1 Thessalonians 5.1-8 (Epistle)

1A za èase i vremena, braæo, nije vam trijebe pisati; 2Jer sami znate jamaèno da æe dan Gospodnji doæi kao lupež po noæi. 3Jer kad reku: mir je, i nema se šta bojati, onda æe iznenada napasti na njih pogibao kao bol na trudnu ženu, i neæe uteæi. 4Ali vi, braæo, nijeste u tami da vas dan kao lupež zastane. 5Jer ste vi svi sinovi vidjela i sinovi dana: nijesmo noæi niti tame. 6Tako dakle da ne spavamo kao i ostali, nego da pazimo i da budemo trijezni. 7Jer koji spavaju, u noæi spavaju, i koji se opijaju, u noæi se opijaju. 8Ali mi koji smo sinovi dana da budemo trijezni i obuèeni u oklop vjere i ljubavi, i s kacigom nada spasenija;

Luke 20.9-18 (Gospel)

9A narodu poèe kazivati prièu ovu: jedan èovjek posadi vinograd, i dade ga vinogradarima pa otide na podugo vremena. 10I u vrijeme posla k vinogradarima slugu da mu dadu od roda vinogradskoga; ali vinogradari izbiše ga, i poslaše prazna. 11I posla opet drugoga slugu; a oni i onoga izbiše i osramotivši poslaše prazna. 12I posla opet treæega; a oni i onoga raniše, i istjeraše. 13Onda reèe gospodar od vinograda: šta æu èiniti? Da pošljem sina svojega ljubaznoga: eda se kako zastide kad vide njega. 14A vinogradari vidjevši njega mišljahu u sebi govoreæi: ovo je našljednik; hodite da ga ubijemo da naše bude dostojanje. 15I izvedoše ga napolje iz vinograda i ubiše. Šta æe dakle uèiniti njima gospodar od vinograda? 16Doæi æe i pogubiæe ove vinogradare, i daæe vinograd drugima. A oni što slušahu rekoše: ne dao Bog! 17A on pogledavši na njih reèe: šta znaèi dakle ono u pismu: kamen koji odbaciše zidari onaj posta glava od ugla? 18Svaki koji padne na taj kamen razbiæe se; a na koga on padne satræe ga.

Holy Prophet Habbakuk (Abbacum) (7th c. BC).

He prophesied in the time of Joachim, just before the Jewish people were taken into captivity in Babylon. He himself escaped captivity, and after Jerusalem was destroyed, returned to his homeland. Once he was taking some food to his harvesters when an Angel transported him to Babylon to feed the Prophet Daniel in the lions’ den, then bore him back to Judea (this is told in the full version of the book of Daniel, ch. 6 LXX). The third chapter of his prophecy is used as the Fourth Ode of the Matins Canon(the Ode is usually sung in full only in monasteries during Lent, but the eirmos of the Fourth Ode, sung in many parishes, usually refers to the Prophet). His holy relics were found through a revelation in Palestine during the reign of Theodosius the Great, and a chapel built there. His name means “Father of the Resurrection.”

Holy Martyr Myrope (Myropea) of Chios (251)

She was born in Ephesus. At baptism, she was consecrated by her mother to serve at the shrine of St Hermione, one of the four daughters of the Apostle Philip. Many pilgrims came to be anointed with a miracle-working myrrh that flowed from St Hermione’s body — and from her service at the shrine Myrope received the name by which she is known. Later, she and her mother went to the island of Chios to flee the persecution of the Emperor Decius.

When the holy martyr Isidore (May 14) was beheaded, Myrope secretly recovered his body and gave it honorable burial. The governor Numerius was furious, and ordered his soldiers to find the body or themselves be beheaded. Unable to let innocent people suffer for her act, Myrope presented herself to the governor and told him where she had buried the body. At Numerius’ order, the holy girl was tortured and thrown in prison. There a heavenly light illuminated her cell and St Isidore himself appeared to her with a company of angels, saying ‘Peace to thee, Myrope: thy prayer has ascended to God, and thou shalt soon be with us and receive the crown prepared for thee.’ Myrope, filled with joy, gave up her soul to God at that moment. One of the guards who had witnessed these events believed in Christ, and not long afterward was baptized and received a martyr’s death.

Our Holy Father Athanasius "the Resurrected," Recluse of the Kiev Caves (1176)

After many years of ascetic struggle, Athanasius died and was prepared for burial. After lying dead for two full days, he inexplicably came back to life: the monks who came to bury him were astonished to find him sitting up and weeping. The brethren gathered around him and asked him many questions about what he had seen of the next world, but he would only answer ‘Save yourselves!’ When they pressed him further, he said ‘If I told you, you would not believe me or want to listen to me.’ His final reply was ‘Repent every moment, and pray to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His most pure Mother.’ He then shut himself in his cell and lived another twelve years, taking only bread and water and never speaking again to anyone.

Saint (Stephen) Uroš, King of Serbia (1367)

“The son of King Dušan, he ruled during the difficult time of the fall of the Kindom of Serbia. Humble, pious and gentle, he refused to attempt to restrain the power of the powerful nobles by force. Amongst these was Vukašin, who brought about his death. Good King Uroš suffered a martyr’s death on December 2nd, 1367, at the age of thirty-one. Killed by men, he was glorified by God. His wonderworking relics were preserved in the monastery of Jazak in the Fruška Gora, whence they were taken to Belgrade in 1942, during the Second World War, and placed in the Cathedral beside the bodies of Prince Lazar and Despot Stephen Štiljanovic. During the reign of this benevolent king, the monastery of St Nahum was built beside Lake Ochrid by one of Uroš’s nobles, Grgur.” (Prologue)

Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia (1991) (Nov. 19 OC)

One of the true God-bearing Elders of our own time, he was glorified by the Church in 2013.