8. октобар 2028.
18th Sunday after Pentecost

No Fast

Commemorations

Our Holy Mother Pelagia (461)
Saint Thaïs the Repentant Harlot (4th c.)

Scripture Readings

John 20.1-10 (7th Matins Gospel)

1A u prvi dan nedjelje doðe Marija Magdalina na grob rano, još dok se ne bješe rasvanulo, i vidje da je kamen odvaljen od groba. 2Onda otrèa, i doðe k Simonu Petru i k drugom uèeniku koga ljubljaše Isus, i reèe im: uzeše Gospoda iz groba; i ne znamo gdje ga metnuše. 3A Petar iziðe i drugi uèenik, i poðoše ka grobu. 4Trèahu pak oba zajedno, i drugi uèenik trèaše brže od Petra, i doðe prije ka grobu. 5I nadvirivši se vidje haljine gdje leže; ali ne uðe. 6Doðe pak Simon Petar za njim, i uðe u grob, i vidje haljine same gdje leže, 7I ubrus koji bješe na glavi njegovoj ne s haljinama da leži nego osobito savit na jednom mjestu. 8Tada dakle uðe i drugi uèenik koji najprije doðe ka grobu, i vidje i vjerova. 9Jer još ne znadijahu pisma da njemu valja ustati iz mrtvijeh. 10Onda otidoše opet uèenici doma.

2 Corinthians 9.6-11 (Epistle)

6Ovo pak velim: koji s tvrðom sije, s tvrðom æe i požnjeti; a koji blagoslov sije, blagoslov æe i požnjeti. 7Svaki po volji svojega srca, a ne sa žalošæu ili od nevolje; jer Bog ljubi onoga koji dragovoljno daje. 8A Bog je kadar uèiniti da je meðu vama izobilna svaka blagodat, da u svemu svagda svako dovoljstvo imajuæi izobilujete za svako dobro djelo; 9Kao što je pisano: prosu, dade siromasima; pravda njegova ostaje vavijek. 10A koji daje sjeme sijaèu, daæe i hljeb za jelo: i umnožiæe sjeme vaše, i daæe da uzrastu žita pravde vaše; 11Da se u svemu obogatite za svaku prostotu koja kroz nas èini hvalu Bogu.

Luke 7.11-16 (Gospel)

11I potom iðaše u grad koji se zove Nain, i s njim iðahu mnogi uèenici njegovi i mnoštvo naroda. 12Kad se približiše k vratima gradskijem, i gle, iznošahu mrtvaca, jedinca sina matere njegove, i ona bješe udovica i naroda iz grada mnogo iðaše s njom. 13I vidjevši je Gospod sažali mu se za njom, i reèe joj: ne plaèi. 14I pristupivši prihvati za sanduk; a nosioci stadoše, i reèe: momèe! tebi govorim, ustani. 15I sjede mrtvac i stade govoriti; i dade ga materi njegovoj. 16A strah obuze sve, i hvaljahu Boga govoreæi: veliki prorok iziðe meðu nama, i Bog pohodi narod svoj.

Commemorations

Our Holy Mother Pelagia (461)

“This Saint was a prominent actress of the city of Antioch, and a pagan, who lived a life of unrestrained prodigality and led many to perdition. Instructed and baptized by a certain bishop named Nonnus (November 10), she departed to the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem, where she lived as a recluse, feigning to be a eunuch called Pelagius. She lived in such holiness and repentance that within three or four years she was deemed worthy to repose in an odour of sanctity, in the middle of the fifth century. Her tomb on the Mount of Olives has been a place of pilgrimage ever since.” (Great Horologion). The Prologue adds that Pelagia had accumulated a large fortune as a courtesan, all of which she gave away to the poor upon her conversion.

Saint Thaïs the Repentant Harlot (4th c.)

She lived in Alexandria, where, when she was seventeen, her own mother placed her in a brothel, where due to her great beauty she was able to amass some wealth. Saint Serapion (March 21), hearing about Thaïs and her way of life, was moved by God to try to convert her. He dressed himself as a soldier, found her, gave her a gold piece, and went with her to her room. When the door was shut, he put aside his tunic, revealing his monastic robe, and asked if he might speak with her. With tears he told her of the doom that awaits sinners, and of the infinite mercy of God, who desires that all should be saved and welcomes every repentant sinner. Thaïs, her heart melted by his words, ran to the public square, burned all the fine clothes and possessions that she had acquired through her trade, and went with Serapion to a women’s monastery. There he instructed her to stay secluded in her cell, beseeching God’s mercy constantly and only eating every other day; she was to do this until she was instructed otherwise. Thaïs lived in this way for three years, with such zeal that she amazed all her monastic sisters. Meanwhile St Serapion went to St Anthony the Great to ask him if God had accepted Thaïs’ repentance. Saint Anthony and his brethren spent a night in prayer and received a vision in which they were assured that Thaïs had been found worthy of God’s mercy. Returning to the monastery, Serapion made the repentant Saint leave her cell, though by now she only wished to spend her life in repentant prayer. After spending only fifteen days in the common life of the monastery, the holy Thaïs reposed in peace.