Romans 4.13-25 (Epistle)

13Jer obeæanje Avraamu ili sjemenu njegovu da bude našljednik svijetu ne bi zakonom nego pravdom vjere. 14Jer ako su našljednici oni koji su od zakona, propade vjera, i pokvari se obeæanje. 15Jer zakon gradi gnjev; jer gdje nema zakona nema ni prijestupa. 16Zato od vjere da bude po milosti da obeæanje tvrdo ostane svemu sjemenu, ne samo koje je od zakona nego i koje je od vjere Avraama, koji je otac svima nama, 17Kao što stoji napisano: postavih te oca mnogijem narodima) pred Bogom kome vjerova, koji oživljuje mrtve, i zove ono što nije kao ono što jest: 18On vjerova na nad kad se nije bilo nièemu nadati da æe on biti otac mnogijem narodima, kao što mu bješe reèeno: tako æe biti sjeme tvoje. 19I ne oslabivši vjerom ne pogleda ni na svoje veæ umoreno tijelo, jer mu bješe negdje oko sto godina, ni na mrtvost Sarine materice. 20I za obeæanje Božije ne posumnja se nevjerovanjem, nego ojaèa u vjeri, i dade slavu Bogu. 21I znadijaše jamaèno da što obeæa kadar je i uèiniti. 22Zato se i primi njemu u pravdu. 23Ali nije pisano za njega jednoga samo da mu se primi, 24Nego i za nas, kojima æe se primiti ako vjerujemo onoga koji vaskrse Isusa Hrista Gospoda našega iz mrtvijeh, 25Koji se predade za grijehe naše, i ustade za opravdanje naše.

Matthew 7.21-23 (Gospel)

21Neæe svaki koji mi govori: Gospode! Gospode! uæi u carstvo nebesko; no koji èini po volji oca mojega koji je na nebesima. 22Mnogi æe reæi meni u onaj dan: Gospode! Gospode! nijesmo li u ime tvoje prorokovali, i tvojijem imenom ðavole izgonili, i tvojijem imenom èudesa mnoga tvorili? 23I tada æu im ja kazati: nikad vas nijesam znao; idite od mene koji èinite bezakonje.

Martyr Leontius, and with him Martyrs Hypatius and Theodoulos, at Tripoli in Syria (73)

An honored Roman commander in Tripoli of Phoenicia, he was described as being ‘of great physical stature, powerful, strong and bold in battle’. When it was learned that he was a Christian and had given grain to the poor from the imperial storehouse, the governor Hadrian, a great persecutor of Christians, sent Hypatius, a military commander, and Theodoulus, a soldier, along with some others to arrest him. On the way Hypatius fell gravely ill with a fever, and the company had to delay its mission. One night an angel of the Lord appeared to Hypatius and said, ‘If you desire to be healed, you and your soldiers must cry to heaven three times: “O God of Leontius, help me!”’. Hypatius told his comrades of his vision, and when they all cried out as instructed Hypatius was instantly healed. Hypatius and Theodoulos then went on ahead of the other soldiers and found Leontius. Leontius received them hospitably and offered them refreshment. As they rested in his house, he proclaimed his faith in Christ and their hearts began to burn within them. While Leontius was still speaking, a bright cloud descended upon the two soldiers and shed dew on them while Leontius said ‘In the name of the All-holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.’ Thus were they baptized by the Holy Spirit Himself.

When the cruel Hadrian discovered this, he had the two soldiers beaten fiercely, then beheaded; he then subjected Leontius to the cruelest tortures, under which he finally died, unwavering in his faith. This was during the reign of Vespasian.