1 John 1.8-2.6 (Epistle)

8Ako reèemo da grijeha nemamo, sebe varamo, i istine nema u nama. 9Ako priznajemo grijehe svoje, vjeran je i pravedan da nam oprosti grijehe naše, i oèisti nas od svake nepravde. 10Ako reèemo da ne sagriješismo, gradimo ga lažom, i rijeè njegova nije u nama.

1Djeèice moja! ovo vam pišem da ne griješite; i ako ko sagriješi, imamo zastupnika kod oca, Isusa Hrista pravednika, 2I on oèišæa grijehe naše, i ne samo naše nego i svega svijeta. 3I po tom razumijemo da ga poznasmo, ako zapovijesti njegove držimo. 4Koji govori: poznajem ga, a zapovijesti njegovijeh ne drži, laža je, i u njemu istine nema; 5A koji drži rijeè njegovu, u njemu je zaista ljubav Božija savršena; po tom poznajemo da smo u njemu. 6Koji govori da u njemu stoji, i taj treba tako da hodi kao što je on hodio.

Mark 13.31-14.2 (Gospel)

31Nebo i zemlja proæi æe, ali rijeèi moje neæe proæi. 32A o danu tome ili o èasu niko ne zna, ni anðeli koji su na nebesima, ni sin, do otac. 33Pazite, stražite i molite se Bogu; jer ne znate kad æe vrijeme nastati. 34Kao što èovjek odlazeæi ostavi kuæu svoju, i da slugama svojima vlast, i svakome svoj posao; i vrataru zapovjedi da straži. 35Stražite dakle; jer ne znate kad æe doæi gospodar od kuæe, ili uveèe ili u ponoæi ili u pijetle ili ujutru; 36Da ne doðe iznenada i da vas ne naðe a vi spavate. 37A što vam kažem, svima kažem: stražite.

1Bijahu pak još dva dana do pashe i do dana prijesnijeh hljebova; i tražahu glavari sveštenièki i književnici kako bi ga iz prijevare uhvatili i ubili. 2Ali govorahu: ne o prazniku, da se ne bi narod pobunio.

St Meletios, archbishop of Antioch (381)

Our holy father Meletios, an Armenian by birth, became archbishop of Antioch at the height of the Arian controversy. Though he was appointed by influential Arians who thought that he shared their views, as soon as he was raised to the throne he began to preach the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father. “At this, the archdeacon, an Arian, put his hand over the bishop’s mouth; Meletios then extended three fingers towards the people, closed them, and extended one only, showing by signs the equality and unity of the Trinity. The embarrassed archdeacon then seized his hand, but released his mouth, and Meletios spoke out even more forcibly in defense of the Council of Nicea” (Great Horologion). It was St Meletios who ordained St John Chrysostom reader and deacon in Antioch. He presided at the Second Ecumenical Council in 381. At his repose, St Gregory of Nyssa gave his funeral oration, lamenting: “Our Elijah has been caught up, and no Elisha is left behind in his place.”

St Alexis, metropolitan of Moscow and wonder-worker of all Russia (1378)

He was born early in the 14th century to a family of court dignitaries in Moscow. Despite a fine education, he was not drawn to worldly success and became a monk at the age of twenty. In time Alexis was consecrated Bishop of Vladimir, then Metropolitan of Moscow, at that time the highest rank in the Russian church (which was still under the Patriarchate of Constantinople). Russia was then under the cruel domination of the Tatars. Saint Alexis traveled twice to the Golden Horde, where the Tatar Khan kept court. On his first visit (1359), he healed the Khan’s wife of a blindness which had afflicted her for three years — a miracle that did much to soften the Tatars’ treatment of their Russian vassals, and to preserve the liberty of the Church.

His ceaseless labors in the world did not deprive the Saint of his love for monasticism: he conferred with holy monks at every opportunity, and founded many new monasteries. As he neared the end of his life he tried without success to persuade his friend St Sergius of Radonezh (September 25) to succeed him. He reposed in peace in 1378. His incorrupt relics are venerated in the Cathedral of the Theophany in Moscow.