اول تیموتائوس ۱.۱۸-۲۰, ۲.۸-۱۵ (رساله)

۱۸ای پسرم، تیموتائوس، این حکم را مطابق با نبوّتهایی که پیشتر بر تو شد، به تو می‌سپارم تا به مدد آنها در نبردِ نیکو پیکار کنی، ۱۹و به ایمان و وجدانی پاک متمسّک باشی، چرا که کِشتی ایمان بعضی با زیر پا نهادن آنها در‌هم شکسته است. ۲۰هیمِنائوس و اسکندر از این دسته‌اند، که ایشان را به شیطان سپردم تا عبرت گرفته، دیگر کفر نگویند. ۸پس آرزویم این است که مردان در همه جا، بی‌خشم و جدال، دستهایی مقدّس را به دعا برافرازند. ۹نیز خواهانم که زنان پوششی شایسته بر تن کنند و خویشتن را به نجابت و متانت بیارایند، نه به گیسوانِ بافته، یا طلا و مروارید، یا جامه‌های فاخر، ۱۰بلکه به زیورِ اعمال نیکو آراسته باشند، چنانکه شایستۀ زنانی است که مدّعی خداپرستی‌اند. ۱۱زن باید در آرامی و تسلیم کامل، تعلیم گیرد. ۱۲زن را اجازه نمی‌دهم که تعلیم دهد یا بر مرد مسلّط شود؛ بلکه باید آرام باشد. ۱۳زیرا نخست آدم سرشته شد و بعد حوا. ۱۴و آدم فریب نخورد، بلکه زن بود که فریب خورد و نافرمان شد. ۱۵امّا زنان با زادنِ فرزندان، رستگار خواهند شد، اگر در ایمان و محبت و تقدّس، نجیبانه ثابت بمانند.

مرقس ۸.۳۰-۳۴ (انجیل)

۳۰امّا عیسی ایشان را منع کرد که دربارۀ او به کسی چیزی نگویند. ۳۱آنگاه عیسی به تعلیم دادن آنها آغاز کرد که لازم است پسر انسان زحمتِ بسیار بیند و از سوی مشایخ و سران کاهنان و علمای دین رد شده، کشته شود و پس از سه روز برخیزد. ۳۲چون عیسی این را آشکارا اعلام کرد، پطرس او را به کناری برد و شروع به سرزنش او کرد. ۳۳امّا عیسی روی برگردانیده، به شاگردان خود نگریست و پطرس را سرزنش کرد و گفت: «دور شو از من، ای شیطان! زیرا افکار تو انسانی است، نه الهی.» ۳۴آنگاه جماعت را با شاگردان خود فرا خواند و به آنان گفت: «اگر کسی بخواهد مرا پیروی کند، باید خود را انکار کرده، صلیب خویش برگیرد و از پی من بیاید.

کشیش‌شهید اِلِفتریوس ایلیریا

His name is a form of the Greek word for “freedom.” He was a native of Rome whose father died at a young age, leaving him to be brought up by his mother Anthia, a Christian who reared him in the fear of God and the love of holiness. His virtue and ability were so evident that he was ordained a priest at the age of seventeen and at twenty was made Bishop of Illyria, a large see roughly comprising modern-day Serbia.

The young bishop’s pastoral and evangelistic work was so successful that many pagans were converted to the Faith through him. His growing reputation drew the attention of the Emperor Hadrian, who sent one of his senior officers named Felix to arrest the holy bishop. But when Felix saw and heard Eleutherius, he was captivated by his teaching, believed in Christ, and was baptized. He and the St Eleutherius returned and presented themselves together before the Emperor, fearlessly confessing their faith.

Eleutherius was subjected to brutal torture, during which the city prefect Coremonus, who had suggested some of the tortures, was enlightened through the Saint’s prayers for his enemies, and proclaimed Christ. He was baptized by Eleutherius and later beheaded. After a time, when it became clear that fire and torture would not move the holy bishop, he was taken to the amphitheater and beheaded. At the moment of his death, his mother Anthia rushed forward and took his body in her arms. There she also was beheaded by the executioners.

Pregnant women call on St Eleutherius that they may have a safe delivery.

شهید مقدس اِلِفتریوس خوابگاه‌دار (سده ۴)

He was from a noble family in Constantinople, and rose to the rank of Cubicularius (Chamberlain). He was not only a counselor to, but a close friend of, the Emperor (probably Julian the Apostate). But Eleutherius was increasingly moved by a desire to become a Christian; so, obtaining a leave from the Imperial court, he moved to the countryside in Bithynia, where he was baptized. There he built a house that concealed an underground chapel.

When Eleutherius returned to court, some jealous courtiers denounced him to the Emperor, who visited Eleutherius’ country house and was furious to discover the underground church. When the Saint would not renounce his faith in Christ, the Emperor, ignoring all previous bonds of friendship, had him beheaded.

شهید مقدس باخوس جدید (۷۸۷)

During the reign of Constantine VI and Irene, restorers of the holy icons, the Holy Land was under the control of the Muslim Arabs. Many Christians there apostatized, putting honors and security in this world above their eternal joy. One of these was the father of this Saint, who brought up seven children as Muslims. His wife however, never renounced her Faith and prayed constantly for the conversion of her husband and children. Upon the death of the father, her third son Dachak declared that he wished to become a Christian. He was baptized in the Monastery of St Sabas near Jerusalem, receiving the name Bacchus, and determined to be a monk. But the abbot, fearing reprisals against the Monastery, sent him back to his home in Jerusalem. His brothers, seeing his joy and boldness in confessing the Faith, decided to receive holy Baptism, except for one, who denounced Bacchus to the authorities. He was arrested and brought before the judge and, when he proved steadfast in his confession of Christ, was beheaded.

پدر قابل احترام ما تریفون کولا, رسول لاپونیا (۱۵۸۳), و او شاگرد مقدس شهید یونا (۱۵۹۰)

Saint Tryphon was the son of a priest from Novgorod. The Synaxarion records that, at the moment of his birth, the verse Blessed is the life of those who dwell in the desert was being sung in the Matins service. In 1525 he was moved by a divine revelation to flee to the far north of Russia and live as a hermit. He settled near the River Kola, where he devoted his nights to prayer, his days to proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the native peoples there. The pagans were hostile at first, but his patience and humility won them over, and he baptized many. He built them a church with his own hands on the shores of Lake Ladoga, and later founded a monastery there. Saint Tryphon reposed in 1583. He predicted his own death and the coming destruction of the Monastery by the Swedes, which came to pass in 1590. All the monks were massacred. The first victim, Starets Jonah, worked many miracles at the Monastery after its restoration.