Romans 1.7-12 (Epistle)

7Svima koji su u Rimu, ljubaznima Bogu, i pozvanima svetima: blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca našega i Gospoda Isusa Hrista. 8Prvo dakle zahvaljujem Bogu svojemu kroz Isusa Hrista za sve vas što se vjera vaša glasi po svemu svijetu. 9Jer mi je svjedok Bog, kojemu služim duhom svojijem u jevanðelju sina njegova, da vas se opominjem bez prestanka, 10Moleæi se svagda Bogu u molitvama svojijem da bi mi kad Božija volja pomogla da doðem k vama; 11Jer želim vidjeti vas, da vam dam kakav duhovni dar za vaše utvrðenje, 12To jest, da se s vama utješim vjerom opštom, i vašom i mojom.

Matthew 5.42-48 (Gospel)

42Koji ište u tebe, podaj mu; i koji hoæe da mu uzajmiš, ne odreci mu. 43Èuli ste da je kazano: ljubi bližnjega svojega, i mrzi na neprijatelja svojega. 44A ja vam kažem: ljubite neprijatelje svoje, blagosiljajte one koji vas kunu, èinite dobro onima koji na vas mrze i molite se Bogu za one koji vas gone; 45Da budete sinovi oca svojega koji je na nebesima; jer on zapovijeda svome suncu, te obasjava i zle i dobre, i daje dažd pravednima i nepravednima. 46Jer ako ljubite one koji vas ljube, kakovu platu imate? Ne èine li to i carinici? 47I ako Boga nazivate samo svojoj braæi, šta odviše èinite? Ne èine li tako i neznabošci? 48Budite vi dakle savršeni, kao što je savršen otac vaš nebeski.

Hieromartyr Timothy, bishop of Prusa (362)

“For his great spiritual purity, God gave him the gift of wonderworking, and he healed all manner of diseases and pains among the people. During the reign of the evil Emperor Julian, who had renounced Christ, holy Timothy was thrown into prison. The faithful visited him there to listen to the wise teaching of their bishop. When this came to the Emperor’s ears, he commanded that the executioner behead the Saint in the prison. This was in 362, and his soul entered into Paradise while his relics remained, full of miraculous power, to help the people and declare the power of the Lord.” (Prologue [adapted])

Holy Martyrs Alexander and Antonina (313)

In Alexandria, the virgin Antonina was brought before Festus, the Governor, tortured for her faith in Christ, then thrown into prison. A Christian soldier named Alexander, who had never before seen or heard of Antonina, was commanded by an angel of God to go to her. Finding her, he gave her his military cloak, wrapping it about her head and body; and thus, with her head lowered, she was able to walk out of the prison while Alexander remained in her place. Alexander was brought before Festus, where he too confessed his faith in Christ. Antonina, learning of this, voluntarily came before the judge, who put both of them to hideous tortures, mutilating them in many ways before having them cast into a fire and burned alive.

A slightly different account says that Festus placed Antonina under guard in a brothel rather than a prison, so that her virginity might be defiled, and that it was from there that Alexander rescued her.

Festus, the Governor, was struck mute at the time of the holy martyrs’ death, and was tormented by an evil spirit for seven days, at the end of which he died.

Hieromartyr Metrophanes, first Chinese priest, and the Chinese New Martyrs of the Boxer Uprising (1900)

“The Holy Martyrs of China were native Chinese Orthodox Christians brought up in piety at the Russian Orthodox Mission in Peking, which had been founded in 1685. During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 against the foreign powers occupying China, native Chinese Christians were commanded by the Boxers to renounce Christianity or be tortured to death. Two hundred and twenty-two members of the Peking Mission, led by their priest Metrophanes Tsi-Chung and his family, refused to deny Christ, and were deemed worthy of a martyric death.” ( Great Horologion)