James 4.7-5.9 (Epistle)

7Pokorite se dakle Bogu, a protivite se ðavolu, i pobjeæi æe od vas. 8Približite se k Bogu, i on æe se približiti k vama. Oèistite ruke, grješnici, popravite srca svoja, nepostojani. 9Budite žalosni i plaèite i jauèite: smijeh vaš neka se pretvori u plaè, i radost u žalost. 10Ponizite se pred Gospodom, i podignuæe vas. 11Ne opadajte jedan drugoga, braæo; jer ko opada brata ili osuðuje brata svojega opada zakon i osuðuje zakon, a ako zakon osuðuješ, nijesi tvorac zakona, nego sudija. 12Jedan je zakonodavac i sudija, koji može spasti i pogubiti; a ti ko si što drugoga osuðuješ? 13Slušajte sad vi koji govorite: danas ili sjutra poæi æemo u ovaj ili onaj grad, i sjediæemo ondje jednu godinu, i trgovaæemo i dobijaæemo. 14Vi koji ne znate šta æe biti sjutra. Jer šta je vaš život? On je para, koja se za malo pokaže, a potom je nestane. 15Mjesto da govorite: ako Gospod htjedbude, i živi budemo, uèiniæemo ovo ili ono. 16A sad se hvalite svojijem ponosom. Svaka je hvala takova zla. 17Jer koji zna dobro èiniti i ne èini, grijeh mu je.

1Hodite vi sad, bogati, plaèite i ridajte za svoje ljute nevolje koje idu na vas. 2Bogatstvo vaše istruhnu, i haljine vaše pojedoše moljci; 3Zlato vaše i srebro zarða, i rða njihova biæe svjedoèanstvo na vas: izješæe tijelo vaše kao oganj. Stekoste bogatstvo u pošljednje dane. 4Gle, vièe plata vašijeh poslenika koji su radili njive vaše i vi ste im otkinuli; i vika žetelaca doðe do ušiju Gospoda Savaota. 5Veseliste se na zemlji, i nasladiste se; uhraniste srca svoja, kao na dan zaklanja. 6Osudiste, ubiste pravednika, i ne brani vam se. 7Trpite dakle, braæo moja, do dolaska Gospodnjega. Gle, težak èeka plemenitoga roda iz zemlje, i rado trpi dok ne primi dažd rani i pozni. 8Trpite dakle i vi, i utvrdite srca svoja, jer se dolazak Gospodnji približi. 9Ne uzdišite jedan na drugoga, braæo, da ne budete osuðeni: gle, sudija stoji pred vratima.

Mark 11.27-33 (Gospel)

27I doðoše opet u Jerusalim; i kad hoðaše po crkvi doðoše k njemu glavari sveštenièki i književnici i starješine, 28I rekoše mu: kakvom vlasti to èiniš? i ko ti dade vlast tu, da to èiniš? 29A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe im: i ja æu vas da upitam jednu rijeè, i odgovorite mi; pa æu vam kazati kakvom vlasti ovo èinim. 30Krštenje Jovanovo ili bi s neba ili od ljudi? odgovorite mi. 31I mišljahu u sebi govoreæi: ako reèemo: s neba; reæi æe: zašto mu dakle ne vjerovaste? 32Ako li reèemo: od ljudi; bojimo se naroda; jer svi mišljahu za Jovana da zaista prorok bješe. 33I odgovarajuæi rekoše Isusu: ne znamo. I Isus odgovarajuæi reèe njima: ni ja vama neæu kazati kakvom vlasti ovo èinim.

Translation of the relics of St Ignatius of Antioch (107)

For his life, see December 20.

After his martyrdom, devoured by wild beasts in the amphitheater in Rome, only a few bones remained. These precious relics were gathered by the faithful, who took them back to Antioch, where they were received with joy by his former flock.

St Andrei Rublev, iconographer (1430)

Many consider him the greatest iconographer of all time, and his “Holy Trinity” the finest icon. Very little is known of his life. He was born around 1360, and probably studied with the Byzantine iconographer Theophanes the Greek. He is known to have created icons for the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow and the Cathedral of the Dormition at Vladimir. He created a highly spiritual and distinctively Russian iconographic style that set the standard for Russian iconography for centuries thereafter. It is said that he knew St Sergius of Radonezh (July 5). In his later years he became a monk.

Our Holy Father Aphrahat the Persian (4th c.)

He was from the pagan Persian aristocracy, but came to faith in Christ and left his home for the Christian city of Edessa, where he was baptized. He later moved to Antioch, where he lived in prayer and asceticism a short distance from the city. He ate nothing but a small amount of bread until he was extremely old, when he added some greens to his diet. Though he knew very little Greek, he was empowered by the Holy Spirit to win many converts to Christ and to confound the learned Arian heretics who were disturbing the Church in Antioch.

When Aphrahat learned that the Arian Emperor Valens was persecuting Christ’s Church, he moved to the city to support the true Faith. One day the Emperor himself met Aphrahat in the city square and asked him why he had left his solitude and come to Antioch. The Saint answered ‘Tell me this: if I were a maiden at home in my secluded apartment and saw someone setting fire to my father’s house, would you not advise me to put out the blaze as soon as possible? That is what I am doing now, because the Church, the heavenly Father’s house, is burning down in the fire that you have set!’ One of the Emperor’s attendants threatened Aphrahat with death for this impertinence; but the attendant himself later perished, drowned as he was heating water for the Emperor’s bath. This made the Emperor afraid to persecute the holy one, who continued to preach the true Faith and to perform many miracles. He reposed in peace.

Repose of Blessed Father Dimitrios Gagastathis (1975)

Though not yet officially a Saint of the Church, Papa Dimitrios is widely revered in Greece and abroad. His life is an inspiring example of the possibility of great holiness for those living in the world: a simple married parish priest, he spent forty-two years serving his childhood parish, and had nine daughters. He was a spiritual child of Elder Amphilochios of Patmos, and in turn became a spiritual father to many. His biography describes his last years thus: “On October 1, 1973, he resigned for reasons of health. Since then, he remained confined at home, living as a saint with incessant prayer, glorifying and thanking God for the trial of his illness. He delivered his holy soul to the hands of the living God on January 29, 1975, in peace.”

For more on Papa-dimitri, read this biographical sketch.