1 Timothy 6.11-16 (Epistle, Saturday after Nativity)

11A ti, o èovjeèe Božij! bjegaj od ovoga, a idi za pravdom, pobožnosti, vjerom, ljubavi, trpljenjem, krotosti. 12Bori se u dobroj borbi vjere, muèi se za vjeèni život na koji si i pozvan, i priznao si dobro priznanje pred mnogijem svjedocima. 13Zapovijedam ti pred Bogom koji sve oživljuje, i Hristom Isusom koji svjedoèi za vladanja Pontija Pilata dobro priznanje, 14Da držiš zapovijest èistu i nezazornu do dolaska Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, 15Koji æe u svoje vrijeme pokazati blaženi i jedini silni car nad carevima i gospodar nad gospodarima, 16Koji sam ima besmrtnost, i živi u svjetlosti kojoj se ne može pristupiti, kojega niko od ljudi nije vidio, niti može vidjeti, kojemu èast i država vjeèna. Amin.

Titus 1.15-2.10 (Epistle)

15Èistima je sve èisto; a poganima i nevjernima ništa nije èisto, nego je opoganjen njihov i um i savjest. 16Govore da poznaju Boga, a djelima ga se odrièu; jer su mrski i neposlušni, i ni za kakvo dobro djelo valjani.

1A ti govori što pristoji zdravoj nauci: 2Starcima da budu trijezni, pošteni, èisti, zdravi u vjeri, u ljubavi, u trpljenju; 3Staricama takoðer da žive kao što se pristoji svetima, da ne budu opadljive, da se ne predaju vrlo vinu, da uèe dobru, 4Da uèe mlade da ljube muževe, da ljube djecu, 5Da budu poštene, èiste, dobre kuæanice, blage, pokorne svojijem muževima, da se ne huli na rijeè Božiju. 6Tako i mladiæe svjetuj da budu pošteni. 7A u svemu sam sebe podaji za ugled dobrijeh djela, u nauci cijelost, poštenje, 8Rijeè zdravu, nezazornu: da se posrami onaj koji se protivi, ne imajuæi ništa zlo govoriti za nas. 9Sluge da slušaju svoje gospodare, da budu ugodni u svaèemu, da ne odgovaraju, 10Da ne kradu, nego u svaèemu da pokazuju dobru vjeru, da nauku spasitelja našega Boga ukrašuju u svaèemu.

Matthew 12.15-21 (Gospel, Saturday after Nativity)

15I za njim idoše ljudi mnogi, i iscijeli ih sve. 16I zaprijeti im da ga ne razglašuju: 17Da se zbude što je kazao Isaija prorok govoreæi: 18Gle, sluga moj, koga sam izabrao, ljubazni moj, koji je po volji duše moje: metnuæu duh svoj na njega, i sud neznabošcima javiæe. 19Neæe se svaðati ni vikati, niti æe èuti ko po rasputicama glasa njegova. 20Trske stuèene neæe prelomiti i svještila zapaljena neæe ugasiti dok pravda ne održi pobjede. 21I u ime njegovo uzdaæe se narodi.

Mark 12.1-12 (Gospel)

1I poèe im govoriti u prièama: posadi èovjek vinograd, i ogradi plotom, i iskopa pivnicu, i naèini kulu, i dade ga vinogradarima, pa otide. 2I kad doðe vrijeme, posla k vinogradarima slugu da primi od vinogradara od roda vinogradskoga. 3A oni uhvativši slugu izbiše ga, i poslaše prazna. 4I opet posla k njima drugoga slugu; i onoga biše kamenjem i razbiše mu glavu, i poslaše ga sramotna. 5I opet posla drugoga; i onoga ubiše; i mnoge druge, jedne izbiše a jedne pobiše. 6Još dakle imaše jedinoga svojega milog sina, posla i njega najposlije k njima govoreæi: postidjeæe se sina mojega. 7A vinogradari rekoše u sebi: ovo je našljednik, hodite da ga ubijemo, i nama æe ostati oèevina njegova. 8I uhvatiše ga, i ubiše, i izbaciše ga napolje iz vinograda. 9Šta æe dakle uèiniti gospodar od vinograda? Doæi æe i pogubiæe vinogradare, i daæe vinograd drugima. 10Zar nijeste èitali u pismu ovo: kamen koji odbaciše zidari, onaj posta glava od ugla; 11To bi od Gospoda i divno je u našijem oèima? 12I gledahu da ga uhvate, ali se pobojaše naroda; jer razumješe da za njih govori prièu; i ostavivši ga otidoše.

