James 1.19-27 (Epistle)

19Zato, ljubazna braæo moja, neka bude svaki èovjek brz èuti a spor govoriti i spor srditi se; 20Jer srdnja èovjeèija ne èini pravde Božije. 21Zato odbacite svaku neèistotu i suvišak zlobe, i s krotošæu primite usaðenu rijeè koja može spasti duše vaše. 22Budite pak tvorci rijeèi, a ne samo slušaèi, varajuæi sami sebe. 23Jer ako ko sluša rijeè a ne tvori, on je kao èovjek koji gleda lice tijela svojega u ogledalu; 24Jer se ogleda pa otide, i odmah zaboravi kakav bješe. 25Ali koji providi u savršeni zakon slobode i ostane u njemu, i ne bude zaboravni slušaè, nego tvorac djela, onaj æe biti blažen u djelu svojemu. 26Ako koji od vas misli da vjeruje, i ne zauzdava jezika svojega, nego vara srce svoje, njegova je vjera uzalud. 27Jer vjera èista i bez mane pred Bogom i ocem jest ova: obilaziti sirote i udovice u njihovijem nevoljama, i držati sebe neopoganjena od svijeta.

Mark 10.17-27 (Gospel)

17I kad iziðe na put, pritrèa neko, i kleknuvši na koljena pred njim pitaše ga: uèitelju blagi! šta mi treba èiniti da dobijem život vjeèni? 18A Isus reèe mu: što me zoveš blagijem? niko nije blag osim jednoga Boga. 19Zapovijesti znaš: ne èini preljube; ne ubij; ne ukradi; ne svjedoèi lažno; ne èini nepravde nikome; poštuj oca svojega i mater. 20A on odgovarajuæi reèe mu: uèitelju! sve sam ovo saèuvao od mladosti svoje. 21A Isus pogledavši na nj, omilje mu, i reèe mu: još ti jedno nedostaje: idi prodaj sve što imaš i podaj siromasima; i imaæeš blago na nebu; i doði te hajde za mnom uzevši krst. 22A on posta zlovoljan od ove rijeèi, i otide žalostan; jer bijaše vrlo bogat. 23I pogledavši Isus reèe uèenicima svojima: kako je teško bogatima uæi u carstvo nebesko! 24A uèenici se uplašiše od rijeèi njegovijeh. A Isus opet odgovarajuæi reèe im: djeco! kako je teško onima koji se uzdaju u svoje bogatstvo uæi u carstvo Božije! 25Lakše je kamili proæi kroz iglene uši negoli bogatome uæi u carstvo Božije. 26A oni se vrlo divljahu govoreæi u sebi: ko se dakle može spasti? 27A Isus pogledavši na njih reèe: ljudima je nemoguæe, ali nije Bogu: jer je sve moguæe Bogu.

Holy Apostle Timothy

This is the Apostle to whom two of St Paul’s Epistles are addressed. He was from Lystra in Lycaonia, born to a pagan Greek father and a Jewish mother. His mother, whose name was Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, brought him up in piety and love of the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul converted the two women during his first missionary visit to Lystra; returning seven years later, he found Timothy full of zeal for Christ, and baptized him. Timothy became his closest disciple: in his epistles, St Paul calls calls him “my dearly beloved son.” So that Timothy would be able to preach the Gospel in the synagogues, St Paul personally circumcised him.

The Apostle Paul consecrated Timothy as the first bishop of Ephesus. As such, he became a disciple and exarch of St John the Evangelist, who supervised all the churches in Asia. In AD 97, he attempted to oppose the celebration of a festival to Artemis; the pagans, enraged, mobbed him and beat him to death. He was buried near the tomb of St John. In 356 his precious relics were translated (along with those of Sts Andrew and Luke) to Constantinople and enshrined in the Church of the Holy Apostles. In 1204 they were stolen by the Latin Crusaders when they pillaged the city.

Holy Martyr Anastasius of Persia (628)

He was a Persian, the son of a Magus, a soldier in the Persian army under Chosroes II, who at that time was making inroads into the Christian Empire. His Persian name was Magundat. Chosroes captured Jerusalem in 614, and carried away the Precious Cross as a trophy. Magundat heard of this, and of all the miracles worked by the Cross; and he wondered why the ruins of an instrument of torture were so revered by the Christians. Seeking out Christian elders to answer his questions, he learned of the Incarnation, life, Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Christ, and with joy embraced the Christian Faith as Truth. He was baptized by St Modestus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and given the name of Anastasius. At the same time, he took monastic vows. For a time he lived in a monastery in Jerusalem, but then went forth, found some Persian Magi at Caesarea, and chastised them for embracing delusions. Since he was in Persian territory (as he well knew), he was taken to the Persian governor, interrogated, imprisoned, and finally taken with other captives to Persia. There, despite many severe tortures, he refused to return to his former error, and was hanged by one hand, strangled, then beheaded.