Acts 12.1-11 (Epistle)

1U ono pak vrijeme podiže Irod car ruke da muèi neke od crkve. 2I pogubi Jakova brata Jovanova maèem. 3I vidjevši da je to po volji Jevrejima nastavi da uhvati i Petra a bijahu dani prijesnijeh hljebova 4Kojega i uhvati i baci u tamnicu, i predade ga èetvorici èetvrtnika vojnièkijeh da ga èuvaju, i mišljaše ga po pashi izvesti pred narod. 5I tako Petra èuvahu u tamnici; a crkva moljaše se za njega Bogu bez prestanka. 6A kad šæaše Irod da ga izvede, onu noæ spavaše Petar meðu dvojicom vojnika, okovan u dvoje verige, a stražari pred vratima èuvahu tamnicu. 7I gle, anðeo Gospodnji pristupi, i svjetlost obasja po sobi, i kucnuvši Petra u rebra probudi ga govoreæi: ustani brže. I spadoše mu verige s ruku. 8A anðeo mu reèe: opaši se, i obuj opanke svoje. I uèini tako. I reèe mu anðeo: obuci haljinu svoju, pa hajde za mnom. 9I izišavši iðaše za njim, i ne znadijaše da je to istina što anðeo èinjaše, nego mišljaše da vidi utvaru. 10A kad proðoše prvu stražu i drugu i doðoše k vratima gvozdenijem koja voðahu u grad, ona im se sama otvoriše; i izišavši proðoše jednu ulicu, i anðeo odmah otstupi od njega. 11I kad doðe Petar k sebi reèe: sad zaista vidim da Bog posla anðela svojega te me izbavi iz ruku Irodovijeh i od svega èekanja naroda Jevrejskoga.

John 8.31-42 (Gospel)

31Tada Isus govoraše onijem Jevrejima koji mu vjerovaše: ako vi ostanete na mojoj besjedi, zaista æete biti uèenici moji, 32I poznaæete istinu, i istina æe vas izbaviti. 33Odgovoriše i rekoše mu: mi smo sjeme Avraamovo, i nikome nijesmo robovali nikad; kako ti govoriš da æemo se izbaviti? 34Isus im odgovori: zaista, zaista vam kažem da je svaki koji èini grijeh rob grijehu. 35A rob ne ostaje u kuæi vavijek, sin ostaje vavijek. 36Ako vas dakle sin izbavi, zaista æete biti izbavljeni. 37Znam da ste sjeme Avraamovo; ali gledate da me ubijete, jer moja besjeda ne može u vas da stane. 38Ja govorim što vidjeh od oca svojega; i vi tako èinite što vidjeste od oca svojega. 39Odgovoriše i rekoše mu: otac je naš Avraam. Isus im reèe: kad biste vi bili djeca Avraamova, èinili biste djela Avraamova. 40A sad gledate mene da ubijete, èovjeka koji vam istinu kazah koju èuh od Boga: tako Avraam nije èinio. 41Vi èinite djela oca svojega. Tada mu rekoše: mi nijesmo roðeni od kurvarstva: jednoga oca imamo Boga. 42A Isus im reèe: kad bi Bog bio vaš otac, ljubili biste mene; jer ja od Boga iziðoh i doðoh; jer ne doðoh sam od sebe, nego me on posla.

Translation of the relics of St Nicholas the Wonderworker from Myra to Bari (1087)

In 1087 the Saint’s relics were taken from Myra in Lycia (on the southern coast of present-day Turkey) to the town of Bari in Italy. This was done due to a Muslim attack on Lycia. At that time Bari was Orthodox and under the administration of the Patriarch of Constantinople. The Saint’s relics now lie in a Roman Catholic church in Bari; each year the casket containing the relics is opened by a Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishop together, and quantities of fragrant myrrh are removed, for the healing and encouragement of the faithful.

Holy Prophet Isaiah (7th c. BC)

He is counted as the greatest of the Old Testament Prophets. His incomparably beautiful verses foretell Christ in many places. He chastised, comforted, and counseled the pious king Hezekiah; but when he denounced the impiety and lawlessness of Hezekiah’s son Manasseh, he was sawn in two outside Jerusalem, receiving a martyr’s crown. His name means “The Lord is helper.”

The Fifth Biblical Ode, “Out of the night my spirit waketh at dawn unto Thee, O God…” is taken from Isaiah.

Holy Martyr Christopher (3rd c.)

He was originally named Reprobus. In the time of the persecutions under the Emperor Decius, Reprobus, seeing the sufferings of the Christians, rebuked the rulers for their cruelty. The governor sent soldiers to arrest him, but he converted them and was baptised along with them, receiving the name Christopher. After he was brought before the governor, he was imprisoned with two harlots sent to seduce him, but he converted them also. He, the soldiers, and the former harlots were subjected to torture and finally beheaded.

It is this Saint Christopher who is portrayed on the medals often worn for protection in the Latin West. The image of him carrying the child Jesus comes from his name, which means ‘Christ-bearer,’ not from any incident in his life.