Romans 8.22-27 (Epistle)

22Jer znamo da sva tvar uzdiše i tuži s nama dosad. 23A ne samo ona, nego i mi koji novinu duha imamo, i mi sami u sebi uzdišemo èekajuæi posinjenja i izbavljenja tijelu svojemu. 24Jer se nadom spasosmo. A nad koji se vidi nije nad; jer kad ko vidi što, kako æe mu se nadati? 25Ako li se nadamo onome što ne vidimo, èekamo s trpljenjem. 26A tako i Duh pomaže nam u našijem slabostima: jer ne znamo za što æemo se moliti kao što treba, nego sam Duh moli se za nas uzdisanjem neiskazanijem. 27A onaj što ispituje srca zna što je misao Duha, jer po volji Božijoj moli se za svete.

Matthew 10.23-31 (Gospel)

23A kad vas potjeraju u jednom gradu, bježite u drugi. Jer vam kažem zaista: neæete obiæi gradova Izrailjevijeh dok doðe sin èovjeèij. 24Nema uèenika nad uèitelja svojega ni sluge nad gospodara svojega. 25Dosta je uèeniku da bude kao uèitelj njegov i sluzi kao gospodar njegov. Kad su domaæina nazvali Veelzevulom, akamoli domaæe njegove? 26Ne bojte ih se dakle; jer nema ništa sakriveno što se neæe otkriti, ni tajno što se neæe doznati. 27Što vam govorim u tami, kazujte na vidiku; i što vam se šapæe na uši, propovijedajte s krovova. 28I ne bojte se onijeh koji ubijaju tijelo a duše ne mogu ubiti; nego se bojte onoga koji može i dušu i tijelo pogubiti u paklu. 29Ne prodaju li se dva vrapca za jedan dinar? pa ni jedan od njih ne može pasti na zemlju bez oca vašega. 30A vama je i kosa na glavi sva izbrojena. 31Ne bojte se dakle; vi ste bolji od mnogo vrabaca.

Hieromartyr Eusebius, bishop of Samosata (380)

In the struggle against the Arian heresy, Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, was deposed, and the emperor Constantius demanded that Eusebius surrender the document that proved his legitimate appointment to the Patriarchal throne. Eusebius said he would not surrender it without the permission of all who had signed it and, when imperial soldiers threatened to cut off his right hand, he held out both his hands to them. When Constantius heard of this, he was struck with admiration and ceased his persecution of the bishop. As the Arian heresy continued to rage, Eusebius stood strong, and was finally exiled by order of the Emperor Valens. When the messenger bearing the edict of banishment arrived, Eusebius warned him to keep quiet lest the people, hearing why he had come, should kill him. Then Eusebius left the city on foot, under cover of darkness, in order to protect the messenger from harm. Upon the death of Valens, Eusebius returned to from exile and traveled throughout Syria (though he was now a very old man), appointing priests and bishops known for their Orthodoxy. About 380, as he was entering a village to enthrone a bishop, an Arian woman threw a tile at him from a rooftop, fracturing his skull. As he lay dying, he made all the bystanders swear not to take any revenge.

Saint Gregory the Theologian corresponded with Eusebius, and esteemed him so highly that in a letter to him he wrote, ‘That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.’

St Alban, First Martyr of Great Britain (early 3rd c.)

He was a soldier in the Roman army and, according to the venerable Bede, was brought to faith in Christ by a fugitive priest to whom he gave shelter. The saint exchanged clothes with the priest, allowing him to escape and ensuring his own martyrdom. Some writers, including St Bede, place his martyrdom during the reign of Diocletian (286-303).

Saint Alban’s tomb was venerated as early as 429 by St Germanus of Auxerre. The town of Verulamium is either his home town or the place of his martyrdom; near it a monastery was founded, around which grew the English town of St Albans.