Ephesians 1.1-9 (Epistle)

1Od Pavla, po volji Božijoj apostola Isusa Hrista, svetima koji su u Efesu, i vjernima u Hristu Isusu: 2Blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca našega i Gospoda Isusa Hrista. 3Blagosloven Bog i otac Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, koji nas je blagoslovio svakijem blagoslovom duhovnijem na nebesima kroz Hrista; 4Kao što nas izabra kroz njega prije postanja svijeta, da budemo sveti i pravedni pred njim u ljubavi, 5Odredivši nas naprijed kroz Isusa Hrista sebi na posinaštvo, po ugodnosti volje svoje, 6Na pohvalu slavne blagodati svoje kojom nas oblagodati u ljubaznome, 7U kome imamo izbavljenje krvlju njegovom, i oproštenje grijeha, po bogatstvu blagodati njegove, 8Koju je preumnožio u nama u svakoj premudrosti i razumu, 9Pokazavši nam tajnu volje svoje, po ugodnosti svojoj koju naprijed pokaza u njemu,

Philippians 2.5-11 (Epistle, Theotokos)

5Jer ovo da se misli meðu vama što je i u Hristu Isusu, 6Koji, ako je i bio u oblièju Božijemu, nije se otimao da se isporedi s Bogom; 7Nego je ponizio sam sebe uzevši oblièje sluge, postavši kao i drugi ljudi i na oèi naðe se kao èovjek, 8Ponizio sam sebe postavši poslušan do same smrti, a smrti krstove. 9Zato i Bog njega povisi, i darova mu ime koje je veæe od svakoga imena. 10Da se u ime Isusovo pokloni svako koljeno onijeh koji su na nebu i na zemlji i pod zemljom; 11I svaki jezik da prizna da je Gospod Isus Hristos na slavu Boga oca.

Mark 7.24-30 (Gospel)

24I ustavši odande otide na krajeve Tirske i Sidonske, i ušavši u kuæu šæadijaše da niko ne èuje za nj; i ne može se sakriti. 25Jer èuvši za nj žena što u njezinoj kæeri bijaše duh neèisti, doðe i pade k nogama njegovima. 26A žena ta bijaše Grkinja rodom Sirofinièanka, i moljaše ga da istjera ðavola iz kæeri njezine. 27A Isus reèe joj: stani da se najprije djeca nahrane; jer nije pravo uzeti hljeb od djece i baciti psima. 28A ona odgovarajuæi reèe mu: da, Gospode; ali i psi pod trpezom jedu od mrva djetinjijeh. 29I reèe joj: za tu rijeè idi; iziðe ðavo iz kæeri tvoje. 30I došavši kuæi naðe da je ðavo izišao, i kæi ležaše na odru.

Luke 10.38-42, 11.27-28 (Gospel, Theotokos)

38A kad iðahu putem i on uðe u jedno selo, a žena neka, po imenu Marta, primi ga u svoju kuæu. 39I u nje bješe sestra, po imenu Marija, koja i sjede kod nogu Isusovijeh i slušaše besjedu njegovu. 40A Marta se bješe zabunila kako æe ga doèekati, i prikuèivši se reèe: Gospode! zar ti ne mariš što me sestra moja ostavi samu da služim? reci joj dakle da mi pomože. 41A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe joj: Marta! Marta! brineš se i trudiš za mnogo, 42A samo je jedno potrebno. Ali je Marija dobri dijel izabrala, koji se neæe uzeti od nje. 27A kad to govoraše, podiže glas jedna žena iz naroda i reèe mu: blago utrobi koja te je nosila, i sisama koje si sao! 28A on reèe: blago i onima koji slušaju rijeè Božiju, i drže je.

Hieromartyr Autonomus, bishop of Italy (313)

He fled from Italy to Bithynia during Diocletian’s persecutions. In Bithynia he converted so many pagans to faith in Christ that those whose hearts remained hard rose up against him and, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Archangel Michael, slew him at the altar, killing many other worshipers with him. Two hundred years after his death, he appeared to a soldier named John, who unearthed his relics and found them to be completely incorrupt.

Our Holy Father Athanasius the Elder of Vysotsk (early 15th c.), and his disciple Athanasius the Younger (1395)

He was reared in piety by his father, a priest in Novgorod. One day, hearing the words of the Gospel, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, he renounced the world and entered the Monastery of St Sergius of Radonezh. He became St Sergius’ disciple and, after a few years, became known for his virtue and his knowledge of Scripture. In 1374, with the blessing of his spiritual father, he founded the Monastery of Vysotsk, becoming its first abbot. After heading the monastery for fourteen years, he traveled to Kiev and then, in 1401, to the Monastery of the Stoudion in Constantinople. There he devoted himself to translating books from Greek to Slavonic, sending his translations back to his monastery in Russia. It was he who translated the Jerusalem Typikon and several collections of the writings of the Fathers of the Church, immeasurably enriching the life of the Church in Russia. He reposed in peace in Constantinople.

His disciple Athanasius the Younger was made Abbot of Vysotsk on the elder’s departure for Constantinople, and served as Abbot for eight years, reposing in peace in 1395. He was called ‘perfect in fasting, strong in self-restraint, zealous in prayer, patient in privations and tribulations.’ The Synaxarion says that “He taught his monks to keep careful watch on every movement of the heart so as to drive away every thought displeasing to God.”