2 John 1.1-13 (Epistle)

1Od starješine izbranoj gospoði i djeci njezinoj, koju ja ljubim vaistinu, i ne samo ja nego svi koji poznaše istinu, 2Za istinu koja u nama stoji i biæe s nama dovijeka: 3Da bude s vama blagodat, milost, mir od Boga oca i od Gospoda Isusa Hrista, sina oèina, u istini i u ljubavi. 4Obradovah se vrlo što naðoh neke od tvoje djece koji hode u istini, kao što primismo zapovijest od oca. 5I sad molim te, gospoðo, ne kao da ti novu zapovijest pišem, nego koju imamo ispoèetka, da imamo ljubav meðu sobom. 6I ova je ljubav da živimo po zapovijestima njegovijem. Ova je zapovijest, kao što èuste ispoèetka, da u njoj živite. 7Jer mnoge varalice iziðoše na svijet koji ne priznaju Isusa Hrista da je došao u tijelu; ovo je varalica i antihrist. 8Èuvajte se da ne izgubimo što smo zaradili, nego da primimo platu potpuno. 9Koji god prestupa i ne stoji u nauci Hristovoj onaj nema Boga; a koji stoji u nauci Hristovoj onaj ima i oca i sina. 10Ako ko dolazi k vama i ove nauke ne donosi, ne primajte ga u kuæu, i ne pitajte se s njim; 11Jer ko se upita s njim, prima dijel u njegovijem zlijem djelima. 12Mnogo bih vam imao pisati, ali ne htjedoh hartijom i mastilom; jer se nadam da æu doæi k vama i iz usta govoriti, da radost vaša bude ispunjena. 13Pozdravljaju te djeca tvoje sestre izbrane. Amin.

Mark 15.22, 25, 33-41 (Gospel)

22I dovedoše ga na mjesto Golgotu, koje æe reæi: košturnica. 25A bijaše sahat treæi kad ga razapeše. 33A u šestome sahatu bi tama po svoj zemlji do sahata devetoga. 34I u devetome sahatu povika Isus iza glasa govoreæi: Eloi! Eloi! lama savahtani? koje znaèi: Bože moj! Bože moj! zašto si me ostavio? 35I neki od onijeh što stajahu ondje èuvši to govorahu: eno zove Iliju. 36A jedan otrèa te napuni sunðer octa, pa nataknuvši na trsku pojaše ga govoreæi: stanite da vidimo hoæe li doæi Ilija da ga skine. 37A Isus povika iza glasa, i izdahnu. 38I zavjes crkveni razdrije se nadvoje s vrha do na dno. 39A kad vidje kapetan koji stajaše prema njemu da s takom vikom izdahnu, reèe: zaista èovjek ovaj sin Božij bješe. 40A bijahu i žene koje gledahu izdaleka, meðu kojima bješe i Marija Magdalina i Marija Jakova maloga i Josije mati, i Solomija, 41Koje iðahu za njim i kad bješe u Galileji, i služahu mu; i druge mnoge koje bijahu došle s njim u Jerusalim.

St Leo the Great, pope of Rome(461)

Pope Leo was one of the great bastions of Orthodoxy during the time of the monophysite heresy and its offshoots. ‘According to some, this Saint was born in Rome, but according to others in Tyrrenia (Tuscany), and was consecrated to the archiepiscopal throne of Rome in 440. In 448, when St Flavian, Archbishop of Constantinople [also commemorated today], summoned Eutyches, an archimandrite in Constantinople, to give account for his teaching that there was only one nature in Christ after the Incarnation, Eutyches appealed to St Leo in Rome. After St Leo had carefully examined Eutyches’ teachings, he wrote an epistle to St Flavian, setting forth the Orthodox teaching of the person of Christ, and His two natures, and also counseling Flavian that, should Eutyches sincerely repent of his error, he should be received back with all good will. At the Council held in Ephesus in 449, which was presided over by Dioscorus, Patriarch of Alexandria (and which Saint Leo, in a letter to the holy Empress Pulcheria in 451, was the first to call “The Robber Council”), Dioscorus, having military might behind him, did not allow Saint Leo’s epistle to Flavian to be read, although repeatedly asked to do so; even before the Robber Council was held, Dioscorus had uncanonically received the unrepentant Eutyches back into communion. Because Saint Leo had many cares in Rome owing to the wars of Attila the Hun and other barbarians, in 451 he sent four delegates to the Fourth Ecumenical Council, where 630 Fathers gathered in Chalcedon during the reign of Marcian, to condemn the teachings of Eutyches and those who supported him. Saint Leo’s epistle to Flavian was read at the Fourth Council, and was confirmed by the Holy Fathers as the Orthodox teaching on the incarnate Person of our Lord; it is also called the “Tome of Leo.” The Saint wrote many works in Latin; he reposed in 461.’(Great Horologion).

St Leo is remembered for saving Rome from conquest by Attila the Hun. When Attila drew near to Rome, preparing to pillage the city, St Leo went out to him in his episcopal vestments and enjoined him to turn back. For reasons unknown to worldly historians, the pitiless Attila with all his troops abandoned their attack and returned the way they had come.