1 Corinthians 2.9-3.8 (Epistle)

9Nego kao što je pisano: što oko ne vidje, i uho ne èu, i u srce èovjeku ne doðe, ono ugotovi Bog onima, koji ga ljube. 10A nama je Bog otkrio Duhom svojijem; jer Duh sve ispituje, i dubine Božije. 11Jer ko od ljudi zna šta je u èovjeku osim duha èovjeèijega koji živi u njemu? Tako i u Bogu što je niko ne zna osim Duha Božijega. 12A mi ne primismo duha ovoga svijeta, nego Duha koji je iz Boga, da znamo što nam je darovano od Boga; 13Koje i govorimo ne rijeèima što je nauèila èovjeèija premudrost, nego što uèi Duh sveti; i duhovne stvari duhovno radimo. 14A tjelesni èovjek ne razumije što je od Duha Božijega; jer mu se èini ludost i ne može da razumije, jer treba duhovno da se razgleda. 15Duhovni pak sve razgleda, a njega sama niko ne razgleda. 16Jer ko pozna um Gospodnji da ga pouèi? A mi um Hristov imamo.

1I ja, braæo, ne mogoh s vama govoriti kao s duhovnima nego kao s tjelesnima, kao s malom djecom u Hristu. 2Mlijekom vas napojih a ne jelom, jer još ne mogaste, i ni sad još ne možete, 3Jer ste još tjelesni. Jer gdje su meðu vama zavisti i svaðe i nesloge, nijeste li tjelesni, i ne živite li po èovjeku? 4Jer kad govori ko: ja sam Pavlov; a drugi: ja sam Apolov; nijeste li tjelesni? 5Ko je dakle Pavle a ko li Apolo do samo sluge kroz koje vjerovaste, kao što i svakome Gospod dade? 6Ja posadih, Apolo zali, a Bog dade te uzraste. 7Tako niti je onaj što koji sadi, ni onaj koji zaljeva, nego Bog koji daje te raste. 8A onaj koji sadi i koji zaljeva jednaki su; i svaki æe primiti svoju platu po svojemu trudu.

Matthew 13.31-36 (Gospel)

31Drugu prièu kaza im govoreæi: carstvo je nebesko kao zrno gorušièno koje uzme èovjek i posije na njivi svojoj, 32Koje je istina najmanje od sviju sjemena, ali kad uzraste, veæe je od svega povræa, i bude drvo da ptice nebeske dolaze, i sjedaju na njegovijem granama. 33Drugu prièu kaza im: carstvo je nebesko kao kvasac koji uzme žena i metne u tri kopanje brašna dok sve ne uskisne. 34Sve ovo u prièama govori Isus ljudima, i bez prièe ništa ne govoraše im: 35Da se zbude što je rekao prorok govoreæi: otvoriæu u prièama usta svoja, kazaæu sakriveno od postanja svijeta. 36Tada ostavi Isus ljude, i doðe u kuæu. I pristupiše k njemu uèenici njegovi govoreæi: kaži nam prièu o kukolju na njivi.

Appearance of the "Kazan" icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (1579)

“In Kazan, in 1579, the nine-year old Matrona, whose parents’ home had burned down in a fire, had a dream in which she beheld an icon of the Theotokos and heard a voice commanding her to recover this icon from the ashes of the ruined house. The icon was found wrapped in an old piece of cloth under the stove, where it may have been hidden during the Tartar invasions. The icon was finally brought to the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, where it became renowned for the healings that the Mother of God wrought through it for the blind… The icon of Kazan is one of the most beloved icons of the Mother of God in Russia.” (Great Horologion)

Holy Great Martyr Prokopios (303)

“He was born in Jerusalem of a Christian father and a pagan mother, at first bearing the name Neanias. After his father’s death, his mother brought him up entirely in the spirit of Roman idolatry. When he had grown up, the Emperor Diocletian saw him at some time and was so pleased with him that he took him to court to serve in the army. When this wicked Emperor launched a persecution of Christians, he ordered Neanias to go with a detachment of soldiers to Alexandria and exterminate the Christians there. But, on the road, there happened to Neanias something similar to that which happened to Saul. At three o’clock in the morning there was a violent earthquake, the Lord Jesus appearing to him and saying: ‘Neanias, where are you going, and against whom are you rebelling?’ In great fear, Neanias replied: ‘Who are you, Lord? I cannot recognise You.’ Then a brilliant Cross, as of crystal, appeared in the sky and a voice came from the Cross: ‘I am Jesus, the crucified Son of God.’ The Lord went on: ‘By this sign that you have seen, overcome your enemies, and My peace will be with you.’ This event utterly changed Neanias’s life. He caused a cross such as he had seen to be made, and, instead of moving against the Christians, set off with his soldiers against the Agarians, who were attacking Jerusalem. He entered Jerusalem victorious and told his mother that he was a Christian. Brought to trial, he took off his army belt and sword and cast them before the judge, demonstrating by this that he was a soldier only of Christ the King. After harsh torture, he was thrown into prison. There Christ the Lord appeared to him again, baptising him and giving him the name Procopius. One day twelve women came to the window of his cell and said to him: ‘We also are the servants of Christ.’ Arrested for this, they were thrown into the same prison, where St Procopius instructed them in the Christian faith and carefully prepared them to receive the crown of martyrdom. These twelve women were then harshly tortured. Beholding their sufferings and courage, Procopius’s mother also came to faith in Christ, and then all thirteen were put to death. When St Procopius was led to the scaffold, he raised his hands towards the East and prayed to God for all the poor and needy, the destitute and the widowed, and especially for the holy Church, that it might grow and spread and that Orthodoxy might shine to the end of time. He was assured from heaven that his prayer was heard, after which he joyfully laid his head under the sword and went to his Lord, to eternal joy. St Procopius suffered with honour in Palestinian Caesarea, and was crowned with an eternal wreath of glory, on July 8th, 303.” (Prologue)

St Procopius, Fool for Christ (1303)

He was a prominent merchant of German origin. Visiting Novgorod on business, he was so moved by the beauty of Orthodoxy that he embraced the Orthodox faith. Seeking to follow Christ more fully, he gave away all his goods to the poor and lived as an indigent, giving his life to prayer and asceticism but feigning madness to avoid the praise of men. He was granted the gifts of prescience and of insight into the hearts of others: he would often speak to those who came to him of their secret sins, and several times he predicted natural disasters. Once he stopped a deadly hailstorm in town of Ustiug through his fervent prayers before the icon of the Mother of God. He was found dead on the road, covered with snow; a church was built over his relics, which worked many wonders.