1 Corinthians 15.29-38 (Epistle)

29Šta dakle èine oni koji se krste mrtvijeh radi? Kad mrtvi jamaèno ne ustaju, što se i kršæavaju mrtvijeh radi? 30I mi zašto podnosimo muke i nevolje svaki èas? 31Svaki dan umirem, tako mi, braæo, vaše slave, koju imam u Hristu Isusu Gospodu našemu. 32Jer ako sam se po èovjeku borio sa zvjerovima u Efesu, kaka mi je korist ako mrtvi ne ustaju? Da jedemo i pijemo, jer æemo sutra umrijeti. 33Ne varajte se: zli razgovori kvare dobre obièaje. 34Otrijeznite se jedanput kao što treba, i ne griješite; jer neki ne znadu za Boga, na sramotu vama kažem. 35Ali æe reæi ko: kako æe ustati mrtvi? i u kakom æe tijelu doæi? 36Bezumnièe! ti što siješ neæe oživljeti ako ne umre. 37I što siješ ne siješ tijelo koje æe biti, nego golo zrno, bilo pšenièno ili drugo kako. 38A Bog mu daje tijelo kako hoæe, i svakom sjemenu svoje tijelo.

Matthew 21.23-27 (Gospel)

23I kad doðe u crkvu i stade uèiti, pristupiše k njemu glavari sveštenièki i starješine narodne govoreæi: kakvom vlasti to èiniš? i ko ti dade vlast tu? 24A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe im: i ja æu vas upitati jednu rijeè, koju ako mi kažete, i ja æu vama kazati kakvom vlasti ovo èinim. 25Krštenje Jovanovo otkuda bi? ili s neba, ili od ljudi? A oni pomišljavahu u sebi govoreæi: ako reèemo: s neba, reæi æe nam: zašto mu dakle ne vjerovaste? 26Ako li reèemo: od ljudi, bojimo se naroda; jer svi Jovana držahu za proroka. 27I odgovarajuæi Isusu rekoše: ne znamo. Reèe i on njima: ni ja vama neæu kazati kakvom vlasti ovo èinim.

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)