12. децембар 2025.
Friday of the 27th week after Pentecost

Nativity Fast

Commemorations

Holy Martyr Paramon and his 370 Companions (ca. 250)
Our Holy Father Pitirim of Egypt (4th c.)

Scripture Readings

2 Timothy 1.1-2, 8-18 (Epistle)

1Od Pavla, apostola Isusa Hrista po volji Božijoj za obeæanje života u Isusu Hristu, 2Timotiju, ljubaznome sinu, blagodat, milost, mir od Boga oca i Hrista Isusa Gospoda našega. 8Ne postidi se dakle svjedoèanstva Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, ni mene sužnja njegova; nego postradaj s jevanðeljem Hristovijem po sili Boga, 9Koji nas spase i prizva zvanjem svetijem, ne po djelima našima, nego po svojoj naredbi i blagodati, koja nam je dana u Hristu Isusu prije vremena vjeènijeh; 10A sad se pokaza u dolasku spasitelja našega Isusa Hrista, koji raskopa smrt, i obasja život i neraspadljivost jevanðeljem; 11Za koje sam ja postavljen apostol i uèitelj neznabožaca. 12Zaradi kojega uzroka i ovo stradam; ali se ne stidim, jer znam kome vjerovah, i uvjeren sam da je kadar amanet moj saèuvati za dan onaj. 13Imaj u pameti obraz zdravijeh rijeèi koje si èuo od mene, u vjeri i ljubavi Hrista Isusa. 14Dobri amanet saèuvaj Duhom svetijem koji živi u nama. 15Znaš ovo da se odvratiše od mene svi u Aziji, meðu kojima je Figel i Ermogen. 16A Gospod da da milost Onisiforovu domu; jer me mnogo puta utješi, i okova mojijeh ne postidje se; 17Nego došavši u Rim potraži me još s veæijem staranjem i naðe. 18Da da njemu Gospod da naðe milost od Gospoda u dan onaj. I u Efesu koliko mi posluži, ti znaš dobro.

Luke 20.19-26 (Gospel)

19I gledahu glavari sveštenièki i književnici u onaj èas da dignu ruke na nj; ali se pobojaše naroda, jer razumješe da njima ovu prièu kaza. 20I pažahu na njega, i poslaše vrebaèe, koji se graðahu kao da su pobožni: ne bi li ga uhvatili u rijeèi da ga predadu poglavarima i vlasti sudijnoj. 21I upitaše ga govoreæi: uèitelju! znamo da pravo govoriš i uèiš, i ne gledaš ko je ko, nego zaista uèiš putu Božijemu: 22Treba li nam æesaru davati haraè, ili ne? 23A on razumjevši njihovo lukavstvo reèe im: šta me kušate? 24Pokažite mi dinar; èij je na njemu obraz i natpis? A oni odgovarajuæi rekoše: æesarev. 25A on im reèe: podajte dakle što je æesarevo æesaru, a što je Božije Bogu. 26I ne mogoše rijeèi njegove pokuditi pred narodom; i diviše se odgovoru njegovu, i umukoše.

Commemorations

Holy Martyr Paramon and his 370 Companions (ca. 250)

“Akylinus, the Governor of Bithynia in the reign of the Emperor Decius (249-51), was leaving for the hot springs at Bisaltia, when he decided to make 370 Christians from Nicomedia, who had been imprisoned on his orders, worship in the temple of Isis. On their refusal to do so, they were all beheaded. Seeing this massacre, the righteous Paramon cried out: ‘What a wicked deed to slaughter so many righteous men, and strangers moreover, as if they were animals.’ The Governor heard these words and had Paramon seized and taken with him under guard. On the road he was mistreated in various ways by the soldiers. Some of them struck him with their spears, others excised his tongue and other members, and he was finally put to death in the presence of the Governor.” (Synaxarion) Note: of the various persecutions launched by the pagan Emperors before St Constantine, the persecution under Decius was probably the fiercest and bloodiest.

Our Holy Father Pitirim of Egypt (4th c.)

“Abba Pitirim directed a group of ascetics who led a very austere life in the arid mountains of the Thebaid. He was himself a disciple and third successor of Saint Anthony the Great (17 Jan.) in his hermitage. He ate no more than a little flour mixed with water twice a week, and so persevered in spiritual labours that he gained abundant graces from the Holy Spirit. Among other things, he taught that to each passion there corresponds a demon who tries to stir up that passion within us through different temptations. In order to get rid of these demons and of evil thoughts, Abba Pitirim said that we must first free our hearts from passions.” (Synaxarion)