Romans 1.1-7, 13-17 (رساله)

۱از پولس، خادم مسیحْ عیسی، که به رسالت فرا خوانده شده و به انجیلِ خدا وقف گردیده است؛ ۲همان انجیل که خدا از پیش، به واسطۀ پیامبران خود، وعده‌اش را در کتب مقدّس داده بود، ۳و دربارۀ پسر اوست، که چون انسانی خاکی از صُلب داوود به دنیا آمد، ۴و با رستاخیز از میان مردگان، به سبب روحِ قدّوسیت، به مقام پسر قدرتمند خدا منصوب شد، یعنی خداوند ما عیسی مسیح. ۵ما به واسطۀ وی و به‌خاطر نام او فیض و رسالت یافتیم تا از میان همۀ غیریهودیان، مردمان را به اطاعتی که در ایمان است، فرا خوانیم. ۶و این شما را نیز در بر می‌گیرد، که فرا خوانده شده‌اید تا از آنِ عیسی مسیح باشید؛ ۷به همۀ آنان که در روم، محبوب خدایند و فرا خوانده شده‌اند تا از مقدسین باشند: فیض و سلامتی از جانب خدا، پدر ما، و خداوندْ عیسی مسیح، بر شما باد. ۱۳ای برادران، نمی‌خواهم بی‌خبر باشید که بارها قصد آن داشته‌ام که نزدتان بیایم، امّا هر بار مانعی پیش آمده است. بر آنم که در میان شما نیز محصولی برداشت کنم، همان‌گونه که در میان دیگر غیریهودیان کرده‌ام. ۱۴من خود را چه به یونانیان و چه به بَربَرها، چه به حکیمان و چه به جاهلان مدیون می‌دانم. ۱۵از این رو، اشتیاق بسیار دارم که شما را نیز که در روم به سر می‌برید، بشارت دهم. ۱۶زیرا از انجیل سرافکنده نیستم، چرا که قدرت خداست برای نجات هر کس که ایمان آوَرَد، نخست یهود و سپس یونانی. ۱۷زیرا در انجیل، آن پارسایی که از خداست به ظهور می‌رسد، که از آغاز تا به انجام بر پایۀ ایمان است. چنانکه نوشته شده است: «پارسا به ایمان زیست خواهد کرد.»

متی ۴.۲۵-۵.۱۳ (انجیل)

۲۵پس جماعتهای بزرگ از جلیل و دِکاپولیس، اورشلیم و یهودیه و فراسوی اردن از پی او روانه شدند. ۱چون عیسی آن جماعتها را دید، به کوهی برآمد و بنشست. آنگاه شاگردانش نزد او آمدند ۲و او به تعلیم دادنشان آغاز کرد و گفت: ۳«خوشا به حال فقیرانِ در روح، زیرا پادشاهی آسمان از آن ایشان است. ۴خوشا به حال ماتمیان، زیرا آنان تسلی خواهند یافت. ۵خوشا به حال حلیمان، زیرا آنان زمین را به میراث خواهند برد. ۶خوشا به حال گرسنگان و تشنگان عدالت، زیرا آنان سیر خواهند شد. ۷خوشا به حال رحیمان، زیرا بر آنان رحم خواهد شد. ۸خوشا به حال پاکدلان، زیرا آنان خدا را خواهند دید. ۹خوشا به حال صلح‌جویان، زیرا آنان فرزندان خدا خوانده خواهند شد. ۱۰خوشا به حال آنان که در راه پارسایی آزار می‌بینند، زیرا پادشاهی آسمان از آنِ ایشان است. ۱۱«خوشا به حال شما، آنگاه که مردم به‌خاطر من، شما را دشنام دهند و آزار رسانند و هر سخن بدی به‌دروغ علیه‌تان بگویند. ۱۲خوش باشید و شادی کنید زیرا پاداشتان در آسمان عظیم است. چراکه همین‌گونه پیامبرانی را که پیش از شما بودند، آزار رسانیدند. ۱۳«شما نمک جهانید. امّا اگر نمک خاصیتش را از دست بدهد، چگونه می‌توان آن را باز نمکین ساخت؟ دیگر به کاری نمی‌آید جز آنکه بیرون ریخته شود و پایمالِ مردم گردد.

