1 John 3.21-4.6 (Epistle)

21Ljubazni! ako nam srce naše ne zazre, slobodu imamo pred Bogom; 22I što god zaištemo, primiæemo od njega, jer zapovijesti njegove držimo i èinimo što je njemu ugodno. 23I ovo je zapovijest njegova da vjerujemo u ime sina njegova Isusa Hrista, i da ljubimo jedan drugoga kao što nam je dao zapovijest. 24I koji drži zapovijesti njegove u njemu stoji, i on u njemu. I po tom poznajemo da stoji u nama, po Duhu koga nam je dao.

1Ljubazni! ne vjerujte svakome duhu, nego kušajte duhove jesu li od Boga; jer mnogi lažni proroci iziðoše na svijet. 2Po ovome poznajte Duha Božijega, i duha lažnoga; svaki duh koji priznaje da je Isus Hristos u tijelu došao, od Boga je; 3A svaki duh koji ne priznaje da je Isus Hristos u tijelu došao, nije od Boga: i ovaj je antihristov, za kojega èuste da æe doæi, i sad je veæ na svijetu. 4Vi ste od Boga, djeèice, i nadvladaste ih, jer je veæi koji je u vama negoli koji je na svijetu. 5Oni su od svijeta, zato govore od svijeta, i svijet ih sluša. 6Mi smo od Boga; koji poznaje Boga sluša nas, a koji nije od Boga ne sluša nas. Po ovom poznajemo duha istine i duha prijevare.

Mark 14.43-15.1 (Gospel)

43I odmah dok on još govoraše, doðe Juda, jedan od dvanaestorice, i s njim ljudi mnogi s noževima i s koljem od glavara sveštenièkijeh i od književnika i starješina. 44I izdajnik njegov dade im znak govoreæi: koga ja cjelivam onaj je: držite ga, i vodite ga èuvajuæi. 45I došavši odmah pristupi k njemu, i reèe: Ravi! ravi! i cjeliva ga. 46A oni metnuše ruke svoje na nj i uhvatiše ga. 47A jedan od onijeh što stajahu ondje izvadi nož te udari slugu poglavara sveštenièkoga, i otsijeèe mu uho. 48I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe im: kao na hajduka izišli ste s noževima i s koljem da me uhvatite, 49A svaki dan sam bio kod vas u crkvi i uèio, i ne uhvatiste me. Ali da se zbude pismo. 50I ostavivši ga uèenici svi pobjegoše. 51I za njim iðaše nekakav mladiæ ogrnut platnom po golu tijelu; i uhvatiše onoga mladiæa. 52A on ostavivši platno go pobježe od njih. 53I dovedoše Isusa k poglavaru sveštenièkome, i stekoše se k njemu svi glavari sveštenièki i književnici i starješine. 54I Petar ide za njim izdaleka do u dvor poglavara sveštenièkoga, i sjeðaše sa slugama, i grijaše se kod ognja. 55A glavari sveštenièki i sva skupština tražahu na Isusa svjedoèanstva da ga ubiju; i ne naðoše; 56Jer mnogi svjedoèahu lažno na njega i svjedoèanstva ne bijahu jednaka. 57I jedni ustavši svjedoèahu na njega lažno govoreæi: 58Mi smo èuli gdje on govori: ja æu razvaliti ovu crkvu koja je rukama naèinjena, i za tri dana naèiniæu drugu koja neæe biti rukama naèinjena. 59I ni ovo svjedoèanstvo njihovo ne bijaše jednako. 60I ustavši poglavar sveštenièki na srijedu zapita Isusa govoreæi: zar ništa ne odgovaraš što ovi na tebe svjedoèe? 61A on muèaše i ništa ne odgovaraše. Opet poglavar sveštenièki zapita i reèe: jesi li ti Hristos, sin blagoslovenoga? 62A Isus reèe: jesam; i vidjeæete sina èovjeèijega gdje sjedi s desne strane sile i ide na oblacima nebeskijem. 63A poglavar sveštenièki razdrije svoje haljine, i reèe: šta nam trebaju više svjedoci? 64Èuste hulu na Boga; šta mislite? A oni svi kazaše da je zaslužio smrt. 65I poèeše jedni pljuvati na nj, i pokrivati mu lice, i æušati ga, i govoriti mu: proreci; i sluge ga bijahu po obrazima. 66I kad bijaše Petar dolje na dvoru, doðe jedna od sluškinja poglavara sveštenièkoga, 67I vidjevši Petra gdje se grije pogleda na nj i reèe: i ti si bio s Isusom Nazareæaninom. 68A on se odreèe govoreæi: ne znam niti razumijem šta ti govoriš. I iziðe napolje pred dvor: i pijetao zapjeva. 69I opet kad ga vidje sluškinja, poèe govoriti onima što stajahu ondje: ovaj je od njih. 70A on se opet odricaše. I malo zatijem opet oni što stajahu ondje rekoše Petru: vaistinu si od njih: jer si Galilejac, i govor ti je onakovi. 71A on se poèe kleti i preklinjati: ne znam toga èovjeka za koga vi govorite. 72I drugi put zapjeva pijetao. I opomenu se Petar rijeèi što mu reèe Isus: dok pijetao dvaput ne zapjeva odreæi æeš me se triput. I stade plakati.

