23. август 2025.
Saturday of the 11th week after Pentecost

Dormition Fast — Wine and Oil are Allowed

Commemorations

Holy Martyrs Archdeacon Laurence, Pope Sixtus, and others with them (258)

Scripture Readings

1 Corinthians 1.3-9 (Epistle)

3Blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca našega i Gospoda Isusa Hrista. 4Zahvaljujem svagda Bogu svojemu za vas što vam je dana blagodat Božija u Hristu Isusu, 5Te se u svemu obogatiste kroza nj, u svakoj rijeèi i svakom razumu, 6Kao što se svjedoèanstvo Hristovo utvrdi meðu vama; 7Tako da nemate nedostatka ni u jednome daru, vi koji èekate otkrivenja Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, 8Koji æe vas i utvrditi do samoga kraja da budete pravi na dan Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista. 9Vjeran je Bog koji vas pozva u zajednicu sina svojega Isusa Hrista Gospoda našega.

Matthew 19.3-12 (Gospel)

3I pristupiše k njemu fariseji da ga kušaju, i rekoše mu: može li èovjek pustiti ženu svoju za svaku krivicu? 4A on odgovarajuæi reèe im: nijeste li èitali da je onaj koji je u poèetku stvorio èovjeka muža i ženu stvorio ih? 5I reèe: zato ostaviæe èovjek oca svojega i mater, i prilijepiæe se k ženi svojoj, i biæe dvoje jedno tijelo. 6Tako nijesu više dvoje, nego jedno tijelo; a što je Bog sastavio èovjek da ne rastavlja. 7Rekoše mu: zašto dakle Mojsije zapovijeda da se da knjiga raspusna, i da se pusti? 8Reèe im: Mojsije je vama dopustio po tvrði vašega srca puštati svoje žene; a ispoèetka nije bilo tako. 9Nego ja vam kažem: ako ko pusti svoju ženu, osim za kurvarstvo, i oženi se drugom, èini preljubu; i koji uzme puštenicu èini preljubu. 10Rekoše mu uèenici njegovi: ako je tako èovjeku sa ženom, nije se dobro ženiti. 11A on reèe im: ne mogu svi primiti tijeh rijeèi do oni kojima je dano. 12Jer ima uškopljenika koji su se tako rodili iz utrobe materine; a ima uškopljenika koje su ljudi uškopili; a ima uškopljenika koji su sami sebe uškopili carstva radi nebeskoga. Ko može primiti neka primi.

Commemorations

Holy Martyrs Archdeacon Laurence, Pope Sixtus, and others with them (258)

“This Saint, who was born in Spain, was the Archdeacon of the Church of Rome, caring for the sacred vessels of the Church and distributing money to the needy. About the year 257, a harsh persecution was raised up against the Christians by Valerian. Pope Sixtus, who was from Athens, was commanded to worship the idols, and refused; before his martyrdom by beheading, he committed to Laurence all the sacred vessels of the Church. When Laurence was arrested and brought before the Prefect, he was questioned concerning the treasures of the Church; he asked for three days’ time to prepare them. He then proceeded to gather all the poor and needy, and presented them to the Prefect and said, “Behold the treasures of the Church.” The Prefect became enraged at this and gave command that Laurence be racked, then scourged with scorpions (a whip furnished with sharp iron points — compare II Chron. 10:11), then stretched out on a red-hot iron grill. But the courageous athlete of Christ endured without groaning. After he had been burned on one side, he said, “My body is done on one side; turn me over on the other.” And when this had taken place, the Martyr said to the tyrants, “My flesh is now well done, you may taste of it.” And when he had said this, and had prayed for his slayers in imitation of Christ, he gave up his spirit on August 10, 258.” (Great Horologion). His icon shows him stretched on the grill.