Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9 (Vespers)

Wisdom of Solomon 5.15-6.3 (Vespers)

Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15 (Vespers)

John 10.1-9 (Matins Gospel)

1Zaista, zaista vam kažem: ko ne ulazi na vrata u tor ovèij nego prelazi na drugom mjestu on je lupež i hajduk; 2A koji ulazi na vrata jest pastir ovcama: 3Njemu vratar otvora, i ovce glas njegov slušaju, i svoje ovce zove po imenu, i izgoni ih; 4I kad svoje ovce istjera, ide pred njima, i ovce idu za njim, jer poznaju glas njegov. 5A za tuðinom neæe da idu, nego bježe od njega, jer ne poznaju glasa tuðega. 6Ovu prièu kaza im Isus, ali oni ne razumješe šta to bijaše što im kaza. 7Tada im reèe Isus opet: zaista, zaista vam kažem: ja sam vrata k ovcama. 8Svi koliko ih god doðe prije mene lupeži su i hajduci; ali ih ovce ne poslušaše. 9Ja sam vrata; ko uðe kroza me spašæe se, i uæi æe i iziæi æe, i pašu æe naæi.

Philippians 1.1-7 (Epistle)

1Od Pavla i Timotija, slugu Isusa Hrista, svima svetima u Hristu Isusu koji su u Filibi, s vladikama i ðakonima: 2Blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca našega i Gospoda Isusa Hrista. 3Zahvaljujem Bogu svojemu kad se god opomenem vas, 4Svagda u svakoj molitvi svojoj za sve vas s radošæu moleæi se, 5Što vi postadoste zajednièari u jevanðelju, od prvoga dana i do danas; 6Uzdajuæi se u ovo isto da æe onaj koji je poèeo dobro djelo u vama dovršiti ga tja do dana Isusa Hrista. 7Kao što je pravo da ja ovo mislim za sve vas, jer vas imam u srcu u okovima svojima i u odgovoru i potvrðivanju jevanðelja, kao sve zajednièare sa mnom u blagodati.

Hebrews 7.26-8.2 (Epistle, St Tikhon)

26Jer takov nama trebaše poglavar sveštenièki: svet, bezazlen, èist, odvojen od grješnika, i koji je bio više nebesa; 27Kojemu nije potrebno svaki dan, kao sveštenicima, najprije za svoje grijehe žrtve prinositi, a potom za narodne, jer on ovo uèini jednom, kad sebe prinese. 28Jer zakon postavlja ljude za sveštenike koji imaju slabost; a rijeè zakletve koja je reèena po zakonu, postavi sina vavijek savršena.

1A ovo je glava od toga što govorimo: imamo takovoga poglavara sveštenièkoga koji sjede s desne strane prijestola velièine na nebesima; 2Koji je sluga svetinjama i istinitoj skiniji, koju naèini Gospod, a ne èovjek.

Luke 7.36-50 (Gospel)

36Moljaše ga pak jedan od fariseja da bi objedovao u njega; i ušavši u kuæu farisejevu sjede za trpezu. 37I gle, žena u gradu koja bješe grješnica doznavši da je Isus za trpezom u kuæi farisejevoj, donese sklenicu mira; 38I stavši sastrag kod nogu njegovijeh plakaše, i stade prati noge njegove suzama, i kosom od svoje glave otiraše, i cjelivaše noge njegove, i mazaše mirom. 39A kad vidje farisej koji ga je dozvao, reèe u sebi govoreæi: da je on prorok, znao bi ko i kakva ga se žena dotièe: jer je grješnica. 40I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe mu: Simone! imam ti nešto kazati. A on reèe: uèitelju! kaži. 41A Isus reèe: dvojica bijahu dužni jednome dužniku, jedan bješe dužan pet stotina dinara a drugi pedeset. 42A kad oni ne imadoše da mu vrate, pokloni obojici. Kaži koji æe ga od njih dvojice veæma ljubiti. 43A Simon odgovarajuæi reèe: mislim onaj kome najviše pokloni. A on mu reèe: pravo si sudio. 44I okrenuvši se k ženi reèe Simonu: vidiš li ovu ženu? Ja uðoh u tvoju kuæu, ni vode mi na noge nijesi dao; a ona suzama obli mi noge, i kosom od glave svoje otr. 45Cjeliva mi nijesi dao; a ona otkako uðoh ne presta cjelivati mi nogu. 46Uljem nijesi pomazao glave moje; a ona mirom pomaza mi noge. 47Zato kažem ti: opraštaju joj se grijesi mnogi, jer je veliku ljubav imala; a kome se malo oprašta ima malu ljubav. 48A njoj reèe: opraštaju ti se grijesi. 49I stadoše u sebi govoriti oni što sjeðahu s njim za trpezom: ko je ovaj što i grijehe oprašta? 50A ženi reèe: vjera tvoja pomože ti; idi s mirom.

