2 John 1.1-13 (Epistle)

1Od starješine izbranoj gospoði i djeci njezinoj, koju ja ljubim vaistinu, i ne samo ja nego svi koji poznaše istinu, 2Za istinu koja u nama stoji i biæe s nama dovijeka: 3Da bude s vama blagodat, milost, mir od Boga oca i od Gospoda Isusa Hrista, sina oèina, u istini i u ljubavi. 4Obradovah se vrlo što naðoh neke od tvoje djece koji hode u istini, kao što primismo zapovijest od oca. 5I sad molim te, gospoðo, ne kao da ti novu zapovijest pišem, nego koju imamo ispoèetka, da imamo ljubav meðu sobom. 6I ova je ljubav da živimo po zapovijestima njegovijem. Ova je zapovijest, kao što èuste ispoèetka, da u njoj živite. 7Jer mnoge varalice iziðoše na svijet koji ne priznaju Isusa Hrista da je došao u tijelu; ovo je varalica i antihrist. 8Èuvajte se da ne izgubimo što smo zaradili, nego da primimo platu potpuno. 9Koji god prestupa i ne stoji u nauci Hristovoj onaj nema Boga; a koji stoji u nauci Hristovoj onaj ima i oca i sina. 10Ako ko dolazi k vama i ove nauke ne donosi, ne primajte ga u kuæu, i ne pitajte se s njim; 11Jer ko se upita s njim, prima dijel u njegovijem zlijem djelima. 12Mnogo bih vam imao pisati, ali ne htjedoh hartijom i mastilom; jer se nadam da æu doæi k vama i iz usta govoriti, da radost vaša bude ispunjena. 13Pozdravljaju te djeca tvoje sestre izbrane. Amin.

Mark 15.22, 25, 33-41 (Gospel)

22I dovedoše ga na mjesto Golgotu, koje æe reæi: košturnica. 25A bijaše sahat treæi kad ga razapeše. 33A u šestome sahatu bi tama po svoj zemlji do sahata devetoga. 34I u devetome sahatu povika Isus iza glasa govoreæi: Eloi! Eloi! lama savahtani? koje znaèi: Bože moj! Bože moj! zašto si me ostavio? 35I neki od onijeh što stajahu ondje èuvši to govorahu: eno zove Iliju. 36A jedan otrèa te napuni sunðer octa, pa nataknuvši na trsku pojaše ga govoreæi: stanite da vidimo hoæe li doæi Ilija da ga skine. 37A Isus povika iza glasa, i izdahnu. 38I zavjes crkveni razdrije se nadvoje s vrha do na dno. 39A kad vidje kapetan koji stajaše prema njemu da s takom vikom izdahnu, reèe: zaista èovjek ovaj sin Božij bješe. 40A bijahu i žene koje gledahu izdaleka, meðu kojima bješe i Marija Magdalina i Marija Jakova maloga i Josije mati, i Solomija, 41Koje iðahu za njim i kad bješe u Galileji, i služahu mu; i druge mnoge koje bijahu došle s njim u Jerusalim.

Great-Martyr Theodore Stratelates ("the General") of Heraclea (319)

He was a renowned commander in the Imperial army, and dwelt in Heraclea of Pontus. The Emperor Licinius heard of Theodore’s fame as an officer, and also that he was a devout Christian; the Emperor determined to visit the general, officially to honor him, but secretly to turn him from Christ.

When the Emperor came to Heraclea, Saint Theodore met him with all honor, and the Emperor in turn praised him for his service to the state. Licinius then publicly bade Theodore make sacrifice to the gods. Theodore asked that he be given the most venerable gods, made of gold and silver, to attend upon at home, and promised that the following day he would return and honor them before the people. The Emperor, thinking that he had succeeded in restoring Theodore to paganism, gladly agreed.

That night the Saint smashed all the idols he had taken home, and distributed the gold and silver pieces to the poor. When this was discovered, Theodore gladly admitted his deed and confessed Christ boldly. The Emperor, in a fury, had the Saint subjected to many tortures, then crucified. On the cross, he was subject to further torments and mutilations: parts of his body were cut off, his eyes put out, and he was shot with arrows, finally being left on the cross for dead. The next day Licinius sent men to cast his body into the sea, but to their amazement they found the Saint alive, his body perfectly intact. Through this, many spectators and some of the Emperor’s own men turned to Christ. Seeing that the Saint, far from renouncing Christ, was leading others to Him, the Emperor promptly had him beheaded. His holy relics were returned to his family home in Euchaita, where they worked so many miracles that the town came to be known as Theodoropolis.

Holy Prophet Zechariah (6th c. BC)

He was among those who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity, following the decree of Cyrus in 538 BC. With the Prophet Haggai (December 16) he began to prophesy in Jerusalem in 520, to encourage the Jews to return to their task of rebuilding the Temple, which they had given up in discouragement. His prophetic ministry is described both in the Book of Ezra and in the Old Testament book that bears his name. His prophecies, in addition to speaking to the situation in which he lived, are replete with prophecies of the coming, and second coming, of Christ. His name means “The Lord is renowned.” Sozomen’s Ecclesiastical History reports that under the Emperor Honorius, Zacharias’ holy relics were discovered by divine revelation in Palestine, and were found to be incorrupt.

St Sabbas II, Archbishop of Serbia (1271)

He was the son of St Stephen the First- Crowned King of Serbia (September 24), and the nephew of St Sabbas (Sava) (January 14), the first Archbishop of Serbia. Like his uncle, he became a monk at the monastery of Chilandar on Mt Athos, where he zealously lived the ascetical life until he was elected Bishop of Zachounios, then Archbishop of Serbia. He fell asleep in peace in 1271, having shepherded his flock with love and wisdom. His holy relics are in the monastery of Pech.