Colossians 1.24-29 (Epistle)

24Mă bucur acum în suferinţele mele pentru voi; şi în trupul meu împlinesc ce lipseşte suferinţelor lui Hristos, pentru trupul Lui, care este Biserica. 25Slujitorul ei am fost făcut eu, după isprăvnicia pe care mi-a dat-o Dumnezeu pentru voi, ca să întregesc Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu. 26Vreau să zic: taina ţinută ascunsă din veşnicii şi în toate veacurile, dar descoperită acum sfinţilor Lui, 27cărora Dumnezeu a voit să le facă cunoscut care este bogăţia slavei tainei acesteia între Neamuri, şi anume: Hristos în voi, nădejdea slavei. 28Pe El Îl propovăduim noi, şi sfătuim pe orice om, şi învăţăm pe orice om în toată înţelepciunea, ca să înfăţişăm pe orice om desăvârşit în Hristos Isus.

29Iată la ce lucrez eu şi mă lupt după lucrarea puterii Lui care lucrează cu tărie în mine.

Luke 11.14-23 (Gospel)

14Isus a scos dintr-un bolnav un drac care era mut. După ce a ieşit dracul, mutul a grăit, şi noroadele s-au mirat. 15Dar unii ziceau: „El scoate dracii cu Beelzebul, domnul dracilor.” 16Alţii, ca să-L ispitească, Îi cereau un semn din cer. 17Isus le-a cunoscut gândurile şi le-a zis: „Orice împărăţie dezbinată împotriva ei este pustiită; şi o casă dezbinată împotriva ei se prăbuşeşte peste alta. 18Deci, dacă Satana este dezbinat împotriva lui însuşi, cum va dăinui împărăţia lui, fiindcă ziceţi că Eu scot dracii cu Beelzebul? 19Şi dacă Eu scot dracii cu Beelzebul, fiii voştri cu cine îi scot? De aceea ei înşişi vor fi judecătorii voştri. 20Dar, dacă Eu scot dracii cu degetul lui Dumnezeu, Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu a ajuns până la voi. 21Când omul cel tare şi bine înarmat îşi păzeşte casa, averile îi sunt la adăpost. 22Dar dacă vine peste el unul mai tare decât el şi-l biruie, atunci îi ia cu sila toate armele în care se încredea şi împarte prăzile luate de la el. 23Cine nu este cu Mine este împotriva Mea; şi cine nu adună cu Mine risipeşte.

Holy Virgin Martyr Anastasia of Rome (256)

She lived in Rome during the reigns of the Emperors Decius and Valerian. At an early age she left all to embrace a life of unceasing prayer, entering a small monastery in Rome, directed by a nun named Sophia. For her Christian faith, she was seized and brought before the governor Probus and, when she boldly confessed Christ and refused to honor the idols, was subjected to a series of vicious tortures, under which she died. An angel led Sophia to retrieve her holy relics, which are now venerated at the monastery of Grigoriou on Mt Athos.

We are sometimes told that monasticism developed in the Church after Christianity became accepted and grew more worldly. The story of St Anastasia is one of many evidences in the lives of the Saints that what we now call monasticism was present from the earliest days of the Church.

Our Holy Father Abramius (366) and his niece Mary (371) of Mesopotamia

Abramius was a Christian of noble birth who, early in life, left all (including a young bride) to live as a solitary monk. This he did for fifty years. When Abramius’ brother died, leaving his seven-year-old daughter Mary orphaned and alone, The Saint took her under his care, giving her a monastic cell near his own. Though Mary devoted herself joyfully to the monastic life, when she was about twenty she fell into sin with a corrupt monk who visited the hermitage. Far worse, she then fell into despair, thinking that she had cast away her salvation, and fled the hermitage to become a harlot in a nearby town. Abramius, unaware of what had happened or where she had gone, prayed constantly for her safety and to be shown where she had fled.

One day a traveler told Abramius what had become of his niece. Immediately he rose up, dressed himself as a soldier and went to the brothel where Mary worked, “for the salvation of a soul meant more to him than hermitage, Habit, ascesis or prayer itself” (Synaxarion). Still disguised, he ordered a meal, his first wine and meat for fifty years, then went with Mary to her room. Only then did he reveal himself, and with tears, not accusing her at all, pleaded with her to leave that place and return with him. “Let us go, my child; let us return to our hermitage. Let your fault be mine. I will answer for it before Christ on the day of judgment.” She returned with him and, with repentance, prayed so ardently that she was soon granted not only assurance of forgiveness but the power to work miracles. St Abramius reposed in peace in great old age; Mary followed him into eternal joy five years later.