8. септембар 2025.
Monday of the 14th week after Pentecost

No Fast

Commemorations

Martyrs Adrian and Natalia and 23 companions of Nicomedia (4th c.)
Our Holy Father Tithoës of the Thebaid (4th c.)

Scripture Readings

2 Corinthians 12.10-19 (Epistle)

10Zato sam dobre volje u slabostima, u ruženju, u nevoljama, u progonjenjima, u tugama za Hrista: jer kad sam slab onda sam silan. 11Postadoh bezuman hvaleæi se: vi me natjeraste: jer je trebalo da me vi hvalite; jer ni u èemu nijesam manji od prevelikijeh apostola, ako i jesam ništa. 12Jer znaci apostolovi uèiniše se meðu vama u svakom trpljenju, u znacima i èudesima i silama. 13Jer šta je u èemu ste manji od ostalijeh crkava, osim samo što vam ja sam ne dosadih? Bacite na mene ovu krivicu. 14Evo sam gotov treæi put da vam doðem, i ne dosaðujem vam; jer ne tražim što je vaše nego vas. Jer djeca nijesu dužna roditeljima imanja teæi nego roditelji djeci. 15A ja dragovoljno potrošiæu i biæu potrošen za duše vaše, ako i ljubim ja vas odviše, a vi mene manje ljubite. 16Ali neka bude, ja ne dosadih vama, nego lukav buduæi dobih vas prijevarom. 17Eda li vas što zakidoh preko koga od onijeh koje slah k vama? 18Umolih Tita, i s njim poslah brata: eda li vas Tit što zakide? Ne hodismo li jednijem duhom? ne jednijem li stopama? 19Mislite li opet da vam se odgovaramo? Pred Bogom u Hristu govorimo, a sve je, ljubazni, za vaše popravljanje.

Mark 4.10-23 (Gospel)

10A kad osta sam, zapitaše ga koji bijahu s njim i sa dvanaestoricom za ovu prièu. 11I reèe im: vama je dano da znate tajne carstva Božijega, a onima napolju sve u prièama biva; 12Da oèima gledaju i da ne vide, i da ušima slušaju i da ne razumiju; da se kako ne obrate i da im se ne oproste grijesi. 13I reèe im: zar ne razumijete ove prièe? A kako æete sve prièe razumjeti? 14Sijaè rijeè sije. 15A ono su kraj puta, gdje se sije rijeè i kad je èuju odmah doðe sotona i otme rijeè posijanu u srcima njihovijem. 16Tako su i ono što se sije na kamenitijem mjestima koji kad èuju rijeè odmah je prime s radošæu; 17Ali nemaju korijena u sebi, nego su nepostojani, pa kad bude do nevolje ili ih potjeraju rijeèi radi, odmah se sablazne. 18A ono su što se u trnju sije koji slušaju rijeè, 19Ali brige ovoga svijeta i prijevara bogatstva i ostale slasti uðu i zaguše rijeè, i bez roda ostane. 20A ono su što se na dobroj zemlji sije koji slušaju rijeè i primaju, i donose rod po trideset i po šeset i po sto. 21I govoraše im: eda li se svijeæa užiže da se metne pod sud ili pod odar? a ne da se na svijetnjak metne? 22Jer nema ništa tajno što neæe biti javno; niti ima što sakriveno što neæe iziæi na vidjelo. 23Ako ima ko uši da èuje neka èuje.

Commemorations

Martyrs Adrian and Natalia and 23 companions of Nicomedia (4th c.)

“Husband and wife, they were both of noble and wealthy families in Nicomedia. Adrian was the governor of the Praetorium and a pagan, and Natalia was a secret Christian. They were both young, and had lived in wedlock for thirteen months in all before their martyrdom. When the wicked Emperor Maximian visited Nicomedia, he ordered that the Christians be seized and put to torture. There were twenty-three Christians hidden in a cave near the city. Someone handed them over to the authorities and they were cruelly flogged with leather whips and staves, and thrown into prison. They were then taken from prison and brought before the Praetor for their names to be noted. Adrian looked a these people, tortured but unbowed, peaceful and meek, and he put them under oath to say what they hoped for from their God, that they should undergo such tortures. They spoke to him of the blessedness of the righteous in the Kingdom of God. Hearing this, and again looking at these people, Adrian suddenly turned to the scribe and said: ‘Write my name along with those of these saints; I also am a Christian.’ When the Emperor heard of this, he asked him: ‘Have you lost your mind?’ Adrian replied: ‘I haven’t lost it, but found it!’ Hearing this, Natalia rejoiced greatly, and, when Adrian sat chained with the others in prison, came and ministered to them all. When they flogged her husband and put him to various tortures, she encouraged him to endure to the end. After long torture and imprisonment, the Emperor ordered that they be taken to the prison anvil, for their arms and legs to be broken with hammers. This was done and Adrian, along with the twenty-three others, breathed his last under the vicious tortures. Natalia took their relics to Constantinople and there buried them. After several days, Adrian appeared to her, bathed in light and beauty and calling her to come to God, and she peacefully gave her soul into her Lord’s hands.” (Prologue)

Our Holy Father Tithoës of the Thebaid (4th c.)

One of the great Egyptian Desert Fathers, he was a disciple of St Pachomius the Great and served as abbot of Tabennisi. Through his years of struggle in prayer, he attained to such purity of heart that whenever he raised his hands in prayer, his spirit was instantly caught up in pure contemplation of God. When one of the brethren asked him what path leads to humility, he answered ‘The path of humility is abstinence, prayer and considering oneself as the least of all creatures.’ He reposed in peace.