Romans 1.18-27 (Epistle)

18Jer se otkriva gnjev Božij s neba na svaku bezbožnost i nepravdu ljudi koji drže istinu u nepravdi. 19Jer što se može doznati za Boga poznato je njima: jer im je Bog javio; 20Jer što se na njemu ne može vidjeti, od postanja svijeta moglo se poznati i vidjeti na stvorenjima, i njegova vjeèna sila i božanstvo, da nemaju izgovora. 21Jer kad poznaše Boga, ne proslaviše ga kao Boga niti mu zahvališe, nego zaludješe u svojijem mislima, i potamnje nerazumno srce njihovo. 22Kad se graðahu mudri, poludješe, 23I pretvoriše slavu vjeènoga Boga u oblièje smrtnoga èovjeka i ptica i èetvoronožnijeh životinja i gadova. 24Zato ih predade Bog u željama njihovijeh srca u neèistotu, da se pogane tjelesa njihova meðu njima samima; 25Koji pretvoriše istinu Božiju u laž, i veæma poštovaše i poslužiše tvar nego tvorca, koji je blagosloven vavijek. Amin. 26Zato ih predade Bog u sramne slasti; jer žene njihove pretvoriše putno upotrebljavanje u besputno. 27Tako i ljudi ostavivši putno upotrebljavanje ženskoga roda, raspališe se željom svojom jedan na drugoga, i ljudi s ljudima èinjahu sram, i platu koja trebaše za prijevaru njihovu primahu na sebi.

Matthew 5.20-26 (Gospel)

20Jer vam kažem da ako ne bude veæa pravda vaša nego književnika i fariseja, neæete uæi u carstvo nebesko. 21Èuli ste kako je kazano starima: ne ubij; jer ko ubije, biæe kriv sudu. 22A ja vam kažem da æe svaki koji se gnjevi na brata svojega ni za što, biti kriv sudu; a ako li ko reèe bratu svojemu: raka! biæe kriv skupštini; a ko reèe: budalo! biæe kriv paklu ognjenom. 23Zato dakle ako prineseš dar svoj k oltaru, i ondje se opomeneš da brat tvoj ima nešto na te, 24Ostavi ondje dar svoj pred oltarom, i idi prije te se pomiri s bratom svojijem, pa onda doði i prinesi dar svoj. 25Miri se sa suparnikom svojijem brzo, dok si na putu s njim, da te suparnik ne preda sudiji, a sudija da te ne preda sluzi i u tamnicu da te ne vrgnu. 26Zaista ti kažem: neæeš iziæi odande dok ne daš do pošljednjega dinara.

Virgin-martyr Theodosia of Tyre (308)

During the persecutions of the Emperor Maximian, the virgin Theodosia came to comfort a group of Christians who were standing before the governor of Caesarea in Palestine. When she encouraged them not to shun martyrdom, she too was brought before the judge, who ordered that a stone be tied around her neck and that she be thrown into the sea; but angels carried her to shore unharmed. The judge then ordered that she be beheaded. The night that the sentence was carried out, Theodosia appeared to her parents, surrounded by heavenly light and accompanied by other virgin martyrs, and said, ‘Do you see how great is the glory and grace of my Christ, of which you wished to deprive me?’ (Her parents, wishing to preserve her from martyrdom, had tried to prevent her from confessing Christ).

Commemoration of the First Ecumenical Council (325)

The council was called by the Emperor Constantine the Great and held in Nicea in 325. The teaching of the Alexandrian priest Arius — that Christ is not co-eternal with the Father, but is His divine creation — was attracting many followers throughout the empire, and the Emperor wished for a statement of correct doctrine from the Church. Present at the council were 318 holy hierarchs, including St Nicholas of Myra, St Athanasius the great, and St Spyridon. The council clearly condemned the Arian heresy, formulated the first version of the Symbol of Faith (often called the Nicene Creed), and propounded twenty canons. The Fathers of the Council are commemorated on the Sunday after Ascension.

The Fall of Constantinople (1453); "Blessed Constantine XII, last of the Byzantine emperors, martyred by the Turks (1453)"

On this date in 1453, Constantinople, the capital city of the Christian world, was sacked by the forces of Sultan Mehmet (Mohammed) II, bringing it under Turkish rule, where it remains to this day.

Constantine XII, the last Byzantine Emperor, died defending the city. Sources are sharply divided as to whether he is to be counted as a Christian Martyr. The designation “Blessed Constantine”, above, is from the St Herman Calendar, whose compilers cite Russian martyrologies which list him as a saint. However, the Prologue cites the fall of Constantinople while pointedly omitting any praise of Constantine. He accepted (and never publicly renounced) the false “union” of Florence, and so is counted by some as a heretic. Many Orthodox Christians, including many of the people of Constantinople, saw the city’s fall as divine retribution for the Empire’s acceptance of the union.

Before his death the Emperor donned soldier’s armor and helped to man the ramparts of the City; his body was never found. Though various legends abound, the most likely explanation is that he died with many other defenders and was cast with them into a common grave.