Galatians 1.1-10, 20-2.5 (Epistle)

1Pavle apostol, ni od ljudi, ni kroz èovjeka, nego kroz Isusa Hrista i Boga oca, koji ga vaskrse iz mrtvijeh, 2I sva braæa koja su sa mnom, crkvama Galatijskijem: 3Blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca i Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, 4Koji dade sebe za grijehe naše da izbavi nas od sadašnjega svijeta zloga, po volji Boga i oca našega, 5Kojemu slava vavijek vijeka. Amin. 6Èudim se da se tako odmah odvraæate na drugo jevanðelje od onoga koji vas pozva blagodaæu Hristovom, 7Koje nije drugo, samo što neki smetaju vas, i hoæe da izvrnu jevanðelje Hristovo. 8Ali ako i mi, ili anðeo s neba javi vam jevanðelje drukèije nego što vam javismo, proklet da bude! 9Kao što prije rekosmo i sad opet velim: ako vam ko javi jevanðelje drukèije nego što primiste, proklet da bude! 10Zar ja sad ljude nagovaram ili Boga? Ili tražim ljudima da ugaðam? Jer kad bih ja još ljudima ugaðao, onda ne bih bio sluga Hristov. 20A što vam pišem evo Bog vidi da ne lažem. 21A potom doðoh u zemlje Sirske i Kilikijske. 22A bijah licem nepoznat Hristovijem crkvama Judejskima; 23Nego samo bijahu èuli da onaj koji nas nekad goni sad propovijeda vjeru koju nekad raskopavaše. 24I slavljahu Boga za mene.

1A potom na èetrnaest godina opet iziðoh u Jerusalim s Varnavom, uzevši sa sobom i Tita. 2Ali iziðoh po otkrivenju, i razgovorih se s njima za jevanðelje koje propovijedam u neznabošcima, ali nasamo s onima koji se brojahu kao najstariji, da uzalud ne trèim ili ne bih trèao. 3Ali ni Tit, koji bješe sa mnom, i bješe Grk, ne bi natjeran da se obreže. 4I za lažnu braæu koja doðoše i privukoše se da uhode slobodu našu koju imamo u Hristu Isusu, da nas zarobe; 5Kojima se ni sahat ne podasmo u pokornost, da istina jevanðelja ostane meðu nama.

Mark 5.1-20 (Gospel)

1I doðoše preko mora u okolinu Gadarinsku. 2I kad iziðe iz laðe, odmah ga srete èovjek s duhom neèistijem, 3Koji življaše u grobovima i niko ga ne mogaše svezati ni verigama; 4Jer je mnogo puta bio metnut u puta i u verige, pa je iskidao verige i puta izlomio; i niko ga ne mogaše ukrotiti. 5I jednako dan i noæ bavljaše se u grobovima i u gorama vièuæi i bijuæi se kamenjem. 6A kad vidje Isusa izdaleka, poteèe i pokloni mu se. 7I povikavši iza glasa reèe: šta je tebi do mene, Isuse sine Boga višnjega? Zaklinjem te Bogom, ne muèi me. 8Jer mu govoraše: iziði, duše neèisti, iz èovjeka. 9I pitaše ga: kako ti je ime? I odgovori mu: legeon mi je ime; jer nas je mnogo. 10I moliše ga mnogo da ih ne šalje iz one okoline. 11A ondje po brijegu pasijaše veliki krd svinja. 12I moliše ga svi ðavoli govoreæi: pošlji nas u svinje da u njih uðemo. 13I dopusti im Isus odmah. I izišavši duhovi neèisti uðoše u svinje; i navali krd s brijega u more; a bijaše ih oko dvije hiljade: i potopiše se u moru. 14A svinjari pobjegoše, i javiše u gradu i po selima. I iziðoše ljudi da vide šta je bilo. 15I doðoše k Isusu, i vidješe bijesnoga u kome je bio legeon gdje sjedi obuèen i pametan; i uplašiše se. 16A oni što su vidjeli kazaše im šta bi od bijesnoga i od svinja. 17I poèeše ga moliti da ide iz njihovijeh krajeva. 18I kad uðe u laðu, moljaše ga onaj što je bio bijesan da bude s njim. 19A Isus ne dade mu, veæ mu reèe: idi kuæi svojoj k svojima i kaži im šta ti Gospod uèini, i kako te pomilova. 20I otide i poèe pripovijedati u Deset Gradova šta mu uèini Isus; i svi se divljahu.

Martyr Sozon of Cilicia (208/304)

He began life as a pagan shepherd in Lycaonia. Coming to faith in Christ, he was baptized and received the name Sozon (“Save”). Thereafter he took every opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to his countrymen and to urge them to give up their idols. Entering a temple of Artemis in Cilicia, he cut off its golden hand, broke it into pieces, and distributed the gold to the poor. When he learned that because of this some were being punished unjustly for theft, he gave himself up to the governor Maximian. He was beaten to death with rods, by some accounts in 288, by others in 304.

Holy Apostles Evodus and Onesiphorus of the Seventy

St Evodus (or Evodius) is mentioned by St Ignatios of Antioch. He was a disciple of the Apostle Peter and succeeded him as Bishop of Antioch. It is said that the name “Christians” for members of the Church was given by Evodus. He was martyred during a visit by the Emperor Vespasian to Antioch. St Onesiphorus is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in his second epistle to St Timothy, where he calls Onesiphorus a friend and helper. He was a bishop in Colophon in Asia Minor, where he met martyrdom for Christ.

Holy Martyr Eupsychyius of Caesarea (2nd c.)

He was the son of a wealthy pagan senator in Caesarea of Cappadocia. When his father died, he gave his inheritance to the poor, proclaiming the Kingdom of God while he did so. For this he was arrested by Sapricius, Governor of Cappadocia, and put in prison. He persuaded his jailers to release him for awhile, and set about giving away the remainder of his worldly goods, first to his accusers and persecutors, then to the poor. When all his wealth was gone, he voluntarily returned to prison. He was viciously scourged several times, then beheaded. At his martyrdom, it is said that milk instead of blood flowed from his body.

Our Holy Father John, Archbishop of Novgorod (1185)

“He was first a married priest and then, from 1163, bishop in Novgorod, building seven churches during his lifetime. He had a vision of the holy Mother of God and a rare power over demons, making them obey him, and he once miraculously preserved Novgorod from an attack by seventy-two princes. He suffered from diabolical temptations, but overcame them all by the power of the Cross and by prayer. Retiring to a monastery in old age, he received the Great Habit and entered peacefully into rest in the Lord on September 7th, 1185.” (Prologue)

St Kassia (Kassiani) the Hymnographer (9th c.)

She was born in Constantinople to a noble family, and grew to be unusually beautiful and learned — so much so that she was chosen to participate in a ‘bride show’, at which the Emperor Theophilos was to choose a wife. Struck by Kassia’s beauty, the Emperor approached her and said ‘Through a woman came forth the baser things,’ referring to Eve’s transgression. Kassia responded, ‘Through a woman came forth the better things’, referring to the Incarnation of Christ through His Most Pure Mother. Stung by her reply, the Emperor rejected her and chose Theodora as his wife. Kassia entered monastic life and founded a women’s monastery in Constantinople, closely allied with the Stoudion Monastery. Serving as abbess of the monastery, she wrote many liturgical hymns, at least twenty of which are included in the services of the Church. Best-known (or at least most closely associated with her) is the Hymn of Kassiani, sung at Matins on Holy Wednesday. She reposed in peace.