Romans 1.28-2.9 (Epistle)

28I kao što ne marahu da poznadu Boga, zato ih Bog predade u pokvaren um da èine što ne valja, 29Da budu napunjeni svake nepravde, kurvarstva, zloæe, lakomstva, pakosti; puni zavisti, ubistva, svaðe, lukavstva, zloæudnosti; 30Šaptaèi, opadaèi, bogomrsci, siledžije, hvališe, ponositi, izmišljaèi zala, nepokorni roditeljima, 31Nerazumni, nevjere, neljubavni, neprimirljivi, nemilostivi. 32A neki i pravdu Božiju poznavši da koji to èine zaslužuju smrt, ne samo to èine, nego pristaju na to i onima koji èine.

1Zato se ne možeš izgovoriti, o èovjeèe koji god sudiš! jer kojijem sudom sudiš drugome, sebe osuðuješ; jer to èiniš sudeæi. 2A znamo da je sud Božij prav na one koji to èine. 3Nego pomišljaš li, o èovjeèe koji sudiš onima koji to èine, i sam èiniš to! da æeš ti pobjeæi od suda Božijega? 4Ili ne mariš za bogatstvo njegove dobrote i krotosti i trpljenja, ne znajuæi da te dobrota Božija na pokajanje vodi? 5Nego svojom drvenosti i nepokajanijem srcem sabiraš sebi gnjev za dan gnjeva u koji æe se pokazati pravedni sud Boga, 6Koji æe dati svakome po djelima njegovijem: 7Onima dakle koji su trpljenjem djela dobroga tražili slavu i èast i neraspadljivost, život vjeèni; 8A onima koji se uz prkos suprote istini a pokoravaju se nepravdi, nemilost i gnjev. 9Nevolja i tuga na svaku dušu èovjeka koji èini zlo, a najprije Jevrejina i Grka;

Matthew 5.27-32 (Gospel)

27Èuli ste kako je kazano starima: ne èini preljube. 28A ja vam kažem da svaki koji pogleda na ženu sa željom, veæ je uèinio preljubu u srcu svojemu. 29A ako te oko tvoje desno sablažnjava, iskopaj ga i baci od sebe: jer ti je bolje da pogine jedan od udova tvojijeh negoli sve tijelo tvoje da bude baèeno u pakao. 30I ako te desna ruka tvoja sablažnjava, otsijeci je i baci od sebe: jer ti je bolje da pogine jedan od udova tvojijeh negoli sve tijelo tvoje da bude baèeno u pakao. 31Tako je kazano: ako ko pusti ženu svoju, da joj da knjigu raspusnu. 32A ja vam kažem da svaki koji pusti ženu svoju, osim za preljubu, navodi je te èini preljubu; i koji puštenicu uzme preljubu èini.

St Isaac, founder of the Dalmatian Monastery at Constantinople (383)

While a hermit in the east, Isaac heard that the Arians, supported by the Emperor Valens, were persecuting Orthodoxy. Leaving his seclusion, he traveled to Constantinople, where he lived in a small hut. He confronted the Emperor, telling him that if he did not cease his persecutions and embrace the true Faith, disaster would befall him. The Emperor ignored his words, and shortly thereafter was killed in a battle with the Goths. The Emperor Theodosius the Great then came to the throne, restoring peace to the Church. Hearing of Isaac and his prophecy, the Emperor sent for Isaac and prostrated before him. Isaac wished to return to the desert, but was persuaded to remain as a monk in Constantinople. He took part in the Second Ecumenical Council, where he shone in zeal for the Faith; the Third Ecumenical Council made him archimandrite over all the monasteries in the City. (Some say that the monastery founded by him is called the Dalmatian Monastery because it was built by Dalmatus, a wealthy nobleman of the City; others say that it was founded by St Isaac himself and later took its name from Abbot Dalmatus, who succeeded Isaac). In his own lifetime St Isaac was known far and wide as a wonderworker and one endowed with the gift of prophecy.

Saint Isaac is also commemorated in August 3, along with Dalmatus and his son Faustus.

St Macrina, grandmother of St Basil the Great (4th c.)

“The grandmother of St Basil the Great, she was outstanding for her intellect and piety. She was a disciple of St Gregory the Wonder-worker of Neocaesarea. In the reign of Diocletian, she abandoned her home and hid in the forests and desert places with her husband, Basil. Although their home was confiscated, they felt no pangs of regret. Stripped of everything except their love for God, they settled in an ancient forest and spent seven years there. By God’s providence, goats would come down from the mountains and provide them with food. They both died peacefully in the fourth century, after great sufferings for the Christian faith.” (Prologue)