Philippians 3.8-19 (Epistle)

8Jer sve držim za štetu prema prevažnome poznanju Hrista Isusa Gospoda svojega, kojega radi sve ostavih, i držim sve da su trice, samo da Hrista dobijem, 9I da se naðem u njemu, ne imajuæi svoje pravde koja je od zakona, nego koja je od vjere Isusa Hrista, pravdu koja je od Boga u vjeri; 10Da poznam njega i silu vaskrsenija njegova i zajednicu njegovijeh muka, da budem nalik na smrt njegovu, 11Da bih kako dostigao u vaskrsenije mrtvijeh; 12Ne kao da veæ dostigoh ili se veæ savrših, nego tjeram ne bih li dostigao kao što me dostiže Hristos Isus. 13Braæo! ja još ne mislim da sam dostigao; jedno pak velim: što je ostrag zaboravljam, a za onijem što je naprijed sežem se, 14I trèim k biljezi, k daru gornjega zvanja Božijega u Hristu Isusu. 15Koji smo god dakle savršeni ovako da mislimo; ako li što drugo mislite, i ovo æe vam Bog otkriti. 16Ali šta dostigosmo u onome jednako da mislimo, i po onome pravilu da živimo. 17Ugledajte se na mene, braæo, i gledajte na one koji tako žive kao što nas imate za ugled. 18Jer mnogi hode, za koje vam mnogo puta govorih, a sad i plaèuæi govorim, neprijatelji krsta Hristova; 19Kojima je svršetak pogibao, kojima je Bog trbuh, i slava u sramu njihovu, koji zemaljski misle.

Luke 10.1-15 (Gospel)

1A potom izabra Gospod i drugijeh sedamdesetoricu, i posla ih po dva i dva pred licem svojijem u svaki grad i u mjesto kuda šæaše sam doæi. 2A reèe im: žetva je dakle velika a poslenika malo; nego se molite gospodaru od žetve da izvede poslenike na žetvu svoju. 3Idite; eto ja vas šaljem kao jaganjce meðu vukove. 4Ne nosite kese ni torbe ni obuæe, i nikoga ne pozdravljajte na putu. 5U koju god kuæu uðete najprije govorite: mir kuæi ovoj. 6I ako dakle bude ondje sin mira, ostaæe na njemu mir vaš; ako li ne bude, vratiæe se k vama. 7A u onoj kuæi budite, i jedite i pijte što u njih ima; jer je poslenik dostojan svoje plate; ne prelazite iz kuæe u kuæu. 8I u koji god grad doðete i prime vas, jedite što se donese pred vas. 9I iscjeljujte bolesnike koji su u njemu, i govorite im: približi se k vama carstvo Božije. 10I u koji god grad doðete i ne prime vas, izišavši na ulice njegove recite: 11I prah od grada vašega koji je prionuo za nas otresamo vam; ali ovo znajte da se približi k vama carstvo Božije. 12Kažem vam da æe Sodomu biti lakše u onaj dan negoli gradu onome. 13Teško tebi, Horazine! teško tebi, Vitsaido! Jer da su u Tiru i u Sidonu bila èudesa što su bila u vama, davno bi se u vreæi i u pepelu sjedeæi pokajali. 14Ali Tiru i Sidonu biæe lakše na sudu nego vama. 15I ti, Kapernaume! koji si se do nebesa podigao do pakla æeš propasti.

Holy Great Martyr Artemius (362)

He came from a noble family, and was appointed military Governor of Alexandria and Egypt by the Emperor Constantine the Great. Some years later, the Emperor Julian the Apostate strove to restore pagan idolatry as the official religion of the Empire. He also entered into a war with Persia, and established Antioch as his headquarters for pursuing the war. In Alexandria, Artemius received an order to come to Antioch with the military forces under his command. Artemius reported to the apostate Emperor just in time to see him ordering the cruel execution of two pious Christians, Eugenius and Macarius. Fearlessly, St Artemius immediately denounced the Emperor, telling him to his face that his anti-Christian policy was of demonic origin. The enraged Emperor instantly had Artemius stripped of all official rank and thrown into prison. The following day, he had Artemius brought before him and promised him high Imperial office if he would only renounce Christ and worship the idols. When Artemius forcefully refused to do this, he was publicly tortured to death. A pious noblewoman secretly recovered the Saint’s relics and took them to Constantinople, where they were venerated and wrought many miracles for several centuries.

St Gerasimus the New, ascetic of Cephalonia (1579)

He was born in southern Greece. As a young man he left home and, after traveling to seek out guides in the ascetic life, he came to Mt Athos, where he was tonsured as a monk. Some years later he went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and there was ordained to the priesthood by Patriarch Germanus of Jerusalem. Once, while living in Jerusalem, he went into the Jordanian desert for forty days of fasting and prayer, in imitation of the Lord. After more travels through Sinai and Egypt, he came to the Greek island of Zakynthos, where he lived alone in an isolated cave, sustaining himself only on vegetables. But his holiness soon attracted many of the faithful, who came to him for blessing and counsel. Mindful of the advice that nothing is more harmful to a monk as the praise of men, he fled to the island of Cephalonia, where he again took up life in a secluded cave. But once again he became known, and even more pilgrims gathered around him in search of spiritual nurture. This time, God made known to him that he must leave his beloved solitude in order to minister to others; so he founded a monastery called New Jerusalem on the island. St Gerasimus lived to a great age, and was granted foreknowledge of the day of his death. His relics are preserved on Cephalonia, “complete and incorrupt, as if he were asleep,” according to the Synaxarion.

St Jonah, Bishop of Manchuria (1925) (October 7 OC)

Note: St Jonah’s commemoration is October 7 on the Old Calendar, which falls on this day of the New Calendar.

He was orphaned in Russia at a young age, and, after attending the seminary in his home town of Kaluga, was tonsured as a monk at Optina Monastery. He was later ordained a priest, and taught in Kazan. In his thirtieth year (1918) the Bolsheviks seized power and he was forced to flee. After many persecutions and sufferings, he joined a large party of Russians who fled across Turkestan and the Gobi Desert into China. There he was made Bishop, and immediately began working tirelessly to encourage his flock and to provide for their material needs (most had arrived in China with only the clothes on their backs). He established churches, opened soup kitchens and an orphanage, cared personally for the sick, and in every way personified a true Minister of Christ.

When his death approached (from an infection acquired while caring for the sick) he donned his epitrachelion, read the Canon for the Departure of the Soul, lay down on his bed and said ‘God’s will be done. Now I shall die.’ Within minutes he was dead. On the night of his funeral the Bishop appeared to a paralyzed ten-year-old boy, who was miraculously healed.