Jude 1-10 (Epistle)

1Od Jude, Isusa Hrista sluge, a brata Jakovljeva, zvanima, koji su osveæeni Bogom ocem i održani Isusom Hristom: 2Milost i mir i ljubav da vam se umnoži. 3Ljubazni! starajuæi se jednako da vam pišem za opšte vaše spasenije, bi mi potrebno da vam pišem moleæi da se borite za pravednu vjeru, koja je jedanput dana svetima. 4Jer se uvukoše neki bezbožni ljudi, koji su davno odreðeni na ovo osuðenje, i Boga našega blagodat pretvaraju u neèistotu, i jedinoga gospodara Boga i Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista odrièu se. 5Ali æu vam napomenuti, kad i vi znate ovo jedanput, da Gospod izbavi narod iz zemlje Misirske, potom pogubi one koji ne vjerovaše. 6I anðele koji ne držaše svojega starješinstva nego ostaviše svoj stan èuva u vjeènijem okovima pod mrakom za sud velikoga dana. 7Kao što i Sodom i Gomor, i okolni njihovi gradovi, koji su se prokurvali onako kao i oni, i hodili za drugijem mesom, postaviše se za ugled i muèe se u vjeènom ognju: 8Tako dakle i ovi što sanjajuæi tijelo pogane, a poglavarstva se odrièu, i na slavu hule. 9A Mihailo Aranðel, kad se prepiraše s ðavolom i govoraše za Mojsijevo tijelo, ne smijaše prokleta suda da izgovori, nego reèe: Gospod neka ti zaprijeti. 10A ovi hule na ono što ne znadu; a što znadu po prirodi kao nerazumna životinja, u onom se raspadaju.

Luke 22.39-42, 45-23.1 (Gospel)

39I izišavši otide po obièaju na goru Maslinsku; a za njim otidoše uèenici njegovi. 40A kad doðe na mjesto reèe im: molite se Bogu da ne padnete u napast. 41I sam otstupi od njih kako se može kamenom dobaciti, i kleknuvši na koljena moljaše se Bogu 42Govoreæi: oèe! kad bi htio da proneseš ovu èašu mimo mene! ali ne moja volja nego tvoja da bude. 45I ustavši od molitve doðe k uèenicima svojijem, i naðe ih a oni spavaju od žalosti, 46I reèe im: što spavate? ustanite, molite se Bogu da ne padnete u napast. 47Dok on pak još govoraše, gle, narod i jedan od dvanaestorice, koji se zvaše Juda, iðaše pred njima, i pristupi k Isusu da ga cjeliva. Jer im ovo bijaše dao znak: koga cjelivam onaj je. 48A Isus mu reèe: Juda! zar cjelivom izdaješ sina èovjeèijega? 49A kad oni što bijahu s njim vidješe šta æe biti, rekoše mu: Gospode! da bijemo nožem? 50I udari jedan od njih slugu poglavara sveštenièkoga, i otsijeèe mu desno uho. 51A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe: ostavite to. I dohvativši se do uha njegova iscijeli ga. 52A glavarima sveštenièkijem i vojvodama crkvenijem i starješinama koji bijahu došli na nj reèe Isus: zar kao na hajduka iziðoste s noževima i koljem da me uhvatite? 53Svaki dan bio sam s vama u crkvi i ne digoste ruku na mene; ali je sad vaš èas i oblast tame. 54A kad ga uhvatiše, odvedoše ga i uvedoše u dvor poglavara sveštenièkoga. A Petar iðaše za njim izdaleka. 55A kad oni naložiše oganj nasred dvora i sjeðahu zajedno, i Petar sjeðaše meðu njima. 56Vidjevši ga pak jedna sluškinja gdje sjedi kod ognja, i pogledavši na nj reèe: i ovaj bješe s njim. 57A on ga se odreèe govoreæi: ženo! ne poznajem ga. 58I malo zatijem vidje ga drugi i reèe: i ti si od njih. A Petar reèe: èovjeèe! nijesam. 59I pošto proðe oko jednoga sahata drugi neko potvrðivaše govoreæi: zaista i ovaj bješe s njim; jer je Galilejac. 60A Petar reèe: èovjeèe! ne znam šta govoriš. I odmah dok on još govoraše zapjeva pijetao. 61I obazrevši se Gospod pogleda na Petra, i Petar se opomenu rijeèi Gospodnje kako mu reèe: prije nego pijetao zapjeva odreæi æeš me se triput. 62I izišavši napolje plaka gorko. 63A ljudi koji držahu Isusa rugahu mu se, i bijahu ga. 64I pokrivši ga bijahu ga po obrazu i pitahu ga govoreæi: proreci ko te udari? 65I druge mnoge hule govorahu na nj. 66I kad svanu, sabraše se starješine narodne i glavari sveštenièki i književnici, i odvedoše ga u svoj sud 67Govoreæi: jesi li ti Hristos? kaži nam. A on im reèe: ako vam i kažem, neæete vjerovati. 68A ako vas i zapitam, neæete mi odgovoriti, niti æete me pustiti. 69Otsele æe sin èovjeèij sjediti s desne strane sile Božije. 70Svi pak rekoše: ti li si dakle sin Božij? A on im reèe: vi kažete da sam ja. 71A oni rekoše: šta nam trebaju više svjedoèanstva? jer sami èusmo iz usta njegovijeh.

