Romans 9.6-19 (Epistle)

6A nije moguæe da rijeè Božija proðe: jer nijesu svi Izrailjci koji su od Izrailja; 7Niti su svi djeca koji su sjeme Avraamovo, nego u Isaku, reèe, nazvaæe ti se sjeme. 8To jest, nijesu ono djeca Božija što su po tijelu djeca, nego djeca obeæanja primaju se za sjeme. 9Jer je ovo rijeè obeæanja: u ovo vrijeme doæi æu i u Sare æe biti sin. 10Ne samo pak ona nego i Reveka, kad zatrudnje od samoga Isaka oca našega. 11Jer još dok se djeca ne bijahu rodila, ni uèinila dobra ni zla, da ostane Božija naredba po izboru, 12Ne za djela, nego onoga radi koji poziva reèe joj se: veæi æe služiti manjemu, 13Kao što stoji napisano: Jakov mi omilje, a na Isava omrzoh. 14Šta æemo dakle na to reæi? Eda li je nepravda u Boga? Bože saèuvaj! 15Jer Mojsiju govori: koga æu pomilovati, pomilovaæu, i na koga æu se smilovati, smilovaæu se. 16Tako dakle niti stoji do onoga koji hoæe, ni do onoga koji trèi, nego do Boga koji pomiluje. 17Jer pismo govori Faraonu: za to te isto podigoh da na tebi pokažem silu svoju, i da se razglasi ime moje po svoj zemlji. 18Tako dakle koga hoæe miluje, a koga hoæe otvrdoglavi. 19Reæi æeš mi: zašto nas još krivi? jer ko se može suprotiti volji njegovoj?

Matthew 10.32-36, 11.1 (Gospel)

32A koji god prizna mene pred ljudima, priznaæu i ja njega pred ocem svojijem koji je na nebesima. 33A ko se odreèe mene pred ljudima, odreæi æu se i ja njega pred ocem svojijem koji je na nebesima. 34Ne mislite da sam ja došao da donesem mir na zemlju; nijesam došao da donesem mir nego maè. 35Jer sam došao da rastavim èovjeka od oca njegova i kæer od matere njezine i snahu od svekrve njezine: 36I neprijatelji èovjeku postaæe domašnji njegovi.

1I kad svrši Isus zapovijesti dvanaestorici uèenika svojijeh, otide odande dalje da uèi i da propovijeda po gradovima njihovijem.

St Hilarion the New, abbot of the Dalmatian Monastery (845)

He was born in 775 in Cappadocia. He became abbot of the Monastery of Dalmatus, where he fervently defended the icons against the attacks of the Emperor Leo the Armenian. He was exiled twice, first by Leo, then by Theophilus, but was finally freed by the Empress Theodora and again became abbot of the monastery, where he served until his repose.

Our Holy Mothers the Martyrs Archelaïs, Thekla and Susanna (293)

“As pure and virginal nuns, they lived the ascetic life in an unknown monastery near Rome. When a persecution of Christians arose under the wicked Emperor Diocletian, they fled to Campania and settled near the town of Nola. Their holy life could not be concealed, and people from nearby began to come to them for counsel, instruction and help in various trials and sicknesses, and they were finally seized by the pagans and taken for trial. They publicly and freely confessed their faith in Christ. When the judge, Leontius, questioned the holy Archelaïs about the Christian faith, she replied: ‘It is by the power of Christ that I overcome the power of the devil and teach the people understanding and knowledge of the one, true God. By the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, it is given that, through me His servant, the sick find healing.’ All three maidens were whipped, flogged with heavy staves, left to languish in prison and finally beheaded. When they were led out to the scaffold, angels appeared to them, which were seen by some of the executioners and inspired such fear in them that they dared not lift up their swords against the holy maidens. They, however, urged the executioners to finish their task. And thus, as lambs, were they beheaded in the year 293, and went to the Kingdom of Christ to rest in eternity and delight in beholding the face of God.” (Prologue)

St Bessarion the Wonderworker of Egypt (466)

He is commemorated today in the Slavic Menaion. See February 20, the date of his commemoration in the Greek Synaxarion.