Ephesians 1.16-23 (Epistle)

16Ne prestajem zahvaljivati za vas, i spominjati vas u svojijem molitvama, 17Da Bog Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, otac slave, dade vam Duha premudrosti i otkrivenja da ga poznate, 18I bistre oèi srca vašega da biste mogli vidjeti koje je nad njegova zvanja, i koje je bogatstvo slave našljedstva njegova u svetima, 19I kakva je izobilna velièina sile njegove na nama koji vjerujemo po èinjenju prevelike sile njegove, 20Koju uèini u Hristu, kad ga podiže iz mrtvijeh i posadi sebi s desne strane na nebesima, 21Nad svijem poglavarstvima, i vlastima, i silama, i gospodstvima, i nad svakijem imenom što se može nazvati, ne samo na ovome svijetu nego i na onome koji ide. 22I sve pokori pod noge njegove, i njega dade za glavu crkvi, nad svima, 23Koja je tijelo njegovo, punina onoga koji sve ispunjava u svemu.

1 Timothy 3.14-4.5 (Epistle, Saturday before Theophany)

14Ovo ti pišem nadajuæi se da æu skoro doæi k tebi. 15Ako li se zabavim, da znaš kako treba življeti u domu Božijemu, koji je crkva Boga živoga, stup i tvrða istine. 16I, kao što je priznato, velika je tajna pobožnosti: Bog se javi u tijelu, opravda se u Duhu, pokaza se anðelima, propovjedi se neznabošcima, vjerova se na svijetu, uznese se u slavi.

1A Duh razgovijetno govori da æe u pošljednja vremena otstupiti neki od vjere slušajuæi lažne duhove i nauke ðavolske, 2U licemjerju laža, žigosanijeh na svojoj savjesti, 3Koji zabranjuju ženiti se, i zapovijedaju uzdržavati se od jela koja Bog stvori za jelo sa zahvalnošæu vjernima i onima koji poznaše istinu. 4Jer je svako stvorenje Božije dobro i ništa nije na odmet kad se prima sa zahvalnošæu. 5Jer se osveæuje rijeèju Božijom i molitvom.

Luke 17.3-10 (Gospel)

3Èuvajte se. Ako ti sagriješi brat tvoj, nakaraj ga; pa ako se pokaje, oprosti mu. 4I ako ti sedam puta na dan sagriješi, i sedam puta na dan doðe k tebi i reèe: kajem se, oprosti mu. 5I rekoše apostoli Gospodu: dometni nam vjere. 6A Gospod reèe: kad biste imali vjere koliko zrno gorušièno, i rekli biste ovome dubu: išèupaj se i usadi se u more, i poslušao bi vas. 7Koji pak od vas kad ima slugu koji ore ili èuva stoku pa kad doðe iz polja, reèe mu: hodi brzo i sjedi za trpezu? 8Nego ne kaže li mu: ugotovi mi da veèeram, i zapregni se te mi služi dok jedem i pijem, pa onda i ti jedi i pij? 9Eda li æe on zahvaliti sluzi tome kad svrši što mu se zapovjedi? Ne vjerujem. 10Tako i vi kad svršite sve što vam je zapovjeðeno, govorite: mi smo zaludne sluge, jer uèinismo što smo bili dužni èiniti.

Matthew 3.1-11 (Gospel, Saturday before Theophany)

1U ono pak doba doðe Jovan krstitelj, i uèaše u pustinji Judejskoj. 2I govoraše: pokajte se, jer se približi carstvo nebesko. 3Jer je to onaj za koga je govorio prorok Isaija gdje kaže: glas onoga što vièe u pustinji: pripravite put Gospodu, i poravnite staze njegove. 4A Jovan imaše haljinu od dlake kamilje i pojas kožan oko sebe; a hrana njegova bijaše skakavci i med divlji. 5Tada izlažaše k njemu Jerusalim i sva Judeja, i sva okolina Jordanska. 6I on ih kršæavaše u Jordanu, i ispovijedahu grijehe svoje. 7A kad vidje Jovan) mnoge fariseje i sadukeje gdje idu da ih krsti, reèe im: porodi aspidini! ko kaza vama da bježite od gnjeva koji ide? 8Rodite dakle rod dostojan pokajanja. 9I ne mislite i ne govorite u sebi: imamo oca Avraama; jer vam kažem da može Bog i od kamenja ovoga podignuti djecu Avraamu. 10Veæ i sjekira kod korijena drvetu stoji; svako dakle drvo koje ne raða dobra roda, sijeèe se i u oganj se baca. 11Ja dakle kršæavam vas vodom za pokajanje; a onaj što ide za mnom, jaèi je od mene; ja nijesam dostojan njemu obuæe ponijeti; on æe vas krstiti Duhom svetijem i ognjem.

