21. јул 2027.
Wednesday of the 5th week after Pentecost

Fast

Commemorations

Our Righteous Fathers John and Symeon, the Fool for Christ's Sake (570)
Marcella, Virgin-Martyr of Chios (ca. 1500)
Prophet Ezekiel (6th c. BC)

Scripture Readings

Romans 15.7-16 (Epistle)

7Zato primajte jedan drugoga kao što i Hristos primi vas na slavu Božiju. 8Ali kažem da je Isus Hristos bio sluga obrezanja istine radi Božije, da utvrdi obeæanje ocevima, 9A neznabošci po milosti da proslave Boga, kao što stoji napisano: zato æu te hvaliti meðu neznabošcima, Gospode, i pjevaæu ime tvoje. 10I opet govori: veselite se neznabošci s narodom njegovijem. 11I opet: hvalite Gospoda svi neznabošci, i slavite ga svi narodi. 12I opet Isaija govori: biæe korijen Jesejev, i koji ustane da vlada nad neznabošcima u onoga æe se uzdati neznabošci. 13A Bog nada da ispuni vas svake radosti i mira u vjeri, da imate izobilje u nadu silom Duha svetoga. 14A ja sam i sam uvjeren za vas, braæo, da ste i vi sami puni blagodati, napunjeni svakoga razuma, da možete druge nauèiti. 15Ali vam opet, braæo, slobodno pisah nekoliko da vam napomenem radi blagodati koja mi je dana od Boga, 16Da budem sluga Isusa Hrista u neznabošcima, da služim jevanðelju Božijemu, da budu neznabošci prinos povoljan i osveæen Duhom svetijem.

Matthew 12.38-45 (Gospel)

38Tada odgovoriše neki od književnika i fariseja govoreæi: uèitelju! mi bi radi od tebe znak vidjeti. 39A on odgovarajuæi reèe im: rod zli i preljubotvorni traži znak; i neæe mu se dati znak osim znaka Jone proroka. 40Jer kao što je Jona bio u trbuhu kitovom tri dana i tri noæi: tako æe biti i sin èovjeèij u srcu zemlje tri dana i tri noæi. 41Ninevljani iziæi æe na sud s rodom ovijem, i osudiæe ga; jer se pokajaše Joninijem pouèenjem: a gle, ovdje je veæi od Jone. 42Carica južna iziæi æe na sud s rodom ovijem, i osudiæe ga; jer ona doðe s kraja zemlje da sluša premudrost Solomunovu: a gle, ovdje je veæi od Solomuna. 43A kad neèisti duh iziðe iz èovjeka, ide kroz bezvodna mjesta tražeæi pokoja, i ne naðe ga. 44Onda reèe: da se vratim u dom svoj otkuda sam izišao; i došavši naðe prazan, pometen i ukrašen. 45Tada otide i uzme sa sobom sedam drugijeh duhova gorijeh od sebe, i ušavši žive ondje; i bude potonje gore èovjeku onome od prvoga. Tako æe biti i ovome rodu zlome.

Commemorations

Our Righteous Fathers John and Symeon, the Fool for Christ's Sake (570)

These two brothers in Christ were from Edessa in Mesopotamia. After a pilgrimage to Jerusalem they fled the world together; they were tonsured as monks, but soon left their monastery to struggle in prayer near the Dead Sea. Thus they passed thirty years in silence and asceticism. Symeon was then commanded by God to leave the desert and serve God among the world’s people. At their parting John said to him: ‘Keep your heart from all that you see in the world. Whatever there may be that touches your hand, let it not take hold of your heart. When food passes your lips, let not your heart be sweetened by it. If your feet have to move, let there be peace within you. Whatever you do outwardly, let your mind remain tranquil. Pray for me, that God may not part us from each other in the world to come.’ Symeon went to Emesa in Syria, where he spent the rest of his life, feigning madness in order to conceal his holiness from men. But he performed miracles of healing and appeared to people of the city in dreams, calling them to repentance. He was given the gift of discernment of others’ inward condition, and while dancing and raving through the streets would approach people, whisper their sins in their ears, and call them to repentance. He reposed peacefully in 590; John, who had remained in the desert, reposed soon afterward.

Marcella, Virgin-Martyr of Chios (ca. 1500)

Her mother died when she was very young, and she was brought up by her father. As she grew older, she grew in virtue and beauty. Her father conceived an illicit desire for her and made improper advances toward her, which troubled her so greatly that she fled her village and hid in the mountains. Her father pursued her, even wounding her with arrows in his effort to possess her. Finally she took refuge in a cloven rock. When her father found that he could not drag her from her refuge, he viciously dismembered her and threw her head into the sea. From the rock that had sheltered her a stream appeared, whose water had healing virtues. The holy Marcella is especially venerated on Chios to this day.

Prophet Ezekiel (6th c. BC)

He is commemorated today on the Slavic calendar. See July 23, his commemoration on the Greek calendar.