Romans 12.4-5, 15-21 (Epistle)

4Căci, după cum într-un trup avem mai multe mădulare, şi mădularele n-au toate aceeaşi slujbă, 5tot aşa şi noi, care suntem mulţi, alcătuim un singur trup în Hristos; dar, fiecare în parte, suntem mădulare unii altora. 15Bucuraţi-vă cu cei ce se bucură; plângeţi cu cei ce plâng. 16Aveţi aceleaşi simţăminte unii faţă de alţii. Nu umblaţi după lucrurile înalte, ci rămâneţi la cele smerite. Să nu vă socotiţi singuri înţelepţi. 17Nu întoarceţi nimănui rău pentru rău. Urmăriţi ce este bine, înaintea tuturor oamenilor. 18Dacă este cu putinţă, întrucât atârnă de voi, trăiţi în pace cu toţi oamenii. 19Preaiubiţilor, nu vă răzbunaţi singuri; ci lăsaţi să se răzbune mânia lui Dumnezeu; căci este scris: „Răzbunarea este a Mea; Eu voi răsplăti”, zice Domnul. 20Dimpotrivă: dacă îi este foame vrăjmaşului tău, dă-i să mănânce; dacă-i este sete, dă-i să bea; căci dacă vei face astfel, vei îngrămădi cărbuni aprinşi pe capul lui.”

21Nu te lăsa biruit de rău, ci biruie răul prin bine.

Matthew 12.9-13 (Gospel)

9Isus a plecat de acolo şi a intrat în sinagogă. 10Şi iată că în sinagogă era un om care avea o mână uscată. Ei, ca să poată învinui pe Isus, L-au întrebat: „Este îngăduit a vindeca în zilele de Sabat?” 11El le-a răspuns: „Cine este omul acela dintre voi care, dacă are o oaie, şi-i cade într-o groapă, în ziua Sabatului, să n-o apuce şi s-o scoată afară? 12Cu cât mai de preţ este deci un om decât o oaie? De aceea este îngăduit a face bine în zilele de Sabat.” 13Atunci a zis omului aceluia: „Întinde-ţi mâna!” El a întins-o, şi mâna s-a făcut sănătoasă ca şi cealaltă.

St Tikhon (Tychon), bishop of Amathus in Cyprus (425)

He was born to pious Christian parents on Cyprus. Known for his piety and purity of life, he was became a clergyman, then was made Bishop of Amathus by St Epiphanios (May 12). He served faithfully as bishop in Cyprus for many years, finally reposing in peace. At this time there were still many pagans in Cyprus, and he worked tirelessly as a missionary among them, bringing many to the Faith. He was known as a wonder-worker from his youth. “His father was a baker, and whenever his father left him alone in the shop, he would distribute the bread to the poor without payment. His father reproached him once for doing this, so he prayed to God and their storehouse became so full of grain that they could open the door only with difficulty.” (Prologue) Once he planted a dry slip from a grapevine, and it miraculously turned green and bore fruit. After his repose, on his feast day the vine would be laden with unripe grapes, as usual for this time of year; but during the Divine Liturgy, the grapes would become fully ripened.

Holy Martyrs Tigrios and Eutropios (404)

When St John Chrysostom was exiled, the Great Church caught fire and was destroyed. Most of the people saw this as a judgment upon the City for exiling the holy Archbishop; but St John’s enemies tried to blame his followers and persecuted them fiercely. Two of these loyal followers were Tigrios, a priest, and Eutropios, a reader. Tigrios had been a slave in his youth and was a eunuch; but once he was freed he had given his life selflessly to the service of the Church. The governor, Optatius, had Tigrios viciously tortured, then sent him into exile in Mesopotamia, where he died in captivity. Eutropios, another pure and holy servant of the Church, was flogged with whips and rods, then hanged. Christians carrying his body for burial heard a beautiful angelic chanting in the sky above them.