Luke 4.16-22 (Gospel)

16I doðe u Nazaret gdje bješe odrastao, i uðe po obièaju svome u dan subotni u zbornicu, i ustade da èita. 17I daše mu knjigu proroka Isaije, i otvorivši knjigu naðe mjesto gdje bješe napisano: 18Duh je Gospodnji na meni; zato me pomaza da javim jevanðelje siromasima; posla me da iscijelim skrušene u srcu; da propovjedim zarobljenima da æe se otpustiti, i slijepima da æe progledati; da otpustim sužnje; 19I da propovijedam prijatnu godinu Gospodnju. 20I zatvorivši knjigu dade sluzi, pa sjede: i svi u zbornici gledahu na nj. 21I poèe im govoriti: danas se izvrši ovo pismo u ušima vašima. 22I svi mu svjedoèahu, i divljahu se rijeèima blagodati koje izlažahu iz usta njegovijeh, i govorahu: nije li ovo sin Josifov?

Ephesians 5.33-6.9 (Epistle)

33Ali i vi svaki da ljubi onako svoju ženu kao i sebe samoga; a žena da se boji svojega muža.

1Djeco! slušajte svoje roditelje u Gospodu: jer je ovo pravo. 2Poštuj oca svojega i mater; ovo je prva zapovijest s obeæanjem: 3Da ti blago bude, i da živiš dugo na zemlji. 4I vi ocevi! ne razdražujte djece svoje, nego ih gajite u nauci i u strahu Gospodnjemu. 5Sluge! slušajte gospodare svoje po tijelu, sa strahom i drktanjem, u prostoti srca svojega, kao i Hrista; 6Ne samo pred oèima radeæi kao ljudima da ugaðate, nego kao sluge Hristove, tvoreæi volju Božiju od srca. 7Dragovoljno služite, kao Gospodu a ne kao ljudima, 8Znajuæi da svaki što uèini dobro ono æe i primiti od Gospoda, bio rob ili slobodnjak. 9I vi gospodari, tako èinite njima ostavljajuæi prijetnje, znajuæi da je i vama samijem i njima gospodar na nebesima, i on ne gleda ko je ko.

St Eumenes, bishop of Gortyrna (7th c.)

“He gave himself to Christ with his whole heart from his youth, freeing himself from two heavy burdens: the burden of riches and the burden of the flesh. He freed himself from the first by giving away all his goods to the poor and needy, and from the latter by strict fasting. He thus healed himself and was able to heal others. Passionless and filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, Eumenius shone with a radiance that could not be hidden, as it is written: ‘A city set on a hill cannot be hid’ (Matt. 5:14), and so holy Eumenius could not be hidden from the world. Seeing him, the people chose him as their bishop in Gortyna. As a bishop, he governed Christ’s flock as a good shepherd. He was a father to the poor, riches to the needy, consolation to the sad, healing to the sick and a marvellous wonder-worker. He worked many miracles by his prayers: he killed a poisonous snake, drove out demons, healed many of the sick, and did this not only in his home city but in Rome and in the Thebaid. In the Thebaid, he brought rain from God in a time of drought, and there finally finished his earthly course and entered into the eternal presence of his Lord. He lived and worked in the seventh century.” (Prologue)

St Ariadne of Phrygia (2nd c.)

She lived during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian in the town of Promisea in Phrygia. Though a Christian, she was the slave of a pagan nobleman named Tertullus. To celebrate his son’s birthday, Tertullus ordered his entire household to come to a pagan temple and make sacrifice to the idols; but Ariadne stayed home, praying to the only true God. This infuriated Tertullus, who beat her, threw her in prison, then drove her from his house. He quickly changed his mind and sent his servants to bring her back. When Ariadne saw her persecutors drawing near, she knelt by a large rock and prayed. The rock split open and hid her. At this point, the Synaxarion says that Angels bearing spears appeared around the rock and drove her pursuers away. The Prologue says that the servants, unable to find Ariadne, quarrelled among themselves, came to blows, and died at one another’s hands.