James 2.14-26 (Epistle)

14Kakva je korist, braæo moja, ako ko reèe da ima vjeru a djela nema? Zar ga može vjera spasti? 15Ako, na priliku, brat ili sestra goli budu, ili nemaju šta da jedu, 16I reèe im koji od vas: idite s mirom, grijte se, i nasitite se, a ne da im potrebe tjelesne, šta pomaže? 17Tako i vjera ako nema djela, mrtva je po sebi. 18No može ko reæi: ti imaš vjeru, a ja imam djela. Pokaži mi vjeru svoju bez djela svojijeh, a ja æu tebi pokazati vjeru svoju iz djela svojijeh. 19Ti vjeruješ da je jedan Bog; dobro èiniš; i ðavoli vjeruju, i drkæu. 20Ali hoæeš li razumjeti, o èovjeèe sujetni! da je vjera bez djela mrtva? 21Avraam otac naš ne opravda li se djelima kad prinese Isaka sina svojega na oltar? 22Vidiš li da vjera pomože djelima njegovijem, i kroz djela savrši se vjera? 23I izvrši se pismo koje govori: Avraam vjerova Bogu, i primi mu se u pravdu, i prijatelj Božij nazva se. 24Vidite li dakle da se djelima pravda èovjek, a ne samom vjerom? 25A tako i Raav kurva ne opravda li se djelima kad primi uhode, i izvede ih drugijem putem? 26Jer kao što je tijelo bez duha mrtvo, tako je i vjera bez dobrijeh djela mrtva.

Mark 10.46-52 (Gospel)

46I doðoše u Jerihon. I kad izlažaše iz Jerihona, on i uèenici njegovi i narod mnogi, sin Timejev Vartimej slijepi sjeðaše kraj puta i prošaše. 47I èuvši da je to Isus Nazareæanin stade vikati i govoriti: sine Davidov Isuse! pomiluj me! 48I prijeæahu mu mnogi da uæuti, a on još veæma vikaše: sine Davidov! pomiluj me! 49I stavši Isus reèe da ga zovnu. I zovnuše slijepca govoreæi mu: ne boj se; ustani, zove te. 50A on zbacivši sa sebe haljine svoje ustade, i doðe k Isusu. 51I odgovarajuæi reèe mu Isus: šta æeš da ti uèinim? A slijepi reèe mu: Ravuni! da progledam. 52A Isus reèe mu: idi, vjera tvoja pomože ti. I odmah progleda, i otide putem za Isusom.

Great-Martyr Theodore Stratelates ("the General") of Heraclea (319)

He was a renowned commander in the Imperial army, and dwelt in Heraclea of Pontus. The Emperor Licinius heard of Theodore’s fame as an officer, and also that he was a devout Christian; the Emperor determined to visit the general, officially to honor him, but secretly to turn him from Christ.

When the Emperor came to Heraclea, Saint Theodore met him with all honor, and the Emperor in turn praised him for his service to the state. Licinius then publicly bade Theodore make sacrifice to the gods. Theodore asked that he be given the most venerable gods, made of gold and silver, to attend upon at home, and promised that the following day he would return and honor them before the people. The Emperor, thinking that he had succeeded in restoring Theodore to paganism, gladly agreed.

That night the Saint smashed all the idols he had taken home, and distributed the gold and silver pieces to the poor. When this was discovered, Theodore gladly admitted his deed and confessed Christ boldly. The Emperor, in a fury, had the Saint subjected to many tortures, then crucified. On the cross, he was subject to further torments and mutilations: parts of his body were cut off, his eyes put out, and he was shot with arrows, finally being left on the cross for dead. The next day Licinius sent men to cast his body into the sea, but to their amazement they found the Saint alive, his body perfectly intact. Through this, many spectators and some of the Emperor’s own men turned to Christ. Seeing that the Saint, far from renouncing Christ, was leading others to Him, the Emperor promptly had him beheaded. His holy relics were returned to his family home in Euchaita, where they worked so many miracles that the town came to be known as Theodoropolis.

Holy Prophet Zechariah (6th c. BC)

He was among those who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity, following the decree of Cyrus in 538 BC. With the Prophet Haggai (December 16) he began to prophesy in Jerusalem in 520, to encourage the Jews to return to their task of rebuilding the Temple, which they had given up in discouragement. His prophetic ministry is described both in the Book of Ezra and in the Old Testament book that bears his name. His prophecies, in addition to speaking to the situation in which he lived, are replete with prophecies of the coming, and second coming, of Christ. His name means “The Lord is renowned.” Sozomen’s Ecclesiastical History reports that under the Emperor Honorius, Zacharias’ holy relics were discovered by divine revelation in Palestine, and were found to be incorrupt.

St Sabbas II, Archbishop of Serbia (1271)

He was the son of St Stephen the First- Crowned King of Serbia (September 24), and the nephew of St Sabbas (Sava) (January 14), the first Archbishop of Serbia. Like his uncle, he became a monk at the monastery of Chilandar on Mt Athos, where he zealously lived the ascetical life until he was elected Bishop of Zachounios, then Archbishop of Serbia. He fell asleep in peace in 1271, having shepherded his flock with love and wisdom. His holy relics are in the monastery of Pech.