Acts 12.25-13.12 (Epistle)

25A Varnava i Savle predavši pomoæ vratiše se iz Jerusalima u Antiohiju, uzevši sa sobom i Jovana koji se zvaše Marko.

1A u crkvi koja bješe u Antiohiji bijahu neki proroci i uèitelji, to jest: Varnava i Simeun koji se zvaše Nigar, i Lukije Kirinac, i Manail odgajeni s Irodom èetverovlasnikom, i Savle. 2A kad oni služahu Gospodu i pošæahu, reèe Duh sveti: odvojte mi Varnavu i Savla na djelo na koje ih pozvah. 3Tada postivši i pomolivši se Bogu metnuše ruke na njih, i otpustiše ih. 4Ovi dakle poslani od Duha svetoga siðoše u Seleukiju, i odande otploviše u Kipar. 5I došavši u Salamin javiše rijeè Božiju u zbornicama Jevrejskima; a imahu i Jovana slugu. 6A kad proðoše ostrvo tja do Pafa, naðoše nekakvoga èovjeka vraèara i lažna proroka, Jevrejina, kome bješe ime Varisus, 7Koji bješe s namjesnikom Srðem Pavlom, èovjekom razumnijem. Ovaj dozvavši Varnavu i Savla zaiska da èuje rijeè Božiju. 8A Elima vraèar jer to znaèi ime njegovo) stade im se suprotiti, gledajuæi da odvrati namjesnika od vjere. 9A Savle koji se zvaše i Pavle, pun Duha svetoga pogledavši na nj 10Reèe: o napunjeni svakoga lukavstva i svake pakosti, sine ðavolji! neprijatelju svake pravde! zar ne prestaješ kvariti pravijeh putova Gospodnjijeh? 11I sad eto ruke Gospodnje na te, i da budeš slijep da ne vidiš sunca za neko vrijeme. I ujedanput napade na nj mrak i tama, i pipajuæi tražaše voða. 12Tada namjesnik, kad vidje šta bi, vjerova, diveæi se nauci Gospodnjoj.

John 8.51-59 (Gospel)

51Zaista, zaista vam kažem: ko održi rijeè moju neæe vidjeti smrti dovijeka. 52Tada mu rekoše Jevreji: sad vidjesmo da je ðavo u tebi: Avraam umrije i proroci, a ti govoriš: ko održi rijeè moju neæe okusiti smrti dovijeka. 53Eda li si ti veæi od oca našega Avraama, koji umrije? I proroci pomriješe: ko se ti sam gradiš? 54Isus odgovori: ako se ja sam slavim, slava je moja ništa: otac je moj koji me slavi, za kojega vi govorite da je vaš Bog. 55I ne poznajete ga, a ja ga znam; i ako reèem da ga ne znam biæu laža kao vi. Nego ga znam, i rijeè njegovu držim. 56Avraam, otac vaš, bio je rad da vidi dan moj; i vidje, i obradova se. 57Tada mu rekoše Jevreji: još ti nema pedeset godina, i Avraama li si vidio? 58A Isus im reèe: zaista, zaista vam kažem: ja sam prije nego se Avraam rodio. 59Tada uzeše kamenje da bace na nj; a Isus se sakri, i iziðe iz crkve prošavši izmeðu njih i otide tako.

Our Holy Father Theodore the Sanctified (368), disciple of St Pachomius the Great

He was born and raised an unbeliever, but came to faith in Christ as a young man. Not long after being baptised, he heard of Pachomius (May 15) and fled to join him in the desert. Saint Pachomius accepted Theodore as a monk and, because of his humility and obedience, came to esteem him most highly of all the brethren. Theodore’s sister joined him in the desert, taking up life in a women’s monastery and becoming its abbess. When their mother came to bring them back from the desert, she in turn was persuaded to stay in the women’s monastery as a monastic. Finally, Theodore’s brother Paphnutius also came to the monastery and was tonsured.

Once the Bishop of Panopolis asked Saint Pachomius to build a monastery for him; Pachomius entrusted Theodore to carry out the work. Some of the brethren grumbled at the authority given to Theodore, for he was younger than many of them; but St Pachomius said: ‘Theodore and I fulfill the same service for God; and he also has the authority to give orders as father.’ When St Pachomius reposed, he left St Theodore to be spiritual father to the monasteries that he had founded, a task which he faithfully fulfilled until his death at a great age.

St Nicholas Mystikos, Patriarch of Constantinople (930)

He was known for the purity and austerity of his life. When the Emperor Leo VI married a fourth time (his three previous wives having died), the Patriarch barred him from the church. The Emperor sent the Patriarch into exile and had his marriage approved by delegates of the Roman Pope. When the Emperor died, Nicholas was restored to the Patriarchal throne, and called a Council in 925, at which fourth marriages were forbidded in the Church under any circumstance. He died peacefully.

The title Mystikos was given to some high-ranking members of the Imperial council (perhaps because they met in secret). The Patriarch was a courtier with this title before he forsook the world and was tonsured a monk.

Note: From early times, the Eastern and Latin churches have differed in their views on marriage. The Latin church held, and still holds, that marriage is dissolved by death, so in theory any number of re-marriages is permissible (a view that the Emperor Leo sought to exploit). The Eastern Church has traditionally been uncomfortable with any second marriage — some of the Fathers even call the re-marriage of widows or widowers “bigamy”. Still the Eastern church tolerates re-marriage (even after divorce) as a concession for the salvation of those who cannot sustain the single state.

Blessed Musa the Maiden (5th c.)

“St Gregory the Dialogist relates of her that she was a mere nine years old when the most holy Mother of God appeared to her on two occasions, surrounded by virgins bathed in light. When Musa expressed her desire to be included in the resplendent company of the Queen of heaven, the Mother of God told her that she would come for her and take her within a month, outlining for her how she should spend those thirty days. On the twenty-fifth day, Musa took to her bed and on the thirtieth day the most pure and holy Mother again appeared to her, calling to her in a quiet voice, to which Musa replied: ‘Here I am waiting, my Lady! I’m ready!’, and she breathed forth her spirit. She passed from this life to life eternal in the fifth century.” (Prologue)

St Brendan the Voyager, abbot of Clonfert (ca. 577)

He was born around 484 at Tralee in Kerry, Ireland. He founded several monasteries in Ireland, of which the chief was Cluain Ferta Brenaind (anglicized as Clonfert) in County Galway. His missionary and pastoral travels took him on voyages to the Scottish islands, and possibly to Wales; thus in his own time he was known as ‘Brendan the Voyager.’ He reposed in peace.

Early in the ninth century, a Latin saga, Navigatio Brendani (The Voyage of Brendan) made him the hero of a Christian adventure that included voyages to unknown lands far to the west of Ireland. The account provides strong evidence that Irish voyagers visited America as early as the 8th century, before the Vikings; but whether St Brendan himself made these voyages is disputed.