Our Holy Mother Melania the Younger of Rome (439)

She was born in 383 in Rome, to a very wealthy family with large estates in Italy, Africa, Spain and even Britain. She was the grand- daughter of St Melania the Elder (June 8) and a pious disciple of Christ from a young age. She was married against her will at the age of fourteen, to a relative named Apinianus. They had two children, both of whom died in early childhood. Henceforth Melania and her husband dedicated themselves entirely to God. They had both dreamed of a high wall that they would have to climb before they could pass through the narrow gate that leads to life, and soon began to take measures to dispose of their wealth. This aroused opposition from some of the Senate, who were concerned that the selling off of such huge holdings would disrupt the economy of the State itself.

With the support of the Empress, though, Melania was able to free 8000 of her slaves and give each a gift of three gold pieces to begin life as freedmen. She employed agents to help fund the establishment of churches and monasteries throughout the Empire, donated many estates to the Church, and sold many more, giving the proceeds as alms. When Rome fell to the Goths under Alaric in 410, Melania and Apinianus moved to Sicily, then to Africa, where they completed the sale of their propery, donating the proceeds to monasteries and to aiding victims of the barbarians.

In Africa Melania, now aged about thirty, took up a life of the strictest asceticism: she kept a total fast on weekdays, only eating on Saturday and Sunday; she slept two hours a night, giving the rest of the night to vigil and prayer. Her days were spent in charitable works, using the remainder of her wealth to relieve the poor and benefit the Church. After seven years in Africa, Melania, her mother and her husband left on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There they founded a monastery on the Mount of Olives, which grew to a community of ninety nuns. Melania’s mother died in 431, then her husband and spiritual brother Apinianus ; she buried them side by side.

Save for one visit to Constantinople, Melania continued to live in reclusion in a small cave on the Mount of Olives; she became an advisor to the Empress Eudocia, who sought her expert counsel on her gifts to churches and monasteries.

Melania fell ill keeping the Vigil of Nativity in 439, and fell asleep in the Lord six days later; her last words were ‘As it has pleased the Lord, so it has come to pass.’ Her monastery was destroyed in 614 by the Persians, but her cave hermitage on the Mount of Olives is still a place of pilgrimage and veneration.

Saint Zoticus, Cherisher of the Poor and Servant of Lepers (4th c)

He was born in Rome, and as a young man was chosen by the Emperor Constantine to assist in the foundation of his new capital at Byzantium. An outbreak of leprosy in the new City became so severe that the Emperor ordered that all lepers, whatever their rank, be driven from the city or drowned in the sea. Zoticus, moved by compassion for these people, went to the Emperor and asked him for a large amount of gold to buy gems and pearls to enhance the glory of the city, ‘For, as Your Majesty knows, I am well-qualified in this field.’ The Saint then used the gold to ransom all those being led into exile or to drowning, and to establish for them a camp on the hill of Olivet on the opposite shore of the Bosphorus. There he brought the sick and provided for their care.

In 337 Constantius, an Arian heretic, took the throne upon the death of his father. Some of Zoticus’ enemies at court, seeing an opportunity, denounced Zoticus to the new Emperor, saying that he not only held subversive views, but had misappropriated public money. When he learned of these charges, Zoticus presented himself to the Emperor, finely dressed, and offered to take Constantius to see the gems and pearls that he had bought on his behalf. When they reached the hill of Olivet, Constantius was astonished to see a company of lepers coming to greet him with lighted candles, honoring and praising him and their patron Zoticus. Then the holy Zoticus said to the Emperor, ‘These are the precious stones and brilliant pearls that give luster to the crown of the heavenly Kingdom that you will inherit by their prayers. I bought them for the salvation of your soul.’

Instead of being grateful, the heartless Emperor ordered that Zoticus be tied behind wild mules and dragged until dead. The mules ran down the hill, breaking the Saint’s body upon the rocks and brush. Then, of their own accord, they returned to the top of the hill, still dragging the body, and, like Balaam’s ass (Numbers ch. 22), spoke and proclaimed that the Martyr must be buried on that hill. The astonished and repentant Emperor ordered the Martyr buried with honor, and commanded that a hospital for lepers be built there, staffed by the best physicians and caretakers.

Saint Zoticus is also called Orphanotrophos, ‘Cherisher of Orphans,’ because in later years a large orphanage was added to the leprosarium. The orphanage included a general hospital and a home for the aged. The Saint was honored throughout Byzantine history as the patron of the orphanage.

St Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid (ca. 1126)

He was born on the island of Euripos and, after being educated in Constantinople, became one of the clergy of the Great Church there. He was consecrated a bishop and sent, against his will, to Ochrid, where he shepherded the Church in Bulgaria for twenty-five years. An inspired theologian and orator, he has left many homilies and, most important, a commentary on the whole New Testament, which has been has been treasured by Orthodox Christians ever since. In his last years he moved to Thessalonica, where he reposed in peace.