31. август 2026.
Monday of the 14th week after Pentecost

No Fast

Commemorations

Martyrs Florus and Laurus of Illyria (2nd c.)
Our Holy Father John, Abbot of Rila (946)

Scripture Readings

2 Corinthians 12.10-19 (Epistle)

10Zato sam dobre volje u slabostima, u ruženju, u nevoljama, u progonjenjima, u tugama za Hrista: jer kad sam slab onda sam silan. 11Postadoh bezuman hvaleæi se: vi me natjeraste: jer je trebalo da me vi hvalite; jer ni u èemu nijesam manji od prevelikijeh apostola, ako i jesam ništa. 12Jer znaci apostolovi uèiniše se meðu vama u svakom trpljenju, u znacima i èudesima i silama. 13Jer šta je u èemu ste manji od ostalijeh crkava, osim samo što vam ja sam ne dosadih? Bacite na mene ovu krivicu. 14Evo sam gotov treæi put da vam doðem, i ne dosaðujem vam; jer ne tražim što je vaše nego vas. Jer djeca nijesu dužna roditeljima imanja teæi nego roditelji djeci. 15A ja dragovoljno potrošiæu i biæu potrošen za duše vaše, ako i ljubim ja vas odviše, a vi mene manje ljubite. 16Ali neka bude, ja ne dosadih vama, nego lukav buduæi dobih vas prijevarom. 17Eda li vas što zakidoh preko koga od onijeh koje slah k vama? 18Umolih Tita, i s njim poslah brata: eda li vas Tit što zakide? Ne hodismo li jednijem duhom? ne jednijem li stopama? 19Mislite li opet da vam se odgovaramo? Pred Bogom u Hristu govorimo, a sve je, ljubazni, za vaše popravljanje.

Mark 4.10-23 (Gospel)

10A kad osta sam, zapitaše ga koji bijahu s njim i sa dvanaestoricom za ovu prièu. 11I reèe im: vama je dano da znate tajne carstva Božijega, a onima napolju sve u prièama biva; 12Da oèima gledaju i da ne vide, i da ušima slušaju i da ne razumiju; da se kako ne obrate i da im se ne oproste grijesi. 13I reèe im: zar ne razumijete ove prièe? A kako æete sve prièe razumjeti? 14Sijaè rijeè sije. 15A ono su kraj puta, gdje se sije rijeè i kad je èuju odmah doðe sotona i otme rijeè posijanu u srcima njihovijem. 16Tako su i ono što se sije na kamenitijem mjestima koji kad èuju rijeè odmah je prime s radošæu; 17Ali nemaju korijena u sebi, nego su nepostojani, pa kad bude do nevolje ili ih potjeraju rijeèi radi, odmah se sablazne. 18A ono su što se u trnju sije koji slušaju rijeè, 19Ali brige ovoga svijeta i prijevara bogatstva i ostale slasti uðu i zaguše rijeè, i bez roda ostane. 20A ono su što se na dobroj zemlji sije koji slušaju rijeè i primaju, i donose rod po trideset i po šeset i po sto. 21I govoraše im: eda li se svijeæa užiže da se metne pod sud ili pod odar? a ne da se na svijetnjak metne? 22Jer nema ništa tajno što neæe biti javno; niti ima što sakriveno što neæe iziæi na vidjelo. 23Ako ima ko uši da èuje neka èuje.

Commemorations

Martyrs Florus and Laurus of Illyria (2nd c.)

“Brothers in both the flesh and the spirit, they were both zealous Christians, and stonemasons by craft. They lived in Illyria. Some pagan prince set them to build a pagan temple. It happened during the course of their work that a fragment of stone splintered off and flew into the eye of the pagan priest’s son, who was watching the building work with curiosity. Seeing his son blinded and bleeding, the priest shouted at Florus and Laurus and tried to thrash them. Then the holy brothers told him that, if he would believe in the God in whom they believed, his son would be restored to health. The priest promised. Florus and Laurus prayed to the one, living Lord with tears and made the sign of the Cross over the child’s stricken eye. The child was healed instantly and his eye became whole as it had been before. Then the priest, Merentius, and his son were baptised, and they both very soon suffered for Christ in the flames. But Florus and Laurus, when they had finished the temple, put a Cross on it, called together all the Christians, and consecrated it in the name of the Lord Jesus with an all-night vigil of hymns. Hearing of this, the governor of Illyria burned many of these Christians by fire and had Florus and Laurus thrown alive into a well, which was then filled with earth. Their relics were later discovered and taken to Constantinople. These two wonderful brothers suffered for Christ, and were glorified by Him, in the second century.” (Prologue)

Our Holy Father John, Abbot of Rila (946)

He was born near Sophia in Bulgaria during the reign of the Emperor Boris. When his parents died he withdrew from the world to a cave high in the mountains, where he gave himself to the ascetical struggle. There the Prologue says that he ‘endured many assaults both by demons and men, from robbers and from his kinsmen.’ In time he moved to the mountain of Rila, where he lived in a hollow tree, eating only the wild herbs and fruits there. On Rila he saw no human being for many years, but was eventually discovered by a shepherd, after which his fame spread quickly: many came to him for counsel and for the healing of diseases, and Peter, King of Bulgaria, visited him for advice. Many people seeking their salvation settled near him, and soon a church and monastery developed around him. St John reposed in 946 and appeared to his disciples after his death. His relics are venerated at the monastery of Rila, which has for centuries been a lighthouse of Orthodox spirituality in Bulgaria.