دوم قرنتیان ۱.۸-۱۱ (رساله)

۸ای برادران، نمی‌خواهیم از سختیهایی که در ایالت آسیا بر ما گذشت، بی‌خبر باشید. فشارهایی که بر ما آمد چنان سخت و فوق از طاقت ما بود که از زنده ماندن هم نومید گشتیم. ۹به‌واقع احساس می‌کردیم حکم مرگمان صادر شده است. امّا اینها همه روی داد تا نه بر خود، بلکه بر خدایی توکل کنیم که مردگان را برمی‌خیزاند. ۱۰او ما را از چنین خطر مهلکی رهانید و باز خواهد رهانید. بر اوست که ما امید بسته‌ایم که همچنان ما را خواهد رهانید، ۱۱بخصوص چون شما نیز با دعای خود یاری‌مان دهید. آنگاه بسیار کسان، برای فیضی که در جواب دعای بسیاری به ما بخشیده شده است، از جانب ما شکر خواهند گزارد.

لوقا ۶.۱-۱۰ (انجیل)

۱در یکی از روزهای شَبّات، عیسی از میان مزارع گندم می‌گذشت و شاگردانش خوشه‌های گندم را می‌چیدند و به دست ساییده، می‌خوردند. ۲امّا تنی چند از فَریسیان گفتند: «چرا کاری می‌کنید که انجامش در روز شَبّات جایز نیست؟» ۳عیسی پاسخ داد: «مگر نخوانده‌اید که داوود چه کرد، آنگاه که خود و یارانش گرسنه بودند؟ ۴او به خانۀ خدا درآمد و نان حضور را برگرفت و خورد و به یارانش نیز داد، هرچند خوردن آن تنها برای کاهنان جایز است.» ۵و در ادامه فرمود: «پسر انسان صاحب شَبّات است.» ۶در شَبّاتی دیگر، به کنیسه درآمد و به تعلیم پرداخت. مردی آنجا بود که دست راستش خشک شده بود. ۷علمای دین و فَریسیان، عیسی را زیر نظر داشتند تا ببینند آیا در روز شَبّات کسی را شفا می‌دهد یا نه؛ زیرا در پی دستاویزی بودند تا به او اتهام زنند. ۸امّا عیسی که از افکارشان آگاه بود، مرد خشک‌دست را گفت: «برخیز و در برابر همه بایست.» او نیز برخاست و ایستاد. ۹عیسی به آنان گفت: «از شما می‌پرسم، کدام‌یک در روز شَبّات رواست: نیکی یا بدی، نجات جان انسان یا نابود کردن آن؟» ۱۰پس چشم به جانب یکایک ایشان گرداند و سپس خطاب به آن مرد گفت: «دستت را دراز کن!» چنین کرد، و دستش سالم شد.

قدیس شمعون جدید الهیدان (۱۰۲۲)

As a young man he became a monk in the Studite Monastery in Constantinople; later he bacame abbot of the Monastery of St Mamas, also in Constantinople. After a life of great asceticism, including many trials, criticisms and afflictions, he reposed in peace. (He reposed on March 12, but since this day always falls during the Great Fast, his feast is kept today.) His teaching on the soul’s ability to enter directly into communion with God in this life aroused some opposition in his own time, and the title ‘New Theologian’ was not always applied in a positive sense. His experiential, mystical teachings are firmly rooted in his doctrine of the Church: his writings contain many powerful affirmations of the centrality of participation in the Mysteries in our struggle for salvation. He is the author of many sublimely beautiful sermons, writings and hymns, a number of them in metered verse. With St John the Evangelist and St Gregory, Patriarch of Constantinople, he is one of only three whom the Church has officially called “Theologian.”

شهیدان پروبوس، تاراخوس و آندرونیکوس (۳۰۴)

All three suffered during the reign of Diocletian. Though born in three different places, the three were found to be Christians at Pompeiopolis in Cilicia, arrested together, and brought before the Governor, Numerian Maximus. Tarachus was sixty-five years old at the time of his arrest, but his captors showed no respect for his age, tormenting him as cruelly as the others. All three immediately and boldly confessed their faith, and were put to many vicious tortures, during which Probus said to Maximus, ‘This bloodshed is oil and perfume for me to anoint myself with joy for further contests.’ At one point the persecutors forcibly stuffed Andronicus’ mouth with meat and wine that had been offered to idols, thinking that in doing so they were winning a victory. Andronicus only mocked them, explaining that only wilful apostasy brings defeat to a Christian.

Finally, Maximus ordered them taken to the theater and thrown to wild beasts for the entertainment of the people. Though the beasts had just torn others to pieces, they would not touch the holy martyrs, but played and fawned around them: A ferocious bear licked their wounds, and a lioness played affectionately around Tarachus. Seeing this, many in the crowd believed in Christ and denounced the Governor. The furious Maximus ordered his soldiers to enter the arena and cut the three to pieces. Three Christians who had witnessed the spectacle came by night to retrieve their bodies, but were unable to distinguish the martyrs’ relics amid the general carnage. When they prayed for divine aid, three lights appeared above the bodies of the three holy ones, and they were given honorable burial in a mountain cave.