2 Corinthians 10.7-18 (Epistle)

7Gledate li na ono što vam je pred oèima? Ako se ko uzda da je Hristov neka misli opet u sebi da kako je on Hristov tako smo i mi Hristovi. 8Jer ako se što i više pohvalim vlašæu našom koju nam dade Gospod na popravljanje, a ne na kvarenje vaše, neæu se postidjeti. 9Ali da se ne pokažem kao da vas plašim poslanicama; 10Jer su poslanice, veli, teške i jake, a kad je tijelom pred nama, slab je, i rijeè njegova ne valja ništa. 11Ovo neka pomisli takovi da kaki smo u rijeèi po poslanicama kad nijesmo kod vas, taki smo i u djelu kad smo tu. 12Jer ne smijemo sebe miješati ili se porediti s drugima koji hvale sami sebe; ali kad sami po sebi sebe mjere i porede sami sebe sa sobom, ne razumijevaju. 13A mi se neæemo hvaliti preko mjere, nego po mjeri pravila kojega nam Bog mjeru razdijeli da dopremo i do vas. 14Jer se mi daleko ne prostiremo, kao da ne dosežemo do vas; jer doprijesmo i do vas s jevanðeljem Hristovijem, 15Ne hvaleæi se preko mjere u tuðijem poslovima, imajuæi pak nad kad uzraste vjera vaša da æemo se u vama velièati po pravilu svojemu izobilno, 16Da i u daljnijem stranama od vas propovjedimo jevanðelje, i da se ne pohvalimo onijem što je po tuðemu pravilu ureðeno. 17A koji se hvali, Gospodom neka se hvali. 18Jer onaj nije valjan koji se sam hvali, nego kojega Gospod hvali.

Mark 3.28-35 (Gospel)

28Zaista vam kažem: svi grijesi oprostiæe se sinovima èovjeèijim, i huljenja na Boga, makar kakova bila: 29A koji pohuli na Duha svetoga nema oproštenja vavijek, nego je kriv vjeènome sudu. 30Jer govorahu: u njemu je neèisti duh. 31I doðe mati njegova i braæa njegova, i stojeæi napolju poslaše k njemu da ga zovu. 32I sjeðaše narod oko njega. I rekoše mu: eto mati tvoja i braæa tvoja i sestre tvoje napolju pitaju za te. 33I odgovori im govoreæi: ko je mati moja ili braæa moja? 34I pogledavši oko sebe na narod koji sjeðaše reèe: evo mati moja i braæa moja. 35Jer ko izvrši volju Božiju onaj je brat moj i sestra moja i mati moja.

The Placing of the Sash of the Most Holy Theotokos (395-408? 886- 912?)

At the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, her sash came into the possession of the Apostle Thomas and after various transfers came to Cappadocia. It was later taken from there to Constantinople, where it was kept in a sealed casket in the Church of the Theotokos at Blachernae, at the time of the Emperor Arcadius (395-408). The casket was not opened until the reign of the Emperor Leo the Wise (886-912), when the Empress Zoe, who was ill, had a vision in which she was told to have the sash placed upon her. The Emperor obtained the blessing of the Patriarch, the sash was placed upon the Empress, and she was immediately healed. Some accounts say that today’s feast celebrates the bringing of the sash to Constantinople; others that it commemorates the miraculous healing of the Empress.

Hieromartyr Cyprian, bishop of Carthage (258)

He was born around 190 to pagan parents in North Africa. Before baptism he was distinguished in Carthage as a teacher of philosophy and rhetoric. He came to faith in Christ and was baptized at a young age; as soon as he became a Christian he abandoned his prestigious teacher’s position, sold his many possessions and gave all his wealth to the poor. He was ordained presbyter in 247, Bishop of Carthage in 248. He was known for his gentleness and paternal care for his flock, combined with firm opposition to heretics. His extensive writings still guide the Church today.

For his confession of Christ, he was beheaded under the Emperor Valerian on September 14; since that is the date of the Exaltation of the Cross, his feast is kept today. At the time of his execution he left twenty-five gold pieces (a huge sum) for the executioner who beheaded him.

St Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople (471)

He was known for his gentleness and his ascetical way of life. He would not ordain any man who did not know the Psalter by heart. He presided at a local council in which simony in the Church was anathematized. In his own lifetime he worked miracles, and he was told the time of his death in a vision. The famous monastery of Studion was built in his time, with his blessing. He reposed in peace.

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (651)

Around AD 635, Saint Oswald (5 August), King of Northumbria, appealed to the monks of the Monastery of Iona to send missionaries to his mostly-pagan kingdom. (An earlier mission had ended with the death of St Edwin in 633.) The fathers of the monastery chose St Aidan and consecrated him bishop. He founded a monastery (and his episcopal seat) on the island of Lindisfarne, and undertook missionary journeys, always on foot, throughout the kingdom, with King Oswald often accompanying him and serving as his interpreter. He lived in great poverty, using all the gifts he received as alms for the poor or to buy back captives and slaves. He was the spiritual father of St Hilda (17 Nov.), and founded the first women’s monasteries in Northumbria. He reposed in peace in 651, and was buried at Lindisfarne.

Note: Northumbria was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in what is now northeastern England and southern Scotland.