Titus 1.15-2.10 (Epistle)

15Èistima je sve èisto; a poganima i nevjernima ništa nije èisto, nego je opoganjen njihov i um i savjest. 16Govore da poznaju Boga, a djelima ga se odrièu; jer su mrski i neposlušni, i ni za kakvo dobro djelo valjani.

1A ti govori što pristoji zdravoj nauci: 2Starcima da budu trijezni, pošteni, èisti, zdravi u vjeri, u ljubavi, u trpljenju; 3Staricama takoðer da žive kao što se pristoji svetima, da ne budu opadljive, da se ne predaju vrlo vinu, da uèe dobru, 4Da uèe mlade da ljube muževe, da ljube djecu, 5Da budu poštene, èiste, dobre kuæanice, blage, pokorne svojijem muževima, da se ne huli na rijeè Božiju. 6Tako i mladiæe svjetuj da budu pošteni. 7A u svemu sam sebe podaji za ugled dobrijeh djela, u nauci cijelost, poštenje, 8Rijeè zdravu, nezazornu: da se posrami onaj koji se protivi, ne imajuæi ništa zlo govoriti za nas. 9Sluge da slušaju svoje gospodare, da budu ugodni u svaèemu, da ne odgovaraju, 10Da ne kradu, nego u svaèemu da pokazuju dobru vjeru, da nauku spasitelja našega Boga ukrašuju u svaèemu.

Mark 10.23-32 (Gospel)

23I pogledavši Isus reèe uèenicima svojima: kako je teško bogatima uæi u carstvo nebesko! 24A uèenici se uplašiše od rijeèi njegovijeh. A Isus opet odgovarajuæi reèe im: djeco! kako je teško onima koji se uzdaju u svoje bogatstvo uæi u carstvo Božije! 25Lakše je kamili proæi kroz iglene uši negoli bogatome uæi u carstvo Božije. 26A oni se vrlo divljahu govoreæi u sebi: ko se dakle može spasti? 27A Isus pogledavši na njih reèe: ljudima je nemoguæe, ali nije Bogu: jer je sve moguæe Bogu. 28A Petar mu poèe govoriti: eto mi smo ostavili sve, i za tobom idemo. 29A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe: zaista vam kažem: nema nikoga koji je ostavio kuæu, ili braæu, ili sestre, ili oca, ili mater, ili ženu, ili djecu, ili zemlju, mene radi i jevanðelja radi, 30A da neæe primiti sad u ovo vrijeme sto puta onoliko kuæa, i braæe, i sestara, i otaca, i matera, i djece, i zemlje, u progonjenju, a na onome svijetu život vjeèni. 31Ali æe mnogi prvi biti pošljednji, i pošljednji prvi. 32A kad iðahu putem u Jerusalim, Isus iðaše pred njima, a oni se èuðahu, i za njim iðahu sa strahom. I uzevši opet dvanaestoricu poèe im kazivati šta æe biti od njega:

Holy Martyr Juliana of Nicomedia and those with her (304)

She was the daughter of a prominent family in Nicomedia during the reign of the persecutor Maximian (286-305). Her parents betrothed her to a nobleman named Eleusius, but without his knowledge, or that of her parents, she had already committed her life to Christ, and consecrated her virginity to him. To put off her suitor, she told him that she would not marry him until he became Prefect. Eleusius went to work using his fortune to bribe and influence those in power, and succeeded in being appointed Prefect of Nicomedia. When he went to Juliana to claim her as his wife, she was forced to confess herself a Christian, saying that she would never marry him unless he gave up the worship of idols and embraced the faith of Christ. For her confession, she was arrested and taken before the Prefect: Eleusius, her once-ardent suitor. He was now filled with an ardent rage toward her and, when she would not renounce her faith, had her subjected to the most sadistic tortures imaginable. Miraculously, she endured these without harm. Witnessing this wonder, 500 men and 130 women from among the pagans confessed Christ. The enraged Prefect had all of them beheaded immediately, followed by Juliana herself. She was eighteen years old when she won the Martyr’s crown.

Our Holy Father Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow (1326)

“Saint Peter was born in Volhynia in 1260 and entered a monastery there at the age of thirteen. Making the Ladder of Saint John Climacus his guide in the monastic life, his obedience, meekness and willingness to undertake tasks that were repugnant to his brethren made him beloved of them all. He also painted icons and was the originator of the Muscovite style of Russian iconography. After some years, he left for the small Monastery of the Transfiguration in order to find the quiet favourable to prayer. Saint Maximus, the metropolitan of Kiev (6 Dec.) visited this monastery and was greatly edified by the virtues of Peter, whom he decided should be his successor as head of the Russian Church. He was confirmed in this resolve by an apparition of the Mother of God, and he made the request to the Patriarch of Constantinople on whom the Russian Church depended. In 1325 therefore Saint Peter was consecrated Metropolitan of Kiev, of which the see had been transferred to Vladimir by Saint Maximus, after the sack of Kiev by the Tatars. Peter’s election was confirmed by a Council, but he immediately encountered opposition from the Russian princes, who were vying with one another for influence over the leader of the Church. Peter’s meekness and charity towards his enemies won him their respect; but although conciliatory in all that concerned himself personally, he was nonetheless strict as regards the faith and moral uprightness. He energetically opposed intense Muslim propaganda, and travelled throughout Russia to confirm the faith. He did not hesitate to risk his life for the sake of making peace among the princes and, foreseeing that Russia would reunite around the principality of Moscow, he transferred his Metropolitanate see to that city and began the construction of the renowned Cathedral of the Dormition in the Kremlin. He gave up his soul to God while at prayer on 21 December 1326, and many miracles of healing were wrought at his tomb.” (Synaxarion)

Saint Procopius of Vyatka, Fool for Christ (1627)

“Saint Procopius, the son of devout peasants, first feigned madness to escape a marriage that was being urged on him. He spent his life in the streets half-naked, slept wherever night overtook him and would never accept the shelter of a house. He used signs to make himself understood and never spoke a word, except to his spiritual father, with whom he would converse normally as a man in possession of all his faculties. When he was given an article of clothing, he wore it for a while out of obedience and then give it away to someone poor. When he visited the sick, he set fire to the beds of those who were going to get better, and rolled up in their sheets those who were going to die. He made many predictions, often by means of disconcerting prophetic signs, whose meaning became clear with the event. He spent thirty years in foolishness for Christ and, having foretold his death, fell asleep in peace in 1627.” (Synaxarion)