Orthodox Calendar

17. мај 2025.
Saturday of the 4th Sunday of Pascha

No Fast

Commemorations

  • Our Holy Father Nikephoros the Hesychast (14th c.)
  • Virgin-martyr Pelagia of Tarsus in Asia Minor (287)
  • St Monica, mother of Blessed Augustine (388)

Scripture Readings

Acts 12.1-11 (Epistle)

1U ono pak vrijeme podiže Irod car ruke da muèi neke od crkve. 2I pogubi Jakova brata Jovanova maèem. 3I vidjevši da je to po volji Jevrejima nastavi da uhvati i Petra a bijahu dani prijesnijeh hljebova 4Kojega i uhvati i baci u tamnicu, i predade ga èetvorici èetvrtnika vojnièkijeh da ga èuvaju, i mišljaše ga po pashi izvesti pred narod. 5I tako Petra èuvahu u tamnici; a crkva moljaše se za njega Bogu bez prestanka. 6A kad šæaše Irod da ga izvede, onu noæ spavaše Petar meðu dvojicom vojnika, okovan u dvoje verige, a stražari pred vratima èuvahu tamnicu. 7I gle, anðeo Gospodnji pristupi, i svjetlost obasja po sobi, i kucnuvši Petra u rebra probudi ga govoreæi: ustani brže. I spadoše mu verige s ruku. 8A anðeo mu reèe: opaši se, i obuj opanke svoje. I uèini tako. I reèe mu anðeo: obuci haljinu svoju, pa hajde za mnom. 9I izišavši iðaše za njim, i ne znadijaše da je to istina što anðeo èinjaše, nego mišljaše da vidi utvaru. 10A kad proðoše prvu stražu i drugu i doðoše k vratima gvozdenijem koja voðahu u grad, ona im se sama otvoriše; i izišavši proðoše jednu ulicu, i anðeo odmah otstupi od njega. 11I kad doðe Petar k sebi reèe: sad zaista vidim da Bog posla anðela svojega te me izbavi iz ruku Irodovijeh i od svega èekanja naroda Jevrejskoga.

John 8.31-42 (Gospel)

31Tada Isus govoraše onijem Jevrejima koji mu vjerovaše: ako vi ostanete na mojoj besjedi, zaista æete biti uèenici moji, 32I poznaæete istinu, i istina æe vas izbaviti. 33Odgovoriše i rekoše mu: mi smo sjeme Avraamovo, i nikome nijesmo robovali nikad; kako ti govoriš da æemo se izbaviti? 34Isus im odgovori: zaista, zaista vam kažem da je svaki koji èini grijeh rob grijehu. 35A rob ne ostaje u kuæi vavijek, sin ostaje vavijek. 36Ako vas dakle sin izbavi, zaista æete biti izbavljeni. 37Znam da ste sjeme Avraamovo; ali gledate da me ubijete, jer moja besjeda ne može u vas da stane. 38Ja govorim što vidjeh od oca svojega; i vi tako èinite što vidjeste od oca svojega. 39Odgovoriše i rekoše mu: otac je naš Avraam. Isus im reèe: kad biste vi bili djeca Avraamova, èinili biste djela Avraamova. 40A sad gledate mene da ubijete, èovjeka koji vam istinu kazah koju èuh od Boga: tako Avraam nije èinio. 41Vi èinite djela oca svojega. Tada mu rekoše: mi nijesmo roðeni od kurvarstva: jednoga oca imamo Boga. 42A Isus im reèe: kad bi Bog bio vaš otac, ljubili biste mene; jer ja od Boga iziðoh i doðoh; jer ne doðoh sam od sebe, nego me on posla.

Commemorations

Our Holy Father Nikephoros the Hesychast (14th c.)

He was originally a Roman Catholic, but became Orthodox and lived in asceticism on the Holy Mountain as a monk. He was the spiritual father of St Gregory Palamas. His life was outwardly uneventful, and he reposed in peace in the 14th century. He left this very concise description of the hesychast’s path:

“Gather your mind and compel it to enter into your heart and remain there. When your mind is firmly in your heart, it must not remain empty, but must incessantly make the prayer: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!’ And it must never fall silent. Through this the whole string of the virtues: love, joy, peace and the others, will make their abode in you, by which, then, every request of yours to God will be fulfilled.”

Virgin-martyr Pelagia of Tarsus in Asia Minor (287)

She was born in Tarsus (home of the Apostle Paul). Though her parents were prominent pagans, she heard of Christ from Christians in that city, and her heart was filled with love for the Savior. The Emperor Diocletian visited Tarsus, and during his stay the Emperor’s son and heir fell in love with Pelagia and wished to marry her. To her parents’ complete amazement, Pelagia replied that she was already promised to her betrothed, Christ the Lord. She then fled her parents’ house and went to the holy Bishop Linus, who instructed her in the Faith and baptized her. Pelagia then gave away all her many possessions, returned home, and told her parents that she was baptised. The Emperor’s son, despairing of marryng her, killed himself. Pelagia’s mother then denounced her daughter to the Emperor, who summoned her for trial. When Pelagia freely confessed her unwavering faith in Christ, the Emperor condemned her to be burned in a metal ox heated by fire. An account of her martyrdom says that, entering the ox with prayers of thanksgiving on her lips, she instantly melted like wax. Bishop Linus, who had baptised her, found a few of her bones and buried them on a hill near Tarsus. During the reign of the Emperor Constantine Copronymus (741-775), a church was built there in her honor.

St Monica, mother of Blessed Augustine (388)