John 10.9-16 (Gospel, St Tikhon)

9Ja sam vrata; ko uðe kroza me spašæe se, i uæi æe i iziæi æe, i pašu æe naæi. 10Lupež ne dolazi ni za što drugo nego da ukrade i ubije i pogubi; ja doðoh da imaju život i izobilje. 11Ja sam pastir dobri; pastir dobri dušu svoju polaže za ovce, 12A najamnik, koji nije pastir, kome nijesu ovce svoje, vidi vuka gdje ide, i ostavlja ovce, i bježi: i vuk razgrabi ovce i raspudi ih; 13A najamnik bježi, jer je najamnik i ne mari za ovce. 14Ja sam pastir dobri i znam svoje, i moje mene znaju. 15Kao što mene zna otac i ja znam oca; i dušu svoju polažem za ovce. 16I druge ovce imam koje nijesu iz ovoga tora, i one mi valja dovesti; i èuæe glas moj, i biæe jedno stado i jedan pastir.

Holy Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus.

He was one of the Twelve Apostles, the brother of the Apostle and Evangelist St Matthew. After Pentecost he preached the Gospel in many nations, and was finally martyred in Egypt, crucified by pagans.

Saints Andronicus and Athanasia (5th c.)

Andronicus was a goldsmith who lived in Antioch during the reign of Theodosius the Great (379-395). He and his wife Athanasia were devout Christians who strove to follow Christ in all things. They gave a third of all that they earned to the poor, another third to the Church, and lived on the remainder. After they had two children, they agreed to live henceforth as brother and sister. Both their children died on the same day, and they grieved inconsolably until St Justin the Martyr appeared to Athanasia at the children’s grave and told her that her children were in the Kingdom of God, happier than they had ever been on earth. Andronicus and Athanasia then travelled to Egypt, where each took up the monastic life in different monasteries. After living for many years in asceticism, they reposed in peace within ten days of one another.

Holy and Righteous Abraham and Lot

Read their story in the book of Genesis. They are also commemorated on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, Dec 11-17.

St Stephen the Blind, Prince of Serbia (1476)

He was born in 1417. Stephen and his younger brother Gregory were taken captive by the Turks and blinded on the day of Pascha 1441; several years later they were ransomed back to their father. After his father’s death, Stephen, though blind, ruled Serbia for a short time, but was deposed in a coup and exiled to Albania. There he met St Angelina, whom he married in 1461. Their marriage was blessed with three children. Once again Stephen was threatened by the Turks and fled with his family to Trieste in Italy. There he held firmly to the Orthodox faith despite strong pressures to convert to Roman Catholicism. The holy prince, having patiently endured the many hardships of his life, reposed in peace in 1476. Years after his death, a heavenly light miraculously appeared over his tomb. When the tomb was opened, his relics were found to be incorrupt; the sick were healed by touching them, and the blind received their sight. The relics were placed in the Monastery of Krushedol, founded by his widow St Angelina. The Monastery was sacked in 1716 by the Turks, who burned the church and cut the holy relics to pieces. Some fragments still remain at the reconstructed monastery.

Holy Hieromartyr Denis (Dionysius), first Bishop of Paris (ca. 258)

Saint Denis (a westernization of the the Greek Dionysius), was one of seven bishops sent to Gaul by the Bishop of Rome during the reign of the Emperor Decius. Their mission was to extend the spread of the Gospel in that mostly-pagan land. While most of the bishops were sent to major settlements, St Denis was assigned to the small, remote pagan town of Lutetia — which later grew to become the city of Paris. He and his companions settled outside the town in a house given to him by a convert, where the few Christians could meet in secret. Soon, through the holy bishop’s grace-filled preaching and his many miracles, Christianity grew rapidly.

Soon a fierce persecution of Christians swept through Gaul, and many of the faithful were abused, tortured or put to death. Saint Denis, fearless of danger and heedless of his own old age, travelled among the Christians, visiting the prisoners and exhorting all to remain firm in their confession of Christ. Soon he himself was arrested along with several companions, and was tortured without pity. When was publicly hung on a cross, he preached to the onlookers of the mystery of Christ’s Passion. Taken back to prison, he celebrated the holy Eucharist for the last time, enveloped in a heavenly light. He and a host of other Martyrs were then beheaded on a hill, now called Montmartre in their memory. There is a tradition that at his beheading he rose up, took his own head in his hands, and walked for several miles to a place that later became the Basilica of St Denis in the town named after him. Before the French Revolution, the Kings and Queens of France were buried in this church.