Acts 5.21-33 (Epistle)

21A kad oni èuše, uðoše ujutru u crkvu, i uèahu. A kad doðe poglavar sveštenièki i koji bijahu s njim, sazvaše sabor i sve starješine od sinova Izrailjevijeh, i poslaše u tamnicu da ih dovedu. 22A kad sluge otidoše, ne naðoše ih u tamnici; onda se vratiše i javiše im 23Govoreæi: tamnicu naðosmo zakljuèanu sa svakom tvrðom i èuvare gdje stoje pred vratima; ali kad otvorismo, unutra nijednoga ne naðosmo. 24A kad èuše ove rijeèi poglavar sveštenièki i vojvoda crkveni i ostali glavari sveštenièki, ne mogahu im se naèuditi šta bi to sad bilo. 25A neko doðe i javi im govoreæi: eno oni ljudi što ih baciste u tamnicu, stoje u crkvi i uèe narod. 26Tada otide vojvoda s momcima i dovede ih ne na silu: jer se bojahu naroda da ih ne pobije kamenjem. 27A kad ih dovedoše, postaviše ih pred sabor, i zapita ih poglavar sveštenièki govoreæi: 28Ne zaprijetismo li vam oštro da ne uèite u ovo ime? i gle, napuniste Jerusalim svojom naukom, i hoæete da bacite na nas krv ovoga èovjeka. 29A Petar i apostoli odgovarajuæi rekoše: veæma se treba Bogu pokoravati negoli ljudima. 30Bog otaca našijeh podiže Isusa, kojega vi ubiste objesivši na drvo. 31Ovoga Bog desnicom svojom uzvisi za poglavara i spasa, da da Izrailju pokajanje i oproštenje grijeha. 32I mi smo njegovi svjedoci ovijeh rijeèi i Duh sveti kojega Bog dade onima koji se njemu pokoravaju. 33A kad oni èuše vrlo se rasrdiše, i mišljahu da ih pobiju.

John 6.14-27 (Gospel)

14A ljudi vidjevši èudo koje uèini Isus govorahu: ovo je zaista onaj prorok koji treba da doðe na svijet. 15A kad razumje Isus da hoæe da doðu da ga uhvate i da ga uèine carem, otide opet u goru sam. 16A kad bi uveèe siðoše uèenici njegovi na more, 17I uðoše u laðu, i poðoše preko mora u Kapernaum. I veæ se bijaše smrklo, a Isus ne bješe došao k njima. 18A more se podizaše od velikoga vjetra. 19Vozivši pak oko dvadeset i pet ili trideset potrkališta ugledaše Isusa gdje ide po moru i došao blizu do laðe, i uplašiše se. 20A on im reèe: ja sam; ne bojte se. 21Onda ga s radošæu uzeše u laðu; i odmah laða bi na zemlji u koju iðahu. 22Sjutradan pak narod koji stajaše preko mora kad vidje da laðe druge ne bješe ondje osim one jedne što u nju uðoše uèenici njegovi, i da ne uðe Isus s uèenicima svojijem u laðu nego sami uèenici njegovi otidoše, 23A druge laðe iz Tiverijade doðoše blizu onog mjesta gdje jedoše hljeb kad Gospod dade hvalu, 24Kad vidje narod da Isusa ne bješe ondje ni uèenika njegovijeh, uðoše i oni u laðe, i doðoše u Kapernaum da traže Isusa. 25I našavši ga preko mora rekoše mu: Ravi! kad si došao ovamo? 26Isus im odgovori i reèe: zaista, zaista vam kažem: ne tražite me što èudesa vidjeste, nego što jedoste hljeba i nasitiste se. 27Starajte se ne za jelo koje prolazi, nego za jelo koje ostaje za vjeèni život, koje æe vam dati sin èovjeèij, jer ovoga potvrdi otac Bog.

St Isaac the Syrian, abbot of Spoleto, Italy (ca. 550)

This is not the famed Isaac of Syria (commemorated Jan 28) who wrote the Ascetical Homilies, but a monk who settled in Spoleto and was famed for his holy, solitary life, his miracles, and his discernment. The people of Spoleto sought to honor him with money and other gifts, but he refused everything and withdrew to a cell in the forest. Soon a large monastery grew up there as others joined him in his life of prayer.

Once, two nearly naked men came begging clothing from Isaac. He told a monk to go to a hollow tree some distance away, and to bring back what he found there. The monk returned with some clothing, and gave it to the beggars. They were shamed to find that it was their own clothing, which they had hidden in the tree.

A man gave two beehives to the monastery. A monk hid one of them and brought the other to the abbot. Isaac said to him, ‘Be careful when you go back to the beehive that you hid: it has been taken over by poisonous snakes. Be careful that they do not bite you.’

St Basil the Confessor, bishop of Parium (ca. 760)

In the dark days of iconoclasm, this holy bishop refused to sign the imperial order condemning the veneration of icons, and for this was cruelly persecuted in many ways by the heretics for the remainder of his life; all the while he remained ‘firm as a diamond in his Orthodoxy.’ (Prologue)

Our Holy Mother Athanasia (860)

“Born on the island of Aegina of rich and eminent parents, she gave her goods to the poor and went off to a monastery, where she heaped greater and greater asceticism on herself. She took food only once a day, and that only bread and water, and in the Great Fast only once every two days. Only at Christmas and Easter did she taste flesh and oil. Although she was abbess of the monastery, she was the servant of all the other sisters and was ashamed that any should wait on her. She was made worthy of the great gift of wonderworking, both during her lifetime and after her death.” (Prologue)