Romans 1.1-7, 13-17 (Epistle)

1Od Pavla, sluge Isusa Hrista, pozvanoga apostola izabranoga za jevanðelje Božije, 2Koje Bog naprijed obeæa preko proroka svojijeh u svetijem pismima 3O sinu svojemu, koji je po tijelu roðen od sjemena Davidova, 4A posvjedoèen silno za sina Božijega Duhom svetinje po vaskrseniju iz mrtvijeh, Isusu Hristu Gospodu našemu, 5Preko kojega primismo blagodat i apostolstvo, da pokorimo sve neznabošce vjeri imena njegovoga; 6Meðu kojima ste i vi pozvani Isusu Hristu, 7Svima koji su u Rimu, ljubaznima Bogu, i pozvanima svetima: blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca našega i Gospoda Isusa Hrista. 13Ali vam neæu zatajiti, braæo, da sam mnogo puta htio da vam doðem, pa bih zadržan doslije, da i meðu vama imam kakav plod, kao i meðu ostalijem neznabošcima. 14Dužan sam i Grcima i divljacima, i mudrima i nerazumnima. 15Zato, od moje strane, gotov sam i vama u Rimu propovjediti jevanðelje. 16Jer se ne stidim jevanðelja Hristova; jer je sila Božija na spasenije svakome koji vjeruje, a najprije Jevrejinu i Grku. 17Jer se u njemu javlja pravda Božija iz vjere u vjeru, kao što je napisano: pravednik æe od vjere živ biti.

Matthew 4.25-5.13 (Gospel)

25I za njim iðaše naroda mnogo iz Galileje, i iz Deset Gradova, i iz Jerusalima, i Judeje, i ispreko Jordana.

1A kad on vidje narod, pope se na goru, i sjede, i pristupiše mu uèenici njegovi. 2I otvorivši usta svoja uèaše ih govoreæi: 3Blago siromašnima duhom, jer je njihovo carstvo nebesko; 4Blago onima koji plaèu, jer æe se utješiti; 5Blago krotkima, jer æe naslijediti zemlju; 6Blago gladnima i žednima pravde, jer æe se nasititi; 7Blago milostivima, jer æe biti pomilovani; 8Blago onima koji su èistoga srca, jer æe Boga vidjeti; 9Blago onima koji mir grade, jer æe se sinovi Božiji nazvati; 10Blago prognanima pravde radi, jer je njihovo carstvo nebesko. 11Blago vama ako vas uzasramote i usprogone i reku na vas svakojake rðave rijeèi lažuæi, mene radi. 12Radujte se i veselite se, jer je velika plata vaša na nebesima, jer su tako progonili proroke prije vas. 13Vi ste so zemlji; ako so obljutavi, èim æe se osoliti? Ona veæ neæe biti ni za što, osim da se prospe napolje i da je ljudi pogaze.

Martyr Thalelaeus at Aegae in Cilicia and those with him (327)

The holy Thalelaeus is counted as one of the Unmercenary Physicians. He was a physician, born in Lebanon to a Berucius (a bishop) and Romylia. During the persecutions by the Emperor Numerian, he fled to Cilicia, but was captured and brought before Theodore, the governor. When Thalelaeus boldly confessed Christ, the cruel governor ordered two soldiers, Alexander and Asterius, to bore holes through his leg-bones, pass a rope through them, and hang him from a tree. But the executioners, by the power of God, were momentarily deprived of their wits and bored through a wooden plank instead, which they hung in the tree. The governor angrily ordered that the soldiers be flogged; during their flogging they cried out: ‘The Lord is alive to us; from now on, we are become Christians. We believe in Christ, and suffer for Him.’ Hearing these words, the governor ordered that both be beheaded. He then seized their awl and attempted to bore through Thalelaeus’ legs himself; but his hand suddenly became paralyzed. The compassionate physician prayed to Christ and healed his persecutor’ hand. His heart still hardened, the governor next ordered that the Saint be thrown into water and drowned; but he survived. Next he was thrown to wild beasts, but they licked his feet and rubbed tamely against him. Finally the holy Martyr was beheaded.

Our Father among the Saints Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow (1378)

He was born in Moscow in 1292. In 1354 he was ordained Metropolitan of Moscow by Philotheus, Patriarch of Constantinople. He founded several monasteries, including the first women’s monastery in Moscow. He translated the Holy Gospel from Greek into Slavonic. At that time Russia was under the rule of the Tartars, and St Alexis twice visited the Tartar Khan to plead with him to ease the oppression of the Russian people. On one of these visits he healed Taidula, the Khan’s wife. He founded the Chudov Monastery in Moscow on land given him by the Khan and his wife in thanksgiving for this miraculous healing; the Saint’s relics are enshrined at this same monastery. This is the feast of the uncovering of his holy relics in 1431.