Romans 9.18-33 (Epistle)

18Tako dakle koga hoæe miluje, a koga hoæe otvrdoglavi. 19Reæi æeš mi: zašto nas još krivi? jer ko se može suprotiti volji njegovoj? 20A ko si ti, o èovjeèe! da protivno odgovaraš Bogu? Eda li rukotvorina govori majstoru svome: zašto si me tako naèinio? 21Ili zar lonèar nema vlasti nad kalom da od jedne guke naèini jedan sud za èast a drugi za sramotu? 22A kad šæaše Bog da pokaže gnjev svoj i da objavi silu svoju, podnese s velikijem trpljenjem sudove gnjeva koji su pripravljeni za pogibao. 23I da pokaže bogatstvo slave svoje na sudima milosti koje pripravi za slavu; 24Koje nas i dozva ne samo od Jevreja nego i od neznabožaca, 25Kao što i u Josiji govori: nazvaæu narod svojijem koji nije moj narod, i neljubaznicu ljubaznicom. 26I biæe na mjestu, gdje im se reèe: vi nijeste moj narod; tamo æe se nazvati sinovi Boga živoga. 27A Isaija vièe za Izrailja: ako bude broj sinova Izrailjevijeh kao pijesak morski, ostatak æe se spasti. 28Jer æe on izvršiti rijeè svoju, i naskoro æe izvršiti po pravdi, da, ispuniæe Gospod naskoro rijeè svoju na zemlji. 29I kao što proreèe Isaija: da nam nije Gospod Savaot ostavio sjemena, onda bismo bili kao Sodom i Gomor. 30Šta æemo dakle reæi? Da neznabošci koji ne tražiše pravde dokuèiše pravdu, ali pravdu od vjere. 31A Izrailj tražeæi zakon pravde ne dokuèi zakona pravde. 32Zašto? Jer ne traži iz vjere nego iz djela zakona; jer se spotakoše na kamen spoticanja, 33Kao što stoji napisano: evo meæem u Sionu kamen spoticanja i stijenu sablazni; i koji ga god vjeruje neæe se postidjeti.

Matthew 11.2-15 (Gospel)

2A Jovan èuvši u tamnici djela Hristova posla dvojicu uèenika svojijeh, 3I reèe mu: jesi li ti onaj što æe doæi, ili drugoga da èekamo? 4A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe im: idite i kažite Jovanu što èujete i vidite: 5Slijepi progledaju i hromi hode, gubavi èiste se i gluhi èuju, mrtvi ustaju i siromašnima propovijeda se jevanðelje. 6I blago onome koji se ne sablazni o mene. 7A kad ovi otidoše, poèe Isus ljudima govoriti o Jovanu: šta ste izišli u pustinji da vidite? Trsku, koju ljulja vjetar? 8Ili šta ste izišli da vidite? Èovjeka u meke haljine obuèena? Eto, koji meke haljine nose po carskijem su dvorovima. 9Ili šta ste izišli da vidite? Proroka? Da, ja vam kažem, i više od proroka. 10Jer je ovo onaj za koga je pisano: eto, ja šaljem anðela svojega pred licem tvojijem, koji æe pripraviti put tvoj pred tobom. 11Zaista vam kažem: nijedan izmeðu roðenijeh od žena nije izišao veæi od Jovana krstitelja; a najmanji u carstvu nebeskome veæi je od njega. 12A od vremena Jovana krstitelja dosad carstvo nebesko na silu se uzima, i siledžije dobijaju ga. 13Jer su svi proroci i zakon proricali do Jovana. 14I ako hoæete vjerovati, on je Ilija što æe doæi. 15Koji ima uši da èuje neka èuje.

St Cyril, archbishop of Alexandria (444)

“St Cyril was… from Alexandria, born about the year 376, the nephew of Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who also instructed the Saint in his youth. Having first spent much time with the monks of Nitria, he later became the successor to his uncle’s throne in 412. In 429, when Cyril heard tidings of the teachings of the new Patriarch of Constantinople, Nestorius, he began attempting through private letters to bring Nestorius to renounce his heretical teachings about the Incarnation; and when the heresiarch did not repent, Saint Cyril, together with Pope Celestine of Rome, led the Orthodox opposition to his error. Saint Cyril presided over the Third Ecumenical Council of the 200 holy Fathers in the year 431, who gathered in Ephesus under Saint Theodosius the Younger. At this Council, by his most wise words he put to shame and convicted the impious doctrine of Nestorius, who, although he was in town, refused to appear before Cyril. Saint Cyril, besides overthrowing the error of Nestorius, has left to the Church full commentaries on the Gospels of Luke and John. Having shepherded the Church of Christ for thirty-two years, he reposed in 444.” (Great Horologion)

Today we commemorate St Cyril’s repose. He is also commemorated on January 18, the date of his restoration to his see in Alexandria after he had been driven out by Nestorians.

St Columba of Iona (597)

He was born to a prominent noble family, the Ui-Niall clan of Ireland, but he forsook all worldly things and became a monk at a young age. He founded the monasteries of Derry and Durrow, and traveled as a missionary in Ireland for almost twenty years. In 565 he settled on the island of Iona, off the coast of Scotland; there he remained for 32 years, establishing the famous monastery of Iona and continuing in his missionary labors. He reposed in peace at Iona.

Saint Kyril of Belozersk (1427)

He was born in Moscow in 1337, and took up the monastic life while young. Though he desired a life of strict silence and solitude, he was made abbot of the Simonov Monastery against his will. After a few years, obeying a revelation from the most holy Theotokos, he left his abbacy and went to the wilderness of Belozersk (White Lake) to live as a hermit. Others gathered there to live under his guidance, and in time the community became the Monastery of Belozersk. Saint Kyril was sought from far off as a staretz, or spiritual father, and was granted gifts of wonderworking. His humility was remarkable, as the following story shows.

Once one of his monks conceived a terrible hatred for Kyril, which tormented him for a whole year. Finally the monk worked up the courage to reveal his hatred to Kyril himself. Though the monk was full of shame and remorse at his malicious passion, Kyril comforted him and said, ‘All the others are in error about me; only you have perceived my unworthiness.’ Saint Kyril then forgave the man and sent him away with his blessing.

Saint Kyril reposed in peace in 1427, at the age of ninety.