Galatians 1.1-10, 20-2.5 (Epistle)

1Pavle apostol, ni od ljudi, ni kroz èovjeka, nego kroz Isusa Hrista i Boga oca, koji ga vaskrse iz mrtvijeh, 2I sva braæa koja su sa mnom, crkvama Galatijskijem: 3Blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca i Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, 4Koji dade sebe za grijehe naše da izbavi nas od sadašnjega svijeta zloga, po volji Boga i oca našega, 5Kojemu slava vavijek vijeka. Amin. 6Èudim se da se tako odmah odvraæate na drugo jevanðelje od onoga koji vas pozva blagodaæu Hristovom, 7Koje nije drugo, samo što neki smetaju vas, i hoæe da izvrnu jevanðelje Hristovo. 8Ali ako i mi, ili anðeo s neba javi vam jevanðelje drukèije nego što vam javismo, proklet da bude! 9Kao što prije rekosmo i sad opet velim: ako vam ko javi jevanðelje drukèije nego što primiste, proklet da bude! 10Zar ja sad ljude nagovaram ili Boga? Ili tražim ljudima da ugaðam? Jer kad bih ja još ljudima ugaðao, onda ne bih bio sluga Hristov. 20A što vam pišem evo Bog vidi da ne lažem. 21A potom doðoh u zemlje Sirske i Kilikijske. 22A bijah licem nepoznat Hristovijem crkvama Judejskima; 23Nego samo bijahu èuli da onaj koji nas nekad goni sad propovijeda vjeru koju nekad raskopavaše. 24I slavljahu Boga za mene.

1A potom na èetrnaest godina opet iziðoh u Jerusalim s Varnavom, uzevši sa sobom i Tita. 2Ali iziðoh po otkrivenju, i razgovorih se s njima za jevanðelje koje propovijedam u neznabošcima, ali nasamo s onima koji se brojahu kao najstariji, da uzalud ne trèim ili ne bih trèao. 3Ali ni Tit, koji bješe sa mnom, i bješe Grk, ne bi natjeran da se obreže. 4I za lažnu braæu koja doðoše i privukoše se da uhode slobodu našu koju imamo u Hristu Isusu, da nas zarobe; 5Kojima se ni sahat ne podasmo u pokornost, da istina jevanðelja ostane meðu nama.

Mark 5.1-20 (Gospel)

1I doðoše preko mora u okolinu Gadarinsku. 2I kad iziðe iz laðe, odmah ga srete èovjek s duhom neèistijem, 3Koji življaše u grobovima i niko ga ne mogaše svezati ni verigama; 4Jer je mnogo puta bio metnut u puta i u verige, pa je iskidao verige i puta izlomio; i niko ga ne mogaše ukrotiti. 5I jednako dan i noæ bavljaše se u grobovima i u gorama vièuæi i bijuæi se kamenjem. 6A kad vidje Isusa izdaleka, poteèe i pokloni mu se. 7I povikavši iza glasa reèe: šta je tebi do mene, Isuse sine Boga višnjega? Zaklinjem te Bogom, ne muèi me. 8Jer mu govoraše: iziði, duše neèisti, iz èovjeka. 9I pitaše ga: kako ti je ime? I odgovori mu: legeon mi je ime; jer nas je mnogo. 10I moliše ga mnogo da ih ne šalje iz one okoline. 11A ondje po brijegu pasijaše veliki krd svinja. 12I moliše ga svi ðavoli govoreæi: pošlji nas u svinje da u njih uðemo. 13I dopusti im Isus odmah. I izišavši duhovi neèisti uðoše u svinje; i navali krd s brijega u more; a bijaše ih oko dvije hiljade: i potopiše se u moru. 14A svinjari pobjegoše, i javiše u gradu i po selima. I iziðoše ljudi da vide šta je bilo. 15I doðoše k Isusu, i vidješe bijesnoga u kome je bio legeon gdje sjedi obuèen i pametan; i uplašiše se. 16A oni što su vidjeli kazaše im šta bi od bijesnoga i od svinja. 17I poèeše ga moliti da ide iz njihovijeh krajeva. 18I kad uðe u laðu, moljaše ga onaj što je bio bijesan da bude s njim. 19A Isus ne dade mu, veæ mu reèe: idi kuæi svojoj k svojima i kaži im šta ti Gospod uèini, i kako te pomilova. 20I otide i poèe pripovijedati u Deset Gradova šta mu uèini Isus; i svi se divljahu.

Hieromartyr Anthimos, bishop of Nicomedia, and those with him (303-304)

“After the death of the 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia (see Dec. 28), their Bishop Anthimos fled to a certain village to care for his remaining flock. The Emperor Maximian sent men in search of him. When they found him, he promised to show Anthimos to them, but first took them in as guests, fed them, and only then made himself known to them. Amazed at his kindness, the soldiers promised him to tell Maximian that they had not found him. But Anthimos went willingly with them, and converting them by his admonitions, baptized them on the way. He boldly confessed his Faith before Maximian, and after frightful tortures was beheaded in the year 303 or 304.” (Great Horologion)

Our Holy Father Theoctistus, Fellow Ascetic of St Euthymius (451), is also commemorated today. A faithful disciple of St Euthymius, he was abbot of St Euthymius’ monastery in Palestine until his repose in peace at the age of ninety.

Holy Martyr Basilissa (309)

She lived near Nicomedia during the great persecution by the Emperor Diocletian. Though she was only nine years old, she was arrested and brought before Alexander, the Governor of Bithynia. When she fearlessly proclaimed her faith in Christ, the Governor had her stripped and beaten, but she only gave thanks to God. Enraged at the steadfastness of a mere child, the Governor ordered her chained and plunged head-first into boiling pitch, then cast into a blazing furnace, then thrown to the lions. Through all these torments she was miraculously preserved. Astonished at the wonders that he beheld, Alexander fell at Basilissa’s feet and confessed that he too believed that Christ is the Savior. He was baptized by the Bishop of Nicomedia and died not long afterward. Basilissa went into the wilderness outside the city to give thanks to God for her endurance under torture and to ask Him to receive her soul in peace. While praying in this way, she entered into her rest.

Our Holy Father Joannicius, Archbishop and first Patriarch of Serbia (1354)

“Born in Prizrem, he served as first secretary to King Dušan. He became Archbishop in 1339, and in 1346 was raised to the rank of Patriarch. He was a zealous pastor, and brought order to the Serbian Church, being ‘a great upholder of the Church’s laws’. He entered into rest on September 3rd, 1349, and his relics are preserved at Pec´.” (Prologue)