1 John 3.21-4.6 (Epistle)

21Ljubazni! ako nam srce naše ne zazre, slobodu imamo pred Bogom; 22I što god zaištemo, primiæemo od njega, jer zapovijesti njegove držimo i èinimo što je njemu ugodno. 23I ovo je zapovijest njegova da vjerujemo u ime sina njegova Isusa Hrista, i da ljubimo jedan drugoga kao što nam je dao zapovijest. 24I koji drži zapovijesti njegove u njemu stoji, i on u njemu. I po tom poznajemo da stoji u nama, po Duhu koga nam je dao.

1Ljubazni! ne vjerujte svakome duhu, nego kušajte duhove jesu li od Boga; jer mnogi lažni proroci iziðoše na svijet. 2Po ovome poznajte Duha Božijega, i duha lažnoga; svaki duh koji priznaje da je Isus Hristos u tijelu došao, od Boga je; 3A svaki duh koji ne priznaje da je Isus Hristos u tijelu došao, nije od Boga: i ovaj je antihristov, za kojega èuste da æe doæi, i sad je veæ na svijetu. 4Vi ste od Boga, djeèice, i nadvladaste ih, jer je veæi koji je u vama negoli koji je na svijetu. 5Oni su od svijeta, zato govore od svijeta, i svijet ih sluša. 6Mi smo od Boga; koji poznaje Boga sluša nas, a koji nije od Boga ne sluša nas. Po ovom poznajemo duha istine i duha prijevare.

Mark 14.43-15.1 (Gospel)

43I odmah dok on još govoraše, doðe Juda, jedan od dvanaestorice, i s njim ljudi mnogi s noževima i s koljem od glavara sveštenièkijeh i od književnika i starješina. 44I izdajnik njegov dade im znak govoreæi: koga ja cjelivam onaj je: držite ga, i vodite ga èuvajuæi. 45I došavši odmah pristupi k njemu, i reèe: Ravi! ravi! i cjeliva ga. 46A oni metnuše ruke svoje na nj i uhvatiše ga. 47A jedan od onijeh što stajahu ondje izvadi nož te udari slugu poglavara sveštenièkoga, i otsijeèe mu uho. 48I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe im: kao na hajduka izišli ste s noževima i s koljem da me uhvatite, 49A svaki dan sam bio kod vas u crkvi i uèio, i ne uhvatiste me. Ali da se zbude pismo. 50I ostavivši ga uèenici svi pobjegoše. 51I za njim iðaše nekakav mladiæ ogrnut platnom po golu tijelu; i uhvatiše onoga mladiæa. 52A on ostavivši platno go pobježe od njih. 53I dovedoše Isusa k poglavaru sveštenièkome, i stekoše se k njemu svi glavari sveštenièki i književnici i starješine. 54I Petar ide za njim izdaleka do u dvor poglavara sveštenièkoga, i sjeðaše sa slugama, i grijaše se kod ognja. 55A glavari sveštenièki i sva skupština tražahu na Isusa svjedoèanstva da ga ubiju; i ne naðoše; 56Jer mnogi svjedoèahu lažno na njega i svjedoèanstva ne bijahu jednaka. 57I jedni ustavši svjedoèahu na njega lažno govoreæi: 58Mi smo èuli gdje on govori: ja æu razvaliti ovu crkvu koja je rukama naèinjena, i za tri dana naèiniæu drugu koja neæe biti rukama naèinjena. 59I ni ovo svjedoèanstvo njihovo ne bijaše jednako. 60I ustavši poglavar sveštenièki na srijedu zapita Isusa govoreæi: zar ništa ne odgovaraš što ovi na tebe svjedoèe? 61A on muèaše i ništa ne odgovaraše. Opet poglavar sveštenièki zapita i reèe: jesi li ti Hristos, sin blagoslovenoga? 62A Isus reèe: jesam; i vidjeæete sina èovjeèijega gdje sjedi s desne strane sile i ide na oblacima nebeskijem. 63A poglavar sveštenièki razdrije svoje haljine, i reèe: šta nam trebaju više svjedoci? 64Èuste hulu na Boga; šta mislite? A oni svi kazaše da je zaslužio smrt. 65I poèeše jedni pljuvati na nj, i pokrivati mu lice, i æušati ga, i govoriti mu: proreci; i sluge ga bijahu po obrazima. 66I kad bijaše Petar dolje na dvoru, doðe jedna od sluškinja poglavara sveštenièkoga, 67I vidjevši Petra gdje se grije pogleda na nj i reèe: i ti si bio s Isusom Nazareæaninom. 68A on se odreèe govoreæi: ne znam niti razumijem šta ti govoriš. I iziðe napolje pred dvor: i pijetao zapjeva. 69I opet kad ga vidje sluškinja, poèe govoriti onima što stajahu ondje: ovaj je od njih. 70A on se opet odricaše. I malo zatijem opet oni što stajahu ondje rekoše Petru: vaistinu si od njih: jer si Galilejac, i govor ti je onakovi. 71A on se poèe kleti i preklinjati: ne znam toga èovjeka za koga vi govorite. 72I drugi put zapjeva pijetao. I opomenu se Petar rijeèi što mu reèe Isus: dok pijetao dvaput ne zapjeva odreæi æeš me se triput. I stade plakati.

