John 20.19-31 (9th Matins Gospel)

19A kad bi uveèe onaj prvi dan nedjelje, i vrata bijahu zatvorena gdje se bijahu uèenici njegovi skupili od straha Jevrejskoga, doðe Isus i stade na srijedu i reèe im: mir vam. 20I ovo rekavši pokaza im ruke i rebra svoja. Onda se uèenici obradovaše vidjevši Gospoda. 21A Isus im reèe opet: mir vam; kao što otac posla mene, i ja šaljem vas. 22I ovo rekavši dunu, i reèe im: primite Duh sveti. 23Kojima oprostite grijehe, oprostiæe im se; i kojima zadržite, zadržaæe se. 24A Toma koji se zove Blizanac, jedan od dvanaestorice, ne bješe ondje s njima kad doðe Isus. 25A drugi mu uèenici govorahu: vidjesmo Gospoda. A on im reèe: dok ne vidim na rukama njegovijem rana od klina, i ne metnem prsta svojega u rane od klina, i ne metnem ruke svoje u rebra njegova; neæu vjerovati. 26I poslije osam dana opet bijahu uèenici njegovi unutra, i Toma s njima. Doðe Isus kad bijahu vrata zatvorena, i stade meðu njima i reèe: mir vam. 27Potom reèe Tomi: pruži prst svoj amo i viði ruke moje; i pruži ruku svoju i metni u rebra moja, i ne budi nevjeran nego vjeran. 28I odgovori Toma i reèe mu: Gospod moj i Bog moj. 29Isus mu reèe: pošto me vidje vjerovao si; blago onima koji ne vidješe i vjerovaše. 30A i mnoga druga èudesa uèini Isus pred uèenicima svojijem koja nijesu pisana u knjizi ovoj. 31A ova se napisaše, da vjerujete da Isus jest Hristos sin Božij, i da vjerujuæi imate život u ime njegovo.

1 Timothy 1.15-17 (Epistle)

15Istinita je rijeè i svakoga primanja dostojna da Hristos Isus doðe na svijet da spase grješnike, od kojijeh sam prvi ja. 16Ali toga radi ja bih pomilovan da na meni prvome pokaže sve trpljenje Isus Hristos za ugled onima koji mu hoæe vjerovati za život vjeèni. 17A caru vjeènome, neraspadljivome, koji se ne vidi, jedinome premudrome Bogu èast i slava vavijek vijeka. Amin.

Luke 18.35-43 (Gospel)

35A kad se približi k Jerihonu, jedan slijepac sjeðaše kraj puta proseæi. 36A kad èu narod gdje prolazi zapita: šta je to? 37I kazaše mu da Isus Nazareæanin prolazi. 38I povika govoreæi: Isuse, sine Davidov! pomiluj me. 39I prijeæahu mu oni što iðahu naprijed da uæuti; a on još više vikaše: sine Davidov! pomiluj me. 40I Isus stade i zapovjedi da mu ga dovedu; a kad mu se približi, zapita ga 41Govoreæi: šta hoæeš da ti uèinim? A on reèe: Gospode! da progledam. 42A Isus reèe: progledaj; vjera tvoja pomože ti. 43I odmah progleda, i poðe za njim hvaleæi Boga. I svi ljudi koji vidješe hvaljahu Boga.

Hieromartyr Clement of Ancyra, and Martyr Agathangelus (296)

He was from Ancyra in Galatia, son of a pagan father and a Christian mother named Euphrosyne. His mother prophesied on her deathbed that he would suffer great torments for Christ over many years. After her death he was adopted and reared by a pious woman named Sophia. From the age of twelve, he began to fast and pray like the monks, so that he was soon ordained a deacon, and became Bishop of Ancyra at the age of twenty. His piety and zeal for the faith attracted the attention of the Imperial Governor of the region, who had him arrested. Thus began Clement’s twenty-eight years of almost continuous suffering for the Faith. When he stood firm despite many tortures, he was sent to the Emperor Diocletian in Rome. The Emperor showed him a table set with costly vessels on one side, and another decked with instruments of torture on the other, and bade Clement to make his choice. The Saint replied: “These precious vessels remind how much more glorious must be the eternal good things of Paradise; and these instruments of torture remind me of the everlasting punishments of hell that await those who deny the Lord.”

The Saint was viciously tortured, then transported to Nicomedia, where a converted pagan named Agathangelus (‘good angel’) became his companion. For many years they endured unspeakable torments alternating with long imprisonments, but nothing would move them to deny the precious Faith of Christ. After twenty-eight years of suffering, Agathangelus was beheaded; but Clement was briefly paroled and allowed to celebrate the services of Theophany and to give the holy Communion to his fellow-Christians. A few days later, as he was again celebrating the Divine Liturgy, some pagan soldiers burst into the church and beheaded him at the altar.