1 Thessalonians 2.1-8 (Epistle)

1Voi înşivă ştiţi, fraţilor, că venirea noastră la voi n-a fost zadarnică. 2După ce am suferit şi am fost batjocoriţi în Filipi, cum ştiţi, am venit plini de încredere în Dumnezeul nostru să vă vestim Evanghelia lui Dumnezeu în mijlocul multor lupte. 3Căci propovăduirea noastră nu se întemeiază nici pe rătăcire, nici pe necurăţie, nici pe viclenie. 4Ci, fiindcă Dumnezeu ne-a găsit vrednici să ne încredinţeze Evanghelia, căutăm să vorbim aşa ca să plăcem nu oamenilor, ci lui Dumnezeu, care ne cercetează inima. 5În adevăr, cum bine ştiţi, niciodată n-am întrebuinţat vorbe măgulitoare, nici haina lăcomiei; martor este Dumnezeu. 6N-am căutat slavă de la oameni: nici de la voi, nici de la alţii, deşi, ca apostoli ai lui Hristos, am fi putut să cerem cinste. 7Dimpotrivă, ne-am arătat blânzi în mijlocul vostru, ca o doică ce-şi creşte cu drag copiii. 8Astfel, în dragostea noastră fierbinte pentru voi, eram gata să vă dăm nu numai Evanghelia lui Dumnezeu, dar chiar şi viaţa noastră, atât de scumpi ne ajunseserăţi.

Luke 12.48-59 (Gospel)

48Dar cine n-a ştiut-o, şi a făcut lucruri vrednice de lovituri, va fi bătut cu puţine lovituri. Cui i s-a dat mult, i se va cere mult; şi cui i s-a încredinţat mult, i se va cere mai mult. 49Eu am venit să arunc un foc pe pământ. Şi ce vreau decât să fie aprins chiar acum! 50Am un botez cu care trebuie să fiu botezat şi cât de mult doresc să se îndeplinească! 51Credeţi că am venit să aduc pace pe pământ? Eu vă spun: nu; ci mai degrabă dezbinare. 52Căci, de acum înainte, din cinci care vor fi într-o casă, trei vor fi dezbinaţi împotriva a doi, şi doi împotriva a trei. 53Tatăl va fi dezbinat împotriva fiului, şi fiul împotriva tatălui; mama împotriva fiicei, şi fiica împotriva mamei; soacra împotriva nurorii, şi nora împotriva soacrei.” 54El a mai zis noroadelor: „Când vedeţi un nor ridicându-se la apus, îndată ziceţi: „Vine ploaia.” Şi aşa se întâmplă. 55Şi când vedeţi suflând vântul de la miazăzi, ziceţi: „Are să fie zăduf.” Şi aşa se întâmplă. 56Făţarnicilor, faţa pământului şi a cerului ştiţi s-o deosebiţi; vremea aceasta cum de n-o deosebiţi? 57Şi pentru ce nu judecaţi şi voi singuri ce este drept? 58Când te duci cu pârâşul tău înaintea judecătorului, pe drum caută să scapi de el; ca nu cumva să te târască înaintea judecătorului, judecătorul să te dea pe mâna temnicerului, şi temnicerul să te arunce în temniţă.

59Îţi spun că nu vei ieşi de acolo până nu vei plăti şi cel mai de pe urmă bănuţ.”

Holy Martyr Menas (ca. 304)

This holy Martyr was an Egyptian and a soldier during the reigns of Diocletian and Maximian. Though he was known for his valor in combat, he renounced his soldier’s rank when his legion was ordered to seize Christians in north Africa. Fleeing to the mountains, he dwelt there for some time in silence and solitude, devoting his days to prayer. In time, he presented himself at a pagan festival, denounced the idols and declared himself a Christian. For this he was handed over to the governor of the city, who subjected him to horrible tortures and finally had him beheaded. Some faithful retrieved part of his relics and gave them honorable burial near Lake Mareotis, about thirty miles from Alexandria. The church built over his tomb became a place of pilgrimage not only for countless Egyptians but for Christians all over the world: evidence has been found of journeys to his shrine from as far away as Ireland.

The Synaxarion gives an account of the Saint’s intervention in the Second World War: “In June 1942, during the North-Africa campaign that was decisive for the outcome of the Second World War, the German forces under the command of General Rommel were on their way to Alexandria, and happened to make a halt near a place which the Arabs call El-Alamein after Saint Menas. An ancient ruined church there was dedicated to the Saint; and there some people say he is buried. Here the weaker Allied forces including some Greeks confronted the numerically and militarily superior German army, and the result of the coming battle seemed certain. During the first night of engagement, Saint Menas appeared in the midst of the German camp at the head of a caravan of camels, exactly as he was shown on the walls of the ruined church in one of the frescoes depicting his miracles. This astounding and terrifying apparition so undermined German morale that it contributed to the brilliant victory of the Allies. The Church of Saint Menas was restored in thanksgiving and a small monastery was established there.”

Our Righteous Father Theodore the Studite (826)

“Saint Theodore the Studite was born in Constantinople in 759; his pious parents were named Photinus and Theoctiste. He assumed the monastic habit in his youth, at the monastery called Sakkoudion, and became abbot there in 794. About the year 784 he was ordained deacon, and later presbyter by the most holy Patriarch Tarasius. On joining the brotherhood of the Monastery of Studium (which was named after its founder Studius, a Roman consul), the Saint received the surname “Studite.” He proved to be a fervent zealot for the traditions of the Fathers and contested even unto death for the sake of his reverence for the holy icons. He endured three exiles because of his pious zeal. During the third one, to which he was condemned by the Iconoclast autocrat, Leo the Armenian, he endured courageously being beaten and bound and led from one dark dungeon to another for seven whole years. Finally he was recalled from exile by Michael the Stutterer. Receiving thus a small respite from his labours of long endurance, he reposed in the Lord on November 11, 826, a Sunday, while his disciples, who stood round about him, chanted the 118th Psalm. Some say that after receiving the immaculate Mysteries, he himself began chanting this psalm. And on reaching the verse, “I will never forget Thy statutes, for in them hast Thou quickened me” (v. 93) he gave up his spirit, having lived for sixty-seven years. In addition to his other sacred writings, he composed, with the collaboration of his brother Joseph, almost the whole of the compunctionate book of the Triodion.” (Great Horologion)

St Theodore helped to establish the Studion (or Stoudion) Monastery in Constantinople, and was its Abbot. Under his guidance the Stoudion Monastery became the leading center of Orthodox piety and Byzantine culture of its time. The monks lived a radically common life: they did not even have their own cells, but slept in large dormitories.