Acts 17.19-28 (Epistle)

19Pa ga uzeše i odvedoše na Areopag govoreæi: možemo li razumjeti kakva je ta nova nauka što ti kazuješ? 20Jer nešto novo meæeš u naše uši; hoæemo dakle da vidimo šta æe to biti. 21A Atinjani svi i putnici iz drugijeh zemalja ne bijahu ni za što drugo nego da što novo kazuju ili slušaju. 22A Pavle stavši nasred Areopaga reèe: ljudi Atinjani! po svemu vas vidim da ste vrlo pobožni; 23Jer prolazeæi i motreæi vaše svetinje naðoh i oltar na kome bješe napisano: Bogu nepoznatome. Kojega dakle ne znajuæi poštujete onoga vam ja propovijedam. 24Bog koji je stvorio svijet i sve što je u njemu, on buduæi gospodar neba i zemlje, ne živi u rukotvorenijem crkvama, 25Niti prima ugaðanja od ruku èovjeèijih, kao da bi onome trebalo što koji sam daje svima život i dihanje i sve. 26I uèinio je da od jedne krvi sav rod èovjeèij živi po svemu licu zemaljskome, i postavio je naprijed odreðena vremena i meðe njihovoga življenja: 27Da traže Gospoda, ne bi li ga barem opipali i našli, premda nije daleko ni od jednoga nas; 28Jer kroz njega živimo, i mièemo se, i jesmo; kao što i neki od vašijeh pjevaèa rekoše: jer smo i rod njegov.

John 12.19-36 (Gospel)

19A fariseji govorahu meðu sobom: vidite da ništa ne pomaže? gle, svijet ide za njim. 20A bijahu neki Grci meðu onima koji bijahu došli na praznik da se mole Bogu. 21Oni dakle pristupiše k Filipu, koji bješe iz Vitsaide Galilejske, i moljahu ga govoreæi: gospodine! mi bismo htjeli da vidimo Isusa. 22Doðe Filip i kaza Andriji, a Andrija i Filip opet kazaše Isusu. 23A Isus odgovori im govoreæi: doðe èas da se proslavi sin èovjeèij. 24Zaista, zaista vam kažem: ako zrno pšenièno padnuvši na zemlju ne umre, onda jedno ostane; ako li umre mnogo roda rodi: 25Koji ljubi dušu svoju izgubiæe je, a ko mrzi na dušu svoju na ovom svijetu, saèuvaæe je za život vjeèni. 26Ko meni služi, za mnom nek ide, i gdje sam ja ondje i sluga moj neka bude; i ko meni služi onoga æe poštovati otac moj. 27Sad je duša moja žalosna; i šta da kažem? Oèe! saèuvaj me od ovoga èasa; ali zato doðoh na èas ovaj. 28Oèe! proslavi ime svoje! Tada glas doðe s neba: i proslavio sam, i opet æu proslaviti. 29A kad èu narod koji stajaše, govorahu: grom zagrmi; a drugi govorahu: anðeo mu govori. 30Isus odgovori i reèe: ovaj glas ne bi mene radi nego naroda radi. 31Sad je sud ovome svijetu; sad æe biti istjeran knez ovoga svijeta napolje. 32I kad ja budem podignut od zemlje, sve æu privuæi k sebi. 33A ovo govoraše da pokaže kakvom æe smrti umrijeti. 34Narod mu odgovori: mi èusmo iz zakona da æe Hristos ostati vavijek; kako ti govoriš da se sinu èovjeèijemu valja podignuti? Ko je taj sin èovjeèij? 35A Isus im reèe: još je malo vremena vidjelo s vama; hodite dok vidjelo imate da vas tama ne obuzme; jer ko hodi po tami ne zna kuda ide. 36Dok vidjelo imate vjerujte vidjelo, da budete sinovi vidjela. Rekavši ovo Isus otide i sakri se od njih.

St Michael the Confessor, bishop of Synnada (818)

“This Saint was from Synnada in Phrygia of Asia Minor. In Constantinople he met Saint Theophylact (March 8); the holy Patriarch Tarasius, learning that Michael and Theophylact desired to become monks, sent them to a monastery on the Black Sea. Because of their great virtue, St Tarasius afterwards compelled them to accept consecration, Theophylact as Bishop of Nicomedia, and Michael as Bishop of his native Synnada. Because St Michael fearlessly confessed the veneration of the holy icons, he was banished by the Iconoclast Emperor Leo V the Armenian, who reigned from 813 to 820. After being driven from one place to another, in many hardships and bitter pains, St Michael died in exile.” (Great Horologion)

Holy Myrrh-bearer Mary, wife of Cleopas

Holy Martyr Michael of St Sabbas' Monastery(9th c.)

When his parents died, the young Michael gave away all his goods and travelled to Jerusalem, where he entered the monastery of St Sabbas the Sanctified. Once he was sent into town to sell some handwork for the monastery. A eunuch of an Arab princess met him in the street and brought him to princess’ home to show his wares. (Jerusalem was ruled by Muslim Arabs at that time.) The princess, like Potiphar’s wife, conceived an illicit passion for the young monk and invited him to her bed. When he refused, the angry princess had him beaten and taken to the Sultan, where she accused him of blasphemy against Mohammed. The Sultan tried to make him accept Islam, but he refused. When a dose of poison had no effect on the holy Michael, the Sultan had him publicly beheaded in the center of Jerusalem. The monks retrieved his body and gave it honorable burial at his monastery.

Holy Virgin Euphrosyne, Princess of Polotsk (1173)

“She was the daughter of Prince Vseslav of Polotsk. When her parents wished her to be married, she ran away to a monastery and became a nun. An angel of the Lord appeared to her three times to show her the place where she was to build a new monastery for virgins. She brought her own sister, Evdokia, into monasticism and many other young girls from the ranks of the aristocracy. One kinswoman of hers, Zvenislava, a princess of Borisov, brought all her wealth, clothing and precious jewels, and said: ‘I count all the beauty of this world as naught, and wish to give these fine things, prepared for my marriage, to the Church of the Saviour. And I desire to espouse myself to Him in a spiritual marriage, and to bow my head beneath His easy and light yoke.’ Euphrosyne professed her too, and gave her the name Evpraxia. In old age, Euphrosyne evinced a desire to die in Jerusalem, and prayed for this boon. God heard her prayer, and she did indeed die in the monastery of St Theodosius in Jerusalem on May 23rd, 1173, during a visit there.” (Prologue)