1I ustavši njih sve mnoštvo odvedoše ga k Pilatu.

Great-martyr Theodore the Tyro (ca. 306)

The Greek Tyron means “conscript.” This holy Martyr of Christ came from Pontus and was a Roman legionary during Maximian’s persecution (ca. 303). Though he had been a Christian since childhood, he kept his faith secret while in the army. While his cohort was stationed near a town called Euchaita, he learned that the people there were being terrorized by a dragon which lived in the neighboring forest. He set off to face the dragon, praying to God that the outcome of the contest would be a sign to him of whether the time had come to offer himself for martyrdom. He found the fire-spitting monster and, arming himself with the sign of the Cross, drove his spear through its head and killed it.

His success convinced him that, having vanquished this fleshly dragon, he was ready to vanquish the spiritual dragon, the Devil. When the commander of his camp next ordered a sacrifice to the Gods, Theodore boldly refused, saying “I am a Christian!” Further, he encouraged the other Christians in his company to do the same. That night he went to a nearby pagan temple of Rhea, mother of the gods, and burned it down. He was seen by the caretaker of the temple and was brought unresisting to the governor Publius. Theodore was thrown into a solitary dungeon cell; there he refused bread and water, saying that Christ had promised him food from heaven. He spent his time there chanting hymns with the angels, so that the guards were convinced that other Christians had somehow joined him in his cell.

When all argument, cajolery, bribery and threat had failed to turn the soldier from Christ, the governor resorted to torture, subjecting the Saint to terrible mutilations; but when Theodore endured them calmly and resolutely, the governor began to fear that his example would encourage other Christians, and ordered that he be burned. Taken to the stake, the Martyr walked freely into the flames, where he gave back his soul to God. When his body was ransomed and taken from the ashes by a pious Christian, it was found to be untouched. A church was built in Euchaita in honor of the Martyr; many pilgrims came there for the healing of soul and body.

In 361, the Emperor Julian the Apostate ordered the Prefect of Constantinople to have all foods in the marketplaces sprinkled with blood of animals sacrificed to the pagan gods during the first week of Lent, so that Christians would be unable to escape contact with idolatry. But St Theodore appeared in a vision to Patriarch Eudoxius (360-364), warned him of the plan and told him to instruct his flock not to buy any food in the marketplace, but to eat kolyva made from boiled wheat grains. So, through the Saint’s intervention, the people were preserved from the stain of idolatry. Ever since, the Church has commemorated the miracle on the first Saturday of Great Lent. Since that time kolyva has come to be offered also in honor of the Saints and in memory of the departed. The whole grain represents the body, sown corruptible, which will be raised incorruptible (2 Cor. 15:37); it is usually sweetened with honey to signify the delights of Paradise.