1I odmah ujutru uèiniše vijeæu glavari sveštenièki sa starješinama i književnicima, i sav sabor, i svezavši Isusa odvedoše ga i predadoše Pilatu.

St Photios, patriarch of Constantinople (891)

St Photios, along with St Mark of Ephesus and St Gregory Palamas, is counted as one of the Three Pillars of Orthodoxy, who stood against Latinizing influences on the Orthodox Church.

He was born in Constantinople in 810, son of pious parents belonging to one of the prominent families of the City. Both his parents were martyred during the Iconoclast persecution, leaving their son an example of adherence to the True Faith even unto death. He received a superb education, and was widely considered the single most learned person of his time. He was elevated to the Patriarchal throne in 858, after being raised through all the degrees of the priesthood in six days.

Throughout his Patriarchal reign he was troubled by the usual political battles and intrigues and, more importantly, by various threats to the Faith in the form of Manicheans and Iconoclasts.

Photios showed a special concern for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world: it was he who commissioned Sts Cyril and Methodius to embark on their mission to the Slavs.

Most memorably, it was the Patriarch’s lot to stand against the arrogant, uncanonical and heretical claims of Pope Nicholas I of Rome, who openly asserted for the first time the Pope’s pretensions to universal jurisdiction over the Church. When the Patriarch opposed these claims, Pope Nicholas summoned a council of western bishops, which “deposed” Photios and excommunicated all clergy whom he had ordained. In 867 the Emperor Michael III was assassinated, and his successor Basil I deposed Photios, had him imprisoned, and reinstated his predecessor Ignatius. To gain legitimacy for this widely-opposed move, he submitted it to the Pope for approval. Delighted, the Pope ratified the Emperor’s decision and used it to advance the claims of the Papacy. When the eastern bishops realized what was happening they prevailed on the Emperor to release Photios from his three-year imprisonment; and when Ignatius died, the Church unanimously returned Photios to the Patriarchal throne. A Council in Constantinople in 879-880, at which Photios presided, restored communion between the Eastern and Western Churches but at the same time anathematized the heretical addition of the filioque to the Creed, which the Papacy had been promoting.

When Leo VI succeeded Basil I as Emperor, the Patriarch was once again deposed, and was imprisoned in the Monastery of the Armenians for five years. During this time he wrote the Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit, a learned and eloquent refutation of the filioque heresy. The Saint, still imprisoned, reposed in peace in 893.

Sts Barsanuphius and John the Prophet, monks of Palestine (6th c.)

‘Saint Barsanuphius the Great, who was from Egypt, and his disciple, Saint John the Prophet, struggled in very strict reclusion during the sixth century at the monastery of Abba Seridus at Gaza of Palestine, and were endowed with amazing gifts of prophecy and spiritual discernment. They are mentioned by Saint Dorotheus of Gaza, their disciple, in his writings. Many of the counsels they sent to Christians who wrote to them are preserved in the book which bears their names. Once certain of the Fathers besought Saint Barsanuphius to pray that God stay His wrath and spare the world. Saint Barsanuphius wrote back that there were “three men perfect before God,” whose prayers met at the throne of God and protected the whole world; to them it had been revealed that the wrath of God would not last long. These three, he said, were “John of Rome, Elias of Corinth, and another in the diocese of Jerusalem,” concealing the name of the last, since it was himself.’ (Great Horologion)

Saint Barsanuphius lived in such reclusion that only Abbot Seridus ever saw him: once a week the Abbot would bring him three loaves and some water, and would write down the Saint’s counsels. Some of the brethren came to suspect that Barsanuphius was an invention of the Abbot, and to relieve their minds he came out of his cell for the only time, greeted them, washed their feet, and withdrew again.

It is unknown when St Barsanuphius reposed. When it was suspected that he had died in his cell, the Patriarch of Jerusalem ordered that it be opened, but fire blasted forth from the door, preventing any from entering.