Romans 14.19-23, 16.25-27 (Epistle)

19Tako dakle da se staramo za mir i za ono èim vodimo na bolje jedan drugoga. 20Ne raskopavaj djela Božijega jela radi; jer je sve èisto; nego je pogano za èovjeka koji jede sa spoticanjem. 21Dobro je ne jesti mesa, i vina ne piti, i ono ne èiniti na što se tvoj brat spotièe, ili oda šta gori postaje ili slabi. 22Ti imaš vjeru? Imaj je sam u sebi pred Bogom. Blago onome koji ne osuðuje sebe za ono šta naðe za dobro. 23A koji se sumnja osuðen je ako jede, jer ne èini po vjeri: a šta god nije po vjeri grijeh je. 25A onome koji vas može utvrditi po jevanðelju mojemu i propovijedanju Isusa Hrista, po otkrivenju tajne koja je bila sakrivena od postanja svijeta, 26A sad se javila i obznanila kroz pisma proroèka, po zapovijesti vjeènoga Boga, za poslušanje vjere meðu svima neznabošcima, 27Jedinome premudrome Bogu, kroz Isusa Hrista, slava vavijek. Amin.

Galatians 5.22-6.2 (Epistle, Departed)

22A rod je duhovni ljubav, radost, mir, trpljenje, dobrota, milost, vjera, 23Krotost, uzdržanje; na to nema zakona. 24A koji su Hristovi, raspeše tijelo sa slastima i željama. 25Ako u duhu živimo, po duhu i da hodimo, 26Da ne tražimo lažne slave razdražujuæi jedan drugoga, i zavideæi jedan drugome.

1Braæo! ako i upadne èovjek u kakav grijeh, vi duhovni ispravljajte takovoga duhom krotosti, èuvajuæi sebe da i ti ne budeš iskušan. 2Nosite bremena jedan drugoga, i tako æete ispuniti zakon Hristov.

Matthew 6.1-13 (Gospel)

1Pazite da pravdu svoju ne èinite pred ljudima da vas oni vide; inaèe plate nemate od oca svojega koji je na nebesima. 2Kad dakle daješ milostinju, ne trubi pred sobom, kao što èine licemjeri po zbornicama i po ulicama da ih hvale ljudi. Zaisto vam kažem: primili su platu svoju. 3A ti kad èiniš milostinju, da ne zna ljevaka tvoja što èini desnica tvoja. 4Tako da bude milostinja tvoja tajna; i otac tvoj koji vidi tajno, platiæe tebi javno. 5I kad se moliš Bogu, ne budi kao licemjeri, koji rado po zbornicama i na raskršæu po ulicama stoje i mole se da ih vide ljudi. Zaisto vam kažem da su primili platu svoju. 6A ti kad se moliš, uði u klijet svoju, i zatvorivši vrata svoja, pomoli se ocu svojemu koji je u tajnosti; i otac tvoj koji vidi tajno, platiæe tebi javno. 7A kad se molite, ne govorite mnogo, kao neznabošci; jer oni misle da æe za mnoge rijeèi svoje biti uslišeni. 8Vi dakle ne budite kao oni; jer zna otac vaš šta vam treba prije molitve vaše; 9Ovako dakle molite se vi: Oèe naš koji si na nebesima, da se sveti ime tvoje; 10Da doðe carstvo tvoje; da bude volja tvoja i na zemlji kao na nebu; 11Hljeb naš potrebni daj nam danas; 12I oprosti nam dugove naše kao i mi što opraštamo dužnicima svojijem; 13I ne navedi nas u napast; no izbavi nas oda zla. Jer je tvoje carstvo, i sila, i slava vavijek. Amin.

Matthew 11.27-30 (Gospel, Departed)

27Sve je meni predao otac moj, i niko ne zna sina do otac; niti oca ko zna do sin i ako kome sin hoæe kazati. 28Hodite k meni svi koji ste umorni i natovareni, i ja æu vas odmoriti. 29Uzmite jaram moj na sebe, i nauèite se od mene; jer sam ja krotak i smjeran u srcu, i naæi æete pokoj dušama svojijem. 30Jer je jaram moj blag, i breme je moje lako.

St Porphyrius, bishop of Gaza (420)

He was born to a wealthy, noble family in Thessalonica around 347. Filled more and more with a yearning for God, he abandoned his worldly possessions and traveled to Egypt, living for five years as a monk at Sketis. From there he went to Palestine, where he lived for another five years in a cave in the Jordan desert. Suffering from a severe ailment, he was forced to move to Jerusalem; there he was suddenly and completely cured following a vision on Golgotha, in which he saw the Good Thief come down from the cross to lead him to Christ, who gave the Cross into his keeping.

Porphyrius took up the trade of a shoemaker in Jerusalem to provide for his few needs. His humility and charity became so well-known that the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him to the priesthood at the age of forty-five, and made him Stavrophylax, keeper of the True Cross of the Savior — thus fulfilling Porphyrius’ vision on Golgotha. Three years later, much against his will, he was elected Bishop of Gaza.

Throughout his episcopate he was persecuted by the pagans who still dominated the life of that city — though he was able to convert many of them by his own example of holiness, and by the many miracles that were wrought through his intercessions. Once, when the city was suffering from a long drought, the Saint gathered the city’s Christians (who numbered no more than 280), told them to fast, and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning, as the Bishop and his entire flock went in procession through the city it began to rain. At this, 127 pagans were converted. When the pagans’ violent attacks continued, Porphyrius appealed to the Emperor Arcadius for an edict closing of the pagan temples in Gaza. With the support of St John Chrysostom the edict was issued. When the Imperial representatives entered Gaza, accompanied by Bishop Porphyrius bearing the Cross, the statue of Aphrodite in the city’s main temple shattered into pieces. Eight temples were destroyed, and a Church was built on the site of the largest. Hundreds of pagans embraced the Faith and, after instruction, were baptized by the Saint.

After twenty-five years as bishop, during which he had seen his see transformed from a small flock of beleaguered Christians into a Christian territory, Saint Porphyrius reposed in peace in 420.

St Photini the Samaritan Woman, and those with her (66)

She was the Samaritan Woman who met Christ at Jacob’s Well (John ch. 4). She repented, and told her townsmen that she had met the Christ, for which she is sometimes called the first to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. She converted her four sisters (Phota, Photis,Parasceva, and Cyriaca), and her sons (Victor and Joses), and all of them became tireless evangelists for Christ. After the martyrdom of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, she traveled to Carthage to proclaim the Gospel there. She, with her Christian sisters and sons, all met martyrdom under the persecutions of Nero. She is also commemorated on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman during the Paschal season.