1I odmah ujutru uèiniše vijeæu glavari sveštenièki sa starješinama i književnicima, i sav sabor, i svezavši Isusa odvedoše ga i predadoše Pilatu.

Translation of the relics of St Ignatius of Antioch (107)

For his life, see December 20.

After his martyrdom, devoured by wild beasts in the amphitheater in Rome, only a few bones remained. These precious relics were gathered by the faithful, who took them back to Antioch, where they were received with joy by his former flock.

St Andrei Rublev, iconographer (1430)

Many consider him the greatest iconographer of all time, and his “Holy Trinity” the finest icon. Very little is known of his life. He was born around 1360, and probably studied with the Byzantine iconographer Theophanes the Greek. He is known to have created icons for the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow and the Cathedral of the Dormition at Vladimir. He created a highly spiritual and distinctively Russian iconographic style that set the standard for Russian iconography for centuries thereafter. It is said that he knew St Sergius of Radonezh (July 5). In his later years he became a monk.

Our Holy Father Aphrahat the Persian (4th c.)

He was from the pagan Persian aristocracy, but came to faith in Christ and left his home for the Christian city of Edessa, where he was baptized. He later moved to Antioch, where he lived in prayer and asceticism a short distance from the city. He ate nothing but a small amount of bread until he was extremely old, when he added some greens to his diet. Though he knew very little Greek, he was empowered by the Holy Spirit to win many converts to Christ and to confound the learned Arian heretics who were disturbing the Church in Antioch.

When Aphrahat learned that the Arian Emperor Valens was persecuting Christ’s Church, he moved to the city to support the true Faith. One day the Emperor himself met Aphrahat in the city square and asked him why he had left his solitude and come to Antioch. The Saint answered ‘Tell me this: if I were a maiden at home in my secluded apartment and saw someone setting fire to my father’s house, would you not advise me to put out the blaze as soon as possible? That is what I am doing now, because the Church, the heavenly Father’s house, is burning down in the fire that you have set!’ One of the Emperor’s attendants threatened Aphrahat with death for this impertinence; but the attendant himself later perished, drowned as he was heating water for the Emperor’s bath. This made the Emperor afraid to persecute the holy one, who continued to preach the true Faith and to perform many miracles. He reposed in peace.

Repose of Blessed Father Dimitrios Gagastathis (1975)

Though not yet officially a Saint of the Church, Papa Dimitrios is widely revered in Greece and abroad. His life is an inspiring example of the possibility of great holiness for those living in the world: a simple married parish priest, he spent forty-two years serving his childhood parish, and had nine daughters. He was a spiritual child of Elder Amphilochios of Patmos, and in turn became a spiritual father to many. His biography describes his last years thus: “On October 1, 1973, he resigned for reasons of health. Since then, he remained confined at home, living as a saint with incessant prayer, glorifying and thanking God for the trial of his illness. He delivered his holy soul to the hands of the living God on January 29, 1975, in peace.”

For more on Papa-dimitri, read this biographical sketch.