Romans 2.28-3.18 (Epistle)

28Jer ono nije Jevrejin koji je spolja Jevrejin, niti je ono obrezanje koje je spolja na tijelu; 29Nego je ono Jevrejin koji je iznutra, i obrezanje srca duhom a ne slovima, to je obrezanje; kome je hvala ne od ljudi nego od Boga.

1Šta je dakle bolji Jevrejin od drugijeh ljudi? Ili šta pomaže obrezanje? 2Mnogo svakojako; prvo što su im povjerene rijeèi Božije. 3A što neki ne vjerovaše, šta je za to? Eda æe njihovo nevjerstvo vjeru Božiju ukinuti? 4Bože saèuvaj! nego Bog neka bude istinit, a èovjek svaki laža, kao što stoji napisano: da se opravdaš u svojijem rijeèima, i da pobijediš kad ti stanu suditi. 5Ako li nepravda naša Božiju pravdu podiže, šta æemo reæi? Eda li je Bog nepravedan kad se srdi? Po èovjeku govorim: 6Bože saèuvaj! Jer kako bi mogao Bog suditi svijetu? 7Jer ako istina Božija u mojoj laži veæa postane na slavu njegovu, zašto još i ja kao grješnik da budem osuðen? 8Zašto dakle kao što vièu na nas, i kao što kažu neki da mi govorimo) da ne èinimo zla da doðe dobro? Njima æe sud biti pravedan. 9Šta dakle? Jesmo li bolji od njih? Nipošto! Jer gore dokazasmo da su i Jevreji i Grci svi pod grijehom, 10Kao što stoji napisano: ni jednoga nema pravedna; 11Ni jednoga nema razumna, i ni jednoga koji traži Boga; 12Svi se ukloniše i zajedno nevaljali postaše: nema ga koji èini dobro, nema ni jednoga ciglog. 13Njihovo je grlo grob otvoren, jezicima svojima varaju, i jed je aspidin pod usnama njihovima. 14Njihova su usta puna kletve i grèine. 15Njihove su noge brze da proljevaju krv. 16Na putovima je njihovima raskopavanje i nevolja; 17I puta mirnoga ne poznaše. 18Nema straha Božijega pred oèima njihovima.

Matthew 6.31-34, 7.9-11 (Gospel)

31Ne brinite se dakle govoreæi: šta æemo jesti, ili, šta æemo piti, ili, èim æemo se odjenuti? 32Jer sve ovo neznabošci ištu; a zna i otac vaš nebeski da vama treba sve ovo. 33Nego ištite najprije carstva Božijega, i pravde njegove, i ovo æe vam se sve dodati. 34Ne brinite se dakle za sjutra; jer sjutra brinuæe se za se. Dosta je svakom danu zla svoga. 9Ili koji je meðu vama èovjek u koga ako zaište sin njegov hljeba kamen da mu da? 10Ili ako ribe zaište da mu da zmiju? 11Kad dakle vi, zli buduæi, umijete dare dobre davati djeci svojoj, koliko æe više otac vaš nebeski dati dobra onima koji ga mole?

Sts Sergius and Herman (1353), abbots of Valaam

After helping to establish Orthodoxy among the Karelian Finns, they founded the famous Valaam Monastery on Lake Ladoga in northern Russia. Both reposed in the same year.

Synaxis of the Icon of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos "Of the Three Hands"

Saint John of Damascus (December 4), the great defender of Orthodoxy against the iconoclasts, was falsely accused of plotting against the Caliph of Damascus through the intrigues of the iconoclast Emperor Leo the Isaurian (reigned 717-741). The Caliph ordered St John’s hand to be cut off for his suspected treachery. The saint asked for the severed hand, and passed the night praying fervently for aid before an icon of the most holy Theotokos. Waking in the morning, he found his hand miraculously restored, with only a scar around the wrist where it had been completely severed. In thanksgiving, St John had a silver hand mounted on the icon. When he became a monk in the monastery of St Sabbas in the Holy Land, he took the icon with him. It remained there until it was given to St Sabbas (Sava) of Serbia (January 14), who brought it to Serbia. Later it was miraculously taken to the Hilandar Monastery on the Holy Mountain (carried, according to legend, from Serbia to Mt Athos by an unguided donkey), where it may now be found.

Translation of the Relics (412)of the Holy and Wonderworking Unmercenaries Cyrus & John

They are counted among the Unmercenary Physicians. For their lives, see January 31.

Our Holy Father Sennuphius the Standard-Bearer (4th c.)

“A great ascetic and wonderworker of the Egyptian desert, he was a contemporary of Patriarch Theophilus and the Emperor Theodosius the Great. He is called ‘the Standard-Bearer’ because he once helped the Emperor Theodosius to gain a victory over enemy forces by his prayers. When the Emperor summoned him to Constantinople, he replied that he was unable to go, but sent his torn and patched monastic habit and his staff. Going out to battle, the Emperor put on Sennuphius’s habit and carried his staff in his hand, and returned victorious from the battle.” (Prologue)