Colossians 1.1-2, 7-11 (Epistle)

1Od Pavla, po volji Božijoj apostola Isusa Hrista i brata Timotija, 2Svetima koji su u Kolosima i vjernoj braæi u Hristu Isusu: blagodat vam i mir od Boga oca našega i Gospoda Isusa Hrista. 7Kao što i doznaste od Epafrasa, ljubaznoga našeg drugara u služenju, koji je za vas vjerni sluga Hristov, 8Koji nam i javi vašu ljubav u duhu. 9Toga radi i mi od onoga dana kako èusmo ne prestajemo za vas moliti se Bogu i iskati da se ispunite poznanjem volje njegove u svakoj premudrosti i razumu duhovnome, 10Da živite pristojno Bogu na svako ugaðanje i u svakome dobrom djelu da budete plodni, i da rastete u poznanju Božijemu, 11Jaèajuæi svakom snagom po sili slave njegove, i u svakom trpljenju i dugom podnošenju s radošæu;

Luke 11.1-10 (Gospel)

1I kad se moljaše Bogu na jednom mjestu pa presta, reèe mu neki od uèenika njegovijeh: Gospode! nauèi nas moliti se Bogu, kao što i Jovan nauèi svoje uèenike. 2A on im reèe: kad se molite Bogu govorite: oèe naš koji si na nebesima, da se sveti ime tvoje; da doðe carstvo tvoje; da bude volja tvoja i na zemlji kao na nebu; 3Hljeb naš potrebni daji nam svaki dan; 4I oprosti nam grijehe naše, jer i mi opraštamo svakome dužniku svojemu; i ne navedi nas u napast; nego nas izbavi oda zla. 5I reèe im: koji od vas ima prijatelja, i otide mu u ponoæi i reèe mu: prijatelju! daj mi tri hljeba u zajam; 6Jer mi doðe prijatelj s puta, i nemam mu šta postaviti; 7A on iznutra odgovarajuæi da reèe: ne uznemiruj me; veæ su vrata zatvorena i djeca su moja sa mnom u postelji, i ne mogu ustati da ti dam. 8I kažem vam: ako i ne ustane da mu da zato što mu je prijatelj, ali za njegovo bezobrazno iskanje ustaæe i daæe mu koliko treba. 9I ja vama kažem: ištite i daæe vam se: tražite i naæi æete; kucajte i otvoriæe vam se. 10Jer svaki koji ište, prima; i koji traži, nalazi; i koji kuca, otvora mu se.

Holy Martyr Nestor, Companion of St Demetrius (306)

See St Demetrius, commemorated yesterday, October 26.

St Procla, the wife of Pontius Pilate.

When Pilate was about to judge Christ, Procla attempted to dissuade him, saying “Have nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.” Pilate ignored her warning. (See Matthew 27). St Procla reposed in peace.

Our Venerable Father Demetrius of Basarabov (Romania) (13th c.)

He was born early in the thirteenth century to a peasant family in the village of Basarov, then part of Bulgaria. Even in childhood, he gave himself to fasting and prayer. Once, walking across a field, he accidentally stepped on a bird’s nest in the grass, killing the young birds. He was so filled with remorse that he went barefoot for three years, winter and summer, in penance. When he was grown he joined a monastery and, after a few years of community life, received a blessing to dwell in a cave near the River Lom. After many years of solitary struggle, he reposed in his cave. Three hundred years passed, during which all memory of the simple ascetic was lost. Then, one Spring the river flooded the cave and carried off Demetrius’ body, which had lain incorrupt in the cave for centuries. The body was carried downstream and buried in gravel. Another hundred years went by, and the Saint appeared in a dream to a paralyzed girl, telling her to ask her parents to take her to the river bank, where she would be healed. The family, along with many clergy and villagers, went to a spot where some local people had earlier seen an unexplained light. They dug and soon unearthed the still-incorrupt and radiant body of St Demetrius, by which the girl was instantly healed. A church was built in the village of Basarabov to honor the precious relics, and through the years the Saint worked many miracles there.

In 1774, during the Russian-Turkish war, General Peter Saltikov ordered the holy relics taken to Russia so that they would not be desecrated by the Turks. When the relics came to Bucharest, a pious Christian friend of the General begged him not to deprive the country of one of its most precious saints; so the General took only one of the Saint’s hands, sending it to the Kiev Caves Lavra. Saint Demetrius’ body was placed in the cathedral of Bucharest, where it has been venerated ever since. Every year on October 27, a three-day festival is held in the Saint’s honor, attended by crowds of the faithful.