Romans 15.7-16 (Epistle)

7Zato primajte jedan drugoga kao što i Hristos primi vas na slavu Božiju. 8Ali kažem da je Isus Hristos bio sluga obrezanja istine radi Božije, da utvrdi obeæanje ocevima, 9A neznabošci po milosti da proslave Boga, kao što stoji napisano: zato æu te hvaliti meðu neznabošcima, Gospode, i pjevaæu ime tvoje. 10I opet govori: veselite se neznabošci s narodom njegovijem. 11I opet: hvalite Gospoda svi neznabošci, i slavite ga svi narodi. 12I opet Isaija govori: biæe korijen Jesejev, i koji ustane da vlada nad neznabošcima u onoga æe se uzdati neznabošci. 13A Bog nada da ispuni vas svake radosti i mira u vjeri, da imate izobilje u nadu silom Duha svetoga. 14A ja sam i sam uvjeren za vas, braæo, da ste i vi sami puni blagodati, napunjeni svakoga razuma, da možete druge nauèiti. 15Ali vam opet, braæo, slobodno pisah nekoliko da vam napomenem radi blagodati koja mi je dana od Boga, 16Da budem sluga Isusa Hrista u neznabošcima, da služim jevanðelju Božijemu, da budu neznabošci prinos povoljan i osveæen Duhom svetijem.

Matthew 12.38-45 (Gospel)

38Tada odgovoriše neki od književnika i fariseja govoreæi: uèitelju! mi bi radi od tebe znak vidjeti. 39A on odgovarajuæi reèe im: rod zli i preljubotvorni traži znak; i neæe mu se dati znak osim znaka Jone proroka. 40Jer kao što je Jona bio u trbuhu kitovom tri dana i tri noæi: tako æe biti i sin èovjeèij u srcu zemlje tri dana i tri noæi. 41Ninevljani iziæi æe na sud s rodom ovijem, i osudiæe ga; jer se pokajaše Joninijem pouèenjem: a gle, ovdje je veæi od Jone. 42Carica južna iziæi æe na sud s rodom ovijem, i osudiæe ga; jer ona doðe s kraja zemlje da sluša premudrost Solomunovu: a gle, ovdje je veæi od Solomuna. 43A kad neèisti duh iziðe iz èovjeka, ide kroz bezvodna mjesta tražeæi pokoja, i ne naðe ga. 44Onda reèe: da se vratim u dom svoj otkuda sam izišao; i došavši naðe prazan, pometen i ukrašen. 45Tada otide i uzme sa sobom sedam drugijeh duhova gorijeh od sebe, i ušavši žive ondje; i bude potonje gore èovjeku onome od prvoga. Tako æe biti i ovome rodu zlome.

Martyr Leontius, and with him Martyrs Hypatius and Theodoulos, at Tripoli in Syria (73)

An honored Roman commander in Tripoli of Phoenicia, he was described as being ‘of great physical stature, powerful, strong and bold in battle’. When it was learned that he was a Christian and had given grain to the poor from the imperial storehouse, the governor Hadrian, a great persecutor of Christians, sent Hypatius, a military commander, and Theodoulus, a soldier, along with some others to arrest him. On the way Hypatius fell gravely ill with a fever, and the company had to delay its mission. One night an angel of the Lord appeared to Hypatius and said, ‘If you desire to be healed, you and your soldiers must cry to heaven three times: “O God of Leontius, help me!”’. Hypatius told his comrades of his vision, and when they all cried out as instructed Hypatius was instantly healed. Hypatius and Theodoulos then went on ahead of the other soldiers and found Leontius. Leontius received them hospitably and offered them refreshment. As they rested in his house, he proclaimed his faith in Christ and their hearts began to burn within them. While Leontius was still speaking, a bright cloud descended upon the two soldiers and shed dew on them while Leontius said ‘In the name of the All-holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.’ Thus were they baptized by the Holy Spirit Himself.

When the cruel Hadrian discovered this, he had the two soldiers beaten fiercely, then beheaded; he then subjected Leontius to the cruelest tortures, under which he finally died, unwavering in his faith. This was during the reign of Vespasian.