Romans 2.14-29 (Epistle)

14Jer kad neznabošci ne imajuæi zakona sami od sebe èine što je po zakonu, oni zakona ne imajuæi sami su sebi zakon: 15Oni dokazuju da je ono napisano u srcima njihovijem što se èini po zakonu, buduæi da im savjest svjedoèi, i misli meðu sobom tuže se ili pravdaju) 16Na dan kad Bog uzasudi tajne ljudske po jevanðelju mojemu preko Isusa Hrista. 17Gle, ti se zoveš Jevrejin, a oslanjaš se na zakon i hvališ se Bogom, 18I poznaješ volju, i izbiraš što je bolje, jer si nauèen od zakona; 19I misliš da si voð slijepima, vidjelo onima koji su u mraku, 20Nakazatelj bezumnima, uèitelj djeci, koji imaš ugled razuma i istine u zakonu. 21Uèeæi dakle drugoga sebe ne uèiš; 22Propovijedajuæi da se ne krade, kradeš; govoreæi: ne èini preljube, èiniš preljubu; gadeæi se na idole, kradeš svetinju; 23Koji se hvališ zakonom, a prijestupom zakona sramotiš Boga. 24Jer se ime Božije zbog vas huli u neznabošcima, kao što stoji napisano. 25Obrezanje pomaže ako zakon držiš; ako li si prestupnik zakona, obrezanje je tvoje neobrezanje postalo. 26Ako dakle neobrezanje pravdu zakona drži, zašto se ne bi njegovo neobrezanje za obrezanje uzelo? 27I onaj koji je od roda neobrezan i izvršuje zakon, osudiæe tebe koji si sa slovima i obrezanjem prestupnik zakona. 28Jer ono nije Jevrejin koji je spolja Jevrejin, niti je ono obrezanje koje je spolja na tijelu; 29Nego je ono Jevrejin koji je iznutra, i obrezanje srca duhom a ne slovima, to je obrezanje; kome je hvala ne od ljudi nego od Boga.

Matthew 5.33-41 (Gospel)

33Još ste èuli kako je kazano starima: ne kuni se krivo, a ispuni što si se Gospodu zakleo. 34A ja vam kažem: ne kunite se nikako: ni nebom, jer je prijestol Božij; 35Ni zemljom, jer je podnožje nogama njegovijem; ni Jerusalimom, jer je grad velikoga cara. 36Ni glavom svojom ne kuni se, jer ne možeš ni dlake jedne bijele ili crne uèiniti. 37Dakle neka bude vaša rijeè: da, da; ne, ne; a što je više od ovoga, oda zla je. 38Èuli ste da je kazano: oko za oko, i zub za zub. 39A ja vam kažem da se ne branite oda zla, nego ako te ko udari po desnome tvom obrazu, obrni mu i drugi; 40I koji hoæe da se sudi s tobom i košulju tvoju da uzme, podaj mu i haljinu. 41I ako te potjera ko jedan sahat, idi s njime dva.

St Michael the Confessor, bishop of Synnada (818)

“This Saint was from Synnada in Phrygia of Asia Minor. In Constantinople he met Saint Theophylact (March 8); the holy Patriarch Tarasius, learning that Michael and Theophylact desired to become monks, sent them to a monastery on the Black Sea. Because of their great virtue, St Tarasius afterwards compelled them to accept consecration, Theophylact as Bishop of Nicomedia, and Michael as Bishop of his native Synnada. Because St Michael fearlessly confessed the veneration of the holy icons, he was banished by the Iconoclast Emperor Leo V the Armenian, who reigned from 813 to 820. After being driven from one place to another, in many hardships and bitter pains, St Michael died in exile.” (Great Horologion)

Holy Myrrh-bearer Mary, wife of Cleopas

Holy Martyr Michael of St Sabbas' Monastery(9th c.)

When his parents died, the young Michael gave away all his goods and travelled to Jerusalem, where he entered the monastery of St Sabbas the Sanctified. Once he was sent into town to sell some handwork for the monastery. A eunuch of an Arab princess met him in the street and brought him to princess’ home to show his wares. (Jerusalem was ruled by Muslim Arabs at that time.) The princess, like Potiphar’s wife, conceived an illicit passion for the young monk and invited him to her bed. When he refused, the angry princess had him beaten and taken to the Sultan, where she accused him of blasphemy against Mohammed. The Sultan tried to make him accept Islam, but he refused. When a dose of poison had no effect on the holy Michael, the Sultan had him publicly beheaded in the center of Jerusalem. The monks retrieved his body and gave it honorable burial at his monastery.

Holy Virgin Euphrosyne, Princess of Polotsk (1173)

“She was the daughter of Prince Vseslav of Polotsk. When her parents wished her to be married, she ran away to a monastery and became a nun. An angel of the Lord appeared to her three times to show her the place where she was to build a new monastery for virgins. She brought her own sister, Evdokia, into monasticism and many other young girls from the ranks of the aristocracy. One kinswoman of hers, Zvenislava, a princess of Borisov, brought all her wealth, clothing and precious jewels, and said: ‘I count all the beauty of this world as naught, and wish to give these fine things, prepared for my marriage, to the Church of the Saviour. And I desire to espouse myself to Him in a spiritual marriage, and to bow my head beneath His easy and light yoke.’ Euphrosyne professed her too, and gave her the name Evpraxia. In old age, Euphrosyne evinced a desire to die in Jerusalem, and prayed for this boon. God heard her prayer, and she did indeed die in the monastery of St Theodosius in Jerusalem on May 23rd, 1173, during a visit there.” (Prologue)