2 Corinthians 12.10-19 (Epistle)

10Zato sam dobre volje u slabostima, u ruženju, u nevoljama, u progonjenjima, u tugama za Hrista: jer kad sam slab onda sam silan. 11Postadoh bezuman hvaleæi se: vi me natjeraste: jer je trebalo da me vi hvalite; jer ni u èemu nijesam manji od prevelikijeh apostola, ako i jesam ništa. 12Jer znaci apostolovi uèiniše se meðu vama u svakom trpljenju, u znacima i èudesima i silama. 13Jer šta je u èemu ste manji od ostalijeh crkava, osim samo što vam ja sam ne dosadih? Bacite na mene ovu krivicu. 14Evo sam gotov treæi put da vam doðem, i ne dosaðujem vam; jer ne tražim što je vaše nego vas. Jer djeca nijesu dužna roditeljima imanja teæi nego roditelji djeci. 15A ja dragovoljno potrošiæu i biæu potrošen za duše vaše, ako i ljubim ja vas odviše, a vi mene manje ljubite. 16Ali neka bude, ja ne dosadih vama, nego lukav buduæi dobih vas prijevarom. 17Eda li vas što zakidoh preko koga od onijeh koje slah k vama? 18Umolih Tita, i s njim poslah brata: eda li vas Tit što zakide? Ne hodismo li jednijem duhom? ne jednijem li stopama? 19Mislite li opet da vam se odgovaramo? Pred Bogom u Hristu govorimo, a sve je, ljubazni, za vaše popravljanje.

Mark 4.10-23 (Gospel)

10A kad osta sam, zapitaše ga koji bijahu s njim i sa dvanaestoricom za ovu prièu. 11I reèe im: vama je dano da znate tajne carstva Božijega, a onima napolju sve u prièama biva; 12Da oèima gledaju i da ne vide, i da ušima slušaju i da ne razumiju; da se kako ne obrate i da im se ne oproste grijesi. 13I reèe im: zar ne razumijete ove prièe? A kako æete sve prièe razumjeti? 14Sijaè rijeè sije. 15A ono su kraj puta, gdje se sije rijeè i kad je èuju odmah doðe sotona i otme rijeè posijanu u srcima njihovijem. 16Tako su i ono što se sije na kamenitijem mjestima koji kad èuju rijeè odmah je prime s radošæu; 17Ali nemaju korijena u sebi, nego su nepostojani, pa kad bude do nevolje ili ih potjeraju rijeèi radi, odmah se sablazne. 18A ono su što se u trnju sije koji slušaju rijeè, 19Ali brige ovoga svijeta i prijevara bogatstva i ostale slasti uðu i zaguše rijeè, i bez roda ostane. 20A ono su što se na dobroj zemlji sije koji slušaju rijeè i primaju, i donose rod po trideset i po šeset i po sto. 21I govoraše im: eda li se svijeæa užiže da se metne pod sud ili pod odar? a ne da se na svijetnjak metne? 22Jer nema ništa tajno što neæe biti javno; niti ima što sakriveno što neæe iziæi na vidjelo. 23Ako ima ko uši da èuje neka èuje.

The Placing of the Sash of the Most Holy Theotokos (395-408? 886- 912?)

At the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, her sash came into the possession of the Apostle Thomas and after various transfers came to Cappadocia. It was later taken from there to Constantinople, where it was kept in a sealed casket in the Church of the Theotokos at Blachernae, at the time of the Emperor Arcadius (395-408). The casket was not opened until the reign of the Emperor Leo the Wise (886-912), when the Empress Zoe, who was ill, had a vision in which she was told to have the sash placed upon her. The Emperor obtained the blessing of the Patriarch, the sash was placed upon the Empress, and she was immediately healed. Some accounts say that today’s feast celebrates the bringing of the sash to Constantinople; others that it commemorates the miraculous healing of the Empress.

Hieromartyr Cyprian, bishop of Carthage (258)

He was born around 190 to pagan parents in North Africa. Before baptism he was distinguished in Carthage as a teacher of philosophy and rhetoric. He came to faith in Christ and was baptized at a young age; as soon as he became a Christian he abandoned his prestigious teacher’s position, sold his many possessions and gave all his wealth to the poor. He was ordained presbyter in 247, Bishop of Carthage in 248. He was known for his gentleness and paternal care for his flock, combined with firm opposition to heretics. His extensive writings still guide the Church today.

For his confession of Christ, he was beheaded under the Emperor Valerian on September 14; since that is the date of the Exaltation of the Cross, his feast is kept today. At the time of his execution he left twenty-five gold pieces (a huge sum) for the executioner who beheaded him.

St Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople (471)

He was known for his gentleness and his ascetical way of life. He would not ordain any man who did not know the Psalter by heart. He presided at a local council in which simony in the Church was anathematized. In his own lifetime he worked miracles, and he was told the time of his death in a vision. The famous monastery of Studion was built in his time, with his blessing. He reposed in peace.

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (651)

Around AD 635, Saint Oswald (5 August), King of Northumbria, appealed to the monks of the Monastery of Iona to send missionaries to his mostly-pagan kingdom. (An earlier mission had ended with the death of St Edwin in 633.) The fathers of the monastery chose St Aidan and consecrated him bishop. He founded a monastery (and his episcopal seat) on the island of Lindisfarne, and undertook missionary journeys, always on foot, throughout the kingdom, with King Oswald often accompanying him and serving as his interpreter. He lived in great poverty, using all the gifts he received as alms for the poor or to buy back captives and slaves. He was the spiritual father of St Hilda (17 Nov.), and founded the first women’s monasteries in Northumbria. He reposed in peace in 651, and was buried at Lindisfarne.

Note: Northumbria was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in what is now northeastern England and southern Scotland.