2 Corinthians 12.20-13.2 (Epistle)

20Jer se bojim da kad po èem doðem neæu vas naæi kakove hoæu, i ja æu se naæi vama kakova me neæete: da kako ne budu svaðe, zavisti, srdnje, prkosi, opadanja, šaptanja, nadimanja, bune: 21Da me opet kad doðem ne ponizi Bog moj u vas, i ne usplaèem za mnogima koji su prije sagriješili i nijesu se pokajali za neèistotu i kurvarstvo i sramotu, što poèiniše.

1Ovo treæi put idem k vama; u ustima dva ili tri svjedoka ostaæe svaka rijeè. 2Naprijed kazah i naprijed govorim kako u vas bivši drugi put, i sad ne buduæi kod vas pišem onima koji su prije sagriješili i svima ostalima da ako doðem opet neæu poštedjeti.

Mark 4.24-34 (Gospel)

24I govoraše im: pamtite što èujete: kakom mjerom mjerite onakom æe vam se mjeriti i dometnuæe se vama koji slušate. 25Jer ko ima, daæe mu se; a koji nema, uzeæe mu se i ono što ima. 26I govoraše im: tako je carstvo Božije kao èovjek kad baci sjeme u zemlju; 27I spava i ustaje noæu i danju; i sjeme nièe i raste, da ne zna on. 28Jer zemlja sama od sebe najprije donese travu, potom klas, pa onda ispuni pšenicu u klasu. 29A kad sazri rod, odmah pošlje srp; jer nasta žetva. 30I govoraše: kakvo æemo kazati da je carstvo Božije? ili u kakvoj æemo ga prièi iskazati? 31Ono je kao zrno gorušièno koje kad se posije u zemlju manje je od sviju sjemena na zemlji; 32A kad se posije, uzraste i bude veæe od svega povræa, i pusti grane velike da mogu u njegovu hladu ptice nebeske življeti. 33I takovijem mnogijem prièama kazivaše im rijeè koliko mogahu slušati. 34A bez prièa ne govoraše im ni rijeèi. A uèenicima osobito kazivaše sve.

Martyr Andrew Strateletes and 2,593 soldiers with him in Cilicia (ca. 289)

“He was an officer, a tribune, in the Roman army in the time of the Emperor Maximian. A Syrian by birth, he served in his native land. When the Persians attacked the imperial Roman army, this Andrew was entrusted with the command in the battle against the enemy — whence his title: commander, strateletes. A secret Christian, although as yet unbaptised, Andrew commended himself to the living God, and, taking only the cream of the army, went to war. Before the battle, he told his soldiers that, if they all called upon the aid of the one, true God, Christ the Lord, their enemies would become as dust scattered before them. All the soldiers, fired with enthusiasm by Andrew and his faith, invoked Christ’s aid and attacked. The Persian army was utterly routed. When the victorious Andrew returned to Antioch, some jealous men denounced him as a Christian and the imperial governor summoned him for trial. Andrew openly proclaimed his steadfast faith in Christ. After harsh torture, the governor threw Andrew into prison and wrote to the Emperor in Rome. Knowing Andrew’s popularity among the people and in the army, the Emperor ordered the governor to set Andrew free, but to seek another occasion and another excuse (not his faith) to kill him. By God’s revelation, Andrew came to know of this imperial command, and, taking his faithful soldiers (2,593 in all) with him, went off to Tarsus in Cilicia, where they were all baptised by the bishop, Peter. Persecuted here also by imperial might, Andrew and his companions withdrew deep into the Armenian mountain of Tavros. There in a ravine, while they were at prayer, the Roman army came upon them and beheaded them all. Not one of them would recant, all being determined on death by martyrdom for Christ. On the spot where a stream of the martyrs’ blood flowed down, a spring of healing water sprang forth, healing from every disease. The bishop, Peter, came secretly with his people and buried the martyrs’ bodies in that same place. They all suffered with honour at the end of the third century and were crowned with wreaths of eternal glory, entering into the Kingdom of Christ our God.” (Prologue)