1 John 3.10-20 (Epistle)

10Po tom se poznaju djeca Božija i djeca ðavolja: koji god ne tvori pravde, nije od Boga, i koji ne ljubi brata svojega. 11Jer je ovo zapovijest, koju èuste ispoèetka, da ljubimo jedan drugoga. 12Ne kao što Kain bješe od neèastivoga i zakla brata svojega. I za koji ga uzrok zakla? Jer djela njegova bijahu zla, a brata mu pravedna. 13Ne èudite se, braæo moja, ako svijet mrzi na vas. 14Mi znamo da prijeðosmo iz smrti u život, jer ljubimo braæu; jer ko ne ljubi brata ostaje u smrti. 15Svaki koji mrzi na brata svojega krvnik je ljudski; i znate da nijedan krvnik ljudski nema u sebi vjeènoga života. 16Po tom poznasmo ljubav što on za nas dušu svoju položi: mi smo dužni polagati duše za braæu. 17Koji dakle ima bogatstvo ovoga svijeta, i vidi brata svojega u nevolji i zatvori srce svoje od njega, kako ljubav Božija stoji u njemu? 18Djeèice moja! da se ne ljubimo rijeèju ni jezikom, nego djelom i istinom. 19I po tom doznajemo da smo od istine, i pred njim tješimo srca svoja. 20Jer ako nam zazire srce naše, Bog je veæi od srca našega i zna sve.

Mark 14.10-42 (Gospel)

10I Juda Iskariotski, jedan od dvanaestorice, otide ka glavarima sveštenièkijem da im ga izda. 11A oni èuvši obradovaše se, i obrekoše mu novce dati: i tražaše zgodu da ga izda. 12I u prvi dan prijesnijeh hljebova, kad klahu pashu, rekoše mu uèenici njegovi: gdje æeš da idemo da ti zgotovimo pashu da jedeš? 13I posla dvojicu od uèenika svojijeh i reèe im: idite u grad, i srešæe vas èovjek koji nosi vodu u krèagu; idite za njim, 14I gdje uðe kažite gospodaru od one kuæe: uèitelj veli: gdje je gostionica gdje æu jesti pashu s uèenicima svojijem? 15I on æe vam pokazati veliku sobu prostrtu gotovu: ondje nam zgotovite. 16I iziðoše uèenici njegovi, i doðoše u grad, i naðoše kao što im kaza, i ugotoviše pashu. 17I kad bi uveèe, doðe sa dvanaestoricom. 18I kad sjeðahu za trpezom i jeðahu reèe Isus: zaista vam kažem: jedan od vas, koji jede sa mnom, izdaæe me. 19A oni se zabrinuše, i stadoše govoriti jedan za drugijem: da ne ja? i drugi: da ne ja? 20A on odgovarajuæi reèe im: jedan od dvanaestorice koji umoèi sa mnom u zdjelu. 21Sin èovjeèij dakle ide kao što je pisano za njega; ali teško onome èovjeku koji izda sina èovjeèijega; bolje bi mu bilo da se nije rodio onaj èovjek. 22I kad jeðahu uze Isus hljeb i blagoslovivši prelomi ga, i dade im, i reèe: uzmite, jedite; ovo je tijelo moje. 23I uze èašu i davši hvalu dade im; i piše iz nje svi. 24I reèe im: ovo je krv moja novoga zavjeta koja æe se proliti za mnoge. 25Zaista vam kažem: više neæu piti od roda vinogradskoga do onoga dana kad æu ga piti novoga u carstvu Božijemu. 26I otpojavši hvalu iziðoše na goru Maslinsku. 27I reèe im Isus: svi æete se vi sablazniti o mene ovu noæ; jer je pisano: udariæu pastira i ovce æe se razbjeæi. 28Ali po vaskrseniju svojemu ja idem pred vama u Galileju. 29A Petar mu reèe: ako se i svi sablazne, ali ja neæu. 30I reèe mu Isus: zaista ti kažem: noæas dok dvaput pijetao ne zapjeva tri puta æeš me se odreæi. 31A on još veæma govoraše: da bih znao s tobom i umrijeti neæu te se odreæi. Tako i svi govorahu. 32I doðoše u selo koje se zove Getsimanija, i reèe uèenicima svojijem: sjedite ovdje dok ja idem da se pomolim Bogu. 33I uze sa sobom Petra i Jakova i Jovana, i zabrinu se i poèe tužiti. 34I reèe im: žalosna je duša moja do smrti; poèekajte ovdje, i stražite. 35I otišavši malo pade na zemlju, i moljaše se da bi ga mimoišao èas ako je moguæe. 36I govoraše: Ava oèe! sve je moguæe tebi; pronesi èašu ovu mimo mene; ali opet ne kako ja hoæu nego kako ti. 37I doðe i naðe ih gdje spavaju, i reèe Petru: Simone! Zar spavaš? Ne može li jednoga èasa postražiti? 38Stražite i molite se Bogu da ne padnete u napast; jer je duh srèan ali je tijelo slabo. 39I opet otišavši pomoli se Bogu one iste rijeèi govoreæi. 40I vrativši se naðe ih opet gdje spavaju; jer im bijahu oèi otežale; i ne znadijahu šta bi mu odgovorili. 41I doðe treæi put, i reèe im: jednako spavate i poèivate; dosta je; doðe èas; evo se predaje sin èovjeèij u ruke grješnicima. 42Ustanite da idemo; evo izdajnik se moj približi.

