Acts 8.26-39 (Epistle)

26A anðeo Gospodnji reèe Filipu govoreæi: ustani i idi na podne na put koji silazi od Jerusalima u Gazu i pust je. 27I ustavši poðe. I gle, èovjek Arapin, uškopljenik, vlastelin Kandakije carice Arapske, što bješe nad svima njezinijem riznicama, koji bješe došao u Jerusalim da se moli Bogu, 28Pa se vraæaše, i sjedeæi na kolima svojijem èitaše proroka Isaiju. 29A Duh reèe Filipu: pristupi i prilijepi se tijem kolima. 30A Filip pritrèavši èu ga gdje èita proroka Isaiju, i reèe: a razumiješ li što èitaš? 31A on reèe: kako bih mogao ako me ko ne uputi? I umoli Filipa te se pope i sjede s njim. 32A mjesto iz pisma koje èitaše bješe ovo: kao ovca na zaklanje odvede se, i nijem kao jagnje pred onijem koji ga striže, tako ne otvori usta svojijeh. 33U njegovom poniženju ukide se sud njegov. A rod njegov ko æe iskazati? Jer se njegov život uzima od zemlje. 34Onda uškopljenik odgovori Filipu i reèe: molim te, za koga ovo govori prorok? ili za sebe ili za koga drugoga? 35A Filip otvorivši usta svoja, i poèevši od pisma ovoga, propovjedi mu jevanðelje Isusovo. 36Kako iðahu putem doðoše na nekaku vodu; i reèe uškopljenik: evo vode, šta brani meni da se krstim? 37A Filip mu reèe: ako vjeruješ od svega srca svojega, možeš. A on odgovarajuæi reèe: vjerujem da je Isus Hristos sin Božij. 38I zapovjedi da stanu kola, i siðoše oba na vodu, i Filip i uškopljenik, i krsti ga. 39A kad iziðoše iz vode, Duh sveti pade na uškopljenika, a anðeo Gospodnji uze Filipa, i više ga ne vidje uškopljenik; nego otide putem svojijem radujuæi se.

John 6.40-44 (Gospel)

40A ovo je volja onoga koji me posla da svaki koji vidi sina i vjeruje ga ima život vjeèni; i ja æu ga vaskrsnuti u pošljednji dan. 41Tada vikahu Jevreji na njega što reèe: ja sam hljeb koji siðe s neba. 42I govorahu: nije li ovo Isus sin Josifov kojemu mi znamo oca i mater? kako dakle on govori: ja siðoh s neba? 43Onda Isus odgovori i reèe im: ne vièite meðu sobom. 44Niko ne može doæi k meni ako ga ne dovuèe otac koji me posla; i ja æu ga vaskrsnuti u pošljednji dan.

Our Holy Father Nikephoros the Hesychast (14th c.)

He was originally a Roman Catholic, but became Orthodox and lived in asceticism on the Holy Mountain as a monk. He was the spiritual father of St Gregory Palamas. His life was outwardly uneventful, and he reposed in peace in the 14th century. He left this very concise description of the hesychast’s path:

“Gather your mind and compel it to enter into your heart and remain there. When your mind is firmly in your heart, it must not remain empty, but must incessantly make the prayer: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!’ And it must never fall silent. Through this the whole string of the virtues: love, joy, peace and the others, will make their abode in you, by which, then, every request of yours to God will be fulfilled.”

Virgin-martyr Pelagia of Tarsus in Asia Minor (287)

She was born in Tarsus (home of the Apostle Paul). Though her parents were prominent pagans, she heard of Christ from Christians in that city, and her heart was filled with love for the Savior. The Emperor Diocletian visited Tarsus, and during his stay the Emperor’s son and heir fell in love with Pelagia and wished to marry her. To her parents’ complete amazement, Pelagia replied that she was already promised to her betrothed, Christ the Lord. She then fled her parents’ house and went to the holy Bishop Linus, who instructed her in the Faith and baptized her. Pelagia then gave away all her many possessions, returned home, and told her parents that she was baptised. The Emperor’s son, despairing of marryng her, killed himself. Pelagia’s mother then denounced her daughter to the Emperor, who summoned her for trial. When Pelagia freely confessed her unwavering faith in Christ, the Emperor condemned her to be burned in a metal ox heated by fire. An account of her martyrdom says that, entering the ox with prayers of thanksgiving on her lips, she instantly melted like wax. Bishop Linus, who had baptised her, found a few of her bones and buried them on a hill near Tarsus. During the reign of the Emperor Constantine Copronymus (741-775), a church was built there in her honor.

St Monica, mother of Blessed Augustine (388)