John 20.11-18 (8th Matins Gospel)

11A Marija stajaše napolju kod groba i plakaše. I kad plakaše nadviri se nad grob, 12I vidje dva anðela u bijelijem haljinama gdje sjede jedan èelo glave a jedan èelo nogu gdje bješe ležalo tijelo Isusovo. 13I rekoše joj oni: ženo! što plaèeš? Reèe im: uzeše Gospoda mojega, i ne znam gdje ga metnuše. 14I ovo rekavši obazre se natrag, i vidje Isusa gdje stoji, i ne znadijaše da je Isus. 15Isus joj reèe: ženo! što plaèeš? koga tražiš? A ona misleæi da je vrtar reèe mu: gospodine! ako si ga ti uzeo kaži mi gdje si ga metnuo, i ja æu ga uzeti. 16Isus joj reèe: Marija! A ona obazrevši se reèe mu: Ravuni! koje znaèi uèitelju. 17Reèe joj Isus: ne dohvataj se do mene, jer se još ne vratih k ocu svojemu; nego idi k braæi mojoj, i kaži im: vraæam se k ocu svojemu i ocu vašemu, i Bogu svojemu i Bogu vašemu. 18A Marija Magdalina otide, i javi uèenicima da vidje Gospoda i kaza joj ovo.

2 Timothy 4.5-8 (Epistle, Sunday before Theophany)

5A ti budi trijezan u svaèemu, trpi zlo, uèini djelo jevanðelista, službu svoju svrši. 6Jer ja se veæ žrtvujem, i vrijeme mojega odlaska nasta. 7Dobar rat ratovah, trku svrših, vjeru održah. 8Dalje dakle meni je pripravljen vijenac pravde, koji æe mi dati Gospod u dan onaj, pravedni sudija; ali ne samo meni, nego i svima koji se raduju njegovu dolasku.

Mark 1.1-8 (Gospel, Sunday before Theophany)

1Poèetak jevanðelja Isusa Hrista sina Božijega. 2Kao što stoji u proroka: evo ja šaljem anðela svojega pred licem tvojijem, koji æe pripraviti put tvoj pred tobom. 3Glas onoga što vièe u pustinji: pripravite put Gospodnji, poravnite staze njegove. 4Pojavi se Jovan krsteæi u pustinji, i propovijedajuæi krštenje pokajanja za oproštenje grijeha. 5I izlažaše k njemu sva Judejska zemlja i Jerusalimljani; i kršæavaše ih sve u Jordanu rijeci, i ispovijedahu grijehe svoje. 6A Jovan bijaše obuèen u kamilju dlaku, i imaše pojas kožan oko sebe; i jeðaše skakavce i med divlji. 7I propovijedaše govoreæi: ide za mnom jaèi od mene, pred kim ja nijesam dostojan sagnuti se i odriješiti remena na obuæi njegovoj. 8Ja vas kršæavam vodom, a on æe vas krstiti Duhom svetijem.

Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles.

In addition to the Twelve Apostles, our Lord appointed seventy disciples to go forth and bring the Good News to the world (see Luke ch. 10). Others were later added to this company by the Holy Apostles, so that their number in fact exceeds seventy, though all are still referred to as “of the Seventy.”

On this day we also commemorate the company of those who have been sent forth by the Holy Spirit through the centuries to proclaim the joyous Gospel of Christ.

The Ethiopian Eunuch of Queen Candace

His baptism by the holy Apostle Philip is told in Acts ch. 8. He was already seeking out the things of God — the story shows him reading the Book of Isaiah, and specifies that he was going to Jerusalem to worship. He returned home (“rejoicing”, say the scriptures) and proclaimed the Gospel of Christ in his native land; the ancient Church of Ethiopia traces its beginnings to his mission. He died a martyr’s death.

Venerable Apollinaria (5th c.)

She was a maiden of high rank, the daughter of a magistrate named Anthimus in the city of Rome. Filled with love for Christ, she prevailed on her parents to allow her to travel on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In Jerusalem she dismissed most of her attendants, gave her jewels, fine clothes and money to the poor, and went on to Egypt accompanied only by two trusted servants. Near Alexandria she slipped away from them and fled to a forest, where she lived in ascesis for many years. She then made her way to Sketis, the famous desert monastic colony, and presented herself as a eunuch named Dorotheos. In this guise she was accepted as a monk.

Anthimus, having lost his elder daughter, was visited with another grief: his younger daughter was afflicted by a demon. He sent this daughter to Sketis, asking the holy fathers there to aid her by their prayers. They put her under the care of “Dorotheos”, who after days of constant prayer effected the complete cure of her (unknowing) sister. When the girl got back home it was discovered that she was pregnant, and Anthimus angrily ordered that the monk who had cared for her be sent to him. He was astonished to find that “Dorotheos” was his own daughter Apollinaria, whom he had abandoned hope of seeing again. After some days the holy woman returned to Sketis, still keeping her identity secret from her fellow-monks. Only at her death was her true story discovered.