1 John 3.21-4.6 (Epistle)

21Ljubazni! ako nam srce naše ne zazre, slobodu imamo pred Bogom; 22I što god zaištemo, primiæemo od njega, jer zapovijesti njegove držimo i èinimo što je njemu ugodno. 23I ovo je zapovijest njegova da vjerujemo u ime sina njegova Isusa Hrista, i da ljubimo jedan drugoga kao što nam je dao zapovijest. 24I koji drži zapovijesti njegove u njemu stoji, i on u njemu. I po tom poznajemo da stoji u nama, po Duhu koga nam je dao.

1Ljubazni! ne vjerujte svakome duhu, nego kušajte duhove jesu li od Boga; jer mnogi lažni proroci iziðoše na svijet. 2Po ovome poznajte Duha Božijega, i duha lažnoga; svaki duh koji priznaje da je Isus Hristos u tijelu došao, od Boga je; 3A svaki duh koji ne priznaje da je Isus Hristos u tijelu došao, nije od Boga: i ovaj je antihristov, za kojega èuste da æe doæi, i sad je veæ na svijetu. 4Vi ste od Boga, djeèice, i nadvladaste ih, jer je veæi koji je u vama negoli koji je na svijetu. 5Oni su od svijeta, zato govore od svijeta, i svijet ih sluša. 6Mi smo od Boga; koji poznaje Boga sluša nas, a koji nije od Boga ne sluša nas. Po ovom poznajemo duha istine i duha prijevare.

Mark 14.43-15.1 (Gospel)

43I odmah dok on još govoraše, doðe Juda, jedan od dvanaestorice, i s njim ljudi mnogi s noževima i s koljem od glavara sveštenièkijeh i od književnika i starješina. 44I izdajnik njegov dade im znak govoreæi: koga ja cjelivam onaj je: držite ga, i vodite ga èuvajuæi. 45I došavši odmah pristupi k njemu, i reèe: Ravi! ravi! i cjeliva ga. 46A oni metnuše ruke svoje na nj i uhvatiše ga. 47A jedan od onijeh što stajahu ondje izvadi nož te udari slugu poglavara sveštenièkoga, i otsijeèe mu uho. 48I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe im: kao na hajduka izišli ste s noževima i s koljem da me uhvatite, 49A svaki dan sam bio kod vas u crkvi i uèio, i ne uhvatiste me. Ali da se zbude pismo. 50I ostavivši ga uèenici svi pobjegoše. 51I za njim iðaše nekakav mladiæ ogrnut platnom po golu tijelu; i uhvatiše onoga mladiæa. 52A on ostavivši platno go pobježe od njih. 53I dovedoše Isusa k poglavaru sveštenièkome, i stekoše se k njemu svi glavari sveštenièki i književnici i starješine. 54I Petar ide za njim izdaleka do u dvor poglavara sveštenièkoga, i sjeðaše sa slugama, i grijaše se kod ognja. 55A glavari sveštenièki i sva skupština tražahu na Isusa svjedoèanstva da ga ubiju; i ne naðoše; 56Jer mnogi svjedoèahu lažno na njega i svjedoèanstva ne bijahu jednaka. 57I jedni ustavši svjedoèahu na njega lažno govoreæi: 58Mi smo èuli gdje on govori: ja æu razvaliti ovu crkvu koja je rukama naèinjena, i za tri dana naèiniæu drugu koja neæe biti rukama naèinjena. 59I ni ovo svjedoèanstvo njihovo ne bijaše jednako. 60I ustavši poglavar sveštenièki na srijedu zapita Isusa govoreæi: zar ništa ne odgovaraš što ovi na tebe svjedoèe? 61A on muèaše i ništa ne odgovaraše. Opet poglavar sveštenièki zapita i reèe: jesi li ti Hristos, sin blagoslovenoga? 62A Isus reèe: jesam; i vidjeæete sina èovjeèijega gdje sjedi s desne strane sile i ide na oblacima nebeskijem. 63A poglavar sveštenièki razdrije svoje haljine, i reèe: šta nam trebaju više svjedoci? 64Èuste hulu na Boga; šta mislite? A oni svi kazaše da je zaslužio smrt. 65I poèeše jedni pljuvati na nj, i pokrivati mu lice, i æušati ga, i govoriti mu: proreci; i sluge ga bijahu po obrazima. 66I kad bijaše Petar dolje na dvoru, doðe jedna od sluškinja poglavara sveštenièkoga, 67I vidjevši Petra gdje se grije pogleda na nj i reèe: i ti si bio s Isusom Nazareæaninom. 68A on se odreèe govoreæi: ne znam niti razumijem šta ti govoriš. I iziðe napolje pred dvor: i pijetao zapjeva. 69I opet kad ga vidje sluškinja, poèe govoriti onima što stajahu ondje: ovaj je od njih. 70A on se opet odricaše. I malo zatijem opet oni što stajahu ondje rekoše Petru: vaistinu si od njih: jer si Galilejac, i govor ti je onakovi. 71A on se poèe kleti i preklinjati: ne znam toga èovjeka za koga vi govorite. 72I drugi put zapjeva pijetao. I opomenu se Petar rijeèi što mu reèe Isus: dok pijetao dvaput ne zapjeva odreæi æeš me se triput. I stade plakati.

