Ephesians 1.1-9 (Epistle)

1Od Pavla, po volji Božijoj apostola Isusa Hrista, svetima koji su u Efesu, i vjernima u Hristu Isusu: 2Blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca našega i Gospoda Isusa Hrista. 3Blagosloven Bog i otac Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, koji nas je blagoslovio svakijem blagoslovom duhovnijem na nebesima kroz Hrista; 4Kao što nas izabra kroz njega prije postanja svijeta, da budemo sveti i pravedni pred njim u ljubavi, 5Odredivši nas naprijed kroz Isusa Hrista sebi na posinaštvo, po ugodnosti volje svoje, 6Na pohvalu slavne blagodati svoje kojom nas oblagodati u ljubaznome, 7U kome imamo izbavljenje krvlju njegovom, i oproštenje grijeha, po bogatstvu blagodati njegove, 8Koju je preumnožio u nama u svakoj premudrosti i razumu, 9Pokazavši nam tajnu volje svoje, po ugodnosti svojoj koju naprijed pokaza u njemu,

Luke 7.17-30 (Gospel)

17I otide glas ovaj o njemu po svoj Judeji i po svoj okolini. 18I javiše Jovanu uèenici njegovi za sve ovo. 19I dozvavši Jovan dva od uèenika svojijeh posla ih k Isusu govoreæi: jesi li ti onaj što æe doæi, ili drugoga da èekamo? 20Došavši pak ljudi k njemu rekoše: Jovan krstitelj posla nas k tebi govoreæi: jesi li ti onaj što æe doæi, ili drugoga da èekamo? 21A u taj èas iscijeli mnoge od bolesti i od muka i od zlijeh duhova, i mnogima slijepijem darova vid. 22I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe im: idite i kažite Jovanu što vidjeste i èuste: slijepi progledaju, hromi hode, gubavi èiste se, gluhi èuju, mrtvi ustaju, siromašnima propovijeda se jevanðelje. 23I blago onome koji se ne sablazni o mene. 24A kad otidoše uèenici Jovanovi, poèe narodu govoriti za Jovana: šta ste izišli u pustinji da vidite? Trsku, koju ljulja vjetar? 25Šta ste dakle izišli da vidite? Èovjeka u meke haljine obuèena? Eto, koji gospodske haljine nose i u slastima žive po carskijem su dvorovima. 26Šta ste dakle izišli da vidite? Proroka? Da, ja vam kažem, i više od proroka; 27Jer je ovo onaj za koga je pisano: eto ja šaljem anðela svojega pred licem tvojijem koji æe pripraviti put tvoj pred tobom. 28Jer vam kažem: nijedan izmeðu roðenijeh od žena nije veæi prorok od Jovana krstitelja; a najmanji u carstvu Božijemu veæi je od njega. 29I svi ljudi koji slušahu i carinici opravdaše Boga, i krstiše se krštenjem Jovanovijem; 30A fariseji i književnici odbaciše svjet Božij za njih, i ne htješe da ih on krsti.

Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus (296/303)

“These holy and wonderful martyrs and heroes of the Christian faith were at first nobles at the court of the Emperor Maximian. The Emperor himself valued them greatly for their courage, wisdom and zeal, but, when he heard that these great nobles of his were Christians, his love for them turned to fury. And once, when there was a great offering of sacrifices to idols, the Emperor summoned Sergius and Bacchus to offer sacrifice together with him, and they openly refused to obey him in this. Beside himself with anger, the Emperor ordered that their robes, rings and marks of eminence be stripped from them and they be dressed in women’s clothing. He then put iron yokes on their necks and led them thus through the streets of Rome, to be mocked by each and all. The Emperor then sent them to Asia, to Antiochus the governor, for torture. Antiochus had achieved his distinguished rank with the help of Sergius and Bacchus, who had at one time recommended him to the Emperor. When Antiochus began to urge them to deny Christ and save themselves from dishonourable suffering and death, the two saints replied: ‘Both honour and dishonour, both life and death — all are one to him who seeks the heavenly Kingdom.’ Antiochus threw Sergius into prison and ordered that Bacchus be tortured first. The servants took turns beating holy Bacchus until his whole body was broken into fragments. His holy spirit went forth from his broken and bloodstained body and was borne to the Lord by angels. St Bacchus suffered in the town of Varvallis. Then holy Sergius was led out. Iron shoes studded with nails were put on his feet, and he was driven out into the Syrian town of Resapha, and there beheaded with the sword. His soul went to Paradise where, together with his friend Bacchus, he received the wreath of immortal glory from Christ his King and Lord. These two glorious knights suffered for the Christian faith in about 303.” (Prologue) The Great Horologion gives 296 as the date of their repose. One of the most beautiful churches in Constantinople, still standing, is dedicated to Sts Sergius and Bacchus.

Holy Hieromartyr Polychronius (4th c.)

The son of peasants, he was known from his childhood for his piety and asceticism. Once, by his prayers, a spring of water sprang up near his village, where it was needed for the town’s survival. When he came of age, Polychronius went to work in some vineyards near Constantinople. Even though he labored all day, he would eat only every two or three days. The master of the vineyard, seeing his strict and prayerful way of life, gave him a large sum of money and said ‘Man of God, go home and pray for me.’ With the money, Polychronius built a church, settled near it, and a few years later was ordained to be a priest in the church he had built. Polychronius appeared at the First Ecumenical Council in 325 as a fervent defender of Orthodoxy. Because of this, some Arian heretics determined to take revenge. One day, after the death of the Emperor Constantine, the Arians attacked Polychronius at the altar as he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, thus mingling his blood with the very blood of the Savior.

The Ninety-nine Fathers of Crete (date unknown)

Saint John the Hermit and thirty-five companions lived in Egypt, but took ship as a group for Cyprus in order to practice ascesis in exile. At Cyprus they met a party of thirty-nine others who also sought to live the ascetic life more fully, and the two groups joined. “In order that these ascetics, too, might taste of the graces of voluntary exile” (Synaxarion), they travelled to Attalia in Pamphylia. There, twenty-four more monks joined them, so that their company now numbered ninety-nine. (This number was ordained by God, so that Christ Himself, their Head, would complete their number at one hundred.) After some time they took ship again for Crete, where they lived in two caves in a remote, deserted area, living only on the plants that grew wild there.

Saint John sought his brothers’ blessing to live as a hermit. On the day of his departure they prayed that they all might repose on the day of John’s death, and enter together into the Kingdom of God. John’s asceticism was so severe that after awhile he could no longer walk, but crawled from his cave to gather the small quantities of food he allowed himself. A shepherd, seeing him from a distance, thought that he was some animal, and shot him with an arrow. Finding the dying John, the shepherd was stricken with horror and grief, and threw himself at the hermit’s feet, begging forgiveness. The saint only lived long enough to give the young man his pardon and blessing before surrendering his soul to God. The prayer of his ninety-eight brethren was mysteriously granted: between the third and seventh hour of that day, they all, one after another, fell asleep in peace.