Romans 1.18-27 (Epistle)

18Jer se otkriva gnjev Božij s neba na svaku bezbožnost i nepravdu ljudi koji drže istinu u nepravdi. 19Jer što se može doznati za Boga poznato je njima: jer im je Bog javio; 20Jer što se na njemu ne može vidjeti, od postanja svijeta moglo se poznati i vidjeti na stvorenjima, i njegova vjeèna sila i božanstvo, da nemaju izgovora. 21Jer kad poznaše Boga, ne proslaviše ga kao Boga niti mu zahvališe, nego zaludješe u svojijem mislima, i potamnje nerazumno srce njihovo. 22Kad se graðahu mudri, poludješe, 23I pretvoriše slavu vjeènoga Boga u oblièje smrtnoga èovjeka i ptica i èetvoronožnijeh životinja i gadova. 24Zato ih predade Bog u željama njihovijeh srca u neèistotu, da se pogane tjelesa njihova meðu njima samima; 25Koji pretvoriše istinu Božiju u laž, i veæma poštovaše i poslužiše tvar nego tvorca, koji je blagosloven vavijek. Amin. 26Zato ih predade Bog u sramne slasti; jer žene njihove pretvoriše putno upotrebljavanje u besputno. 27Tako i ljudi ostavivši putno upotrebljavanje ženskoga roda, raspališe se željom svojom jedan na drugoga, i ljudi s ljudima èinjahu sram, i platu koja trebaše za prijevaru njihovu primahu na sebi.

Matthew 5.20-26 (Gospel)

20Jer vam kažem da ako ne bude veæa pravda vaša nego književnika i fariseja, neæete uæi u carstvo nebesko. 21Èuli ste kako je kazano starima: ne ubij; jer ko ubije, biæe kriv sudu. 22A ja vam kažem da æe svaki koji se gnjevi na brata svojega ni za što, biti kriv sudu; a ako li ko reèe bratu svojemu: raka! biæe kriv skupštini; a ko reèe: budalo! biæe kriv paklu ognjenom. 23Zato dakle ako prineseš dar svoj k oltaru, i ondje se opomeneš da brat tvoj ima nešto na te, 24Ostavi ondje dar svoj pred oltarom, i idi prije te se pomiri s bratom svojijem, pa onda doði i prinesi dar svoj. 25Miri se sa suparnikom svojijem brzo, dok si na putu s njim, da te suparnik ne preda sudiji, a sudija da te ne preda sluzi i u tamnicu da te ne vrgnu. 26Zaista ti kažem: neæeš iziæi odande dok ne daš do pošljednjega dinara.

Hieromartyr Timothy, bishop of Prusa (362)

“For his great spiritual purity, God gave him the gift of wonderworking, and he healed all manner of diseases and pains among the people. During the reign of the evil Emperor Julian, who had renounced Christ, holy Timothy was thrown into prison. The faithful visited him there to listen to the wise teaching of their bishop. When this came to the Emperor’s ears, he commanded that the executioner behead the Saint in the prison. This was in 362, and his soul entered into Paradise while his relics remained, full of miraculous power, to help the people and declare the power of the Lord.” (Prologue [adapted])

Holy Martyrs Alexander and Antonina (313)

In Alexandria, the virgin Antonina was brought before Festus, the Governor, tortured for her faith in Christ, then thrown into prison. A Christian soldier named Alexander, who had never before seen or heard of Antonina, was commanded by an angel of God to go to her. Finding her, he gave her his military cloak, wrapping it about her head and body; and thus, with her head lowered, she was able to walk out of the prison while Alexander remained in her place. Alexander was brought before Festus, where he too confessed his faith in Christ. Antonina, learning of this, voluntarily came before the judge, who put both of them to hideous tortures, mutilating them in many ways before having them cast into a fire and burned alive.

A slightly different account says that Festus placed Antonina under guard in a brothel rather than a prison, so that her virginity might be defiled, and that it was from there that Alexander rescued her.

Festus, the Governor, was struck mute at the time of the holy martyrs’ death, and was tormented by an evil spirit for seven days, at the end of which he died.

Hieromartyr Metrophanes, first Chinese priest, and the Chinese New Martyrs of the Boxer Uprising (1900)

“The Holy Martyrs of China were native Chinese Orthodox Christians brought up in piety at the Russian Orthodox Mission in Peking, which had been founded in 1685. During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 against the foreign powers occupying China, native Chinese Christians were commanded by the Boxers to renounce Christianity or be tortured to death. Two hundred and twenty-two members of the Peking Mission, led by their priest Metrophanes Tsi-Chung and his family, refused to deny Christ, and were deemed worthy of a martyric death.” ( Great Horologion)