No Fast
1Dajemo vam pak na znanje, braæo, blagodat Božiju koja je dana u crkvama Maæedonskima, 2Da u mnogome kušanju nevolja suvišak radosti njihove i puko siromaštvo njihovo izobilova u bogatstvu prostote njihove. 3Jer po moguæstvu njihovu ja sam svjedok) i preko moguæstva dobrovoljni bijahu, 4I s mnogijem moljenjem moliše nas da primimo blagodat i zajednicu službe k svetima. 5I ne kao što se nadasmo nego najprije sebe predaše Gospodu i nama, po volji Božijoj,
1Sazvavši pak dvanaestoricu dade im silu i vlast nad svijem ðavolima, i da iscjeljuju od bolesti. 2I posla ih da propovijedaju carstvo Božije, i da iscjeljuju bolesnike. 3I reèe im: ništa ne uzimajte na put, ni štapa ni torbe ni hljeba ni novaca, niti po dvije haljine da imate. 4U koju kuæu uðete ondje budite i odande polazite. 5I gdje vas ne prime izlazeæi iz grada onoga otresite i prah s nogu svojijeh, za svjedoèanstvo na njih. 6A kad iziðoše, iðahu po selima propovijedajuæi jevanðelje i iscjeljujuæi svuda.
Acindynus, Pegasius and Anempodistus were courtiers to King Shapur II of Persia. When the king began a fierce persecution of Christians, the three withdrew from court to a private house and, fearless of their own safety, openly exhorted their fellow-Christians to stand firm in their faith. For this they were arrested and brought before their former lord, who subjected them to many cruel tortures, from which they emerged miraculously unscathed. Seeing this, one of the king’s soldiers, named Aphthonius, embraced the Faith and was immediately beheaded. The former courtiers were then put to further tortures, but their only effect was to convince Elpidophorus, a distinguished nobleman, and seven thousand other Persians to faith in Christ. All were beheaded, but not before receiving holy Baptism. The trials of the three continued, but once again they were preserved, and even the king’s mother was led to the true faith. Finally they were killed (the account does not say how), receiving the crown of martyrdom along with the king’s mother and twenty-eight others.