1 Corinthians 15.29-38 (Epistle)

29Altfel, ce ar face cei ce se botează pentru cei morţi? Dacă nu învie morţii nicidecum, de ce se mai botează ei pentru cei morţi? 30Şi de ce suntem noi în primejdie în orice clipă? 31În fiecare zi eu sunt în primejdie de moarte; atât este de adevărat lucrul acesta, fraţilor, cât este de adevărat că am de ce să mă laud cu voi în Hristos Isus, Domnul nostru. 32Dacă, vorbind în felul oamenilor, m-am luptat cu fiarele în Efes, care-mi este folosul? Dacă nu învie morţii, atunci „să mâncăm şi să bem, căci mâine vom muri”. 33Nu vă înşelaţi: „Tovărăşiile rele strică obiceiurile bune”. 34Veniţi-vă în fire, cum se cuvine, şi nu păcătuiţi! Căci sunt între voi unii care nu cunosc pe Dumnezeu: spre ruşinea voastră o spun. 35Dar va zice cineva: „Cum învie morţii? Şi cu ce trup se vor întoarce?” 36Nebun ce eşti! Ce semeni tu nu învie, dacă nu moare mai întâi. 37Şi când semeni, semeni nu trupul care va fi, ci doar un grăunte, cum se întâmplă: fie de grâu, fie de altă sămânţă. 38Apoi Dumnezeu îi dă un trup, după cum voieşte; şi fiecărei seminţe îi dă un trup al ei.

Matthew 21.23-27 (Gospel)

23Isus S-a dus în Templu; şi, pe când învăţa norodul, au venit la El preoţii cei mai de seamă şi bătrânii norodului şi I-au zis: „Cu ce putere faci Tu lucrurile acestea şi cine Ţi-a dat puterea aceasta?” 24Drept răspuns, Isus le-a zis: „Vă voi pune şi Eu o întrebare; şi dacă-Mi veţi răspunde la ea, vă voi spune şi Eu cu ce putere fac aceste lucruri. 25Botezul lui Ioan de unde venea? Din cer sau de la oameni?” Dar ei vorbeau între ei şi ziceau: „Dacă vom răspunde: „Din cer”, ne va spune: „Atunci de ce nu l-aţi crezut?” 26Şi dacă vom răspunde: „De la oameni”, ne temem de norod, pentru că toţi socotesc pe Ioan drept proroc.” 27Atunci au răspuns lui Isus: „Nu ştim!” Şi El, la rândul Lui, le-a zis: „Nici Eu nu vă voi spune cu ce putere fac aceste lucruri.

Martyrs Anicetas and Photius of Nicomedia (305)

These holy martyrs suffered victoriously in the year 305 (Prologue) or 288 (Great Horologion), during the reign of Diocletian, who visited Nicomedia to stir up a persecution of Christians there. Anicetas, one of the city governors, presented himself before the Emperor, boldly confessed his Christian faith, and denounced the worship of the idols. Anicetas was subjected to a series of cruelties: his tongue was cut out, but he miraculously continued to speak; he was thrown to a lion, but it refused to attack him; then he was savagely beaten with rods until his bones showed through his wounds. His nephew Photius, seeing his endurance of all these trials, ran forward, embraced his uncle, and declared to the Emperor that he too was a Christian. The Emperor ordered that he be beheaded immediately, but the executioner, raising his sword, gave himself such a wound that he died instead. After many tortures, the two were put in prison for three years, then brought out and cast into a fiery furnace, where they died, though their bodies were brought out of the flames intact.

Saint Anicetas is counted as one of the Holy Unmercenaries.

Hieromaryr Alexander, Bishop of Comana (3rd c.)

“He lived in the town of Comana near Neocaesarea as a simple charcoal-burner. When the Bishop of Comana died, St Gregory of Neocaesarea, the Wonderworker (Nov. 17), was invited to preside over the Council to choose a new bishop. At the Council there were both clergy and laymen. They were unable to come to agreement on one person, estimating the candidates they selected according to their outward worth and behaviour. St Gregory told them that they must not give so much weight to the outward impression as to the soul and the spiritual aptitude. Then some wag called out mockingly: ‘Then let’s choose Alexander the charcoal-burner as bishop!’, and there was general laughter. St Gregory asked who this Alexander was. Thinking that his name would not have come up before the Council except by the providence of God, he commanded that he be brought. Being a charcoal-burner, he was black with soot and in rags, and his appearance provoked further mirth in the Council. Then Gregory took him aside and asked him to tell the truth about himself. Alexander told him that he had been a Greek philosopher, enjoying great honour and position, but that he had set it all aside, demeaned himself and made himself as a fool for Christ from the time that he had read and understood the Holy Scriptures. Gregory commanded that he be bathed and clad in new clothes, then went into the Council with him and, before them all, began to examine him in the Scriptures. All were filled with amazement at the wisdom and grace of Alexander’s words, and were quite unable to recognize the former charcoal-burner in this wise man. With one voice, they chose him as bishop, and he received the love of his flock for his holiness, his wisdom and his goodness. He died a martyr for Christ under Diocletian.” (Prologue)