قدیس نیکیفوروس معترف (۸۲۹)

He was born in Constantinople around 758, of pious parents: his father had been exiled under Constantine Copronymus for his steadfast veneration of the holy icons. Nikephoros served in the imperial palace as a secretary, but later renounced worldly success to struggle in monastic life near Constantinople. He built and administered a monastery which soon became filled with monks; but he himself never took the monastic habit, feeling himself unworthy. Though a layman, he took part in the Seventh Ecumenical Council at the request of the Emperor and Patriarch because of his remarkable knowledge of Holy Scripture. Much against his will, he was made Patriarch of Constantinople at the death of Patriarch Tarasios. He was made a monk, then elevated through all the priestly orders in a few days, then enthroned at St Sophia in 806.

A few years later, the Emperor Leo the Armenian took the throne. Patriarch Nikephoros, as was customary, sent him a Confession of the Orthodox Faith to sign. Leo put off signing the document until his coronation, then revealed himself to be an Iconoclast heretic. The Patriarch tried quietly to bring him back to the Orthodox faith, but to no avail. When the Emperor, in his turn, tried to make the holy Nikephoros bow to iconoclasm, the Patriarch clearly and publicly upheld the veneration of the holy Icons. For this he was deposed and driven into exile at the Monastery of St Theodore, which he himself had founded. Here he reposed, having served for nine years as Patriarch, and thirteen years in exile and privation.

شهید جدید مقدس کنستانتین (۱۸۱۹)

He was born a Muslim on the island of Lesbos (Mitylene), but became convinced of the truth of Christ after he was healed of a serious illness by the aid of holy water in a church. He traveled to the Holy Mountain and was baptised at the monastery of Kapsokalyvia. Later, he was seized by the Turks, who first tortured him viciously and, when he would not deny the Faith, hanged him in Constantinople.

کشیش‌شهید اِرازمو اوخرید (۳۰۳)

“This saint was born in Antioch and lived in the reigns of Diocletian and Maximian. He lived in strict asceticism on Mount Lebanon, and was endowed by God with great wonderworking gifts. As a bishop, he set out to preach the Gospel. Arriving at the city of Ochrid, he restored the son of a man called Anastasius to life by his prayers, and baptised him. At this time, Erazmo baptised many other pagans and tore down the idolatrous altar in Ochrid. For this he was denounced to the Emperor Maximian, who was at that time staying in Illyria. The Emperor brought him before the copper image of Zeus, and ordered him to bring sacrifices and worship the idol. St Erazmo, by his power, caused a terrible dragon to come out of the statue, which terrified all the people. The saint then worked another wonder, and the dragon died. Then the saint preached Christ and baptised 20,000 souls. The furious Emperor commanded that all 20,000 be beheaded, and put Erazmo to harsh torture, before throwing him into prison. But an angel of God appeared to him, as once to the Apostle Peter, and led him out of the prison. After that, this servant of God went to Campania, where he preached the Gospel to the people, then returned again to the town of Hermelia, where he withdrew to a cave and lived in asceticism for the rest of his days. At the time of his death, he prostrated three times towards the East and, with upraised hands, prayed to God to forgive and give eternal life to all those who would, with faith, call upon his name. At the end of his prayer, a voice was heard from heaven: ‘Let it be as thou hast asked, My little healer Erazmo!’ The saint looked up once more to heaven with great joy and saw a wreath of glory descending upon him, and a choir of angels, prophets, apostles and martyrs waiting to receive his holy soul. He finally cried: ‘Lord, receive my spirit!’, and breathed his last, in about the year 303. The cave and chapel of St Erazmo stand to this day not far from Ochrid, and from there is proclaimed to this day the great power of the man of God, Erazmo the hieromartyr.” (Prologue)

Note: St Erazmo is commemorated on May 4th in the Slavonic Menaion, but St Nikolai Velomirovich gives today as the date on which he was been commemorated in Ochrid “from time immemorial”.