Galatians 3.8-12 (Epistle)

8A pismo vidjevši unapredak da Bog vjerom neznabošce pravda, naprijed objavi Avraamu: u tebi æe se blagosloviti svi neznabošci. 9Tako koji su od vjere, blagosloviæe se s vjernijem Avraamom. 10Jer koji su god od djela zakona pod kletvom su, jer je pisano: proklet svaki koji ne ostane u svemu što je napisano u knjizi zakonskoj da èini. 11A da se zakonom niko ne opravdava pred Bogom, poznato je: jer pravednik od vjere življeæe. 12A zakon nije od vjere; nego èovjek koji to tvori življeæe u tome.

Galatians 3.8-12 (Epistle, Saturday before Nativity)

8A pismo vidjevši unapredak da Bog vjerom neznabošce pravda, naprijed objavi Avraamu: u tebi æe se blagosloviti svi neznabošci. 9Tako koji su od vjere, blagosloviæe se s vjernijem Avraamom. 10Jer koji su god od djela zakona pod kletvom su, jer je pisano: proklet svaki koji ne ostane u svemu što je napisano u knjizi zakonskoj da èini. 11A da se zakonom niko ne opravdava pred Bogom, poznato je: jer pravednik od vjere življeæe. 12A zakon nije od vjere; nego èovjek koji to tvori življeæe u tome.

Luke 14.1-11 (Gospel)

1I dogodi mu se da doðe u subotu u kuæu jednoga kneza farisejskoga da jede hljeb; i oni motrahu na njega. 2I gle, bješe pred njim nekakav èovjek na kome bješe debela bolest. 3I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe zakonicima i farisejima govoreæi: je li slobodno u subotu iscjeljivati? 4A oni oæutješe. I dohvativši ga se iscijeli ga i otpusti. 5I odgovarajuæi reèe im: koji od vas ne bi svojega magarca ili vola da mu padne u bunar odmah izvadio u dan subotni? 6I ne mogoše mu odgovoriti na to. 7A gostima kaza prièu, kad opazi kako izbirahu zaèelja, i reèe im: 8Kad te ko pozove na svadbu, ne sjedaj u zaèelje, da ne bude meðu gostima ko stariji od tebe; 9I da ne bi došao onaj koji je pozvao tebe i njega, i rekao ti: podaj mjesto ovome: i onda æeš sa stidom sjesti na niže mjesto. 10Nego kad te ko pozove, došavši sjedi na pošljednje mjesto, da ti reèe kad doðe onaj koji te pozva: prijatelju! pomakni se više; tada æe tebi biti èast pred onima koji sjede s tobom za trpezom. 11Jer svaki koji se podiže, poniziæe se; a koji se ponižuje, podignuæe se.

Luke 13.18-29 (Gospel, Saturday before Nativity)

18A on im reèe: kakvo je carstvo Božije? i kakvo æu kazati da je? 19Ono je kao zrno gorušièno, koje uzevši èovjek baci u vrt svoj, i uzraste i posta drvo veliko, i ptice nebeske useliše se u grane njegove. 20Opet reèe: kakvo æu kazati da je carstvo Božije? 21Ono je kao kvasac koji uzevši žena metnu u tri kopanje brašna, dok ne uskise sve. 22I prolažaše po gradovima i selima uèeæi i putujuæi u Jerusalim. 23Reèe mu pak neko: Gospode! je li malo onijeh koji æe biti spaseni? A on im reèe: 24Navalite da uðete na tijesna vrata; jer vam kažem: mnogi æe tražiti da uðu i neæe moæi: 25Kad ustane domaæin i zatvori vrata, i stanete napolju stajati i kucati u vrata govoreæi: Gospode! Gospode! otvori nam; i odgovarajuæi reæi æe vam: ne poznajem vas otkuda ste. 26Tada æete stati govoriti: mi jedosmo pred tobom i pismo, i po ulicama našijem uèio si. 27A on æe reæi: kažem vam: ne poznajem vas otkuda ste; otstupite od mene svi koji nepravdu èinite. 28Ondje æe biti plaè i škrgut zuba, kad vidite Avraama i Isaka i Jakova i sve proroke u carstvu Božijemu, a sebe napolje istjerane. 29I doæi æe od istoka i zapada i sjevera i juga i sješæe za trpezu u carstvu Božijemu.

