Ephesians 1.1-9 (Epistle)

1Od Pavla, po volji Božijoj apostola Isusa Hrista, svetima koji su u Efesu, i vjernima u Hristu Isusu: 2Blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca našega i Gospoda Isusa Hrista. 3Blagosloven Bog i otac Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, koji nas je blagoslovio svakijem blagoslovom duhovnijem na nebesima kroz Hrista; 4Kao što nas izabra kroz njega prije postanja svijeta, da budemo sveti i pravedni pred njim u ljubavi, 5Odredivši nas naprijed kroz Isusa Hrista sebi na posinaštvo, po ugodnosti volje svoje, 6Na pohvalu slavne blagodati svoje kojom nas oblagodati u ljubaznome, 7U kome imamo izbavljenje krvlju njegovom, i oproštenje grijeha, po bogatstvu blagodati njegove, 8Koju je preumnožio u nama u svakoj premudrosti i razumu, 9Pokazavši nam tajnu volje svoje, po ugodnosti svojoj koju naprijed pokaza u njemu,

Luke 4.16-22 (Gospel)

16I doðe u Nazaret gdje bješe odrastao, i uðe po obièaju svome u dan subotni u zbornicu, i ustade da èita. 17I daše mu knjigu proroka Isaije, i otvorivši knjigu naðe mjesto gdje bješe napisano: 18Duh je Gospodnji na meni; zato me pomaza da javim jevanðelje siromasima; posla me da iscijelim skrušene u srcu; da propovjedim zarobljenima da æe se otpustiti, i slijepima da æe progledati; da otpustim sužnje; 19I da propovijedam prijatnu godinu Gospodnju. 20I zatvorivši knjigu dade sluzi, pa sjede: i svi u zbornici gledahu na nj. 21I poèe im govoriti: danas se izvrši ovo pismo u ušima vašima. 22I svi mu svjedoèahu, i divljahu se rijeèima blagodati koje izlažahu iz usta njegovijeh, i govorahu: nije li ovo sin Josifov?

Holy Prophet Jonas (Jonah) (9th c. BC)

His story is told in the Old Testament book that bears his name. He is counted as one of the twelve ‘minor prophets.’ According to one tradition recorded in the Synaxaria, he was the son of the widow of Zarephath, resurrected by the holy Elias (July 20).

The song of Jonah, I called to the Lord out of my distress (Jonah 2:2-9) is the Sixth Biblical Ode of the Matins canon, and forms the basis of countless troparia, many of which meditate upon the Jonah’s time in the belly of the sea-monster as a type of Christ’s sojourn in the tomb. The Book of Jonah is read in its entirety on Holy Saturday.

The Prophet Jonah is commemorated tomorrow, September 22, on the Slavic calendar.

Apostle Quadratus (Codratus) of the Seventy (130)

He was one of the Seventy appointed by Christ Himself. After Christ’s Ascension, Quadratus preached the Gospel in Athens, then served as a bishop in Athens, then in Magnesia. He was stoned by the pagans, then imprisoned and starved to death in prison. It is said that he wrote a defense of the Christian faith which caused the Emperor Hadrian to decree that Christians were not to be persecuted without special cause. He was buried in Magnesia.

Our Venerable Father Joseph of Zaonikiev Monastery(1612)

He was a peasant named Hilarion in the district of Vologda, and lived a simple, laboring life until he began to lose his sight. Not despairing, Hilarion went to all the churches nearby and asked that services of intercession be offered for him. One day, during the Divine Liturgy, Hilarion beheld a man in white clothing who told him that his name was Cosmas, blessed him, and told him that he would soon be healed. The next day Hilarion was going to church again and the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian appeared to him along with an icon of the Mother of God. A voice from the icon said that the people must cleanse the place where he stood and erect a cross there. Upon venerating the icon, Hilarion was instantly and completely healed. Returning to his village, he joyfully told what had happened. The villagers cleansed the place, as commanded in Hilarion’s vision, set up a cross, and built a chapel to house the icon, which began to work many miracles. When the bishop learned of these events, he determined to found a monastery on that spot, and made Hilarion the first monk, giving him the name of Joseph. Saint Joseph spent the next thirty years there in prayer and great asceticism: he would spend the winter nights without sleep, standing in prayer before the miraculous icon of the Theotokos. He reposed in peace and was buried in the chapel that he and his fellow-villagers had built years before.

Finding of the Relics of St Dimitri of Rostov (1752)

St Dimitri is commemorated October 28.