Acts 8.5-17 (Epistle)

5A Filip sišavši u grad Samarijski propovijedaše im Hrista. 6A narod pažaše jednodušno na ono što govoraše Filip, slušajuæi i gledajuæi znake koje èinjaše; 7Jer duhovi neèisti s velikom vikom izlažahu iz mnogijeh u kojima bijahu, i mnogi uzeti i hromi ozdraviše. 8I bi velika radost u gradu onome. 9A bješe jedan èovjek, po imenu Simon, koji prije èaraše u gradu i dovoðaše u èudo narod Samarijski, govoreæi da je on nešto veliko; 10Na kojega gledahu svi, i malo i veliko, govoreæi: ovo je velika sila Božija. 11A zato gledahu na njega što ih mnogo vremena èinima udivljavaše. 12Kad pak vjerovaše Filipu koji propovijedaše jevanðelje o carstvu Božijemu i o imenu Isusa Hrista, kršæavahu se i ljudi i žene. 13Tada i Simon vjerova, i krstivši se osta kod Filipa; i videæi djela i znake velike koji se èinjahu divljaše se vrlo. 14A kad èuše apostoli koji bijahu u Jerusalimu da Samarija primi rijeè Božiju, poslaše k njima Petra i Jovana. 15Koji sišavši pomoliše se Bogu za njih da prime Duha svetoga; 16Jer još ni na jednoga ne bješe došao, nego bijahu samo kršteni u ime Gospoda Isusa. 17Tada apostoli metnuše ruke na njih, i oni primiše Duha svetoga.

John 6.27-33 (Gospel)

27Starajte se ne za jelo koje prolazi, nego za jelo koje ostaje za vjeèni život, koje æe vam dati sin èovjeèij, jer ovoga potvrdi otac Bog. 28A oni mu rekoše: šta æemo èiniti da radimo djela Božija? 29Odgovori Isus i reèe im: ovo je djelo Božije da vjerujete onoga koga on posla. 30A oni mu rekoše: kakav dakle ti pokazuješ znak da vidimo i da vjerujemo? šta radiš ti? 31Ocevi naši jedoše manu u pustinji, kao što je napisano: hljeb s neba dade im da jedu. 32Tada im reèe Isus: zaista, zaista vam kažem: Mojsije ne dade vama hljeba s neba, nego vam otac moj daje hljeb istiniti s neba; 33Jer je hljeb Božij onaj koji silazi s neba i daje život svijetu.

Great-martyr Irene of Thessalonica (4th c.)

“Saint Irene was the daughter of a princelet called Licinius; named Penelope by her parents, through a divine revelation she was brought to faith in Christ and at Baptism was renamed Irene. In her zeal for piety she broke in pieces all the idols of her father, who commanded that she be trampled underfoot by horses. But while she remained unharmed, one of the horses rose up and cast down her father, killing him. By her prayer she raised him to life again, and he believed and was baptized. Afterwards, in many journeyings, Saint Irene suffered torments and punishments for her faith, but was preserved by the power of God, while working dread miracles and converting many thousands of souls. At last she came to Ephesus, where she fell asleep in peace, in the first half of the fourth century. Two days after her death, her gravestone was found lifted off, and her grave empty. At least two churches were dedicated to St Irene in Constantinople, and she is the patroness of the Aegean island of Thera, which is commonly called Santorini, a corruption of “Saint Irene.” (Great Horologion)

Note: The most famous Agia Irene church in Constantinople is not named after her, but for the Holy Peace (Greek Irene) of God, which is Christ.

The Prologue’s account differs in several details. St Nikolai places St Irene in the Balkans in the town of Magedon, in apostolic times rather than the 3rd-4th century. In his account Irene learned the Christian faith from her teacher, Appelianus, and was baptised by the Apostle Timothy himself. He attributes the anger of Irene’s father to her refusal to marry rather than her smashing the family idols (though of course she might have done both).