1 John 4.20-5.21 (Epistle)

20Ako ko reèe: ja ljubim Boga, a mrzi na brata svojega, laža je; jer koji ne ljubi brata svojega, koga vidi, kako može ljubiti Boga, koga ne vidi? 21I ovu zapovijest imamo od njega: koji ljubi Boga da ljubi i brata svojega.

1Koji god vjeruje da je Isus Hristos, od Boga je roðen; i koji god ljubi onoga koji je rodio, ljubi i onoga koji je roðen od njega. 2Po tom znamo da ljubimo djecu Božiju kad Boga ljubimo i njegove zapovijesti držimo. 3Jer je ovo ljubav Božija da zapovijesti njegove držimo; i zapovijesti njegove nijesu teške. 4Jer svaki koji je roðen od Boga pobjeðuje svijet; i vjera je naša ova pobjeda koja pobijedi svijet. 5Ko je koji svijet pobjeðuje osim onoga koji vjeruje da je Isus sin Božij? 6Ovo je Isus Hristos što doðe vodom i krvlju i Duhom, ne samo vodom nego vodom i krvlju; i Duh je koji svjedoèi, jer je Duh istina. 7Jer je troje što svjedoèi na nebu: Otac, Rijeè, i sveti Duh; i ovo je troje jedno. 8I troje je što svjedoèi na zemlji: duh, i voda, i krv; i troje je zajedno. 9Kad primamo svjedoèanstvo èovjeèije, svjedoèanstvo je Božije veæe; jer je ovo svjedoèanstvo Božije što svjedoèi za sina svojega. 10Koji vjeruje sina Božijega ima svjedoèanstvo u sebi; koji ne vjeruje Bogu naèinio ga je lažom, jer ne vjerova svjedoèanstvu koje svjedoèi Bog za sina svojega. 11I ovo je svjedoèanstvo da nam je Bog dao život vjeèni; i ovaj život vjeèni u sinu je njegovom. 12Ko ima sina Božijega ima život; ko nema sina Božijega nema života. 13Ovo pisah vama koji vjerujete u ime sina Božijega, da znate da imate život vjeèni i da vjerujete u ime sina Božijega. 14I ovo je sloboda koju imamo k njemu da ako što molimo po volji njegovoj posluša nas. 15I kad znamo da nas sluša što god molimo, znamo da æe nam dati što ištemo u njega. 16Ako ko vidi brata svojega gdje griješi grijeh ne k smrti, neka moli, i daæe mu život, onima koji griješe ne k smrti. Ima grijeh k smrti: za taj ne govorim da moli. 17Svaka je nepravda grijeh; i ima grijeh ne k smrti. 18Znamo da nijedan koji je roðen od Boga, ne griješi, nego koji je roðen od Boga èuva se, i neèastivi ne dohvata se do njega. 19Znamo da smo od Boga i sav svijet leži u zlu. 20A znamo da sin Božij doðe, i dao nam je razum da poznamo Boga istinoga, i da budemo u istinome sinu njegovom Isusu Hristu. Ovo je istini Bog i život vjeèni. 21Djeèice! èuvajte se od neznaboštva. Amin.

Mark 15.1-15 (Gospel)

1I odmah ujutru uèiniše vijeæu glavari sveštenièki sa starješinama i književnicima, i sav sabor, i svezavši Isusa odvedoše ga i predadoše Pilatu. 2I upita ga Pilat: jesi li ti car Judejski? A on odgovarajuæi reèe mu: ti kažeš. 3I tužahu ga glavari sveštenièki vrlo. 4A Pilat opet upita ga govoreæi: zar ništa ne odgovaraš? Gledaj šta svjedoèe na tebe. 5Ali Isus više ne odgovori ništa tako da se divljaše Pilat. 6A o svakom prazniku puštaše im po jednoga sužnja koga iskahu. 7A bijaše jedan zatvoren, po imenu Varava, sa svojijem drugarima koji su u buni uèinili krv. 8I povikavši narod stade iskati što im svagda èinjaše. 9A Pilat im odgovori govoreæi: hoæete li da vam pustim cara Judejskoga? 10Jer znadijaše da su ga iz zavisti predali glavari sveštenièki. 11Ali glavari sveštenièki podgovoriše narod bolje Varavu da ištu da im pusti. 12A Pilat opet odgovarajuæi reèe im: a šta hoæete da èinim s tijem što ga zovete carem Judejskijem? 13A oni opet povikaše: raspni ga. 14A Pilat im reèe: a kakvo je zlo uèinio? A oni iza glasa vikahu: raspni ga. 15A Pilat želeæi ugoditi narodu pusti im Varavu, a Isusa šibavši predade da ga razapnu.

Apostles Archippus and Philemon of the Seventy, and Martyr Apphia

Archippus was the son of Saints Philemon (Nov. 22) and Apphia (Feb. 15), and, like them, was a disciple of the Apostle Paul, who calls him “our fellow soldier” (Philm. 2). He and his father preached the Gospel at Colossae, and Archippus probably served as a priest for the church that gathered there at his family’s house (Col. 4:17). Archippus’ fervor in preaching the Gospel of Christ so angered the pagans that they seized him and brought him before the governor Androcles. When the Saint refused to sacrifice to Artemis, he was stripped, beaten, tormented in various ways, and finally stoned to death.

Our Venerable Mother Philothea of Athens (1589)

“This bright star of compassion arose in the dark days of the Turkish occupation to shed God’s mercy upon the oppressed people of Athens and to guide many endangered souls onto the path of righteousness.” (Synaxarion)

She was born in 1528 to the prominent Venizelou family, miraculously answering her mother’s prayer of many years. Though even in childhood she showed a love for ascesis and prayer, she was much sought-after as a wealthy heiress, and was married at the age of twelve to a rough, violent man. She endured his ill-treatment nobly, and prayed daily for his conversion. After three years, the brutal husband died, and Philothea gave herself entirely to a life of prayer and fasting, living like a hermitess though still in her parents’ house. When her parents died ten years later, she used her entire fortune to found a convent. Its design had been given her in a vision by the Apostle Andrew, and it was dedicated to him. Alongside the monastery, she founded a hospital, a hospice for the poor, and schools where boys and girls could receive a Christian education, something obviously not provided by the Turkish rulers.

As soon as the monastery was begun, she took monastic vows under the name of Philothea, and she, her own maidservants, and many young women of the city, became the first nuns there. Philothea continued in her boundless compassion for the poor and infirm, whom she visited and tended. She was so free in her almsgiving that more than once the monastery was left without food or other necessities of life, and the sisters began to complain about her. But each time, large donations appeared unexpectedly and saved the community from starvation.

Philothea offered asylum and refuge to Christian slave women who had fled their masters to preserve their faith and chastity. This angered the Turks, who surrounded the monastery, seized Philothea, and brought her before the judge. She was told to deny Christ or die, and when she refused was sentenced to death; but some influential Athenian Greeks were able to intervene on her behalf and to obtain her release.

Immediately upon her release she redoubled her prayers, her apostolic labors and her works of mercy, and was soon granted the gift of working miracles and healings. So many disciples came to join her that she established a second monastery. Her growing influence aroused the hatred of some of the Turks, who broke into the monastery one night and beat her violently, leaving her half-dead. She bore the effects of her injuries patiently, and after a short time gave back her soul to God in 1589.

Twenty years after her repose, a beautiful scent began to issue from her tomb. Her precious relics, venerated at the Cathedral in Athens, remain incorrupt to this day.