Isaiah 43.9-14 (Vespers)

9Svi narodi neka se skupe, i neka se saberu plemena; ko je izmeðu njih naprijed kazao to ili nam kazao što je bilo prije? Neka dovedu svjedoke svoje i opravdaju se; ili neka èuju, i reku: istina je. 10Vi ste moji svjedoci, veli Gospod, i sluga moj kojega izabrah, da biste znali i vjerovali mi i razumjeli da sam ja; prije mene nije bilo Boga niti æe poslije mene biti. 11Ja sam, ja sam Gospod, i osim mene nema spasitelja. 12Ja objavih, i spasoh, i naprijed kazah, a nikoji tuð bog meðu vama, i vi ste mi svjedoci, veli Gospod, i ja sam Bog. 13Ja sam od prije nego dan posta, i niko ne može izbaviti iz moje ruke; kad radim, ko æe smesti? 14Ovako govori Gospod izbavitelj vaš, svetac Izrailjev: vas radi poslaæu u Vavilon i pobacaæu sve prijevornice, i Haldejce s laðama, kojima se hvale.

Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9 (Vespers)

Wisdom of Solomon 5.15-6.3 (Vespers)

Matthew 28.16-20 (1st Matins Gospel)

16A jedanaest uèenika otidoše u Galileju u goru kuda im je kazao Isus. 17I kad ga vidješe, pokloniše mu se; a jedni posumnjaše. 18I pristupivši Isus reèe im govoreæi: dade mi se svaka vlast na nebu i na zemlji. 19Idite dakle i nauèite sve narode krsteæi ih va ime oca i sina i svetoga Duha, 20Uèeæi ih da sve drže što sam vam zapovijedao; i evo ja sam s vama u sve dane do svršetka vijeka. Amin.

Hebrews 11.33-12.2 (Epistle)

33Koji vjerom pobijediše carstva, uèiniše pravdu, dobiše obeæanja, zatvoriše usta lavovima, 34Ugasiše silu ognjenu, utekoše od oštrica maèa, ojaèaše od nemoæi, postaše jaki u bitkama, rastjeraše vojske tuðe; 35Žene primiše svoje mrtve iz vaskrsenija; a drugi biše pobijeni, ne primivši izbavljenja, da dobiju bolje vaskrsenije; 36A drugi ruganje i boj podnesoše, pa još i okove i tamnice; 37Kamenjem pobijeni biše, pretrveni biše, iskušani biše, od maèa pomriješe; idoše u kožusima i u kozijim kožama, u sirotinji, u nevolji, u sramoti; 38Kojijeh ne bijaše dostojan svijet, po pustinjama potucaše se, i po gorama i po peæinama i po rupama zemaljskijem. 39I ovi svi dobivši svjedoèanstvo vjerom ne primiše obeæanja; 40Jer Bog nešto bolje za nas odredi, da ne prime bez nas savršenstva.

1Zato dakle i mi imajuæi oko sebe toliku gomilu svjedoka, da odbacimo svako breme i grijeh koji je za nas prionuo, i s trpljenjem da trèimo u bitku koja nam je odreðena, 2Gledajuæi na naèelnika vjere i svršitelja Isusa, koji mjesto odreðene sebi radosti pretrplje krst, ne mareæi za sramotu, i sjede s desne strane prijestola Božijega.

Matthew 10.32-33, 37-38, 19.27-30 (Gospel)

32A koji god prizna mene pred ljudima, priznaæu i ja njega pred ocem svojijem koji je na nebesima. 33A ko se odreèe mene pred ljudima, odreæi æu se i ja njega pred ocem svojijem koji je na nebesima. 37Koji ljubi oca ili mater veæma nego mene, nije mene dostojan; i koji ljubi sina ili kæer veæma nego mene, nije mene dostojan. 38I koji ne uzme krsta svojega i ne poðe za mnom, nije mene dostojan. 27Tada odgovori Petar i reèe mu: eto mi smo ostavili sve i za tobom idemo: šta æe dakle biti nama? 28A Isus reèe im: zaista vam kažem da æete vi koji idete za mnom, u drugom roðenju, kad sjede sin èovjeèij na prijestolu slave svoje, sješæete i vi na dvanaest prijestola i suditi nad dvanaest koljena Izrailjevijeh. 29I svaki, koji ostavi kuæe, ili braæu, ili sestre, ili oca, ili mater, ili ženu, ili djecu, ili zemlju, imena mojega radi, primiæe sto puta onoliko, i dobiæe život vjeèni. 30Ali æe mnogi prvi biti pošljednji i pošljednji prvi.

