Acts 27.1-44 (Epistle)

1I kao što bi odreðeno da idemo u Talijansku, predaše i Pavla i druge neke sužnje kapetanu, po imenu Juliju, od æesareve èete. 2A kad uðosmo u laðu Adramitsku da plovimo u Azijska mjesta, otiskosmo se; i s nama bješe Aristarh Maæedonac iz Soluna. 3I drugi dan doðosmo u Sidon. I Julije držaše Pavla lijepo, i dopusti mu da odlazi k svojijem prijateljima i da ga poslužuju. 4I odande odvezavši se doplovismo u Kipar, jer vjetrovi bijahu protivni. 5I preplovivši puèinu Kilikijsku i Pamfilijsku doðosmo u Miru Likijsku. 6I ondje našavši kapetan laðu Aleksandrijsku koja plovi u Talijansku, metnu nas u nju. 7I plovivši mnogo dana sporo, i jedva došavši prema Knidu, jer nam vjetar ne dadijaše, doplovismo pod Krit kod Salmone. 8I jedva se vozeæi pored kraja, doðosmo na jedno mjesto koje se zove Dobra Pristaništa, kod kojega blizu bješe grad Laseja. 9A pošto proðe mnogo vremena, i veæ plovljenje ne bijaše bez straha, jer i post veæ bješe prošao, svjetovaše Pavle 10Govoreæi im: ljudi! vidim da æe plovljenje biti s mukom i velikom štetom ne samo tovara i laðe nego i duša našijeh. 11Ali kapetan posluša veæma kormanoša i gospodara od laðe negoli Pavlove rijeèi. 12A ne buduæi pristanište zgodno za zimovnik, svjetovahu mnogi da se odvezu odande, ne bi li kako mogli doæi do Finika, i ondje da zimuju u pristaništu Kritskom, koje gleda k jugu i k zapadu. 13I kad dunu jug, mišljahu da im se volja ispuni, i podignuvši jedra plovljahu pokraj Krita. 14Ali ne zadugo potom dunu nasuprot njemu buran vjetar koji se zove Evroklidon. 15A kad se laða ote, i ne mogaše se vjetru protiviti, predadosmo je valovima i nošahu nas. 16A kad proðosmo mimo jedno ostrvo koje se zove Klauda, jedva mogosmo udržati èamac, 17Koji izvukavši, svakojako pomagahu, te ga privezasmo odozdo za laðu; a bojeæi se da ne udari na prud, spustismo jedra, i tako se plavljasmo. 18A kad nam veoma dosaðivaše bura sjutradan izbacivahu tovare. 19I u treæi dan svojima rukama izbacismo alat laðarski. 20A kad se ni sunce ni zvijezde za mnogo dana ne pokazaše, i bura ne mala navalila, bijaše propao sav nad da æemo se izbaviti. 21I kad se zadugo nije jelo, onda Pavle stavši preda njih reèe: trebaše dakle, o ljudi! poslušati mene, i ne otiskivati se od Krita, i ne imati ove muke i štete. 22I evo sad vas molim da budete dobre volje: jer nijedna duša od vas neæe propasti osim laðe; 23Jer u ovu noæ stade preda me anðeo Boga kojega sam ja i kome služim, 24Govoreæi: ne boj se, Pavle! valja ti doæi pred æesara; i evo ti darova Bog sve koji se voze s tobom. 25Zato ne bojte se, ljudi; jer vjerujem Bogu da æe tako biti kao što mi bi reèeno. 26Ali valja nam doæi na jedno ostrvo. 27A kad bi èetrnaesta noæ, i mi se u ponoæi plavljasmo po Adrijanskoj puèini, pomisliše laðari da se približuju k nekakvoj zemlji. 28I izmjerivši dubinu naðoše dvadeset hvati; i prošavši malo opet izmjeriše, i naðoše petnaest hvati. 29Onda bojeæi se da kako ne udare na prudovita mjesta baciše sa stražnjega kraja laðe èetiri lengera, pa se moljasmo Bogu da svane. 30A kad laðari gledahu da pobjegnu iz laðe, i spustiše èamac u more izgovarajuæi se kao da hoæe s prednjega kraja da spuste lengere, 31Reèe Pavle kapetanu i vojnicima: ako ovi ne ostanu u laði, vi ne možete živi ostati. 32Tada vojnici odrezaše uža na èamcu i pustiše ga te pade. 33A kad šæaše da svane, moljaše Pavle sve da jedu, govoreæi: èetrnaesti je dan danas kako èekate i ne jeduæi živite ništa ne okusivši. 34Zato vas molim da jedete: jer je to za vaše zdravlje. A ni jednome od vas dlaka s glave neæe otpasti. 35I rekavši ovo uze hljeb, i dade hvalu Bogu pred svima, i prelomivši stade jesti. 36Onda se svi razveselivši i oni jedoše. 37A u laði bijaše nas duša svega dvjesta i sedamdeset i šest. 38I nasitivši se jela, oblakšaše laðu izbacivši pšenicu u more. 39A kad bi dan ne poznavahu zemlje; nego ugledaše nekakav zaliv s pijeskom, na koji se dogovoriše, ako bude moguæe, da izvuku laðu. 40I podignuvši lengere vožahu se po moru, i odriješivši uža na krmama, i raširivši malo jedro prema vjetriæu koji duhaše, vožasmo se kraju. 41A kad doðosmo kao na jedan jezik, gdje se more kao razdjeljuje, nasadi se laða; i prednji kraj, koji se nasadi, osta tvrd da se ne može pomaknuti, a krma se razbijaše od sile valova. 42A vojnici se dogovoriše da pobiju sužnje, da koji ne ispliva i ne uteèe. 43Ali kapetan želeæi saèuvati Pavla zabrani njihov dogovor, i zapovjedi onima koji znadu plivati da iskoèe najprije, i da iziðu na zemlju; 44A ostali jedni na daskama a jedni na èemu od laðe. I tako iziðoše svi živi na zemlju.

