1 Peter 4.12-5.5 (Epistle)

12Ljubazni! ne èudite se vruæini koja vam se dogaða za kušanje vaše, kao da vam se što novo dogaða; 13Nego se radujte što stradate s Hristom, da biste, i kad se javi slava njegova, imali radost i veselje. 14Ako bivate ukoreni za ime Hristovo, blago vama! jer Duh slave i Boga poèiva na vama: oni dakle hule na nj, a vi ga proslavljate. 15Samo da ne postrada koji od vas kao krvnik, ili kao lupež, ili kao zloèinac, ili kao onaj koji se miješa u tuðe poslove; 16A ako li kao hrišæanin, neka se ne stidi, veæ neka slavi Boga u ovom dogaðaju. 17Jer je vrijeme da se poène sud od kuæe Božije; ako li se najprije od vas poène, kakav æe biti pošljedak onima što se protive Božijemu jevanðelju? 18I kad se pravednik jedva spase, bezbožnik i grješnik gdje æe se javiti? 19Zato i koji stradaju po volji Božijoj neka mu kao vjernome tvorcu predadu duše svoje u dobrijem djelima.

1Starješine koje su meðu vama molim koji sam i sam starješina i svjedok Hristova stradanja, i imam dijel u slavi koja æe se javiti: 2Pasite stado Božije, koje vam je predato, i nadgledajte ga, ne silom, nego dragovoljno, i po Bogu, niti za nepravedne dobitke, nego iz dobra srca; 3Niti kao da vladate narodom; nego bivajte ugledi stadu; 4I kad se javi poglavar pastirski, primiæete vijenac slave koji neæe uvenuti. 5Tako vi mladi slušajte starješine; a svi se slušajte meðu sobom, i stecite poniznost; jer se Bog ponositima suproti, a poniženima daje blagodat.

Mark 12.38-44 (Gospel)

38I govoraše im u nauci svojoj: èuvajte se književnika koji idu u dugaèkijem haljinama, i traže da im se klanja po ulicama, 39I prvijeh mjesta po zbornicama, i zaèelja na gozbama. 40Ovi što jedu kuæe udovièke, i lažno se mole Bogu dugo, biæe još veæma osuðeni. 41I sjedavši Isus prema Božijoj hazni gledaše kako narod meæe novce u Božiju haznu. I mnogi bogati metahu mnogo. 42I došavši jedna siromašna udovica metnu dvije lepte, koje èini jedan kodrant. 43I dozvavši uèenike svoje reèe im: zaista vam kažem: ova siromašna udovica metnu više od sviju koji meæu u Božiju haznu. 44Jer svi metnuše od suviška svojega; a ona od sirotinje svoje metnu sve što imaše, svu hranu svoju.

Translation of the relics of St Ignatius of Antioch (107)

For his life, see December 20.

After his martyrdom, devoured by wild beasts in the amphitheater in Rome, only a few bones remained. These precious relics were gathered by the faithful, who took them back to Antioch, where they were received with joy by his former flock.

St Andrei Rublev, iconographer (1430)

Many consider him the greatest iconographer of all time, and his “Holy Trinity” the finest icon. Very little is known of his life. He was born around 1360, and probably studied with the Byzantine iconographer Theophanes the Greek. He is known to have created icons for the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow and the Cathedral of the Dormition at Vladimir. He created a highly spiritual and distinctively Russian iconographic style that set the standard for Russian iconography for centuries thereafter. It is said that he knew St Sergius of Radonezh (July 5). In his later years he became a monk.

Our Holy Father Aphrahat the Persian (4th c.)

He was from the pagan Persian aristocracy, but came to faith in Christ and left his home for the Christian city of Edessa, where he was baptized. He later moved to Antioch, where he lived in prayer and asceticism a short distance from the city. He ate nothing but a small amount of bread until he was extremely old, when he added some greens to his diet. Though he knew very little Greek, he was empowered by the Holy Spirit to win many converts to Christ and to confound the learned Arian heretics who were disturbing the Church in Antioch.

When Aphrahat learned that the Arian Emperor Valens was persecuting Christ’s Church, he moved to the city to support the true Faith. One day the Emperor himself met Aphrahat in the city square and asked him why he had left his solitude and come to Antioch. The Saint answered ‘Tell me this: if I were a maiden at home in my secluded apartment and saw someone setting fire to my father’s house, would you not advise me to put out the blaze as soon as possible? That is what I am doing now, because the Church, the heavenly Father’s house, is burning down in the fire that you have set!’ One of the Emperor’s attendants threatened Aphrahat with death for this impertinence; but the attendant himself later perished, drowned as he was heating water for the Emperor’s bath. This made the Emperor afraid to persecute the holy one, who continued to preach the true Faith and to perform many miracles. He reposed in peace.

Repose of Blessed Father Dimitrios Gagastathis (1975)

Though not yet officially a Saint of the Church, Papa Dimitrios is widely revered in Greece and abroad. His life is an inspiring example of the possibility of great holiness for those living in the world: a simple married parish priest, he spent forty-two years serving his childhood parish, and had nine daughters. He was a spiritual child of Elder Amphilochios of Patmos, and in turn became a spiritual father to many. His biography describes his last years thus: “On October 1, 1973, he resigned for reasons of health. Since then, he remained confined at home, living as a saint with incessant prayer, glorifying and thanking God for the trial of his illness. He delivered his holy soul to the hands of the living God on January 29, 1975, in peace.”

For more on Papa-dimitri, read this biographical sketch.