Hebrews 11.17-23, 27-31 (Epistle)

17Vjerom privede Avraam Isaka kad bi kušan, i jedinorodnoga prinošaše, pošto bješe primio obeæanje, 18U kojemu bješe kazano: u Isaku nazvaæe ti se sjeme; 19Pomislivši da je Bog kadar i iz mrtvijeh vaskrsnuti; zato ga i uze za priliku. 20Vjerom blagoslovi Isak Jakova i Isava u stvarima koje æe doæi. 21Vjerom blagoslovi Jakov umiruæi svakoga sina Josifova, i pokloni se vrhu palice njegove. 22Vjerom se opominja Josif umiruæi izlaska sinova Izrailjevijeh, i zapovijeda za kosti svoje. 23Vjerom Mojsija, pošto se rodi, kriše tri mjeseca roditelji njegovi, jer vidješe krasno dijete, i ne pobojaše se zapovijesti careve. 27Vjerom ostavi Misir, ne pobojavši se ljutine careve; jer se držaše onoga koji se ne vidi, kao da ga viðaše. 28Vjerom uèini pashu i proljev krvi, da se onaj koji gubljaše prvoroðene ne dotakne do njih. 29Vjerom prijeðoše Crveno More kao po suhoj zemlji; koje i Misirci okušavši potopiše se. 30Vjerom padoše zidovi Jerihonski, kad se obilazi oko njih sedam dana. 31Vjerom Raav kurva ne pogibe s nevjernicima, primivši uhode s mirom, i izvedavši ih drugijem putem.

Mark 9.42-10.1 (Gospel)

42A koji sablazni jednoga od ovijeh malijeh koji vjeruju mene, bolje bi mu bilo da se objesi kamen vodenièni o vratu njegovu i da se baci u more. 43I ako te ruka tvoja sablažnjava, otsijeci je: bolje ti je bez ruke u život uæi, negoli s obje ruke uæi u pakao, u oganj vjeèni, 44Gdje crv njihov ne umire, i oganj se ne gasi. 45I ako te noga tvoja sablažnjava, otsijeci je: bolje ti je uæi u život hromu, negoli s dvije noge da te bace u pakao, u oganj vjeèni, 46Gdje crv njihov ne umire, i oganj se ne gasi. 47Ako te i oko tvoje sablažnjava, iskopaj ga: bolje ti je s jednijem okom uæi u carstvo Božije, negoli s dva oka da te bace u pakao ognjeni, 48Gdje crv njihov ne umire, i oganj se ne gasi. 49Jer æe se svaki ognjem posoliti, i svaka æe se žrtva solju posoliti. 50Dobra je so; ali ako so bude neslana, èim æe se osoliti? Imajte so u sebi, i mir imajte meðu sobom.

1I ustavši odande doðe u okoline Judejske preko Jordana, i steèe se opet narod k njemu; i kao što obièaj imaše, opet ih uèaše.

Holy Martyr Tryphon (250)

He was the son of humble, pious parents in Phrygia, and as supported himself keeping geese. At a very early age he was granted the gift of healing illnesses of man and animals, and driving out unclean spirits.

The daughter of the Emperor Gordian (238-244) was possessed by a demon, which no physician or pagan sorcerer had been able to drive away. One day the demon shouted, ‘Only Tryphon is able to drive me out!’ Gordian sent servants to scour the Empire in search of the unknown healer; eventually their inquiries led them to the teenaged goose-keeper, and they brought him to Rome, where his prayers immediately drove out the demon. The Emperor showered Tryphon with gifts, which he gave away to the poor on his journey homeward.

When the persecution of Christians under Decius (250) broke out, Tryphon was denounced to the regional government as a dangerous promoter of Christianity (though he had continued to live as a humble peasant, his miracles and healings had made him known). His former service to the Emperor was either forgotten or of no account to the governor, who had him viciously tortured, then sent to Nicaea for further interrogation. There, when no torment would persuade him to deny Christ or worship the idols, he was beheaded outside the city gates. His relics were returned to Lampsacus, near his home, where he continued to work many miracles of healing.

Saint Tryphon is especially invoked for the protection of gardens and farmland against locusts, reptiles, and all small pests.

Holy Martyrs Perpetua and Felicity, and those with them at Carthage (203)

Perpetua, Felicity, Saturus, Saturninus, Secundus and Revocatus were all young catechumens living near Carthage. Perpetua was of noble birth; Felicity (Felicitas) was her slave. All were arrested under Emperor Valerian’s persecution and sent to Carthage. Perpetua had a young child still at the breast, which she asked to take with her.

The holy martyrs appeared before the tribunal and joyfully received their sentence of condemnation to be thrown to the wild beasts in the arena. Felicity, who was eight months pregnant, was concerned that her martyrdom might be postponed because of her pregnancy, but at the prayers of her friends, she went into labor three days before the games. As she groaned in labor, a jailer mocked her, telling her that the pain she felt was nothing to the pain that she would feel in the arena. The Saint replied, ‘Here I suffer for myself; then there will be Another with me, who will suffer with me; and my sufferings will be for Him!’ When she gave birth, she entrusted her newborn child to the care of a Christian couple and prepared for her end.

On the day of the games, the brothers and sisters in Christ entered the arena together. The men were soon killed by the beasts, but Perpetua and Felicity, though mauled, remained alive. The impatient persecutors ordered that they be beheaded. Walking to the center of the arena, the two spiritual sisters exchanged the kiss of peace and gave up their souls to God.

Our Holy Mother Brigid of Kildare (524)

Her name is also spelled Brigit or Bridget; she is considered, equally with St Patrick (March 17), patron of Ireland. She was born in Ulster of a noble Irish family which had been converted by St Patrick. She was uncommonly beautiful, and her father planned to marry her to the King of Ulster. But at the age of sixteen she asked her Lord Jesus Christ to make her unattractive, so that no one would marry her and she could devote herself to Him alone. Soon she lost an eye and was allowed to enter a monastery. On the day that she took monastic vows, she was miraculously healed and her original beauty restored.

Near Dublin she built herself a cell under an oak tree, which was called Kill-dara, or Cell of the Oak. Soon seven other young women joined her and established the monastery of Kill-dara, which in time became the cathedral city of Kildare. The monastery grew rapidly and became a double monastery with both men’s and women’s settlements, with the Abbess ranking above the Abbot; from it several other monasteries were planted throughout Ireland. (Combined men’s and women’s monastic communities are virtually unknown in the east, but were common in the golden age of the Irish Church).

The Saint predicted the day of her death and fell asleep in peace in 524, leaving a monastic Rule to govern all the monasteries under her care. During the Middle Ages her veneration spread throughout Europe.