Acts 15.5-34 (Epistle)

5Onda ustaše neki od jeresi farisejske koji bijahu vjerovali, i govorahu da ih valja obrezati, i zapovjediti da drže zakon Mojsijev. 6A apostoli i starješine sabraše se da izvide ovu rijeè. 7I po mnogom vijeæanju usta Petar i reèe: ljudi braæo! vi znate da Bog od prvijeh dana izabra izmeðu nas da iz mojijeh usta èuju neznabošci rijeè jevanðelja i da vjeruju. 8I Bog, koji poznaje srca, posvjedoèi im i dade im Duha svetoga kao i nama, 9I ne postavi nikakve razlike meðu nama i njima, oèistivši vjerom srca njihova. 10Sad dakle šta kušate Boga, i hoæete da metnete uèenicima jaram na vrat, kojega ni ocevi naši ni mi mogosmo ponijeti? 11Nego vjerujemo da æemo se spasti blagodaæu Gospoda Isusa Hrista kao i oni. 12Onda umuèe sve mnoštvo, i slušahu Varnavu i Pavla koji pripovijedahu kolike znake i èudesa uèini Bog u neznabošcima preko njih. 13A kad oni umukoše, odgovori Jakov govoreæi: ljudi braæo! poslušajte mene. 14Simon kaza kako Bog najprije pohodi i primi iz neznabožaca narod k imenu svojemu. 15I s ovijem se udaraju rijeèi proroka, kao što je napisano: 16Potom æu se vratiti, i sazidaæu dom Davidov, koji je pao, i njegove razvaline popraviæu, i podignuæu ga, 17Da potraže Gospoda ostali ljudi i svi narodi u kojima se ime moje spomenu, govori Gospod koji tvori sve ovo. 18Bogu su poznata od postanja svijeta sva djela njegova; 19Zato ja velim da se ne dira u neznabošce koji se obraæaju k Bogu; 20Nego da im se zapovjedi da se èuvaju od priloga idolskijeh i od kurvarstva i od udavljenoga i od krvi, i što njima nije milo drugima da ne èine. 21Jer Mojsije ima od starijeh vremena u svijem gradovima koji ga propovijedaju, i po zbornicama èita se svake subote. 22Tada naðoše za dobro apostoli i starješine sa svom crkvom da izberu izmeðu sebe dvojicu i da pošlju u Antiohiju s Pavlom i Varnavom, Judu koji se zvaše Varsava, i Silu, ljude znamenite meðu braæom. 23I napisaše rukama svojima ovo: Apostoli i starješine i braæa pozdravljaju braæu koja su po Antiohiji i Siriji i Kilikiji što su od neznabožaca. 24Buduæi da mi èusmo da neki od nas izišavši smetoše vas rijeèima, i raslabiše duše vaše govoreæi vam da se obrezujete i da držite zakon, kojima mi ne zapovjedismo; 25Zato naðosmo za dobro mi jednodušno sabrani izbrane ljude poslati vama s ljubaznijem našijem Varnavom i Pavlom, 26S ljudima koji su predali duše svoje za ime Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista. 27Poslasmo dakle Judu i Silu, koji æe to i rijeèima kazati. 28Jer naðe za dobro sveti Duh i mi da nikakvijeh tegoba više ne meæemo na vas osim ovijeh potrebnijeh: 29Da se èuvate od priloga idolskijeh i od krvi i od udavljenoga i od kurvarstva, i što neæete da se èini vama ne èinite drugima; od èega ako se èuvate, dobro æete èiniti. Budite zdravi. 30A kad ih opremiše, doðoše u Antiohiju, i sabravši narod predaše poslanicu. 31A kad proèitaše, obradovaše se utjesi. 32A Juda i Sila, koji i proroci bijahu, mnogijem rijeèima utješiše braæu i utvrdiše. 33I pošto biše onamo neko vrijeme, otpustiše ih braæa s mirom k apostolima. 34No Sila naðe za dobro da ostane onamo, a Juda se vrati u Jerusalim.

