Philippians 1.12-20 (Epistle)

12Hoæu pak da znate, braæo, da ovo što se radi sa mnom iziðe za napredak jevanðelja, 13Tako da se razglasi u svoj sudnici i kod sviju ostalijeh da su moji okovi za Hrista. 14I mnoga braæa u Gospodu oslobodivši se okovima mojima veæma smiju govoriti rijeè Božiju bez straha. 15Istina, jedni iz zavisti i svaðe, a jedni od dobre volje Hrista propovijedaju. 16Tako ovi uz prkos Hrista objavljuju neèisto, misleæi da æe nanijeti žalost mojijem okovima; 17A ovi iz ljubavi, znajuæi da za obranu jevanðelja ležim u tamnici. 18Šta dakle? Bilo kako mu drago, dvolièenjem ili istinom, Hristos se propovijeda; i zato se radujem, a i radovaæu se; 19Jer znam da æe mi se ovo zbiti na spasenije vašom molitvom i pomoæu Duha Isusa Hrista. 20Kao što èekam i nadam se da se ni u èemu neæu postidjeti, nego da æe se i sad kao svagda sa svakom slobodom Hristos velièati u tijelu mojemu, bilo životom ili smræu.

Luke 6.46-7.1 (Gospel)

46A što me zovete: Gospode! Gospode! a ne izvršujete što vam govorim? 47Svaki koji ide za mnom i sluša rijeèi moje i izvršuje ih, kazaæu vam kakav je: 48On je kao èovjek koji gradi kuæu, pa iskopa i udubi i udari temelj na kamenu; a kad doðoše vode, navali rijeka na onu kuæu i ne može je pokrenuti, jer joj je temelj na kamenu. 49A koji sluša i ne izvršuje on je kao èovjek koji naèini kuæu na zemlji bez temelja, na koju navali rijeka i odmah je obori, i raspade se kuæa ona strašno.

1A kad svrši sve rijeèi svoje pred narodom, doðe u Kapernaum.

St Andrew the Fool for Christ (911)

St Andrew was bought as a slave by Theognostos,a wealthy citizen of Constantinople, during the reign of the Emperor Leo the Wise. Theognostos recognized Andrew’s unusual ability and taught him to read and write. Despite this, Andrew, obeying a divine revelation, took up the ascesis of folly for Christ, behaving as a madman all day and secretly praying most of the night. His master endeavored to have him cured of his apparent madness, having prayers read over him in church, but to no avail. Finally he discharged Andrew, who thereafter lived in absolute poverty in Constantinople, clothing himself in rags and living on the bread given him by kindly Christians. Anything that he received, beyond that needed for bare survival, he gave to beggars, usually mocking and insulting them at the same time so as not to be thanked or praised for his deeds. Such was the wholeheartedness of his prayers that he was given grace to see angels and demons, to discern the secrets of others, thereby turning them from their sins. It was he who, with his disciple Epiphanius, saw the vision of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God (see October 1). After a life of profound ascetic struggle, he reposed in peace.

Hieromartyr Cyprian and Virgin-Martyr Justina (304).

“Saint Justina, who was from Damascus, lived in virginity for the sake of Christ. Saint Cyprian, who was from Antioch, began as an initiate of magic and worshipper of the demons. A certain foolish young man who had been smitten with Justina’s beauty hired Cyprian to draw her to love him; when Cyprian had used every demonic device he knew, and had failed, being repulsed by the power of Christ Whom Justina invoked, he understood the weakness of the demons and came to know the truth. Delivered from demonic delusion, he came to Christ and burned all his books of magic, was baptized, and later ascended the episcopal throne in his country. Later, he and Justina were arrested by the Count of Damascus, and having endured many torments at his hands, they were sent finally to Diocletian in Nicomedia, where they were beheaded in the year 304.” (Great Horologion)

St Cassian the Greek, Wonderworker of Uglich (1504)

In 1473, Princess Sophia Paleologos came to Russia with a large retinue to marry Prince Ivan III. One of this retinue was a certain nobleman named Constantine, a relative of the last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI Paleologos. Constantine entered into the service of Archbishop Joasaph of Rostov, and in 1489 went with him on his retirement to the Monastery of St Therapont at White Lake. Constantine himself had no plans to become a monk; but on his first night at the monastery St Martinian (January 12) appeared to him, exhorting him to renounce the world immediately. Constantine reported his vision to the Archbishop, who confirmed its authenticity, and Constantine was tonsured a monk with the name Cassian.

The new monk entered into the ascetic struggle with fervor: though he had spent his life as a prince, he gladly undertook the lowliest tasks and the most onerous obedience. At the encouragement of his friend St Nilus of Sora (Nil Sorsky, May 7), he took up a hermit’s life by the River Uchma in the Uglich district. In time various disciples gathered around him, and St Cassian, against his own will, became the head of a skete. His teachings to his disciples always emphasized obedience, care for the poor, and prayer for the departed. He reposed in peace.