Galatians 4.28-5.10 (Epistle)

28A mi smo, braæo, po Isaku djeca obeæanja. 29No kako onda onaj što se rodi po tijelu gonjaše duhovnoga, tako i sad. 30Ali šta govori pismo? Istjeraj robinju i sina njezina; jer sin robinjin neæe naslijediti sa sinom slobodne. 31Tako, braæo, nijesmo djeca robinjina nego slobodne.

1Stojte dakle u slobodi kojom nas Hristos oslobodi, i ne dajte se opet u jaram ropstva uhvatiti. 2Evo ja Pavle kažem vam da ako se obrežete Hristos vam ništa neæe pomoæi. 3A opet svjedoèim svakome èovjeku koji se obrezuje da je dužan sav zakon tvoriti. 4Izgubiste Hrista, vi koji hoæete zakonom da se opravdate, i otpadoste od blagodati. 5Jer mi duhom èekamo od vjere nad pravde. 6Jer u Hristu Isusu niti što pomaže obrezanje ni neobrezanje, nego vjera, koja kroz ljubav radi. 7Dobro trèaste; ko vam zabrani da se ne pokoravate istini? 8To odvraæanje nije od onoga koji vas pozva. 9Malo kvasca ukiseli sve tijesto. 10Ja se za vas nadam u Gospodu da ništa drugo neæete misliti. A koji vas smeta ponijeæe grijeh, makar ko bio.

Luke 3.19-22 (Gospel)

19Iroda pak èetverovlasnika koraše Jovan za Irodijadu, ženu brata njegova, i za sva zla što uèini Irod; 20I svrh svega uèini i to te zatvori Jovana u tamnicu. 21A kad se krsti sav narod, i Isus pošto se krsti i moljaše se Bogu, otvori se nebo, 22I siðe na nj Duh sveti u tjelesnome obliku kao golub, i èu se glas s neba govoreæi: ti si sin moj ljubazni, ti si po mojoj volji.

St Eumenes, bishop of Gortyrna (7th c.)

“He gave himself to Christ with his whole heart from his youth, freeing himself from two heavy burdens: the burden of riches and the burden of the flesh. He freed himself from the first by giving away all his goods to the poor and needy, and from the latter by strict fasting. He thus healed himself and was able to heal others. Passionless and filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, Eumenius shone with a radiance that could not be hidden, as it is written: ‘A city set on a hill cannot be hid’ (Matt. 5:14), and so holy Eumenius could not be hidden from the world. Seeing him, the people chose him as their bishop in Gortyna. As a bishop, he governed Christ’s flock as a good shepherd. He was a father to the poor, riches to the needy, consolation to the sad, healing to the sick and a marvellous wonder-worker. He worked many miracles by his prayers: he killed a poisonous snake, drove out demons, healed many of the sick, and did this not only in his home city but in Rome and in the Thebaid. In the Thebaid, he brought rain from God in a time of drought, and there finally finished his earthly course and entered into the eternal presence of his Lord. He lived and worked in the seventh century.” (Prologue)

St Ariadne of Phrygia (2nd c.)

She lived during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian in the town of Promisea in Phrygia. Though a Christian, she was the slave of a pagan nobleman named Tertullus. To celebrate his son’s birthday, Tertullus ordered his entire household to come to a pagan temple and make sacrifice to the idols; but Ariadne stayed home, praying to the only true God. This infuriated Tertullus, who beat her, threw her in prison, then drove her from his house. He quickly changed his mind and sent his servants to bring her back. When Ariadne saw her persecutors drawing near, she knelt by a large rock and prayed. The rock split open and hid her. At this point, the Synaxarion says that Angels bearing spears appeared around the rock and drove her pursuers away. The Prologue says that the servants, unable to find Ariadne, quarrelled among themselves, came to blows, and died at one another’s hands.