2 Peter 2.9-22 (Epistle)

9Zna Gospod pobožne izbavljati od napasti, a nepravednike muèeæi èuvati za dan sudni; 10A osobito one koji idu za tjelesnijem željama neèistote, i ne mare za poglavarstvo, i koji su bezobrazni i samovoljni, i ne drkæu huleæi na slavu. 11Kad anðeli, koji veæu snagu i silu imaju, ne izgovaraju na njih pred Gospodom hulnoga suda; 12A oni, kao nerazumna životinja, koja je od prirode na to stvorena da se hvata i kolje, hule na ono što ne razumiju, i u pogibli svojoj propašæe 13Primajuæi platu nepravde. Oni misle da je slast èastiti se svaki dan; oni su sramota i grijeh, koji se hrane svojijem prijevarama, jeduæi s vama; 14Imaju oèi pune preljuboèinstva i neprestanoga grijeha; prelašæuju neutvrðene duše; imaju srce nauèeno lakomstvu, djeca kletve; 15Ostavivši pravi put, zaðoše, i idu putem Valaama Vosorova, kome omilje plata nepravedna; 16Ali bi pokaran za svoje bezakonje: skot nijemi progovorivši glasom èovjeèijim zabrani bezumlje prorokovo. 17Ovo su bezvodni izvori, i oblaci i magle koje progone vjetrovi, za koje se èuva mrak tamni vavijek. 18Jer govoreæi ponosite i lažljive rijeèi prelašæuju na neèistote tjelesnijeh želja one koji otskora bježe od onijeh što žive u prijevari. 19I obeæavaju im slobodu a sami su robovi pogibli; jer koga ko nadvlada onaj mu i robuje. 20Jer ako odbjegnu od neèistote svijeta poznanjem Gospoda i spasa našega Isusa Hrista, pa se opet zapletu u njih i budu nadvladani, bude im pošljednje gore od prvoga; 21Jer im bješe bolje da ne poznaše puta pravde, negoli kad poznaše da se vrate natrag od svete zapovijesti koja im je predana. 22Jer im se dogodi istinita pripovijest: pas se povraæa na svoju bljuvotinu, i: svinja okupavši se, u kaljužu.

Mark 13.14-23 (Gospel)

14A kad vidite mrzost opušæenja, za koju govori prorok Danilo, da stoji gdje ne treba koji èita da razumije): tada koji budu u Judeji neka bježe u gore; 15I koji bude na krovu da ne silazi u kuæu, niti da ulazi da uzme što iz kuæe svoje; 16I koji bude u polju da se ne vraæa natrag da uzme haljinu svoju. 17Ali teško trudnima i dojilicama u te dane! 18Nego se molite Bogu da ne bude bježan vaša u zimu. 19Jer æe u dane te biti nevolja kakova nije bila od poèetka stvorenja koje je Bog stvorio dosad, i neæe ni biti. 20I da Gospod ne skrati dane niko ne bi ostao; ali izbranijeh radi, koje izbra, skratio je dane. 21Tada ako vam ko reèe: evo ovdje je Hristos; ili: eno ondje; ne vjerujte. 22Jer æe iziæi lažni hristosi i lažni proroci, i pokazaæe znake i èudesa da bi prevarili, ako bude moguæe, i izbrane. 23Ali vi se èuvajte: eto vam sve kazah naprijed.

Hieromartyr Haralambos (Charalampus), bishop of Magnesia (202)

“This great saint was bishop in Magnesia, and suffered for Christ at the age of 113. When a violent persecution broke out under the Emperor Septimus Severus, the aged Charalampus did not hide from his persecutors, but freely and openly preached the Christian faith. He endured all tortures as though not in the body, and when they flayed the living flesh from him, the godly saint said to the Emperor’s soldiers: ‘Thank you, my brethren, for scraping off the old body and renewing my soul for new and eternal life.’ He performed many wonders and brought many to the Faith. Even the Emperor’s daughter, Gallina, repudiated the paganism of her father and became a Christian. Condemned to death and led to the place of execution, St Charalampus raised his arms to heaven and prayed for all men, that God would give them bodily health and salvation of soul, and that He would grant them the fruits of the earth in abundance: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that men are flesh and blood; forgive them their sins and pour out Thy blessing on all.’ After praying thus, the saintly elder gave his soul to God before the executioner had laid his sword to his neck. He suffered in 202. Gallina took his body and buried it.” (Prologue)

The Great Horologion puts his age at 103.

St Scholastica of Italy, sister of St Benedict (543)

She was the twin sister of St Benedict, patriarch of monasticism in the West (March 14), and his constant fellow-laborer in the vineyard of Christ. They lived in neighboring monasteries; though they loved one another dearly, they met only once a year, spending the day in prayer and spiritual conversation, then parting after sharing a simple meal. At their meeting in 543, she prevailed on her brother (and the monk who accompanied him) to break his own monastic rule and stay with her in vigil through the night. Three days later, as Benedict looked out his cell window, he saw his sister’s soul in the form of a dove ascending to heaven.

Recommended: The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica, a beautifully illustrated children’s book about the two Saints; by Kathleen Norris, illustrated by Tomie dePaola.

Our Venerable Father Prochorus of the Kiev Caves (1107)

“A wonder-worker of the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, he was named the Orach-eater because the whole time he lived in the monastery, he never tasted bread but fed himself on orach [a kind of wild spinach] prepared according to his own particular method as a sort of bread. When he gave someone some of this bread with his blessing, it was as sweet as honey, but if someone stole some, it was as bitter as wormwood.

“At one time, when there was a dearth of salt in Russia, Prochorus distributed ashes to the people for salt. The ashes that he distributed with his blessing became salt; ashes, however, that anyone took for himself remained ordinary ashes. Prince Svyatopolk ordered that all the ashes from Prochorus’ cell be brought to the court without his permission, let alone his blessing. When the ashes were brought there, it was obvious to everyone that they were ashes and not salt. Then Prochorus told all the people who came to him for salt to go to the prince’s court, and, when the prince threw the ashes away, to take them and use them as salt. This they did, and the ashes again became salt. The prince himself, learning of this, was filled with a deep respect and love for him and, when Prochorus died in 1107, placed him with his own hands in a grave near the great Russian saints, Antony and Theodosius.” (Prologue).