Acts 19.1-8 (Epistle)

1Dogodi se pak, kad bješe Apolos u Korintu, da Pavle prolažaše gornje zemlje, i doðe u Efes, i našavši neke uèenike 2Reèe im: jeste li primili Duha svetoga kad ste vjerovali? A oni mu rekoše: nijesmo ni èuli da ima Duh sveti. 3A on im reèe: na što se dakle krstiste? A oni rekoše: na krštenje Jovanovo. 4A Pavle reèe: Jovan krsti krštenjem pokajanja, govoreæi narodu da vjeruju onoga koji æe za njim doæi, to jest, Hrista Isusa. 5A kad to èuše, krstiše se u ime Gospoda Isusa. 6A kad Pavle metnu ruke na njih, siðe Duh sveti na njih, i govorahu jezike i proricahu. 7A bijaše ljudi svega oko dvanaest. 8I ušavši u zbornicu govoraše slobodno tri mjeseca uèeæi i uvjeravajuæi za carstvo Božije.

John 14.1-11 (Gospel)

1Da se ne plaši srce vaše, vjerujte Boga, i mene vjerujte. 2Mnogi su stanovi u kuæi oca mojega. A da nije tako, kazao bih vam: idem da vam pripravim mjesto. 3I kad otidem i pripravim vam mjesto, opet æu doæi, i uzeæu vas k sebi da i vi budete gdje sam ja. 4I kuda ja idem znate, i put znate. 5Reèe mu Toma: Gospode! ne znamo kuda ideš; i kako možemo put znati? 6Isus mu reèe: ja sam put i istina i život; niko neæe doæi k ocu do kroza me. 7Kad biste mene znali onda biste znali i oca mojega; i otsele poznajete ga, i vidjeste ga. 8Reèe mu Filip: Gospode! pokaži nam oca, i biæe nam dosta. 9Isus mu reèe: toliko sam vrijeme s vama i nijesi me poznao, Filipe? koji vidje mene, vidje oca; pa kako ti govoriš: pokaži nam oca? 10Zar ne vjeruješ da sam ja u ocu i otac u meni? Rijeèi koje vam ja govorim ne govorim od sebe; nego otac koji stoji u meni on tvori djela. 11Vjerujte meni da sam ja u ocu i otac u meni; ako li meni ne vjerujete, vjerujte mi po tijem djelima.

Translation of the relics of St Nicholas the Wonderworker from Myra to Bari (1087)

In 1087 the Saint’s relics were taken from Myra in Lycia (on the southern coast of present-day Turkey) to the town of Bari in Italy. This was done due to a Muslim attack on Lycia. At that time Bari was Orthodox and under the administration of the Patriarch of Constantinople. The Saint’s relics now lie in a Roman Catholic church in Bari; each year the casket containing the relics is opened by a Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishop together, and quantities of fragrant myrrh are removed, for the healing and encouragement of the faithful.

Holy Prophet Isaiah (7th c. BC)

He is counted as the greatest of the Old Testament Prophets. His incomparably beautiful verses foretell Christ in many places. He chastised, comforted, and counseled the pious king Hezekiah; but when he denounced the impiety and lawlessness of Hezekiah’s son Manasseh, he was sawn in two outside Jerusalem, receiving a martyr’s crown. His name means “The Lord is helper.”

The Fifth Biblical Ode, “Out of the night my spirit waketh at dawn unto Thee, O God…” is taken from Isaiah.

Holy Martyr Christopher (3rd c.)

He was originally named Reprobus. In the time of the persecutions under the Emperor Decius, Reprobus, seeing the sufferings of the Christians, rebuked the rulers for their cruelty. The governor sent soldiers to arrest him, but he converted them and was baptised along with them, receiving the name Christopher. After he was brought before the governor, he was imprisoned with two harlots sent to seduce him, but he converted them also. He, the soldiers, and the former harlots were subjected to torture and finally beheaded.

It is this Saint Christopher who is portrayed on the medals often worn for protection in the Latin West. The image of him carrying the child Jesus comes from his name, which means ‘Christ-bearer,’ not from any incident in his life.