Prophet Malachi (ca. 400 BC)

He is the last of the twelve Minor Prophets and the last of all the Prophets of the Old Testament. His name means ‘My Angel’ or ‘My Messenger.’ He returned with the exiled Jews from Babylon and took part in the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. His prophecy announces to the ear of faith that the Lord will soon bring the Hebrew priesthood to an end in the coming of Christ, the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2), the eternal Priest.

Holy Martyr Gordius of Caesarea (4th c.)

“The Martyr Gordius, who was from Caesarea of Cappadocia, was a centurion by rank. Unable to bear the impiety of the heathen, he withdrew to the wilderness to purify himself through prayer and fasting. After he perceived that his ascetical training had prepared him sufficiently, he came down from the mountains when a certain pagan festival was held in Caesarea, attended by all, and presented himself to the multitude. Although the spectacles of the festival continued, no one paid them any heed, but all eyes were turned upon him. From his sojourn in the mountains, his look was wild, his beard was long, his raiment squalid, his body like a skeleton; yet a certain grace shone round about him. He was recognized, and a loud shout and tumult was made, as his fellow Christians rejoiced, and the enemies of the truth cried out for his death. He boldly professed his faith before the Governor, and after torments was beheaded, in the reign of Licinius in the year 314. Saint Basil the Great delivered a homily on Saint Gordius, mentioning that some of those in his audience had been present at the Saint’s martyrdom.” (Great Horologion)

Our Holy Mother Genevieve of Paris (ca. 502)

She was born near Paris to a family of wealthy landowners. When she was about ten years old St Germanus of Auxerre (July 31), passing through the region on his way to Britain, discerned a special divine purpose for her, and told her parents that she had been chosen for the salvation of many. “He asked her that day, and early the next, if she would consecrate herself to holy virginity for Christ and, on both occasions, she answered that it was her dearest wish. Then he blessed her and gave her a copper coin inscribed with the Cross to wear around her neck, telling her never to wear gold, silver or pearls, but to elevate her mind above the small beauties of this world in order to inherit eternal and heavenly adornments.” (Synaxarion)

Convents were unknown at that time in Gaul, so Genevieve lived as a solitary, in a cell in her own house, first with her parents then, after their death, with her godmother in Paris. She devoted herself to the poor, giving away everything that came into her hands, except the small amount that she needed to feed herself on bread and beans. (When she passed the age of fifty, she was commanded by the bishops to add some fish and milk to her diet). She kept Lent from Theophany to Pascha, during which time she never left her house. She was never afraid to rebuke the powerful for their oppression of the weak and the poor, and thus earned many powerful enemies; but the people’s love for her, and the support of the Church, kept her from persecution.

It became her custom to walk to church on Sundays in procession with her household and many pious laypeople. Once the candle borne at the front of the procession (it was still dark) blew out in a rainstorm. The Saint asked for the candle and, when she took it in her hand, it re-lit and stayed lighted until they reached the church. At several other times, candles lit spontaneously in her hand; for this reason her icon shows her holding a candle.

She traveled throughout Gaul (modern-day France) on church business, being greeted with all the honors usually accorded a bishop. Several times she saved the city of Paris from the assaults of barbarian tribes through her prayers, by pleading with barbarian chieftains, and once by organizing a convoy to bring grain to the besieged city.

Saint Genevieve reposed in peace at the age of eighty. Through the centuries since then, she has shown her holy protection of the city of Paris countless times, and her relics in the Church of Saint Genevieve have wrought innumerable healings. Her relics were many times carried in huge processions in times of war, pestilence or other national trial. These relics were mostly burned and thrown into the River Seine by the godless Revolutionaries in 1793, but, as the Synaxarion concludes, “those who continue to invoke Saint Genevieve with faith, find her to be well and truly alive.”