Hebrews 4.1-13 (Epistle)

1Da se bojimo dakle da kako dok je još ostavljeno obeæanje da se ulazi u pokoj njegov, ne odocni koji od vas. 2Jer je nama objavljeno kao i onima; ali onima ne pomaže èuvena rijeè, jer ne vjerovaše oni koji èuše. 3Jer mi koji vjerovasmo ulazimo u pokoj, kao što reèe: zato se zakleh u gnjevu svojemu da neæe uæi u pokoj moj, ako su djela i bila gotova od postanja svijeta. 4Jer negdje reèe za sedmi dan ovako: i poèinu Bog u dan sedmi od sviju djela svojijeh. 5I na ovom mjestu opet: neæe uæi u pokoj moj. 6Buduæi pak da neki imaju da uðu u njega, i oni kojima je najprije javljeno ne uðoše za neposlušanje; 7Opet odredi jedan dan, danas, govoreæi u Davidu po tolikom vremenu, kao što se prije kaza: danas ako glas njegov èujete, ne budite drvenastijeh srca. 8Jer da je Isus one doveo u pokoj, ne bi za drugi dan govorio potom. 9Daklem je ostavljeno još poèivanje narodu Božijemu. 10Jer koji uðe u pokoj njegov, i on poèiva od djela svojijeh, kao i Bog od svojijeh. 11Da se postaramo dakle uæi u taj pokoj, da ne upadne ko u onu istu gatku nevjerstva. 12Jer je živa rijeè Božija, i jaka, i oštrija od svakoga maèa oštra s obje strane, i prolazi tja do rastavljanja i duše i duha, i zglavaka i mozga, i sudi mislima i pomislima srdaènijem. 13I nema tvari nepoznate pred njim, nego je sve golo i otkriveno pred oèima onoga kojemu govorimo.

Luke 21.12-19 (Gospel)

12A prije svega ovoga metnuæe na vas ruke svoje i goniæe vas i predavati u zbornice i u tamnice; vodiæe vas pred careve i kraljeve imena mojega radi. 13A to æe vam se dogoditi za svjedoèanstvo. 14Metnite dakle u srca svoja, da se prije ne pripravljate kako æete odgovarati: 15Jer æu vam ja dati usta i premudrost kojoj se neæe moæi protiviti ni odgovoriti svi vaši protivnici. 16A predavaæe vas i roditelji i braæa i roðaci i prijatelji; i pobiæe neke od vas. 17I svi æe omrznuti na vas imena mojega radi. 18I dlaka s glave vaše neæe poginuti. 19Trpljenjem svojijem spasavajte duše svoje.

Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles.

In addition to the Twelve Apostles, our Lord appointed seventy disciples to go forth and bring the Good News to the world (see Luke ch. 10). Others were later added to this company by the Holy Apostles, so that their number in fact exceeds seventy, though all are still referred to as “of the Seventy.”

On this day we also commemorate the company of those who have been sent forth by the Holy Spirit through the centuries to proclaim the joyous Gospel of Christ.

The Ethiopian Eunuch of Queen Candace

His baptism by the holy Apostle Philip is told in Acts ch. 8. He was already seeking out the things of God — the story shows him reading the Book of Isaiah, and specifies that he was going to Jerusalem to worship. He returned home (“rejoicing”, say the scriptures) and proclaimed the Gospel of Christ in his native land; the ancient Church of Ethiopia traces its beginnings to his mission. He died a martyr’s death.

Venerable Apollinaria (5th c.)

She was a maiden of high rank, the daughter of a magistrate named Anthimus in the city of Rome. Filled with love for Christ, she prevailed on her parents to allow her to travel on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In Jerusalem she dismissed most of her attendants, gave her jewels, fine clothes and money to the poor, and went on to Egypt accompanied only by two trusted servants. Near Alexandria she slipped away from them and fled to a forest, where she lived in ascesis for many years. She then made her way to Sketis, the famous desert monastic colony, and presented herself as a eunuch named Dorotheos. In this guise she was accepted as a monk.

Anthimus, having lost his elder daughter, was visited with another grief: his younger daughter was afflicted by a demon. He sent this daughter to Sketis, asking the holy fathers there to aid her by their prayers. They put her under the care of “Dorotheos”, who after days of constant prayer effected the complete cure of her (unknowing) sister. When the girl got back home it was discovered that she was pregnant, and Anthimus angrily ordered that the monk who had cared for her be sent to him. He was astonished to find that “Dorotheos” was his own daughter Apollinaria, whom he had abandoned hope of seeing again. After some days the holy woman returned to Sketis, still keeping her identity secret from her fellow-monks. Only at her death was her true story discovered.