Romans 9.18-33 (Epistle)

18Tako dakle koga hoæe miluje, a koga hoæe otvrdoglavi. 19Reæi æeš mi: zašto nas još krivi? jer ko se može suprotiti volji njegovoj? 20A ko si ti, o èovjeèe! da protivno odgovaraš Bogu? Eda li rukotvorina govori majstoru svome: zašto si me tako naèinio? 21Ili zar lonèar nema vlasti nad kalom da od jedne guke naèini jedan sud za èast a drugi za sramotu? 22A kad šæaše Bog da pokaže gnjev svoj i da objavi silu svoju, podnese s velikijem trpljenjem sudove gnjeva koji su pripravljeni za pogibao. 23I da pokaže bogatstvo slave svoje na sudima milosti koje pripravi za slavu; 24Koje nas i dozva ne samo od Jevreja nego i od neznabožaca, 25Kao što i u Josiji govori: nazvaæu narod svojijem koji nije moj narod, i neljubaznicu ljubaznicom. 26I biæe na mjestu, gdje im se reèe: vi nijeste moj narod; tamo æe se nazvati sinovi Boga živoga. 27A Isaija vièe za Izrailja: ako bude broj sinova Izrailjevijeh kao pijesak morski, ostatak æe se spasti. 28Jer æe on izvršiti rijeè svoju, i naskoro æe izvršiti po pravdi, da, ispuniæe Gospod naskoro rijeè svoju na zemlji. 29I kao što proreèe Isaija: da nam nije Gospod Savaot ostavio sjemena, onda bismo bili kao Sodom i Gomor. 30Šta æemo dakle reæi? Da neznabošci koji ne tražiše pravde dokuèiše pravdu, ali pravdu od vjere. 31A Izrailj tražeæi zakon pravde ne dokuèi zakona pravde. 32Zašto? Jer ne traži iz vjere nego iz djela zakona; jer se spotakoše na kamen spoticanja, 33Kao što stoji napisano: evo meæem u Sionu kamen spoticanja i stijenu sablazni; i koji ga god vjeruje neæe se postidjeti.

Matthew 11.2-15 (Gospel)

2A Jovan èuvši u tamnici djela Hristova posla dvojicu uèenika svojijeh, 3I reèe mu: jesi li ti onaj što æe doæi, ili drugoga da èekamo? 4A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe im: idite i kažite Jovanu što èujete i vidite: 5Slijepi progledaju i hromi hode, gubavi èiste se i gluhi èuju, mrtvi ustaju i siromašnima propovijeda se jevanðelje. 6I blago onome koji se ne sablazni o mene. 7A kad ovi otidoše, poèe Isus ljudima govoriti o Jovanu: šta ste izišli u pustinji da vidite? Trsku, koju ljulja vjetar? 8Ili šta ste izišli da vidite? Èovjeka u meke haljine obuèena? Eto, koji meke haljine nose po carskijem su dvorovima. 9Ili šta ste izišli da vidite? Proroka? Da, ja vam kažem, i više od proroka. 10Jer je ovo onaj za koga je pisano: eto, ja šaljem anðela svojega pred licem tvojijem, koji æe pripraviti put tvoj pred tobom. 11Zaista vam kažem: nijedan izmeðu roðenijeh od žena nije izišao veæi od Jovana krstitelja; a najmanji u carstvu nebeskome veæi je od njega. 12A od vremena Jovana krstitelja dosad carstvo nebesko na silu se uzima, i siledžije dobijaju ga. 13Jer su svi proroci i zakon proricali do Jovana. 14I ako hoæete vjerovati, on je Ilija što æe doæi. 15Koji ima uši da èuje neka èuje.

Holy Martyrs Proclus and Hilarius (2nd c.)

Proclus was the uncle of Hilarius; both were from Kallippi in Asia during the reign of Trajan. When Proclus was brought to be tried as a Christian, the judge asked him ‘Of what race are you?’ Proclus answered ‘I am of the race of Christ, and my hope is in my God.’ When the judge threatened to torture him, he said ‘When you are afraid to transgress the Emperor’s commands and risk falling into temporal punishment, how much more do we Christians fear to transgress against God’s commands and fall into eternal torment!’ When Proclus was given over to torture, his nephew Hilarius came forward and proclaimed ‘I too am a Christian.’ After torture, both were condemned to death; Proclus was crucified and Hilarius beheaded.

Imagine how the Orthodox Church would benefit if, when we were asked ‘Of what race are you?’ the first answer that came to mind was not ‘I am Greek, Russian, Serbian…’ but ‘I am of the race of Christ!’

St Veronica, the woman with the issue of blood who was healed by the Savior

See Matthew ch. 9, Mark ch. 5, and Luke ch. 8. After the events told in the Gospel, she spent the remainder of her life as a follower of Christ and reposed in peace.

Saint Païsios of the Holy Mountain (1994) (June 29 OC)

‘The future Elder Paisius was born in 1924 and baptized by St. Arsenius of Cappadocia. He spent his youth as a carpenter until WW II, during which he repeatedly distinguished himself in the army by his bravery and self-sacrifice. In 1950 he went to Mt. Athos for eight years, where he was tonsured. Then he was asked to spend some time in his home village of Epirus, in order to defend the faithful against Protestant proselytism. He returned to Mt. Athos in 1964 and stayed in several monasteries, eventually settling in the Panagouda hermitage of Koutloumousiou Monastery, where he remained for fifteen years. Here his reputation as a holy elder and guide grew, and he tirelessly received those thirsting for spiritual direction, allowing himself only two or three hours of sleep each day. He reposed in 1994, one of the most well-known and beloved contemporary elders. Many of his counsels and other writings have been published.’ (St Herman Calendar, 1994)

Elder Païsios was glorified by the Church in 2015; he is commemorated on the anniversary of his repose.