Acts 17.19-28 (Epistle)

19Atunci l-au luat, l-au dus la Areopag şi au zis: „Putem să ştim care este această învăţătură nouă pe care o vesteşti tu? 20Fiindcă tu ne aduci ceva ciudat la auz. Am vrea, dar, să ştim ce vrea să zică aceasta.” 21Căci toţi atenienii şi străinii care stăteau în Atena nu-şi petreceau vremea cu nimic altceva decât să spună sau să asculte ceva nou. 22Pavel a stat în picioare în mijlocul Areopagului şi a zis: „Bărbaţi atenieni! În toate privinţele vă găsesc foarte religioşi. 23Căci, pe când străbăteam cetatea voastră şi mă uitam de aproape la lucrurile la care vă închinaţi voi, am descoperit chiar şi un altar pe care este scris: „Unui Dumnezeu necunoscut!” Ei bine, ceea ce voi cinstiţi fără să cunoaşteţi, aceea vă vestesc eu. 24Dumnezeu, care a făcut lumea şi tot ce este în ea, este Domnul cerului şi al pământului şi nu locuieşte în temple făcute de mâini. 25El nu este slujit de mâini omeneşti, ca şi când ar avea trebuinţă de ceva, El, care dă tuturor viaţa, suflarea şi toate lucrurile. 26El a făcut ca toţi oamenii, ieşiţi dintr-unul singur, să locuiască pe toată faţa pământului; le-a aşezat anumite vremuri şi a pus anumite hotare locuinţei lor, 27ca ei să caute pe Dumnezeu şi să se silească să-L găsească bâjbâind, măcar că nu este departe de fiecare din noi. 28Căci în El avem viaţa, mişcarea şi fiinţa, după cum au zis şi unii din poeţii voştri: „Suntem din neamul Lui…”

John 12.19-36 (Gospel)

19Fariseii au zis deci între ei: „Vedeţi că nu câştigaţi nimic: iată că lumea se duce după El!” 20Nişte greci, dintre cei ce se suiseră să se închine la praznic, 21s-au apropiat de Filip, care era din Betsaida Galileii, l-au rugat şi au zis: „Domnule, am vrea să vedem pe Isus.” 22Filip s-a dus şi a spus lui Andrei; apoi Andrei şi Filip au spus lui Isus. 23Drept răspuns, Isus le-a zis: „A sosit ceasul să fie proslăvit Fiul omului. 24Adevărat, adevărat vă spun că dacă grăuntele de grâu care a căzut pe pământ nu moare, rămâne singur; dar dacă moare, aduce mult rod. 25Cine îşi iubeşte viaţa o va pierde; şi cine îşi urăşte viaţa în lumea aceasta o va păstra pentru viaţa veşnică. 26Dacă Îmi slujeşte cineva, să Mă urmeze; şi unde sunt Eu, acolo va fi şi slujitorul Meu. Dacă Îmi slujeşte cineva, Tatăl îl va cinsti. 27Acum sufletul Meu este tulburat. Şi ce voi zice?… Tată, izbăveşte-Mă din ceasul acesta?… Dar tocmai pentru aceasta am venit până la ceasul acesta! 28Tată, proslăveşte Numele Tău!” Şi din cer s-a auzit un glas care zicea: „L-am proslăvit şi-L voi mai proslăvi!” 29Norodul care stătea acolo şi care auzise glasul a zis că a fost un tunet. Alţii ziceau: „Un înger a vorbit cu El!” 30Isus a răspuns: „Nu pentru Mine s-a auzit glasul acesta, ci pentru voi. 31Acum are loc judecata lumii acesteia, acum stăpânitorul lumii acesteia va fi aruncat afară. 32Şi după ce voi fi înălţat de pe pământ, voi atrage la Mine pe toţi oamenii.” – 33Vorbind astfel, arăta cu ce moarte avea să moară. – 34Norodul I-a răspuns: „Noi am auzit din Lege că Hristosul rămâne în veac; cum, dar, zici Tu că „Fiul omului trebuie să fie înălţat”? Cine este acest Fiu al omului?” 35Isus le-a zis: „Lumina mai este puţină vreme în mijlocul vostru. Umblaţi ca unii care aveţi lumina, ca să nu vă cuprindă întunericul; cine umblă în întuneric nu ştie unde merge. 36Câtă vreme aveţi Lumina printre voi, credeţi în Lumină, ca să fiţi fii ai luminii.” Isus le-a spus aceste lucruri, apoi a plecat şi S-a ascuns de ei.

