Luke 24.1-12 (4th Matins Gospel)

1A u prvi dan nedjeljni doðoše vrlo rano na grob, i donesoše mirise što pripraviše, i neke druge žene s njima; 2Ali naðoše kamen odvaljen od groba. 3I ušavši ne naðoše tijela Gospoda Isusa. 4I kad se one èuðahu tome, gle, dva èovjeka staše pred njima u sjajnijem haljinama; 5A kad se one uplašiše i oboriše lica k zemlji, rekoše im: što tražite živoga meðu mrtvima? 6Nije ovdje; nego ustade; opomenite se kako vam kaza kad bješe još u Galileji, 7Govoreæi da sin èovjeèij treba da se preda u ruke ljudi grješnika i da se razapne i treæi dan da ustane. 8I opomenuše se rijeèi njegovijeh. 9I vrativši se od groba javiše sve ovo jedanaestorici i svima ostalijem. 10A to bijaše Magdalina Marija i Jovana i Marija Jakovljeva i ostale s njima koje kazaše ovo apostolima. 11I njima se uèiniše njihove rijeèi kao laž, i ne vjerovaše im. 12A Petar ustavši otrèa ka grobu, i natkuèivši se vidje same haljine gdje leže, i otide èudeæi se u sebi šta bi.

2 Corinthians 4.6-15 (Epistle)

6Jer Bog koji reèe da iz tame zasvijetli vidjelo, zasvijetli u srcima našima na svjetlost poznanja slave Božije u licu Isusa Hrista. 7Ali ovo blago imamo u zemljanijem sudovima, da premnoštvo sile bude od Boga a ne od nas. 8U svemu imamo nevolje, ali nam se ne dosaðuje; zbunjeni smo, ali ne gubimo nada; 9Progone nas, ali nijesmo ostavljeni; obaljuju nas, ali ne ginemo. 10I jednako nosimo na tijelu smrt Gospoda Isusa, da se i život Isusov na tijelu našemu pokaže. 11Jer mi živi jednako se predajemo na smrt za Isusa, da se i život Isusov javi na smrtnome tijelu našemu. 12Zato dakle smrt vlada u nama, a život u vama. 13Imajuæi pak onaj isti duh vjere kao što je napisano: vjerovah, zato govorih; mi vjerujemo, zato i govorimo. 14Znajuæi da æe onaj koji podiže Isusa, i nas podignuti s Isusom, i postaviti s vama. 15Jer je sve vas radi, da blagodat umnožena izobiluje hvalama na slavu Božiju.

Luke 6.31-36 (Gospel)

31I kako hoæete da èine vama ljudi èinite i vi njima onako. 32I ako ljubite one koji vas ljube, kakva vam je hvala? Jer i grješnici ljube one koji njih ljube. 33I ako èinite dobro onima koji vama dobro èine, kakva vam je hvala? Jer i grješnici èine tako. 34I ako dajete u zajam onima od kojijeh se nadate da æete uzeti, kakva vam je hvala? Jer i grješnici grješnicima daju u zajam da uzmu opet onoliko. 35Ali ljubite neprijatelje svoje, i èinite dobro, i dajite u zajam ne nadajuæi se nièemu; i biæe vam velika plata, i biæete sinovi najvišega, jer je on blag i neblagodarnima i zlima. 36Budite dakle milostivi kao i otac vaš što je milostiv.

Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite (96)

He is mentioned in Acts 17:19-34. He was a learned Athenian, a member of the Athenian court on Mars Hill (Areos Pagos in Greek, from which the title ‘Areopagite’ comes). At the time of Christ’s crucifixion, he was studying in Egypt and saw the sky darkened there for three hours when Christ breathed His last. He later married and had several children. When St Paul preached in Athens, Dionysius was among the first to believe, and became either the first (according to some) Bishop of Athens, or the second, succeeding St Hierotheos (commemorated tomorrow, October 4). With St Hierotheos he was present at the Dormition of the Mother of God. He received a martyr’s end in his old age, possibly in Athens. Several famous works of mystical theology, including On the Divine Names, are attributed to him.

Holy Hieromartyr Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, and his disciples (258)

He was a disciple of Origen and became a priest in Alexandria. He became Bishop of Alexandria in 247, serving not only his own see but the whole Church with fervor and compassion. He traveled to Rome to fight the Novatian schisms that disturbed the Body of Christ at that time, and mediated in the dispute between St Cyprian (September 16) and the Pope.

During the reign of Valerian, the new Governor of Alexandra, Emilianus, summoned St Dionysius, along with a group of his clergy, and demanded that they renounce Christ. When all stood firm in the Faith, he exiled them to the remote village of Kephro. But Christians flocked to the village to seek out the holy Bishop, and many pagans in the region were converted by him — so that soon the town was more nearly a Christian mission than a place of exile. When Emilianus learned of this, he exiled the Bishop and his disciples far into the wilderness, where they lived amidst terrible sufferings and hardships for more than twelve years. Saint Dionysius and his deacons Gaius and Faustus all died there; Eusebius the deacon and Maximus the priest eventually escaped. Eusebius became Bishop of Laodicea; Maximus, like his spiritual father, became Bishop of Alexandria.

St John the Chozebite, Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine (532)

He came from a prominent family in Egypt, and was brought up among the Monophysites. He became a monk in his youth, and went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When he attempted to enter the Church of the Resurrection to venerate the Precious Cross, an unseen power prevented him from entering. The next night he heard a voice telling him in his sleep that those who do not embrace the Orthodox faith are unworthy to worship the holy Cross of the Savior. John awoke and hurried to the church where, in tears, he accepted and confessed the entire Orthodox Faith. After returning to Egypt he settled in Palestine, living alone in a cave in the isolated region called Chozeba. There he lived in solitude until one day a couple brought their son, possessed by an evil spirit. They had been sent to John by Ananias, a well-known ascetic of Palestine. John considered himself unworthy to pray for the casting out of demons, so he prayed in the name of Ananias, and the boy was healed. Thenceforth, John’s wonderworking powers became known, and many made the difficult journey to his cave for the healing of spiritual and bodily ailments. Later John, much against his will, was consecrated Bishop of Caesarea; but he was unable to tolerate the cares of episcopal life and fled again to the desert, where he spent the rest of his life. The faithful continued to visit him in great numbers, and many signs and wonders were worked through his prayers. He reposed in peace at a great age.