2 John 1.1-13 (Epistle)

1Prezbiterul, către aleasa Doamnă şi către copiii ei, pe care-i iubesc în adevăr – şi nu numai eu, ci toţi cei ce cunosc adevărul – 2pentru adevărul acesta care rămâne în noi şi care va fi cu noi în veac: 3Harul, îndurarea şi pacea să fie cu voi din partea lui Dumnezeu Tatăl şi din partea Domnului Isus Hristos, Fiul Tatălui, în adevăr şi în dragoste! 4M-am bucurat foarte mult când am aflat pe unii din copiii tăi umblând în adevăr, după porunca pe care am primit-o de la Tatăl. 5Şi acum, te rog, Doamnă, nu ca şi cum ţi-aş scrie o poruncă nouă, ci cea pe care am avut-o de la început: să ne iubim unii pe alţii! 6Şi dragostea stă în vieţuirea după poruncile Lui. Aceasta este porunca în care trebuie să umblaţi, după cum aţi auzit de la început. 7Căci în lume s-au răspândit mulţi amăgitori, care nu mărturisesc că Isus Hristos vine în trup. Iată amăgitorul, iată Antihristul! 8Păziţi-vă bine să nu pierdeţi rodul muncii voastre, ci să primiţi o răsplată deplină. 9Oricine o ia înainte, şi nu rămâne în învăţătura lui Hristos, n-are pe Dumnezeu. Cine rămâne în învăţătura aceasta are pe Tatăl şi pe Fiul. 10Dacă vine cineva la voi, şi nu vă aduce învăţătura aceasta, să nu-l primiţi în casă şi să nu-i ziceţi: „Bun venit!” 11Căci cine-i zice: „Bun venit!”, se face părtaş faptelor lui rele. 12Aş avea să vă spun multe lucruri; dar nu voiesc să vi le scriu pe hârtie şi cu cerneală; ci nădăjduiesc să vin la voi şi să vă vorbesc gură către gură, pentru ca bucuria noastră să fie deplină. 13Copiii surorii tale alese îţi trimit sănătate. Amin.

Mark 15.22, 25, 33-41 (Gospel)

22Şi au adus pe Isus la locul numit Golgota, care tălmăcit înseamnă: „Locul căpăţânii”. 25Când L-au răstignit, era ceasul al treilea. 33La ceasul al şaselea, s-a făcut întuneric peste toată ţara, până la ceasul al nouălea. 34Şi, în ceasul al nouălea, Isus a strigat cu glas tare: „Eloi, Eloi, lama sabactani”, care tălmăcit înseamnă: „Dumnezeul Meu, Dumnezeul Meu, pentru ce M-ai părăsit?” 35Unii din cei ce stăteau acolo, când L-au auzit, ziceau: „Iată, cheamă pe Ilie!” 36Şi unul din ei a alergat de a umplut un burete cu oţet, l-a pus într-o trestie şi I-a dat să bea, zicând: „Lăsaţi să vedem dacă va veni Ilie să-L coboare de pe cruce!” 37Dar Isus a scos un strigăt tare şi Şi-a dat duhul. 38Perdeaua dinăuntrul Templului s-a rupt în două, de sus până jos. 39Sutaşul care stătea în faţa lui Isus, când a văzut că Şi-a dat astfel duhul, a zis: „Cu adevărat, Omul acesta era Fiul lui Dumnezeu!” 40Acolo erau şi nişte femei care priveau de departe. Printre ele erau Maria Magdalena, Maria, mama lui Iacov cel mic şi a lui Iose, şi Salome, 41care, pe când era El în Galileea, mergeau după El şi-I slujeau; şi multe alte femei care se suiseră împreună cu El în Ierusalim.

Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cyrus and John, and those with them (311)

They are counted among the Unmercenary Physicians. Cyrus was a physician living in Alexandria. A pious Christian, he healed not only bodies but souls, bringing many to Christ, and often healing through prayer rather than the use of his medicines. He often said to his patients, ‘If you want to keep clear of illness, take care not to sin, because more often than not illness is a result of sin.’ When Diocletian’s persecution broke out, Cyrus was denounced to the pagan governor and fled to Arabia, where he became a monk. He gained great renown there by healing many ailments using only the sign of the Cross.

John was a soldier from Edessa who heard of Cyrus’ deeds and, leaving the army, sought him out. They met in Egypt, where John became a monk and Cyrus’ disciple, joining him in the practice of the virtues and in healing illnesses by prayer.

They heard of the arrest of a Christian lady named Athanasia and her daughters Theoctista and Eudoxia. Concerned that the tender maidens might renounce Christ under torture, the two monks sought them out to encourage them in their confession of the Faith. They themselves were captured, and the governor decided to have them tortured in front of the women, assuming that this would break their spirit. Instead, Cyrus and John bore their sufferings so patiently and boldly that the women were only strengthened in their resolve. Seeing that he had failed, the governor had all five of them beheaded. Their bodies were placed in the Church of St Mark in Alexandria.

In the fifth century the relics of Sts Cyrus and John were enshrined in a church at Aboukir near Alexandria by St Cyril (June 9). There they were the source of abundant healings and miracles, and the shrine became one of the greatest places of pilgrimage in the Christian world.

Venerable Nicetas, hermit of the Kiev Caves and Bishop of Novgorod (1108)

His is a remarkable story of spiritual delusion (prelest in Russian) and repentance of delusion. Nicetas was a young and zealous monk of the Lavra of the Kiev Caves who, against the advice of his abbot St Nikon (March 25), retired alone to a cave and walled himself in. Some time later, the young monk experienced a delightful scent filling his cave. Believing himself to be receiving a divine revelation, he cried out ‘Lord, show Thyself to me, that I might worship Thee face to face!’ A voice answered, ‘I am sending you an angel: do whatever he tells you.’ The Devil soon appeared to him as an ‘angel of light’ and Nicetas, completely taken in, prostrated before him. The Devil ordered him to stop praying and to devote all his time to reading and memorizing the Old Testament. Nicetas obeyed without question. After awhile, the Devil began to reveal to him things that were happening in the outside world, so that the young monk acquired a reputation for prophecy among visitors to his cave. When the Elders of the Caves realized that Nicetas never spoke to his visitors or anyone else of the New Testament, they decided that he was beguiled by the Devil. Breaking down the door of his cave, they drove out the deceiver by their prayers and forcibly took the young hermit back to the monastery.

As soon as the evil angel had been driven off, Nicetas became like a young child: he instantly forgot the entire Old Testament (which he had virtually memorized) and even lost the ability to read, so that he had to be sent to school again. Slowly he returned to himself, realized his former delusion and repented in tears. Thereafter he devoted himself to humility and obedience in the monastic community. Such was his repentance and progress in the virtues that he was later made Bishop of Novgorod. He reposed in peace in 1108 and became known for working many miracles, especially healing of blindness.

Marcella of Rome (410)

The daughter of a prominent Roman family, she was given in marriage despite her reluctance, but was widowed after less than a year. Following the example of the prophetess Anna, she dedicated her widowhood to God and turned her fine house in Rome into a monastery, living there in strict asceticism.

“When the Church was riven by controversies about the doctrines of Origen, Saint Marcella kept silent for a while but, deciding at length to take up the cause of Orthodoxy, and maintaining a sweet and gentle manner in the exchanges, she succeeded in confounding the arguments of the heretics.” (Ormylia Synaxarion)

When the Goths invaded and pillaged Rome in 410 they broke into her house. Marcella received them calmly, but when they demanded money she answered that no one as poorly clothed as she was could be expected to have any money. At this the invaders beat her mercilessly despite her great age. She bore their blows without complaint, asking only that they spare her spiritual daughter Principia. Struck to the heart by her response, the barbarians took her and her disciple to the Church of St Paul, where she reposed two days later.