John 10.17-28 (Gospel)

17Zato me otac ljubi, jer ja dušu svoju polažem da je opet uzmem. 18Niko je ne otima od mene, nego je ja sam od sebe polažem. Vlast imam položiti je i vlast imam uzeti je opet. Ovu sam zapovijest primio od oca svojega. 19Tada opet postade raspra meðu Jevrejima za ove rijeèi. 20Mnogi od njih govorahu: u njemu je ðavo, i poludio je; šta ga slušate? 21Drugi govorahu: ove rijeèi nijesu ludoga; zar može ðavo slijepima oèi otvorati? 22A bijaše tada praznik obnovljenja u Jerusalimu, i bješe zima. 23I hodaše Isus u crkvi po trijemu Solomunovu. 24A Jevreji ga opkoliše, i govorahu mu: dokle æeš muèiti duše naše? Ako si ti Hristos kaži nam slobodno. 25Isus im odgovori: ja vam kazah, pa ne vjerujete. Djela koja tvorim ja u ime oca svojega ona svjedoèe za me. 26Ali vi ne vjerujete; jer nijeste od mojijeh ovaca, kao što vam kazah. 27Ovce moje slušaju glas moj, i ja poznajem njih, i za mnom idu. 28I ja æu im dati život vjeèni, i nikad neæe izginuti, i niko ih neæe oteti iz ruke moje.

Saint Matrona (the Blind) of Moscow (1952)

She was born in 1881 to a poor family in the village of Sebino-Epifaniskaya (now Kimovski). Though she was born blind — her eyes were without pupils — she showed a gift of spiritual insight from an early age, and by her prayers healed many who came to her.

At about the age of fourteen she made a pilgrimage to several Russian holy sites. When she came to Kronstadt to receive the blessing of St John (20 Dec.), the holy priest, who had never met her, cried out “Matrona, come here!” and proclaimed “She will be my heir, the eighth pillar of Russia.”

At the age of seventeen she was stricken with paralysis and was never able to walk again. For the rest of her life she lived in a room filled with icons, where she would sit cross-legged on her bed and receive visitors. She never bemoaned her blindness or paralysis; once she said “A day came when God opened my eyes, and I saw the light of the sun, the stars and all that exists in the world: the rivers, the forests, the sea and the whole creation.”

In 1925 she settled in Moscow. After the death of her mother in 1945, she moved frequently, living secretly in the homes of the faithful. Despite this, throngs of believers found their way to her for counsel and healing. The Communist authorities, knowing her holy influence, sought many times to arrest her; but she always knew in advance when they were coming, and would be moved to a different secret location. She fasted much, slept rarely, and it is said that her forehead was dented by the countless signs of the Cross that she made.

Of the persecution of the Church by the Communists, she simply said that this was due to the sins and lack of faith of the Christians, and added, “Difficult times are our lot, but we Christians must choose the Cross. Christ has placed us on His sleigh, and He will take us where He will.”

Having foreseen the day of her death, she said, “Come close, all of you, and tell me of your troubles as though I were alive! I’ll see you; I’ll hear you, and I’ll come to your aid.” She reposed in peace on April 19, 1952 (May 2 on the new calendar). Many miracles occurred at her tomb. In 1998 her relics were moved to the women’s Monastery of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God, where thousands of Orthodox Christians come to venerate her and, as she asked, to bring her their problems and concerns as though she were alive on earth.

She was glorified by the Church of Russia in 1999, for local veneration in the Diocese of Moscow.

Holy Martyrs Hesperus, his wife Zoë, and their sons Cyriac and Theodulus (2nd c.)

Early in the second century a pagan named Catallus bought Hesperus, his wife Zoë, and their sons Cyriac and Theodulus as slaves. All of them were Christians, and would not eat anything that had been sacrificed to idols — they would throw all such food to the dogs and go hungry themselves. When Catallus learned of this, he was enraged and began to torture them cruelly, beginning with the children. When none of them could be moved from his confession of Christ, the entire family was cast into a hot furnace, where they gave up their souls to God. Their bodies remained unburnt.

Holy Tsar Boris-Michael of Bulgaria (907)

A son of the Bulgarian Khan Presian, he was instructed in the faith by St Photios, Patriarch of Constantinople. He labored throughout his reign to establish and spread the Christian faith in Bulgaria. When the disciples of Ss Cyril and Methodius were driven from Moravia and came to Bulgaria, he greatly assisted them in their missionary work there. He retired to a monastery, leaving rule of his country in the hands of his son Vladimir. But when he learned that Vladimir was persecuting Christians and trying to re-establish paganism, he left the monastery, took up the sword, overthrew his son, put his younger son Symeon on the throne and, when he was confident that the country was again in Christian hands, returned to the monastery, where he ended his life in peace and piety.

Translation of the Relics (1072 and 1115) of the Holy Passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, princes of Russia (1015)

For their lives, see July 24.

Translation of the Relics of St Athanasius the Great, patriarch of Alexandria

His main commemoration is January 18.