2 Peter 2.9-22 (Epistle)

9Zna Gospod pobožne izbavljati od napasti, a nepravednike muèeæi èuvati za dan sudni; 10A osobito one koji idu za tjelesnijem željama neèistote, i ne mare za poglavarstvo, i koji su bezobrazni i samovoljni, i ne drkæu huleæi na slavu. 11Kad anðeli, koji veæu snagu i silu imaju, ne izgovaraju na njih pred Gospodom hulnoga suda; 12A oni, kao nerazumna životinja, koja je od prirode na to stvorena da se hvata i kolje, hule na ono što ne razumiju, i u pogibli svojoj propašæe 13Primajuæi platu nepravde. Oni misle da je slast èastiti se svaki dan; oni su sramota i grijeh, koji se hrane svojijem prijevarama, jeduæi s vama; 14Imaju oèi pune preljuboèinstva i neprestanoga grijeha; prelašæuju neutvrðene duše; imaju srce nauèeno lakomstvu, djeca kletve; 15Ostavivši pravi put, zaðoše, i idu putem Valaama Vosorova, kome omilje plata nepravedna; 16Ali bi pokaran za svoje bezakonje: skot nijemi progovorivši glasom èovjeèijim zabrani bezumlje prorokovo. 17Ovo su bezvodni izvori, i oblaci i magle koje progone vjetrovi, za koje se èuva mrak tamni vavijek. 18Jer govoreæi ponosite i lažljive rijeèi prelašæuju na neèistote tjelesnijeh želja one koji otskora bježe od onijeh što žive u prijevari. 19I obeæavaju im slobodu a sami su robovi pogibli; jer koga ko nadvlada onaj mu i robuje. 20Jer ako odbjegnu od neèistote svijeta poznanjem Gospoda i spasa našega Isusa Hrista, pa se opet zapletu u njih i budu nadvladani, bude im pošljednje gore od prvoga; 21Jer im bješe bolje da ne poznaše puta pravde, negoli kad poznaše da se vrate natrag od svete zapovijesti koja im je predana. 22Jer im se dogodi istinita pripovijest: pas se povraæa na svoju bljuvotinu, i: svinja okupavši se, u kaljužu.

Mark 13.14-23 (Gospel)

14A kad vidite mrzost opušæenja, za koju govori prorok Danilo, da stoji gdje ne treba koji èita da razumije): tada koji budu u Judeji neka bježe u gore; 15I koji bude na krovu da ne silazi u kuæu, niti da ulazi da uzme što iz kuæe svoje; 16I koji bude u polju da se ne vraæa natrag da uzme haljinu svoju. 17Ali teško trudnima i dojilicama u te dane! 18Nego se molite Bogu da ne bude bježan vaša u zimu. 19Jer æe u dane te biti nevolja kakova nije bila od poèetka stvorenja koje je Bog stvorio dosad, i neæe ni biti. 20I da Gospod ne skrati dane niko ne bi ostao; ali izbranijeh radi, koje izbra, skratio je dane. 21Tada ako vam ko reèe: evo ovdje je Hristos; ili: eno ondje; ne vjerujte. 22Jer æe iziæi lažni hristosi i lažni proroci, i pokazaæe znake i èudesa da bi prevarili, ako bude moguæe, i izbrane. 23Ali vi se èuvajte: eto vam sve kazah naprijed.

Translation of the relics of St Ignatius of Antioch (107)

For his life, see December 20.

After his martyrdom, devoured by wild beasts in the amphitheater in Rome, only a few bones remained. These precious relics were gathered by the faithful, who took them back to Antioch, where they were received with joy by his former flock.

St Andrei Rublev, iconographer (1430)

Many consider him the greatest iconographer of all time, and his “Holy Trinity” the finest icon. Very little is known of his life. He was born around 1360, and probably studied with the Byzantine iconographer Theophanes the Greek. He is known to have created icons for the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow and the Cathedral of the Dormition at Vladimir. He created a highly spiritual and distinctively Russian iconographic style that set the standard for Russian iconography for centuries thereafter. It is said that he knew St Sergius of Radonezh (July 5). In his later years he became a monk.

Our Holy Father Aphrahat the Persian (4th c.)

He was from the pagan Persian aristocracy, but came to faith in Christ and left his home for the Christian city of Edessa, where he was baptized. He later moved to Antioch, where he lived in prayer and asceticism a short distance from the city. He ate nothing but a small amount of bread until he was extremely old, when he added some greens to his diet. Though he knew very little Greek, he was empowered by the Holy Spirit to win many converts to Christ and to confound the learned Arian heretics who were disturbing the Church in Antioch.

When Aphrahat learned that the Arian Emperor Valens was persecuting Christ’s Church, he moved to the city to support the true Faith. One day the Emperor himself met Aphrahat in the city square and asked him why he had left his solitude and come to Antioch. The Saint answered ‘Tell me this: if I were a maiden at home in my secluded apartment and saw someone setting fire to my father’s house, would you not advise me to put out the blaze as soon as possible? That is what I am doing now, because the Church, the heavenly Father’s house, is burning down in the fire that you have set!’ One of the Emperor’s attendants threatened Aphrahat with death for this impertinence; but the attendant himself later perished, drowned as he was heating water for the Emperor’s bath. This made the Emperor afraid to persecute the holy one, who continued to preach the true Faith and to perform many miracles. He reposed in peace.

Repose of Blessed Father Dimitrios Gagastathis (1975)

Though not yet officially a Saint of the Church, Papa Dimitrios is widely revered in Greece and abroad. His life is an inspiring example of the possibility of great holiness for those living in the world: a simple married parish priest, he spent forty-two years serving his childhood parish, and had nine daughters. He was a spiritual child of Elder Amphilochios of Patmos, and in turn became a spiritual father to many. His biography describes his last years thus: “On October 1, 1973, he resigned for reasons of health. Since then, he remained confined at home, living as a saint with incessant prayer, glorifying and thanking God for the trial of his illness. He delivered his holy soul to the hands of the living God on January 29, 1975, in peace.”

For more on Papa-dimitri, read this biographical sketch.