Colossians 2.20-3.3 (Epistle)

20Ako dakle umrijeste s Hristom stihijama svijeta, zašto se kao živeæi u svijetu prepirete: 21Ne dohvati se, ne okusi, ne opipaj; koje je sve na pogibao onome koji èini, 22Po zapovijestima i naukama ljudskima? 23Koje je samo po rijeèi premudrost samovoljno izbrane službe i poniznosti i nešteðenja tijela, ne za èast kaku, za punjenje tijela.

1Ako dakle vaskrsnuste s Hristom, tražite ono što je gore gdje Hristos sjedi s desne strane Boga. 2Mislite o onome što je gore a ne što je na zemlji. 3Jer umrijeste, i vaš je život sakriven s Hristom u Bogu.

Luke 8.1-3 (Gospel)

1Poslije toga iðaše on po gradovima i po selima uèeæi i propovijedajuæi jevanðelje o carstvu Božijemu, i dvanaestorica s njim. 2I neke žene koje bijahu iscijeljene od zlijeh duhova i bolesti: Marija, koja se zvaše Magdalina, iz koje sedam ðavola iziðe, 3I Jovana, žena Huze pristava Irodova, i Susana, i druge mnoge koje služahu njemu imanjem svojijem.

Holy Martyrs Nazarius, Gervasius, Protasius, and Celsus of Milan (1st c.)

These martyrs contested for the faith in Milan, and were beheaded under the Emperor Nero. Many years later, their relics were discovered by St Ambrose through a vision, and were given honorable burial.

Saint Cosmas the Hymnographer (8th c.)

He was from Jerusalem. An orphan, he was adopted into the family of St John of Damascus (commemorated December 4). He became Bishop of Maiuma, a city on the coast of Palestine, which was later named Constantia. Like his adoptive brother he became a noted hymnographer: The Canon of the Cross (Sept. 14) and the Canon for Christ’s Nativity, “Christ is born, give ye glory…” are his compositions.

Saint Nicholas the Pious (Sviatosha), Prince of Chernigov (1143)

He was the first Russian prince to forsake the world and enter monastic life, at the Lavra of the Kiev Caves. Though his brothers according to the flesh tried to turn him back from his chosen path, he embraced monastic life zealously, amazing his fellow-monks by his humility and piety. Despite his rank, he insisted upon being treated like the simplest novice, performing the meanest tasks joyfully. In time his abbot allowed him to withdraw from the common life, living entirely in his cell in constant prayer. He reposed in peace in 1143. A few months later his brother Prince Iziaslav was healed of a grave illness when he put on St Nicholas’ hair shirt and drank some water from the monastery. The Prince asked to be clothed in the hairshirt on the day of his death.