Righteous Job the Long-suffering

This icon of patient endurance in the face of all that God sends us lived near Arabia about 2,000 years before Christ. He was a descendant of Abraham through Esau. His prosperity, his calamitous sufferings, his patient endurance, and his restoration to health and riches are told in detail in the Old Testament book that bears his name.

Some say that Job endured his sufferings for seven years before being restored to health and prosperity. Others say that all his sufferings occupied one year. The holy Fathers agree that Job for lived many years after his restoration, and died when he was more than 200 years old.

St Job, abbot and wonderworker of Pochaev (1651)

“Saint Job of Pochaev was born about 1551 in southwest Galicia of a pious Orthodox family. In his tenth year the Saint departed for the Ugornitsky Monastery of our Savior in the Carpathian Mountains. Tonsured after two years, he was ordained hieromonk about 1580. Renowned for his meekness and humility, Job was invited by the great zealot for Holy Orthodoxy in Carpatho-Russia, Prince Constantine Ostrozhky, to be Abbot of the Monastery of the Cross in Dubno. In his zeal for the preservation and propagation of the Orthodox Faith, and to counteract the propaganda of the Uniates, he printed and widely disseminated Orthodox spiritual and liturgical books. About 1600 he removed to the Mountain of Pochaev where at the insistence of the brethren, he became Abbot of the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos, which he enlarged and made to flourish. Through his labours, a large printing works was founded at Pochaev and greatly assisted in the nurture of the Orthodox faithful in that region. His monastery became the center of the Orthodox Church in western Ukraine. The Saint reposed, having taken the schema with the name of John, in 1651, at the advanced age of one hundred.” (Great Horologion)

Holy Martyr Barbarus the Soldier, with Bacchus, Callimachus and Dionysius (362)

He was a soldier in the Roman army during the reign of Julian the Apostate. Like many soldiers, he was a secret Christian, serving under the Imperial commander Bacchus when his troops battled the Franks. A mighty Frankish soldier, like Goliath, challenged the Romans to send one of their company out to do single combat with him. The commander sent Barbarus, who prayed to the Lord and overcame the Frankish giant, after which the Frankish army was easily vanquished. The commander then ordered a triumph in celebration of victory, including a public sacrifice to the Roman idols. At the sacrifice, the commander noticed that Barbarus was standing aside and asked him why: Barbarus revealed that he was a Christian and could not make sacrifice to the idols. The commander reported this to the unbelieving Emperor, who ordered that Barbarus be put to torture. Barbarus endured many cruel torments with serenity and courage. During his tortures, many wonders were seen, and many of his fellow-soldiers embraced the Christian faith. Three of these were Bacchus, Barbarus’ commander; Callimachus; and Dionysius. All three were beheaded for confessing Christ, then Barbarus himself attained the Martyr’s crown through beheading.

St. Sophia the Righteous (1974)

This holy ascetic, newly glorified in 2011, was born as Sophia Saoulidi in 1883 in Trebizond, Turkey. In 1907 she married, but her husband disappeared seven years later, leaving her with a newborn son. Not long afterward her beloved only son also died. Turning from the world, she placed all her trust in God, spending her time in solitary prayer on a mountain near her town.

In 1919 she arrived in Greece as part of the “exchange of populations” between Turkey and Greece. Not long after her arrival the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to her in a vision and said “Come to my house.” When Sophia asked her where to find her house, the Virgin replied “I am in Kleisoura.” Heeding these holy instructions, Sophia moved to the Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Kleisoura in northern Greece, where she remained for the rest of her life.

She never took monastic tonsure, but lived in the monastery kitchen. She slept only two hours a night, giving over the rest of the night to prayer. She dressed in old, tattered clothes, but if anyone tried to give her better clothing she would give it away to the poor. Similarly, if anyone gave her money, she would hide it until she could give it to someone in need. She ate very little and showed no interest in food. Worldly people called her “Crazy Sophia,” but those with discernment saw her as a living saint. She was endowed with gifts of healing and prophecy: when visitors would come to her she would greet them by name even if she had never met them before, and would describe their family problems, offering counsel.

In 1967 she was healed of a painful, life-threatening illness through a vision of the Holy Theotokos, the Archangel Gabriel and St. George. She fell asleep in the Lord on May 6 (New Calendar) 1974, after a long life given over to prayer, asceticism and utter poverty. Her relics are enshrined in the monastery where she spent most of her life.