Galatians 6.2-10 (Epistle)

2Nosite bremena jedan drugoga, i tako æete ispuniti zakon Hristov. 3Jer ako ko misli da je što a nije ništa, umom vara sebe. 4A svaki da ispita svoje djelo, i tada æe sam u sebi imati slavu, a ne u drugome. 5Jer æe svaki svoje breme nositi. 6A koji se uèi rijeèi neka daje dijel od svakoga dobra onome koji ga uèi. 7Ne varajte se: Bog se ne da ružiti; jer šta èovjek posije ono æe i požnjeti. 8Jer koji sije u tijelo svoje, od tijela æe požnjeti pogibao; a koji sije u duh, od duha æe požnjeti život vjeèni. 9A dobro èiniti da nam se ne dosadi; jer æemo u svoje vrijeme požnjeti ako se ne umorimo. 10Zato dakle dok imamo vremena da èinimo dobro svakome, a osobito onima koji su s nama u vjeri.

Mark 7.14-24 (Gospel)

14I dozvavši sav narod reèe im: poslušajte mene svi, i razumijte. 15Ništa nema što bi èovjeka moglo opoganiti da uðe spolja u njega, nego što izlazi iz njega ono je što pogani èovjeka. 16Ako ko ima uši da èuje neka èuje. 17I kad doðe od naroda u kuæu pitahu ga uèenici njegovi za prièu. 18I reèe im: zar ste i vi tako nerazumni? Ne razumijete li da što god u èovjeka spolja ulazi ne može ga opoganiti? 19Jer mu ne ulazi u srce nego u trbuh; i izlazi napolje èisteæi sva jela. 20Još reèe: što izlazi iz èovjeka ono pogani èovjeka; 21Jer iznutra iz srca ljudskoga izlaze misli zle, preljube, kurvarstva, ubistva, 22Kraðe, lakomstva, pakosti, zloæe, lukavstvo, sramote, zlo oko, huljenje na Boga, ponos, bezumlje. 23Sva ova zla iznutra izlaze, i pogane èovjeka. 24I ustavši odande otide na krajeve Tirske i Sidonske, i ušavši u kuæu šæadijaše da niko ne èuje za nj; i ne može se sakriti.

Hieromartyr Anthimos, bishop of Nicomedia, and those with him (303-304)

“After the death of the 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia (see Dec. 28), their Bishop Anthimos fled to a certain village to care for his remaining flock. The Emperor Maximian sent men in search of him. When they found him, he promised to show Anthimos to them, but first took them in as guests, fed them, and only then made himself known to them. Amazed at his kindness, the soldiers promised him to tell Maximian that they had not found him. But Anthimos went willingly with them, and converting them by his admonitions, baptized them on the way. He boldly confessed his Faith before Maximian, and after frightful tortures was beheaded in the year 303 or 304.” (Great Horologion)

Our Holy Father Theoctistus, Fellow Ascetic of St Euthymius (451), is also commemorated today. A faithful disciple of St Euthymius, he was abbot of St Euthymius’ monastery in Palestine until his repose in peace at the age of ninety.

Holy Martyr Basilissa (309)

She lived near Nicomedia during the great persecution by the Emperor Diocletian. Though she was only nine years old, she was arrested and brought before Alexander, the Governor of Bithynia. When she fearlessly proclaimed her faith in Christ, the Governor had her stripped and beaten, but she only gave thanks to God. Enraged at the steadfastness of a mere child, the Governor ordered her chained and plunged head-first into boiling pitch, then cast into a blazing furnace, then thrown to the lions. Through all these torments she was miraculously preserved. Astonished at the wonders that he beheld, Alexander fell at Basilissa’s feet and confessed that he too believed that Christ is the Savior. He was baptized by the Bishop of Nicomedia and died not long afterward. Basilissa went into the wilderness outside the city to give thanks to God for her endurance under torture and to ask Him to receive her soul in peace. While praying in this way, she entered into her rest.

Our Holy Father Joannicius, Archbishop and first Patriarch of Serbia (1354)

“Born in Prizrem, he served as first secretary to King Dušan. He became Archbishop in 1339, and in 1346 was raised to the rank of Patriarch. He was a zealous pastor, and brought order to the Serbian Church, being ‘a great upholder of the Church’s laws’. He entered into rest on September 3rd, 1349, and his relics are preserved at Pec´.” (Prologue)