Acts 1.1-8 (Epistle)

1Prvu sam ti knjigu napisao o svemu, o Teofile, što poèe Isus i tvoriti i uèiti 2Do dana kad se uznese, pošto Duhom svetijem zapovjedi apostolima koje izabra, 3Pred kojima i po stradanju svome pokaza sebe živa mnogijem i istinitijem znacima, i javlja im se èetrdeset dana, i govori o carstvu Božijemu. 4I sabravši ih zapovjedi im da ne idu iz Jerusalima, nego da èekaju obeæanje oèino, koje èuste, reèe, od mene; 5Jer je Jovan krstio vodom, a vi æete se krstiti Duhom svetijem ne dugo posle ovijeh dana. 6A oni onda koji zajedno bijahu, pitahu ga govoreæi: Gospode! hoæeš li sad naèiniti carstvo Izrailjevo? 7A on im reèe: nije vaše znati vremena i ljeta koje otac zadrža u svojoj vlasti; 8Nego æete primiti silu kad siðe Duh sveti na vas; i biæete mi svjedoci i u Jerusalimu i po svoj Judeji i Samariji i tja do kraja zemlje.

John 1.1-17 (Gospel)

1U poèetku bješe rijeè, i rijeè bješe u Boga, i Bog bješe rijeè. 2Ona bješe u poèetku u Boga. 3Sve je kroz nju postalo, i bez nje ništa nije postalo što je postalo. 4U njoj bješe život, i život bješe vidjelo ljudima. 5I vidjelo se svijetli u tami, i tama ga ne obuze. 6Posla Bog èovjeka po imenu Jovana. 7Ovaj doðe za svjedoèanstvo da svjedoèi za vidjelo da svi vjeruju kroza nj. 8On ne bješe vidjelo, nego da svjedoèi za vidjelo. 9Bješe vidjelo istinito koje obasjava svakoga èovjeka koji dolazi na svijet. 10Na svijetu bješe, i svijet kroza nj posta, i svijet ga ne pozna. 11K svojima doðe, i svoji ga ne primiše. 12A koji ga primiše dade im vlast da budu sinovi Božiji, koji vjeruju u ime njegovo, 13Koji se ne rodiše od krvi, ni od volje tjelesne, ni od volje muževlje, nego od Boga. 14I rijeè postade tijelo i useli se u nas puno blagodati i istine; i vidjesmo slavu njegovu, slavu, kao jedinorodnoga od oca. 15Jovan svjedoèi za njega i vièe govoreæi: ovaj bješe za koga rekoh: koji za mnom ide preda mnom postade, jer prije mene bješe. 16I od punosti njegove mi svi uzesmo blagodat za blagodaæu. 17Jer se zakon dade preko Mojsija, a blagodat i istina postade od Isusa Hrista.

St John Klimakos (John of the Ladder) of Sinai (649)

He is best known as the author of the Ladder of Divine Ascent, a treasury of spiritual wisdom which is read in its entirety in monasteries during every Lenten season. He is also commemorated on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent.

Nothing is known of his life before he entered the monastery at Mount Sinai (now St Katherine’s Monastery) at the age of sixteen; he remained there until his death at the age of eighty. After he first arrived, he spent nineteen years in strict obedience to his spiritual father, Martyrios. When Martyrios died, John retired to a nearby cave, where he lived in the strictest asceticism for twenty years. (It was during these years that he wrote the Ladder.) He reluctantly returned to the monastery when he was made abbot by the brethren, and spent the rest of his days guiding his spiritual children in the way of salvation.

Once he heard a monk criticize him for speaking too much; rather than reproach the monk, he himself kept silence for a full year, never uttering a word until the brethren begged him to speak again. At another time a large company of pilgrims came to Mt Sinai. At supper they all saw a young man, dressed as a Jew, serving at table and giving orders to the other servants, then suddenly disappearing. When they wondered among themselves what this could mean, John said ‘Do not try to look for him; that was the prophet Moses serving you in his own home.’

When the holy abbot knew that his death was approaching, he appointed his own brother, George, as his successor. George grieved the approaching death of his beloved brother, but St John told him that, if he was found worthy to stand close to God after his death, he would pray that George be taken up to heaven in the same year. So it happened: ten months after St John’s death, George reposed in the Lord.

Commemoration of an Uncondemning Monk

“This monk died joyfully because he had never in his life condemned anyone. He was lazy, careless, disinclined to prayer, but throughout his entire life he had never judged anyone. And when he lay dying, he was full of joy. The brethren asked him how he could die so joyfully with all his sins, and he replied: ‘I have just seen the angels, and they showed me a page with all my many sins. I said to them: “The Lord said: ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’ I have never judged anyone and I hope in the mercy of God, that He will not judge me.” And the angels tore up the sheet of paper.’ Hearing this, the monks wondered at it and learned from it.” (From the Prologue)