1 Corinthians 13.4-14.5 (Epistle)

4Ljubav dugo trpi, milokrvna je; ljubav ne zavidi; ljubav se ne velièa, ne nadima se, 5Ne èini što ne valja, ne traži svoje, ne srdi se, ne misli o zlu, 6Ne raduje se nepravdi, a raduje se istini, 7Sve snosi, sve vjeruje, svemu se nada, sve trpi. 8Ljubav nikad ne prestaje, a proroštvo ako æe i prestati, jezici ako æe umuknuti, razuma ako æe nestati. 9Jer nešto znamo i nešto prorokujemo; 10A kad doðe savršeno, onda æe prestati što je nešto. 11Kad ja bijah malo dijete kao dijete govorah, kao dijete mišljah, kao dijete razmišljavah; a kad postadoh èovjek, odbacih djetinjstvo. 12Tako sad vidimo kao kroz staklo u zagonetki, a onda æemo licem k licu; sad poznajem nešto, a onda æu poznati kao što sam poznat. 13A sad ostaje vjera, nad, ljubav, ovo troje; ali je ljubav najveæa meðu njima.

1Držite se ljubavi, a starajte se za duhovne dare, a osobito da prorokujete. 2Jer koji govori jezike, ne govori ljudima nego Bogu: jer niko ne sluša, a on duhom govori tajne. 3A koji prorokuje govori ljudima za popravljanje i utjehu i utvrðenje. 4Jer koji govori jezike sebe popravlja, a koji prorokuje crkvu popravlja. 5Ali ja bih htio da vi svi govorite jezike, a još više da prorokujete: jer je veæi onaj koji prorokuje negoli koji govori jezike, veæ ako ko kazuje, da se crkva popravlja.

Matthew 20.1-16 (Gospel)

1Jer je carstvo nebesko kao èovjek domaæin koji ujutru rano iziðe da najima poslenike u vinograd svoj. 2I pogodivši se s poslenicima po groš na dan posla ih u vinograd svoj. 3I izišavši u treæi sahat, vidje druge gdje stoje na èaršiji besposleni, 4I njima reèe: idite i vi u moj vinograd, i što bude pravo daæu vam. 5I oni otidoše. I opet izišavši u šesti i deveti sahat, uèini tako. 6I u jedanaesti sahat izišavši naðe druge gdje stoje besposleni, i reèe im: što stojite ovdje vas dan besposleni? 7Rekoše mu: niko nas ne najmi. Reèe im: idite i vi u moj vinograd, i što bude pravo primiæete. 8A kad bi uveèe, reèe gospodar od vinograda k pristavu svojemu: dozovi poslenike i podaj im platu poèevši od pošljednjijeh do prvijeh. 9I došavši koji su u jedanaesti sahat najmljeni primiše po groš. 10A kad doðoše prvi, mišljahu da æe više primiti: i primiše i oni po groš. 11I primivši vikahu na gospodara 12Govoreæi: ovi pošljednji jedan sahat radiše, i izjednaèi ih s nama koji smo se èitav dan muèili i gorjeli. 13A on odgovarajuæi reèe jednome od njih: prijatelju! ja tebi ne èinim krivo; nijesi li pogodio sa mnom po groš? 14Uzmi svoje pa idi; a ja hoæu i ovome pošljednjemu da dam kao i tebi. 15Ili zar ja nijesam vlastan u svojemu èiniti šta hoæu? Zar je oko tvoje zlo što sam ja dobar? 16Tako æe biti pošljednji prvi i prvi pošljednji; jer je mnogo zvanijeh a malo izbranijeh.

Martyrs Florus and Laurus of Illyria (2nd c.)

“Brothers in both the flesh and the spirit, they were both zealous Christians, and stonemasons by craft. They lived in Illyria. Some pagan prince set them to build a pagan temple. It happened during the course of their work that a fragment of stone splintered off and flew into the eye of the pagan priest’s son, who was watching the building work with curiosity. Seeing his son blinded and bleeding, the priest shouted at Florus and Laurus and tried to thrash them. Then the holy brothers told him that, if he would believe in the God in whom they believed, his son would be restored to health. The priest promised. Florus and Laurus prayed to the one, living Lord with tears and made the sign of the Cross over the child’s stricken eye. The child was healed instantly and his eye became whole as it had been before. Then the priest, Merentius, and his son were baptised, and they both very soon suffered for Christ in the flames. But Florus and Laurus, when they had finished the temple, put a Cross on it, called together all the Christians, and consecrated it in the name of the Lord Jesus with an all-night vigil of hymns. Hearing of this, the governor of Illyria burned many of these Christians by fire and had Florus and Laurus thrown alive into a well, which was then filled with earth. Their relics were later discovered and taken to Constantinople. These two wonderful brothers suffered for Christ, and were glorified by Him, in the second century.” (Prologue)

Our Holy Father John, Abbot of Rila (946)

He was born near Sophia in Bulgaria during the reign of the Emperor Boris. When his parents died he withdrew from the world to a cave high in the mountains, where he gave himself to the ascetical struggle. There the Prologue says that he ‘endured many assaults both by demons and men, from robbers and from his kinsmen.’ In time he moved to the mountain of Rila, where he lived in a hollow tree, eating only the wild herbs and fruits there. On Rila he saw no human being for many years, but was eventually discovered by a shepherd, after which his fame spread quickly: many came to him for counsel and for the healing of diseases, and Peter, King of Bulgaria, visited him for advice. Many people seeking their salvation settled near him, and soon a church and monastery developed around him. St John reposed in 946 and appeared to his disciples after his death. His relics are venerated at the monastery of Rila, which has for centuries been a lighthouse of Orthodox spirituality in Bulgaria.