James 4.7-5.9 (Epistle)

7Pokorite se dakle Bogu, a protivite se ðavolu, i pobjeæi æe od vas. 8Približite se k Bogu, i on æe se približiti k vama. Oèistite ruke, grješnici, popravite srca svoja, nepostojani. 9Budite žalosni i plaèite i jauèite: smijeh vaš neka se pretvori u plaè, i radost u žalost. 10Ponizite se pred Gospodom, i podignuæe vas. 11Ne opadajte jedan drugoga, braæo; jer ko opada brata ili osuðuje brata svojega opada zakon i osuðuje zakon, a ako zakon osuðuješ, nijesi tvorac zakona, nego sudija. 12Jedan je zakonodavac i sudija, koji može spasti i pogubiti; a ti ko si što drugoga osuðuješ? 13Slušajte sad vi koji govorite: danas ili sjutra poæi æemo u ovaj ili onaj grad, i sjediæemo ondje jednu godinu, i trgovaæemo i dobijaæemo. 14Vi koji ne znate šta æe biti sjutra. Jer šta je vaš život? On je para, koja se za malo pokaže, a potom je nestane. 15Mjesto da govorite: ako Gospod htjedbude, i živi budemo, uèiniæemo ovo ili ono. 16A sad se hvalite svojijem ponosom. Svaka je hvala takova zla. 17Jer koji zna dobro èiniti i ne èini, grijeh mu je.

1Hodite vi sad, bogati, plaèite i ridajte za svoje ljute nevolje koje idu na vas. 2Bogatstvo vaše istruhnu, i haljine vaše pojedoše moljci; 3Zlato vaše i srebro zarða, i rða njihova biæe svjedoèanstvo na vas: izješæe tijelo vaše kao oganj. Stekoste bogatstvo u pošljednje dane. 4Gle, vièe plata vašijeh poslenika koji su radili njive vaše i vi ste im otkinuli; i vika žetelaca doðe do ušiju Gospoda Savaota. 5Veseliste se na zemlji, i nasladiste se; uhraniste srca svoja, kao na dan zaklanja. 6Osudiste, ubiste pravednika, i ne brani vam se. 7Trpite dakle, braæo moja, do dolaska Gospodnjega. Gle, težak èeka plemenitoga roda iz zemlje, i rado trpi dok ne primi dažd rani i pozni. 8Trpite dakle i vi, i utvrdite srca svoja, jer se dolazak Gospodnji približi. 9Ne uzdišite jedan na drugoga, braæo, da ne budete osuðeni: gle, sudija stoji pred vratima.

Mark 10.17-27 (Gospel)

17I kad iziðe na put, pritrèa neko, i kleknuvši na koljena pred njim pitaše ga: uèitelju blagi! šta mi treba èiniti da dobijem život vjeèni? 18A Isus reèe mu: što me zoveš blagijem? niko nije blag osim jednoga Boga. 19Zapovijesti znaš: ne èini preljube; ne ubij; ne ukradi; ne svjedoèi lažno; ne èini nepravde nikome; poštuj oca svojega i mater. 20A on odgovarajuæi reèe mu: uèitelju! sve sam ovo saèuvao od mladosti svoje. 21A Isus pogledavši na nj, omilje mu, i reèe mu: još ti jedno nedostaje: idi prodaj sve što imaš i podaj siromasima; i imaæeš blago na nebu; i doði te hajde za mnom uzevši krst. 22A on posta zlovoljan od ove rijeèi, i otide žalostan; jer bijaše vrlo bogat. 23I pogledavši Isus reèe uèenicima svojima: kako je teško bogatima uæi u carstvo nebesko! 24A uèenici se uplašiše od rijeèi njegovijeh. A Isus opet odgovarajuæi reèe im: djeco! kako je teško onima koji se uzdaju u svoje bogatstvo uæi u carstvo Božije! 25Lakše je kamili proæi kroz iglene uši negoli bogatome uæi u carstvo Božije. 26A oni se vrlo divljahu govoreæi u sebi: ko se dakle može spasti? 27A Isus pogledavši na njih reèe: ljudima je nemoguæe, ali nije Bogu: jer je sve moguæe Bogu.

Our Holy Father Paul of Thebes (342)

He was born in Egypt in the reign of the Emperor Decius. Though his parents left him a large inheritance, he abandoned it and fled into the desert around the year 250 to escape the bloody persecution of Christians raging at that time. After walking for several days, he found an isolated cave with a large palm tree and a spring of fresh water nearby. Settling here in solitude, he gave himself up to constant prayer.

Many years passed. Saint Anthony the Great, having reached the age of ninety (in about the year 342) was tempted by the thought that no one else had ever lived a life so dedicated to God as his. That night, he was told in a dream that there was another hermit in the desert more perfect than himself, who had reached the age of 113 years. Anthony rose, took up his staff, and walked straight into the desert, trusting God to lead him where he should go. He was threatened by various beasts sent by the Devil, but he tamed them with the sign of the Cross, and they showed him the way he should go. Finally a wolf brought him to St Paul’s cave. They embraced as brothers in Christ and spent the night in prayer. The next day Paul confided to Anthony that he was about to die, and that God had brought Anthony thence to give him honorable burial. As he had said, St Paul reposed the next day and, with many tears, St Anthony buried him in a cloak given him by St Athanasius the Great, assisted by two lions who dug out the grave with their paws.

Our Holy Father John Kalyvites (the hut-dweller) (ca. 450)

He was the son of Eutropius, a prominent senator, and Theodora, who lived in Constantinople. At the age of twelve, he secretly fled his home, taking nothing but a Gospel book with him. Entering the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones in the City, he gave himself up with fervor to a life of prayer, self-denial and obedience. For three years he ate only on Sundays after taking communion, and became so thin and haggard that he bore no resemblance to the young nobleman who had entered the monastery.

Tormented by longing to see his parents, but unwilling to give up the ascetic struggle, he left the monastery with his Abbot’s blessing, dressed in beggar’s rags, and took up residence in a poor hut near the gate of his parents’ house. Here he lived, mocked by those who had once been his servants and despised by his own parents, who no longer recognized him.

After three years, Christ appeared to him and told him that his end was drawing near, and that in three days angels would come to take him home. John sent a message to his parents, asking them to visit his hut. In perplexity, they came, and John, showing them the Gospel book that they had given him as a child, revealed to them that he was their son, and that he was about to die. They embraced him, rejoicing at their reunion but weeping for his departure from this life. Immediately, he gave back his soul to God.

The whole City of Constantinople was stirred by the story, and great crowds came to John’s burial service. A church was later built on the site of his hut, and many miracles were wrought there through the Saint’s prayers.

Saint Ita of Kileedy, Ireland (570)

The gentle and motherly St. Ita was descended from the high kings of Tara. From her youth she loved God ardently and shone with the radiance of a soul that loves virtue. Because of her purity of heart she was able to hear the voice of God and communicate it to others. Despite her father’s opposition she embraced the monastic life in her youth. In obedience to the revelation of an angel she went to the people of Ui Conaill in the southwestern part of Ireland. While she was there, the foundation of a convent was laid. It soon grew into a monastic school for the education of boys, quickly becoming known for its high level of learning and moral purity. The most famous of her many students was St. Brendan of Clonfert (May 16). She went to the other world in great holiness to dwell forever with the risen Lord in the year 570.

—from the 2003 Saint Herman Calendar