2 Timothy 1.1-2, 8-18 (Epistle)

1Pavel, apostol al lui Hristos Isus, prin voia lui Dumnezeu, după făgăduinţa vieţii care este în Hristos Isus, 2către Timotei, copilul meu preaiubit: Har, îndurare şi pace de la Dumnezeu Tatăl şi de la Hristos Isus, Domnul nostru! 8Să nu-ţi fie ruşine, dar, de mărturisirea Domnului nostru, nici de mine, întemniţatul Lui. Ci suferă împreună cu Evanghelia, prin puterea lui Dumnezeu. 9El ne-a mântuit şi ne-a dat o chemare sfântă, nu pentru faptele noastre, ci după hotărârea Lui şi după harul care ne-a fost dat în Hristos Isus, înainte de veşnicii, 10dar care a fost descoperit acum prin arătarea Mântuitorului nostru Hristos Isus, care a nimicit moartea şi a adus la lumină viaţa şi neputrezirea, prin Evanghelie. 11Propovăduitorul şi apostolul ei am fost pus eu şi învăţător al Neamurilor. 12Şi din pricina aceasta sufăr aceste lucruri; dar nu mi-e ruşine, căci ştiu în cine am crezut. Şi sunt încredinţat că El are putere să păzească ce I-am încredinţat până în ziua aceea. 13Dreptarul învăţăturilor sănătoase, pe care le-ai auzit de la mine, ţine-l cu credinţa şi dragostea care este în Hristos Isus. 14Lucrul acela bun care ţi s-a încredinţat păzeşte-l prin Duhul Sfânt, care locuieşte în noi. 15Ştii că cei ce sunt în Asia toţi m-au părăsit; între alţii şi Figel şi Ermogen. 16Domnul să-Şi verse îndurarea peste casa lui Onisifor; căci de multe ori m-a mângâiat şi nu i-a fost ruşine de lanţul meu. 17Nu numai atât, dar, când a fost în Roma, m-a căutat cu multă grijă şi m-a găsit.

18Dea Domnul să capete îndurare de la Domnul „în ziua aceea”. Tu ştii foarte bine cât ajutor mi-a dat el în Efes.

Luke 21.37-22.8 (Gospel)

37Ziua, Isus învăţa pe norod în Templu, iar noaptea Se ducea de o petrecea pe muntele care se cheamă Muntele Măslinilor.

38Şi tot norodul venea dis-de-dimineaţă la El în Templu, ca să-L asculte. 1Praznicul Azimelor, numit Paştile, se apropia. 2Preoţii cei mai de seamă şi cărturarii căutau un mijloc cum să omoare pe Isus; căci se temeau de norod. 3Dar Satana a intrat în Iuda, zis şi Iscarioteanul, care era din numărul celor doisprezece. 4Iuda s-a dus să se înţeleagă cu preoţii cei mai de seamă şi cu căpeteniile străjerilor Templului cum să-L dea în mâinile lor. 5Ei s-au bucurat şi au căzut la învoială să-i dea bani. 6După ce le-a făgăduit că li-L va da în mâini, Iuda căuta un prilej nimerit să dea pe Isus în mâinile lor, fără ştirea norodului. 7Ziua praznicului Azimelor, în care trebuiau jertfite paştile, a venit. 8Şi Isus a trimis pe Petru şi pe Ioan şi le-a zis: „Duceţi-vă de pregătiţi-ne paştile, ca să mâncăm.”

Our Venerable Father Daniel the Stylite (490)

He was from Samosata in Mesopotamia, and became a monk at the age of twelve. As a young monk he visited St Symeon the Stylite (September 1) to receive his blessing. Years later he moved to the neighborhood of Constantinople at the request of the holy Patriarch Anatolius (July 3), whom he had healed of a deadly ailment through his prayers. For a time Daniel lived in the church of the Archangel Michael at Anaplus, but nine years later St Symeon the Stylite appeared to him in a vision and told him to imitate Symeon’s ascesis of living on a pillar. For the remaining thirty-three years of his life the Saint did just that. He stood immovably in prayer regardless of the weather: once after a storm his disciples found him standing covered with ice. He was much loved by several Emperors (including Leo the Great), who sought him out for counsel. He reposed at the age of eighty-four, having lived through the reigns of three Emperors.

Saint Nikon the Dry of the Kiev Caves (1101)

He was a monk in Kiev, taken into slavery by a band of Polovtsi (Turkic raiders who were troubling the country at that time) along with the holy Martyr Eustratius (March 28). He humbly refused to be ransomed by his family and therefore suffered a harsh captivity for three years. Despite this, he prayed constantly for his captors, worked miracles for their sake, and once healed their leader from a deadly illness. One day St Eustratius appeared to him in a vision and told him that he would be set free in three days. When he told his captors, they severed the tendons of his knees and ankles and kept him under guard. But at the appointed time he was miraculously transported to Kiev, where he suddenly appeared in church among his astonished brethren. The Saint did not want his chains removed until his Abbot said “Brother, if the Lord wanted to see you in these chains, he would not have delivered you from captivity!” He was so withered from his hardships that he became known as Nikon the Dry. Later, the captor whom he had healed came to the Monastery of the Caves and became a disciple of his former slave.

Our Venerable Father Luke the New Stylite (979)

He was an Anatolian, and in his youth served in the Byzantine army in the war against the Bulgar Tsar Symeon. After the war, he left the army to become a monk, and was in time ordained to the priesthood. For a time he served as an army chaplain, living even more austerely than he had as a monk and distributing all his possessions to soldiers in need.

He entered the Monastery of St Zacharias on Mount Olympus in Bithynia, where he was appointed steward. Here his ascetical labors reached new levels. He kept a large stone in his mouth so that he would be unable to speak, and spent each night in a tree. When his exploits threatened to attract admiration, Luke fled to his homeland and lived for a few years in an isolated cave. Then, following in the footsteps of Symeon the Elder (September 1), Symeon the Younger (May 24), Daniel (today) and Alypius (November 26), he began to live as a stylite, dwelling on a tall pillar near Constantinople. Here he became a powerful intercessor for those who flocked to him for healing or counsel, and countless miracles were worked through his prayers.

Saint Luke lived on his pillar for more than forty years without interruption, and fell asleep in peace, aged more than one hundred. He was buried in the Monastery of St Bassian.