Hieromartyr Haralambos (Charalampus), bishop of Magnesia (202)

“This great saint was bishop in Magnesia, and suffered for Christ at the age of 113. When a violent persecution broke out under the Emperor Septimus Severus, the aged Charalampus did not hide from his persecutors, but freely and openly preached the Christian faith. He endured all tortures as though not in the body, and when they flayed the living flesh from him, the godly saint said to the Emperor’s soldiers: ‘Thank you, my brethren, for scraping off the old body and renewing my soul for new and eternal life.’ He performed many wonders and brought many to the Faith. Even the Emperor’s daughter, Gallina, repudiated the paganism of her father and became a Christian. Condemned to death and led to the place of execution, St Charalampus raised his arms to heaven and prayed for all men, that God would give them bodily health and salvation of soul, and that He would grant them the fruits of the earth in abundance: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that men are flesh and blood; forgive them their sins and pour out Thy blessing on all.’ After praying thus, the saintly elder gave his soul to God before the executioner had laid his sword to his neck. He suffered in 202. Gallina took his body and buried it.” (Prologue)

The Great Horologion puts his age at 103.

St Scholastica of Italy, sister of St Benedict (543)

She was the twin sister of St Benedict, patriarch of monasticism in the West (March 14), and his constant fellow-laborer in the vineyard of Christ. They lived in neighboring monasteries; though they loved one another dearly, they met only once a year, spending the day in prayer and spiritual conversation, then parting after sharing a simple meal. At their meeting in 543, she prevailed on her brother (and the monk who accompanied him) to break his own monastic rule and stay with her in vigil through the night. Three days later, as Benedict looked out his cell window, he saw his sister’s soul in the form of a dove ascending to heaven.

Recommended: The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica, a beautifully illustrated children’s book about the two Saints; by Kathleen Norris, illustrated by Tomie dePaola.

Our Venerable Father Prochorus of the Kiev Caves (1107)

“A wonder-worker of the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, he was named the Orach-eater because the whole time he lived in the monastery, he never tasted bread but fed himself on orach [a kind of wild spinach] prepared according to his own particular method as a sort of bread. When he gave someone some of this bread with his blessing, it was as sweet as honey, but if someone stole some, it was as bitter as wormwood.

“At one time, when there was a dearth of salt in Russia, Prochorus distributed ashes to the people for salt. The ashes that he distributed with his blessing became salt; ashes, however, that anyone took for himself remained ordinary ashes. Prince Svyatopolk ordered that all the ashes from Prochorus’ cell be brought to the court without his permission, let alone his blessing. When the ashes were brought there, it was obvious to everyone that they were ashes and not salt. Then Prochorus told all the people who came to him for salt to go to the prince’s court, and, when the prince threw the ashes away, to take them and use them as salt. This they did, and the ashes again became salt. The prince himself, learning of this, was filled with a deep respect and love for him and, when Prochorus died in 1107, placed him with his own hands in a grave near the great Russian saints, Antony and Theodosius.” (Prologue).