John 20.11-18 (8th Matins Gospel)

11A Marija stajaše napolju kod groba i plakaše. I kad plakaše nadviri se nad grob, 12I vidje dva anðela u bijelijem haljinama gdje sjede jedan èelo glave a jedan èelo nogu gdje bješe ležalo tijelo Isusovo. 13I rekoše joj oni: ženo! što plaèeš? Reèe im: uzeše Gospoda mojega, i ne znam gdje ga metnuše. 14I ovo rekavši obazre se natrag, i vidje Isusa gdje stoji, i ne znadijaše da je Isus. 15Isus joj reèe: ženo! što plaèeš? koga tražiš? A ona misleæi da je vrtar reèe mu: gospodine! ako si ga ti uzeo kaži mi gdje si ga metnuo, i ja æu ga uzeti. 16Isus joj reèe: Marija! A ona obazrevši se reèe mu: Ravuni! koje znaèi uèitelju. 17Reèe joj Isus: ne dohvataj se do mene, jer se još ne vratih k ocu svojemu; nego idi k braæi mojoj, i kaži im: vraæam se k ocu svojemu i ocu vašemu, i Bogu svojemu i Bogu vašemu. 18A Marija Magdalina otide, i javi uèenicima da vidje Gospoda i kaza joj ovo.

Romans 13.11-14.4 (Epistle)

11I znajuæi ovo vrijeme da je veæ èas došao da ustanemo od sna; jer nam je sad bliže spasenije negoli kad vjerovasmo. 12Noæ proðe a dan se približi: da odbacimo dakle sva djela tamna, i da se obuèemo u oružje vidjela. 13Da hodimo pošteno kao po danu: ne u žderanju i pijanstvu, ne u kurvarstvu i neèistoti, ne u svaðanju i zavisti; 14Nego se obucite u Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista; i tijelu ne ugaðajte po željama.

1A slaboga u vjeri primajte lijepo, da se ne smeta savjest. 2Jer jedan vjeruje da smije svašta jesti, a koji je slab jede zelje. 3Koji jede neka ne ukorava onoga koji ne jede; i koji ne jede neka ne osuðuje onoga koji jede; jer ga Bog primi. 4Ko si ti koji sudiš tuðemu sluzi? On svojemu gospodaru stoji ili pada. Ali æe ustati; jer je Bog kadar podignuti ga.

Matthew 6.14-21 (Gospel)

14Jer ako opraštate ljudima grijehe njihove, oprostiæe i vama otac vaš nebeski. 15Ako li ne opraštate ljudima grijeha njihovijeh, ni otac vaš neæe oprostiti vama grijeha vašijeh. 16A kad postite, ne budite žalosni kao licemjeri; jer oni naèine blijeda lica svoja da ih vide ljudi gdje poste. Zaisto vam kažem da su primili platu svoju. 17A ti kad postiš, namaži glavu svoju, i lice svoje umij, 18Da te ne vide ljudi gdje postiš, nego otac tvoj koji je u tajnosti; i otac tvoj koji vidi tajno, platiæe tebi javno. 19Ne sabirajte sebi blaga na zemlji, gdje moljac i rða kvari, i gdje lupeži potkopavaju i kradu; 20Nego sabirajte sebi blago na nebu, gdje ni moljac ni rða ne kvari, i gdje lupeži ne potkopavaju i ne kradu. 21Jer gdje je vaše blago, ondje æe biti i srce vaše.

St Benedict of Nursia, abbot (547)

His name, Benedictus, means “Blessed” in Latin. He was born in 480 in Nursia, a small town northeast of Rome. He had only rudimentary schooling: he wrote later of his fear that through book-learning he might ‘lose the great understanding of my soul.’ At an early age he fled to a monastery where he was tonsured; he then withdrew to a remote mountain, where he lived or several years in a cave, perfecting himself in prayer. His only food was some bread brought to him by Romanus, the monk who had tonsured him. When he became known in the area, he fled his cave to escape the attentions of the pious; but flight proved useless, and in time a community of monks formed around him. He was granted many spiritual gifts: he healed the sick and drove out evil spirits, raised the dead, and appeared in visions to others many miles away.

Benedict founded twelve monasteries, most famously that at Monte Cassino. Initially, each monastic house had twelve monks, to imitate the number of the Twelve Apostles. The Rule that he established for his monks was based on the works of St John Cassian and St Basil the Great, and became a standard for western monasteries. Thus he is sometimes called the first teacher of monks in the West.

Six days before his death, the Saint ordered that his grave be opened, gathered all his monks together, gave them counsel, then gave his soul back to God on the day that he had predicted. At the moment of his death, two monks in different places had the same vision: they saw a path from earth to heaven, richly adorned and lined on either side with ranks of people. At the top of the path stood a man, clothed in light and unspeakably beautiful, who told them that the path was prepared for Benedict, the beloved of God. In this way, the monks learned that their abbot had gone to his rest.

St Theognostus, Metropolitan of Kiev (1353)

He was born in Greece and succeeded St Peter of Kiev as Metropolitan of that city. Some of his enemies among his own flock denounced him to the Mongol ruler, saying that he had collected no tribute from his churches to pay to the Mongols. Summoned before the Mongol prince and asked about this, he answered ‘Christ our God bought His Church from the unbelievers with His precious Blood. For what do we pay tribute to unbelievers?’ Returning home, he governed the Church for twenty-five more years and reposed in peace in 1353.