Holy Martyr Sebastian and those with him (287)

He grew up in Milan and became an army officer, where he distinguished himself so well that the Emperor Diocletian made him captain of the Praetorian Guard not suspecting that Sebastian was a Christian. In Rome, while fulfilling the duties of a courtier, he used his position to comfort and encourage his imprisoned fellow-Christians. By his labors and example he brought many to faith in Christ, including Chromatius, the Prefect in charge of persecuting the Roman Christians.

Sebastian had upheld two brothers, Mark and Marcellinus, who were awaiting execution for their faith. When the day of execution came, their father Tranquillinus, who had been a pagan but through Sebastian’s example had converted, presented himself to Chromatius and announced that he too was a Christian. His testimony was so powerful that the hard heart of the Prefect was melted, and he himself resolved to become a Christian.

Caius, Bishop of Rome, gathered the new brethren (both men and women — not all of Sebastian’s converts have been mentioned here) to embrace them and baptize them, but also to warn them of their coming Martyrdom. He instructed some to flee the city and others, headed by Sebastian, to remain in Rome, devoting their days to fasting, prayer and thanksgiving as they awaited their death. As the “company of Martyrs” did this, many came to them and were healed of ailments, and many joined them in confessing Christ.

When the time of martyrdom came, each member of the company was subjected to imaginatively cruel tortures before his execution. Sebastian himself was made to witness the deaths of all his companions, then to endure his own trial. He serenely confessed his unshaken faith before Diocletian himself before being taken to the place of execution. There he was tied to a post and made the target of a band of archers until his body bristled with arrows like the quills of a porcupine. He was left for dead, but when Irene, widow of St Castulus, came to bury him, she found him alive and tended his wounds. Amazingly, he recovered, and presented himself once again to the Emperor. Astonished and outraged, the tyrant ordered that Sebastian be beaten to death with clubs and thrown into the city’s sewer. That evening, a pious Christian woman was told in a vision to retrieve his body and bury it in the catacombs. After St Constantine brought peace to the Church, Pope Damasus built a church over the site in the Saint’s honor. For hundreds of years, many miracles were worked there through St Sebastian’s intercessions.

Holy Hieromartyr Modestus I, Archbishop of Jerusalem (634)

His parents were pious Christians from Sebaste in Asia Minor, who died in prison while Modestus was still an infant. The child was raised by pagans, but when he learned that his parents had died for Christ, he secretly became a Christian also. When his adoptive parents died, he traveled to Athens, where he was taken in by a Christian goldsmith and his wife, and became a Christian at the age of thirteen. Modestus’ almsgiving and love for the poor soon earned him renown, but aroused the envy of the goldsmith’s sons, who sold Modestus into slavery during a trip to Egypt. But Modestus was able to bring his new master to faith in Christ and regain his freedom.

Some time later he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre opened at his prayers, and the people, taking this as a sign from God, chose Modestus as Archbishop of Jerusalem. (Accounts of his life do not mention his having been anything but a layman before this.) He served his flock tenderly and zealously, encouraging all to abound in spiritual gifts, and working many miracles. His prayers were effective not only in healing the faithful, but even in curing the ailments of their cattle and other animals. For this reason, it is still customary on this day to sprinkle animals pens and stables, and even houses in which pets dwell, with holy water, asking the Saint’s protection.

Saint Modestus served his flock faithfully into old age. According to some accounts he reposed in peace. According to others, in his old age he was delivered up to the pagans by his enemies, and beheaded by them after many torments.