St Nikephoros the Confessor, patriarch of Constantinople (829)

He was born in Constantinople around 758, of pious parents: his father had been exiled under Constantine Copronymus for his steadfast veneration of the holy icons. Nikephoros served in the imperial palace as a secretary, but later renounced worldly success to struggle in monastic life near Constantinople. He built and administered a monastery which soon became filled with monks; but he himself never took the monastic habit, feeling himself unworthy. Though a layman, he took part in the Seventh Ecumenical Council at the request of the Emperor and Patriarch because of his remarkable knowledge of Holy Scripture. Much against his will, he was made Patriarch of Constantinople at the death of Patriarch Tarasios. He was made a monk, then elevated through all the priestly orders in a few days, then enthroned at St Sophia in 806.

A few years later, the Emperor Leo the Armenian took the throne. Patriarch Nikephoros, as was customary, sent him a Confession of the Orthodox Faith to sign. Leo put off signing the document until his coronation, then revealed himself to be an Iconoclast heretic. The Patriarch tried quietly to bring him back to the Orthodox faith, but to no avail. When the Emperor, in his turn, tried to make the holy Nikephoros bow to iconoclasm, the Patriarch clearly and publicly upheld the veneration of the holy Icons. For this he was deposed and driven into exile at the Monastery of St Theodore, which he himself had founded. Here he reposed, having served for nine years as Patriarch, and thirteen years in exile and privation.

Holy New Martyr Constantine (1819)

He was born a Muslim on the island of Lesbos (Mitylene), but became convinced of the truth of Christ after he was healed of a serious illness by the aid of holy water in a church. He traveled to the Holy Mountain and was baptised at the monastery of Kapsokalyvia. Later, he was seized by the Turks, who first tortured him viciously and, when he would not deny the Faith, hanged him in Constantinople.

Hieromartyr Erazmo of Ochrid (303)

“This saint was born in Antioch and lived in the reigns of Diocletian and Maximian. He lived in strict asceticism on Mount Lebanon, and was endowed by God with great wonderworking gifts. As a bishop, he set out to preach the Gospel. Arriving at the city of Ochrid, he restored the son of a man called Anastasius to life by his prayers, and baptised him. At this time, Erazmo baptised many other pagans and tore down the idolatrous altar in Ochrid. For this he was denounced to the Emperor Maximian, who was at that time staying in Illyria. The Emperor brought him before the copper image of Zeus, and ordered him to bring sacrifices and worship the idol. St Erazmo, by his power, caused a terrible dragon to come out of the statue, which terrified all the people. The saint then worked another wonder, and the dragon died. Then the saint preached Christ and baptised 20,000 souls. The furious Emperor commanded that all 20,000 be beheaded, and put Erazmo to harsh torture, before throwing him into prison. But an angel of God appeared to him, as once to the Apostle Peter, and led him out of the prison. After that, this servant of God went to Campania, where he preached the Gospel to the people, then returned again to the town of Hermelia, where he withdrew to a cave and lived in asceticism for the rest of his days. At the time of his death, he prostrated three times towards the East and, with upraised hands, prayed to God to forgive and give eternal life to all those who would, with faith, call upon his name. At the end of his prayer, a voice was heard from heaven: ‘Let it be as thou hast asked, My little healer Erazmo!’ The saint looked up once more to heaven with great joy and saw a wreath of glory descending upon him, and a choir of angels, prophets, apostles and martyrs waiting to receive his holy soul. He finally cried: ‘Lord, receive my spirit!’, and breathed his last, in about the year 303. The cave and chapel of St Erazmo stand to this day not far from Ochrid, and from there is proclaimed to this day the great power of the man of God, Erazmo the hieromartyr.” (Prologue)

Note: St Erazmo is commemorated on May 4th in the Slavonic Menaion, but St Nikolai Velomirovich gives today as the date on which he was been commemorated in Ochrid “from time immemorial”.