Acts 12.12-17 (Epistle)

12După ce şi-a dat bine seama de cele întâmplate, s-a îndreptat spre casa Mariei, mama lui Ioan, zis şi Marcu, unde erau adunaţi mulţi laolaltă şi se rugau. 13A bătut la uşa care dădea în pridvor; şi o slujnică, numită Roda, a venit să vadă cine e. 14A cunoscut glasul lui Petru; şi, de bucurie, în loc să deschidă, a alergat înăuntru să dea de veste că Petru stă înaintea porţii. 15„Eşti nebună!”, i-au zis ei. Dar ea stăruia şi spunea că el este. Ei, dimpotrivă, ziceau: „Este îngerul lui.” 16Petru însă bătea mereu. Au deschis şi au rămas încremeniţi când l-au văzut. 17Petru le-a făcut semn cu mâna să tacă, le-a istorisit cum îl scosese Domnul din temniţă şi a zis: „Spuneţi lucrul acesta lui Iacov şi fraţilor.” Apoi a ieşit şi s-a dus în alt loc.

John 8.42-51 (Gospel)

42Isus le-a zis: „Dacă ar fi Dumnezeu Tatăl vostru, M-aţi iubi şi pe Mine, căci Eu am ieşit şi vin de la Dumnezeu: n-am venit de la Mine însumi, ci El M-a trimis. 43Pentru ce nu înţelegeţi vorbirea Mea? Pentru că nu puteţi asculta Cuvântul Meu. 44Voi aveţi de tată pe diavolul; şi vreţi să împliniţi poftele tatălui vostru. El de la început a fost ucigaş; şi nu stă în adevăr, pentru că în el nu este adevăr. Ori de câte ori spune o minciună, vorbeşte din ale lui, căci este mincinos şi tatăl minciunii. 45Iar pe Mine, pentru că spun adevărul, nu Mă credeţi. 46Cine din voi Mă poate dovedi că am păcat? Dacă spun adevărul, pentru ce nu Mă credeţi? 47Cine este din Dumnezeu ascultă cuvintele lui Dumnezeu; voi de aceea n-ascultaţi, pentru că nu sunteţi din Dumnezeu.” 48Iudeii I-au răspuns: „Nu zicem noi bine că eşti samaritean şi că ai drac?” 49„N-am drac”, le-a răspuns Isus, „ci Eu cinstesc pe Tatăl Meu, dar voi nu Mă cinstiţi. 50Eu nu caut slava Mea; este Unul care o caută şi care judecă. 51Adevărat, adevărat vă spun că, dacă păzeşte cineva Cuvântul Meu, în veac nu va vedea moartea.”

Martyr Theodotus of Ancyra and seven virgin-martyrs with him (303)

Theodotus was a married inn-keeper in Ancyra during the persecutions of Diocletian. He used his inn-keeping trade as a means of secretly helping the persecuted Christians, many of whom used his inn as a refuge in time of need. One of his holy works was to retrieve the bodies of martyred Christians and give them burial. At that time, seven maidens were tried and tortured for their faith in Christ, then killed by being thrown into a lake. One of them, St Tecusa, appeared to St Theodotus and asked him to retrieve the bodies of her and her sisters in Christ. Under cover of night Theodotus, guided by an Angel, was able to find all seven bodies and bury them honorably. But a friend whom he had asked to help him in this work betrayed him, and he was arrested and subjected to cruel tortures. Finally he was sentenced to be beheaded. As he went to the block, he said to the many Christians who had gathered to weep for him: ‘Do not weep for me, brethren, but glorify our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose aid I am finishing my course and overcoming the enemy.’ A church dedicated to him was later built on the site of his burial.

Holy Martyrs Peter, Dionysius, Christina, Andrew, Paul, Benedimus, Paulinus, and Heraclius (250)

“These Saints all contested in martyrdom during the reign of Decius (249-251). Peter was from Lampsacus in the Hellespont. For refusing to offer sacrifice to the idol of Aphrodite, his whole body was crushed and broken with chains and pieces of wood on a torture-wheel; having endured this torment courageously, he gave up his soul.

“Paul and Andrew were soldiers from Mesopotamia brought to Athens with their governor; there they were put in charge of two captive Christians, Dionysius and Christina. The soldiers, seeing the beauty of the virgin Christina, attempted to move her to commit sin with them, but she refused and, by her admonitions, brought them to faith in Christ. They and Dionysius were stoned to death, and Christina was beheaded.

“Heraclius, Paulinus,and Benedimus were Athenians, and preachers of the Gospel who turned many of the heathen from their error to the light of Christ. Brought before the governor, they confesed their Faith, and after many torments were beheaded.” (Great Horologion)

The Prologue adds: “One Nicomachus, who was tortured with them, denied Christ under torture, and instantly lost his mind, tearing at his body with his teeth and foaming at the mouth until he breathed his last.”