John 17.18-26 (Gospel)

18Kao što si ti mene poslao u svijet, i ja njih poslah u svijet. 19Ja posveæujem sebe za njih, da i oni budu osveæeni istinom. 20Ne molim pak samo za njih, nego i za one koji me uzvjeruju njihove rijeèi radi; 21Da svi jedno budu, kao ti, oèe, što si u meni i ja u tebi; da i oni u nama jedno budu, da i svijet vjeruje da si me ti poslao. 22I slavu koju si mi dao ja dadoh njima, da budu jedno kao mi što smo jedno. 23Ja u njima i ti u meni: da budu sasvijem ujedno, i da pozna svijet da si me ti poslao i da si imao ljubav k njima kao i k meni što si ljubav imao. 24Oèe! hoæu da i oni koje si mi dao budu sa mnom gdje sam ja; da vide slavu moju koju si mi dao, jer si imao ljubav k meni prije postanja svijeta. 25Oèe pravedni! svijet tebe ne pozna, a ja te poznah, i ovi poznaše da si me ti poslao. 26I pokazah im ime tvoje, i pokazaæu: da ljubav kojom si mene ljubio u njima bude, i ja u njima.

St Nikephoros the Confessor, patriarch of Constantinople (829)

He was born in Constantinople around 758, of pious parents: his father had been exiled under Constantine Copronymus for his steadfast veneration of the holy icons. Nikephoros served in the imperial palace as a secretary, but later renounced worldly success to struggle in monastic life near Constantinople. He built and administered a monastery which soon became filled with monks; but he himself never took the monastic habit, feeling himself unworthy. Though a layman, he took part in the Seventh Ecumenical Council at the request of the Emperor and Patriarch because of his remarkable knowledge of Holy Scripture. Much against his will, he was made Patriarch of Constantinople at the death of Patriarch Tarasios. He was made a monk, then elevated through all the priestly orders in a few days, then enthroned at St Sophia in 806.

A few years later, the Emperor Leo the Armenian took the throne. Patriarch Nikephoros, as was customary, sent him a Confession of the Orthodox Faith to sign. Leo put off signing the document until his coronation, then revealed himself to be an Iconoclast heretic. The Patriarch tried quietly to bring him back to the Orthodox faith, but to no avail. When the Emperor, in his turn, tried to make the holy Nikephoros bow to iconoclasm, the Patriarch clearly and publicly upheld the veneration of the holy Icons. For this he was deposed and driven into exile at the Monastery of St Theodore, which he himself had founded. Here he reposed, having served for nine years as Patriarch, and thirteen years in exile and privation.

Holy New Martyr Constantine (1819)

He was born a Muslim on the island of Lesbos (Mitylene), but became convinced of the truth of Christ after he was healed of a serious illness by the aid of holy water in a church. He traveled to the Holy Mountain and was baptised at the monastery of Kapsokalyvia. Later, he was seized by the Turks, who first tortured him viciously and, when he would not deny the Faith, hanged him in Constantinople.

Hieromartyr Erazmo of Ochrid (303)

“This saint was born in Antioch and lived in the reigns of Diocletian and Maximian. He lived in strict asceticism on Mount Lebanon, and was endowed by God with great wonderworking gifts. As a bishop, he set out to preach the Gospel. Arriving at the city of Ochrid, he restored the son of a man called Anastasius to life by his prayers, and baptised him. At this time, Erazmo baptised many other pagans and tore down the idolatrous altar in Ochrid. For this he was denounced to the Emperor Maximian, who was at that time staying in Illyria. The Emperor brought him before the copper image of Zeus, and ordered him to bring sacrifices and worship the idol. St Erazmo, by his power, caused a terrible dragon to come out of the statue, which terrified all the people. The saint then worked another wonder, and the dragon died. Then the saint preached Christ and baptised 20,000 souls. The furious Emperor commanded that all 20,000 be beheaded, and put Erazmo to harsh torture, before throwing him into prison. But an angel of God appeared to him, as once to the Apostle Peter, and led him out of the prison. After that, this servant of God went to Campania, where he preached the Gospel to the people, then returned again to the town of Hermelia, where he withdrew to a cave and lived in asceticism for the rest of his days. At the time of his death, he prostrated three times towards the East and, with upraised hands, prayed to God to forgive and give eternal life to all those who would, with faith, call upon his name. At the end of his prayer, a voice was heard from heaven: ‘Let it be as thou hast asked, My little healer Erazmo!’ The saint looked up once more to heaven with great joy and saw a wreath of glory descending upon him, and a choir of angels, prophets, apostles and martyrs waiting to receive his holy soul. He finally cried: ‘Lord, receive my spirit!’, and breathed his last, in about the year 303. The cave and chapel of St Erazmo stand to this day not far from Ochrid, and from there is proclaimed to this day the great power of the man of God, Erazmo the hieromartyr.” (Prologue)

Note: St Erazmo is commemorated on May 4th in the Slavonic Menaion, but St Nikolai Velomirovich gives today as the date on which he was been commemorated in Ochrid “from time immemorial”.