2 Timothy 3.1-9 (Epistle)

1Ali ovo znaj da æe u pošljednje dane nastati vremena teška. 2Jer æe ljudi postati samoživi, srebroljupci, hvališe, ponositi, hulnici, nepokorni roditeljima, neblagodarni, nepravedni, neljubavni, 3Neprimirljivi, opadaèi, neuzdržnici, bijesni, nedobroljubivi, 4Izdajnici, nagli, naduveni, koji više mare za slasti nego za Boga, 5Koji imaju oblièje pobožnosti, a sile su se njezine odrekli. I ovijeh se kloni. 6Jer su od ovijeh oni koji se zavlaèe po kuæama, i robe ženice koje su natovarene grijesima i vode ih razliène želje, 7Koje se svagda uèe, i nikad ne mogu da doðu k poznanju istine. 8Kao što se Janije i Jamvrije protiviše Mojsiju, tako se i ovi protive istini, ljudi izopaèenoga uma, nevješti u vjeri. 9Ali neæe dugo napredovati; jer æe njihovo bezumlje postati javno pred svima, kao i onijeh što posta.

Luke 20.46-21.4 (Gospel)

46Èuvajte se od književnika, koji hoæe da idu u dugaèkijem haljinama, i traže da im se klanja po ulicama, i prvijeh mjesta po zbornicama, i zaèelja na gozbama; 47Koji jedu kuæe udovièke, i lažno se mole Bogu dugo. Oni æe još veæma biti osuðeni.

1Pogledavši pak gore vidje bogate gdje meæu priloge svoje u haznu Božiju; 2A vidje i jednu siromašnu udovicu koja metaše ondje dvije lepte; 3I reèe: zaista vam kažem: ova siromašna udovica metnu više od sviju: 4Jer svi ovi metnuše u prilog Bogu od suviška svojega, a ona od sirotinje svoje metnu svu hranu svoju što imaše.

St Meletios, archbishop of Antioch (381)

Our holy father Meletios, an Armenian by birth, became archbishop of Antioch at the height of the Arian controversy. Though he was appointed by influential Arians who thought that he shared their views, as soon as he was raised to the throne he began to preach the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father. “At this, the archdeacon, an Arian, put his hand over the bishop’s mouth; Meletios then extended three fingers towards the people, closed them, and extended one only, showing by signs the equality and unity of the Trinity. The embarrassed archdeacon then seized his hand, but released his mouth, and Meletios spoke out even more forcibly in defense of the Council of Nicea” (Great Horologion). It was St Meletios who ordained St John Chrysostom reader and deacon in Antioch. He presided at the Second Ecumenical Council in 381. At his repose, St Gregory of Nyssa gave his funeral oration, lamenting: “Our Elijah has been caught up, and no Elisha is left behind in his place.”

St Alexis, metropolitan of Moscow and wonder-worker of all Russia (1378)

He was born early in the 14th century to a family of court dignitaries in Moscow. Despite a fine education, he was not drawn to worldly success and became a monk at the age of twenty. In time Alexis was consecrated Bishop of Vladimir, then Metropolitan of Moscow, at that time the highest rank in the Russian church (which was still under the Patriarchate of Constantinople). Russia was then under the cruel domination of the Tatars. Saint Alexis traveled twice to the Golden Horde, where the Tatar Khan kept court. On his first visit (1359), he healed the Khan’s wife of a blindness which had afflicted her for three years — a miracle that did much to soften the Tatars’ treatment of their Russian vassals, and to preserve the liberty of the Church.

His ceaseless labors in the world did not deprive the Saint of his love for monasticism: he conferred with holy monks at every opportunity, and founded many new monasteries. As he neared the end of his life he tried without success to persuade his friend St Sergius of Radonezh (September 25) to succeed him. He reposed in peace in 1378. His incorrupt relics are venerated in the Cathedral of the Theophany in Moscow.