1 Peter 1.1-2, 10-12, 2.6-10 (Epistle)

1Od Petra, apostola Isusa Hrista, izbranijem došljacima, rasijanijem po Pontu, Galatiji, Kapadokiji, Aziji i Vitiniji; 2Po proviðenju Boga oca, svetinjom Duha dovedenijem u poslušanje i kropljenje krvi Isusa Hrista: da vam se umnoži blagodat i mir. 10Koje spasenije tražiše i ispitivaše za nj proroci, koji za vašu blagodat prorekoše; 11Ispitujuæi u kakovo ili u koje vrijeme javljaše Duh Hristov u njima, naprijed svjedoèeæi za Hristove muke i za slave po tome; 12Kojima se otkri da ne samijem sebi nego nama služahu ovijem što vam se sad javi po onima koji vam propovjediše jevanðelje poslanijem s neba Duhom svetijem, u koje anðeli žele zaviriti. 6Jer u pismu stoji napisano: evo meæem u Sionu kamen krajeugalan izbrani i skupocjeni; i ko njega vjeruje neæe se postidjeti. 7Vama dakle koji vjerujete èast je; a onima koji se protive kamen koji odbaciše zidari on posta glava od ugla, i kamen spoticanja i stijena sablazni: 8Na koji se i spotièu koji se protive rijeèi, na što su i odreðeni. 9A vi ste izbrani rod, carsko sveštenstvo, sveti narod, narod dobitka, da objavite dobrodjetelji onoga koji vas dozva iz tame k èudnome vidjelu svome; 10Koji nekad ne bijaste narod, a sad ste narod Božij; koji ne bijaste pomilovani, a sad ste pomilovani.

Luke 19.12-28 (Gospel)

12Reèe dakle: jedan èovjek od dobra roda otide u daljnu zemlju da primi sebi carstvo, i da se vrati. 13Dozvavši pak deset svojijeh sluga dade im deset kesa, i reèe im: trgujte dok se ja vratim. 14I graðani njegovi mržahu na njega, i poslaše za njim poslanike govoreæi: neæemo da on caruje nad nama. 15I kad se on vrati, pošto primi carstvo, reèe da dozovu one sluge kojima dade srebro, da vidi šta je koji dobio. 16Tada doðe prvi govoreæi: gospodaru! kesa tvoja donese deset kesa. 17I reèe mu: dobro, dobri slugo; kad si mi u malom bio vjeran evo ti vlast nad deset gradova. 18I doðe drugi govoreæi: gospodaru! kesa tvoja donese pet kesa. 19A on reèe i onome: i ti budi nad pet gradova. 20I treæi doðe govoreæi: gospodaru! evo tvoja kesa koju sam zavezao u ubrus i èuvao. 21Jer sam se bojao tebe: jer si èovjek tvrd: uzimaš što nijesi ostavio, i žnješ što nijesi sijao. 22A gospodar mu reèe: po tvojijem æu ti rijeèima suditi, zli slugo! znao si da sam ja tvrd èovjek, uzimam što nijesam ostavio, i žnjem što nijesam sijao: 23Pa zašto nijesi dao mojega srebra trgovcima, i ja došavši primio bih ga s dobitkom? 24I reèe onima što stajahu pred njim: uzmite od njega kesu i podajte onome što ima deset kesa. 25I rekoše mu: gospodaru! on ima deset kesa. 26A on im odgovori: jer vam kažem da æe se svakome koji ima dati; a od onoga koji nema uzeæe se od njega i ono što ima. 27A one moje neprijatelje koji nijesu htjeli da ja budem car nad njima, dovedite amo, i isijecite preda mnom. 28I kazavši ovo poðe naprijed, i iðaše gore u Jerusalim.

Our Venerable Mother Domnica (Domnina) (ca. 474)

She was born in Rome and reared in the love of Christ. She secretly left her parents’ house and traveled by ship to Alexandria, where she found lodging with four virtuous pagan maidens. By her example and counsel these four were in time led to abandon idolatry and embrace Domnica’s faith. The five then sailed to Constantinople, where it is said that the Patriarch Nectarius (October 11) was notified of their coming by an angel and met them at the dock. The Patriarch baptized the four maidens himself, giving them the names Dorothea, Evanthia, Nonna and Timothea, then settled them and Domnica in a monastery.

Soon the fame of Domnica’s pure life, wise teaching, and wondrous healings spread throughout the city, and even the Emperor Theodosius, with the Empress and his court, came to see her. Soon the crowds made it impossible for her and her sisters to live the heavenly life for which they had entered the monastery; so they relocated the monastery to a remote, demon-haunted location where executions had once commonly been performed, since everyone avoided the area. Here a new monastery was built by order of the Emperor, and the sisters found peace.

Saint Domnica’s fame continued, and she became not only a healer but an oracle for the city of Constantinople, prophesying the death of the Emperor Theodosius and the unrest which followed it. She reposed in peace, having first entrusted the care of the monastery to Dorothea. At the moment of her death, the whole monastery was shaken, and those present saw Saint Domnica dressed as a bride, being borne heavenward escorted by a company of white-clad monks and nuns.

Saint Atticus, Patriarch of Constantinople (425)

Born in Sebaste in Armenia, he was reared by monks who held to the heresy of Macedonius, which denied the uncreated divinity of the Holy Spirit; but when he came of age he rejected this error and embraced the Orthodox faith. He settled in Constantinople and became a priest in the Great Church. Though he had little formal education, his amazing memory, his zeal for Christ, and his powerful sermons recommended him to all, and he was elected Patriarch in 406, during the reign of the Emperor Arcadius. He served as shepherd to the Church for twenty years, ruling always with wisdom and moderation. Though he was unbending in upholding the Faith exactly, he took a conciliatory, persuasive approach to heretics and schismatics; in this way he was able to restore many to the Church rather than driving them away. His best-known single act is his restoration of the name of St John Chrysostom to the diptychs. Saint John had been unjustly denied commemoration in the Patriarchate since his exile, which had led to a schism; restoration of his commemoration not only corrected a grave injustice but healed a schism. Saint Atticus also presided over the rededication of the Agia Sophia, which had been burned in 404 in the rioting that followed St John Chrysostom’s exile. He reposed in peace in 425.

Saint Severinus (482)

St. Severinus came to the borderland of present-day Gemany and Austria from the east — possibly the Egyptian desert — to care for the Roman Christians who were endangered by invading barbarians during the collapse of the Roman Empire. He remained there until the end of his life. While he was there he advised both common people and kings to put eternal life first, and taught them to be generous to one another and to lead a true Christian life. He built a monastery and protected from harm those who gathered around him. As he foretold, the monks and other Christians who had followed him escaped to safety in Italy, taking St. Severinus’ incorrupt relics with them. His relics are still honored in Frattamaggiore, Italy (near Naples).

—from the 2006 Saint Herman Calendar