1 Peter 3.10-22 (Epistle)

10Jer koji je rad da živi i da vidi dane dobre, neka zadrži jezik svoj od zla, i usne svoje, da ne govore prijevare; 11Neka se ukloni od zla, i neka uèini dobro; neka traži mira i neka se drži njega. 12Jer oèi Gospodnje gledaju na pravednike, i uši njegove na molitvu njihovu; a lice Gospodnje na one koji zlo èine da ih istrijebi sa zemlje. 13I ko može vama nauditi ako uzidete za dobrom? 14Nego ako i stradate pravde radi, blaženi ste. Ali straha njihova ne bojte se, niti se plašite; 15Nego Gospoda Boga svetite u srcima svojijem. A budite svagda gotovi na odgovor svakome koji vas zapita za vaše nadanje. 16S krotošæu i strahom imajte dobru savjest; da ako vas opadaju za što kao zloèince da se postide oni što kude vaše dobro življenje po Hristu. 17Jer je bolje, ako hoæe volja Božija, da stradate dobro èineæi, negoli zlo èineæi. 18Jer i Hristos jedanput za grijehe naše postrada, pravednik za nepravednike, da nas privede k Bogu, ubijen, istina, bivši tijelom, no oživljevši Duhom; 19Kojijem sišavši propovijeda i duhovima koji su u tamnici, 20Koji nekad ne htješe da slušaju kad ih oèekivaše Božije trpljenje u vrijeme Nojevo, kad se graðaše kovèeg, u kome malo, to jest osam duša, ostade od vode. 21Za spomen toga i nas sad spasava krštenje, ali ne pranje tjelesne neèistote, nego obeæanje dobre savjesti Bogu, vaskrsenijem Isusa Hrista. 22Koji je s desne strane Bogu, otišavši na nebo, i slušaju ga anðeli i vlasti i sile.

Mark 12.18-27 (Gospel)

18I doðoše k njemu sadukeji koji kažu da nema vaskrsenija, i zapitaše ga govoreæi: 19Uèitelju! Mojsije nam napisa: ako kome brat umre i ostavi ženu a djece ne ostavi, da brat njegov uzme ženu njegovu i da podigne sjeme bratu svojemu. 20Sedam braæe bješe: i prvi uze ženu, i umrije bez poroda. 21I drugi uze je, i umrije, i ni on ne ostavi poroda; tako i treæi. 22I uzeše je sedmorica, i ne ostaviše poroda. A poslije sviju umrije i žena. 23O vaskrseniju dakle kad ustanu koga æe od njih biti žena? jer je za sedmoricom bila. 24I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe im: zato li se vi varate što ne znate pisma ni sile Božije? 25Jer kad iz mrtvijeh ustanu, niti æe se ženiti ni udavati, nego su kao anðeli na nebesima. 26A za mrtve da ustaju nijeste li èitali u knjigama Mojsijevijem kako mu reèe Bog kod kupine govoreæi: ja sam Bog Avraamov, i Bog Isakov, i Bog Jakovljev? 27Nije Bog Bog mrtvijeh, nego Bog živijeh. Vi se dakle vrlo varate.

Holy Apostle Timothy

This is the Apostle to whom two of St Paul’s Epistles are addressed. He was from Lystra in Lycaonia, born to a pagan Greek father and a Jewish mother. His mother, whose name was Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, brought him up in piety and love of the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul converted the two women during his first missionary visit to Lystra; returning seven years later, he found Timothy full of zeal for Christ, and baptized him. Timothy became his closest disciple: in his epistles, St Paul calls calls him “my dearly beloved son.” So that Timothy would be able to preach the Gospel in the synagogues, St Paul personally circumcised him.

The Apostle Paul consecrated Timothy as the first bishop of Ephesus. As such, he became a disciple and exarch of St John the Evangelist, who supervised all the churches in Asia. In AD 97, he attempted to oppose the celebration of a festival to Artemis; the pagans, enraged, mobbed him and beat him to death. He was buried near the tomb of St John. In 356 his precious relics were translated (along with those of Sts Andrew and Luke) to Constantinople and enshrined in the Church of the Holy Apostles. In 1204 they were stolen by the Latin Crusaders when they pillaged the city.

Holy Martyr Anastasius of Persia (628)

He was a Persian, the son of a Magus, a soldier in the Persian army under Chosroes II, who at that time was making inroads into the Christian Empire. His Persian name was Magundat. Chosroes captured Jerusalem in 614, and carried away the Precious Cross as a trophy. Magundat heard of this, and of all the miracles worked by the Cross; and he wondered why the ruins of an instrument of torture were so revered by the Christians. Seeking out Christian elders to answer his questions, he learned of the Incarnation, life, Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Christ, and with joy embraced the Christian Faith as Truth. He was baptized by St Modestus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and given the name of Anastasius. At the same time, he took monastic vows. For a time he lived in a monastery in Jerusalem, but then went forth, found some Persian Magi at Caesarea, and chastised them for embracing delusions. Since he was in Persian territory (as he well knew), he was taken to the Persian governor, interrogated, imprisoned, and finally taken with other captives to Persia. There, despite many severe tortures, he refused to return to his former error, and was hanged by one hand, strangled, then beheaded.