Luke 24.36-53 (6th Matins Gospel)

36A kad oni ovo govorahu, i sam Isus stade meðu njima, i reèe im: mir vam. 37A oni se uplašiše, i poplašeni buduæi, mišljahu da vide duha. 38I reèe im: šta se plašite? I zašto takove misli ulaze u srca vaša? 39Vidite ruke moje i noge moje: ja sam glavom; opipajte me i vidite; jer duh tijela i kostiju nema kao što vidite da ja imam. 40I ovo rekavši pokaza im ruke i noge. 41A dok oni još ne vjerovahu od radosti i èuðahu se reèe im: imate li ovdje što za jelo? 42A oni mu daše komad ribe peèene, i meda u satu. 43I uzevši izjede pred njima. 44I reèe im: ovo su rijeèi koje sam vam govorio još dok sam bio s vama, da sve treba da se svrši što je za mene napisano u zakonu Mojsijevu i u prorocima i u psalmima. 45Tada im otvori um da razumiju pismo. 46I reèe im: tako je pisano, i tako je trebalo da Hristos postrada i da ustane iz mrtvijeh treæi dan; 47I da se propovijeda pokajanje u ime njegovo i oproštenje grijeha po svijem narodima poèevši od Jerusalima. 48A vi ste svjedoci ovome. 49I gle, ja æu poslati obeæanje oca svojega na vas; a vi sjedite u gradu Jerusalimskome dok se ne obuèete u silu s visine. 50I izvede ih napolje do Vitanije, i podignuvši ruke svoje blagoslovi ih. 51I kad ih blagosiljaše, otstupi od njih, i uznošaše se na nebo. 52I oni mu se pokloniše, i vratiše se u Jerusalim s velikom radošæu. 53I bijahu jednako u crkvi hvaleæi i blagosiljajuæi Boga. Amin.

Romans 12.6-14 (Epistle)

6A imamo razlièite darove po blagodati koja nam je dana: ako proroštvo, neka bude po mjeri vjere; 7Ako li službu, neka služi; ako je uèitelj, neka uèi; 8Ako je tješitelj, neka tješi; koji daje neka daje prosto; koji upravlja neka se brine; koji èini milost neka èini s dobrom voljom. 9Ljubav da ne bude lažna. Mrzeæi na zlo držite se dobra. 10Bratskom ljubavi budite jedan k drugome ljubazni. Èašæu jedan drugoga veæeg èinite. 11Ne budite u poslu lijeni; budite ognjeni u duhu, služite Gospodu. 12Nadanjem veselite se, u nevolji trpite, u molitvi budite jednako. 13Dijelite potrebe sa svetima; primajte rado putnike. 14Blagosiljajte one koji vas gone: blagosiljajte, a ne kunite.

Matthew 9.1-8 (Gospel)

1I ušavši u laðu prijeðe i doðe u svoj grad. 2I gle, donesoše mu uzeta koji ležaše na odru. I vidjevši Isus vjeru njihovu reèe uzetome: ne boj se, sinko, opraštaju ti se grijesi tvoji. 3I gle, neki od književnika rekoše u sebi: ovaj huli na Boga. 4I videæi Isus pomisli njihove reèe: zašto zlo mislite u srcima svojijem? 5Jer šta je lakše reæi: opraštaju ti se grijesi; ili reæi: ustani i hodi? 6Ali da znate da vlast ima sin èovjeèij na zemlji opraštati grijehe tada reèe uzetome): ustani, uzmi odar svoj i idi doma. 7I ustavši otide doma. 8A ljudi videæi èudiše se, i hvališe Boga, koji je dao vlast takovu ljudima.

Holy Martyrs Proclus and Hilarius (2nd c.)

Proclus was the uncle of Hilarius; both were from Kallippi in Asia during the reign of Trajan. When Proclus was brought to be tried as a Christian, the judge asked him ‘Of what race are you?’ Proclus answered ‘I am of the race of Christ, and my hope is in my God.’ When the judge threatened to torture him, he said ‘When you are afraid to transgress the Emperor’s commands and risk falling into temporal punishment, how much more do we Christians fear to transgress against God’s commands and fall into eternal torment!’ When Proclus was given over to torture, his nephew Hilarius came forward and proclaimed ‘I too am a Christian.’ After torture, both were condemned to death; Proclus was crucified and Hilarius beheaded.

Imagine how the Orthodox Church would benefit if, when we were asked ‘Of what race are you?’ the first answer that came to mind was not ‘I am Greek, Russian, Serbian…’ but ‘I am of the race of Christ!’

St Veronica, the woman with the issue of blood who was healed by the Savior

See Matthew ch. 9, Mark ch. 5, and Luke ch. 8. After the events told in the Gospel, she spent the remainder of her life as a follower of Christ and reposed in peace.

Saint Païsios of the Holy Mountain (1994) (June 29 OC)

‘The future Elder Paisius was born in 1924 and baptized by St. Arsenius of Cappadocia. He spent his youth as a carpenter until WW II, during which he repeatedly distinguished himself in the army by his bravery and self-sacrifice. In 1950 he went to Mt. Athos for eight years, where he was tonsured. Then he was asked to spend some time in his home village of Epirus, in order to defend the faithful against Protestant proselytism. He returned to Mt. Athos in 1964 and stayed in several monasteries, eventually settling in the Panagouda hermitage of Koutloumousiou Monastery, where he remained for fifteen years. Here his reputation as a holy elder and guide grew, and he tirelessly received those thirsting for spiritual direction, allowing himself only two or three hours of sleep each day. He reposed in 1994, one of the most well-known and beloved contemporary elders. Many of his counsels and other writings have been published.’ (St Herman Calendar, 1994)

Elder Païsios was glorified by the Church in 2015; he is commemorated on the anniversary of his repose.