1I odmah ujutru uèiniše vijeæu glavari sveštenièki sa starješinama i književnicima, i sav sabor, i svezavši Isusa odvedoše ga i predadoše Pilatu.

Hieromartyr Blaise, bishop of Sebaste (316)

He was born in the province of Armenia, and was a physician by profession. Such was his reputation for holiness that his fellow-citizens elected him Bishop of Sebaste in eastern Anatolia. Though there were few Christians in that pagan city, the bishop labored tirelessly for his flock, encouraging them to stand firm during the fierce persecutions then raging, and visiting the martyrs in prison.

When the city was stripped of Christians, all of whom had fled or been killed, the bishop, already an old man, withdrew to a cave on Mount Argea and devoted himself entirely to prayer. As they often do, the wild beasts sensed his sanctity, and gathered around the cave, waiting quietly for him to give his blessing or heal their injuries and ailments.

The persecutors, who had not stopped hunting for the bishop, eventually found his cave, and were amazed to find it like a second Eden, with lions, tigers, bears and wolves grazing peacefully around it. The Saint greeted them cheerfully and told them that he knew from a vision that they were coming for him.

As Blaise was taken back to Sebaste, the peace and gentleness that seemed to radiate from the Saint were enough in themselves to turn many pagan bystanders to faith in Christ. Diseases of men and animals were cured as he walked by. One mother brought him her child, who was choking on a fishbone. The Saint put his hand down the child’s throat, took out the fishbone, and prayed to the Lord to restore him to full health. (For this reason he is invoked in the West for the cure of throat ailments).

At his trial, the holy bishop fearlessly confessed Christ and scorned the idols, for which he was savagely beaten with rods and thrown into a dungeon. Seven women and two of their children were imprisoned with him. The women were slain first after many tortures. The Synaxarion continues, “Having failed in his efforts to break Saint Blaise’s resolve, Agricolaus [the governor] condemned him to be drowned in the lake. The holy Martyr made the sign of the Cross at the water’s edge and began walking across the surface of the lake as the Saviour had done on the Sea of Galilee. On reaching the middle, he invited the pagans to join him, if they believed they could trust themselves to their gods. Sixty-eight of them took up the challenge and drowned, while a bright angel appeared and invited the Saint to return to the shore in order to receive the crown of glory.” Then Blaise and the two young children were beheaded together.

Saint Blaise is one of the most-venerated holy healers in both the East and the West. He is called upon for protection from wild beasts, and for the healing of every kind of ailment. His head is kept at the Monastery of Konstamonitou on Mount Athos.

St Theodora the Empress (867)

Theodora was the wife of Emperor Theophilus the Iconoclast, but secretly revered the icons, and protected others who did, until the emperor’s death. Upon his death, she quickly restored veneration of icons to churches throughout the empire, the event celebrated on the upcoming Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of the Great Fast. She ruled wisely as regent for the young emperor Michael for fifteen years: she is said to have initiated the mission of Sts Cyril and Methodios to the Slavs. Before Michael III reached his majority, he was prevailed upon by Bardas, Theodora’s brother, to depose her and send her to a monastery, where she finished her life in peace and holiness.

When Constantinople fell, her incorrupt relics were taken to Corfu along with those of St Spyridon. They are still venerated there.

There is a much-debated story that, when Theophilus was dying, the Empress, moved by compassion for him, brought an icon of the Mother of God out of hiding and laid it on his face; and that Theophilus, coming to himself, kissed the holy icon and confessed the true Faith before giving up his soul. Other accounts say that the Emperor died in heresy. It seems possible that the holy Empress circulated the story to ensure that her departed husband would be remembered in the Church’s prayers.

Venerable Demetrius of Priluki (1392)

He entered monastic life as a youth and was a disciple of St Sergius of Radonezh. After years of monastic obedience he was ordained to the priesthood, then founded a monastery on the shores of Lake Priluki, whose rule followed that of the Lavra of St Sergius. Saint Demetrius, who was exceptionally handsome, always concealed his face behind his monastic veil and never conversed with women. Once a noblewoman, driven by curiosity, managed to catch sight of his face in church. She immediately fell paralyzed to the ground. The Saint asked her ‘My child, why did you want to gaze at the face of a sinner who has long been dead to the world?’ He then gave her some words of instruction in the spiritual life and sent her away healed.

In time St Demetrius became so renowned in Russia that the flow of visitors burdened him and he retreated to an uninhabited area to live as a hermit, until he was found out and made abbot of a nearby monastery. He kept a constant fast, living only on prosphora and water. In his own lifetime the Saint was known for his gift of prophecy, his care for the poor, and his healings. Once his brother sought his blessing to trade with the pagans in the far north. He made a good profit there and asked for a blessing to return. This time the Saint would not give his blessing, but his brother went anyway, and was killed by pagans.

Toward the end of his life St Demetrius withdrew into solitude in his cell. One day the brethren noticed a wonderful aroma of incense coming from his cell and knew that he had departed this life for heaven. After his repose he continued to work countless miracles, healing illnesses (especially the plague), and driving away invaders.