u Rimu, ljubaznima Bogu, i pozvanima svetima: blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca našega i Gospoda Isusa Hrista. 13Ali vam neæu zatajiti, braæo, da sam mnogo puta htio da vam doðem, pa bih zadržan doslije, da i meðu vama imam kakav plod, kao i meðu ostalijem neznabošcima. 14Dužan sam i Grcima i divljacima, i mudrima i nerazumnima. 15Zato, od moje strane, gotov sam i vama u Rimu propovjediti jevanðelje. 16Jer se ne stidim jevanðelja Hristova; jer je sila Božija na spasenije svakome koji vjeruje, a najprije Jevrejinu i Grku. 17Jer se u njemu javlja pravda Božija iz vjere u vjeru, kao što je napisano: pravednik æe od vjere živ biti.

Matthew 4.25-5.13 (Gospel)

25I za njim iðaše naroda mnogo iz Galileje, i iz Deset Gradova, i iz Jerusalima, i Judeje, i ispreko Jordana.

1A kad on vidje narod, pope se na goru, i sjede, i pristupiše mu uèenici njegovi. 2I otvorivši usta svoja uèaše ih govoreæi: 3Blago siromašnima duhom, jer je njihovo carstvo nebesko; 4Blago onima koji plaèu, jer æe se utješiti; 5Blago krotkima, jer æe naslijediti zemlju; 6Blago gladnima i žednima pravde, jer æe se nasititi; 7Blago milostivima, jer æe biti pomilovani; 8Blago onima koji su èistoga srca, jer æe Boga vidjeti; 9Blago onima koji mir grade, jer æe se sinovi Božiji nazvati; 10Blago prognanima pravde radi, jer je njihovo carstvo nebesko. 11Blago vama ako vas uzasramote i usprogone i reku na vas svakojake rðave rijeèi lažuæi, mene radi. 12Radujte se i veselite se, jer je velika plata vaša na nebesima, jer su tako progonili proroke prije vas. 13Vi ste so zemlji; ako so obljutavi, èim æe se osoliti? Ona veæ neæe biti ni za što, osim da se prospe napolje i da je ljudi pogaze.

Hieromartyr Timothy, bishop of Prusa (362)

“For his great spiritual purity, God gave him the gift of wonderworking, and he healed all manner of diseases and pains among the people. During the reign of the evil Emperor Julian, who had renounced Christ, holy Timothy was thrown into prison. The faithful visited him there to listen to the wise teaching of their bishop. When this came to the Emperor’s ears, he commanded that the executioner behead the Saint in the prison. This was in 362, and his soul entered into Paradise while his relics remained, full of miraculous power, to help the people and declare the power of the Lord.” (Prologue [adapted])

Holy Martyrs Alexander and Antonina (313)

In Alexandria, the virgin Antonina was brought before Festus, the Governor, tortured for her faith in Christ, then thrown into prison. A Christian soldier named Alexander, who had never before seen or heard of Antonina, was commanded by an angel of God to go to her. Finding her, he gave her his military cloak, wrapping it about her head and body; and thus, with her head lowered, she was able to walk out of the prison while Alexander remained in her place. Alexander was brought before Festus, where he too confessed his faith in Christ. Antonina, learning of this, voluntarily came before the judge, who put both of them to hideous tortures, mutilating them in many ways before having them cast into a fire and burned alive.

A slightly different account says that Festus placed Antonina under guard in a brothel rather than a prison, so that her virginity might be defiled, and that it was from there that Alexander rescued her.

Festus, the Governor, was struck mute at the time of the holy martyrs’ death, and was tormented by an evil spirit for seven days, at the end of which he died.

Hieromartyr Metrophanes, first Chinese priest, and the Chinese New Martyrs of the Boxer Uprising (1900)

“The Holy Martyrs of China were native Chinese Orthodox Christians brought up in piety at the Russian Orthodox Mission in Peking, which had been founded in 1685. During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 against the foreign powers occupying China, native Chinese Christians were commanded by the Boxers to renounce Christianity or be tortured to death. Two hundred and twenty-two members of the Peking Mission, led by their priest Metrophanes Tsi-Chung and his family, refused to deny Christ, and were deemed worthy of a martyric death.” ( Great Horologion)