Romans 2.14-29 (Epistle)

14Jer kad neznabošci ne imajuæi zakona sami od sebe èine što je po zakonu, oni zakona ne imajuæi sami su sebi zakon: 15Oni dokazuju da je ono napisano u srcima njihovijem što se èini po zakonu, buduæi da im savjest svjedoèi, i misli meðu sobom tuže se ili pravdaju) 16Na dan kad Bog uzasudi tajne ljudske po jevanðelju mojemu preko Isusa Hrista. 17Gle, ti se zoveš Jevrejin, a oslanjaš se na zakon i hvališ se Bogom, 18I poznaješ volju, i izbiraš što je bolje, jer si nauèen od zakona; 19I misliš da si voð slijepima, vidjelo onima koji su u mraku, 20Nakazatelj bezumnima, uèitelj djeci, koji imaš ugled razuma i istine u zakonu. 21Uèeæi dakle drugoga sebe ne uèiš; 22Propovijedajuæi da se ne krade, kradeš; govoreæi: ne èini preljube, èiniš preljubu; gadeæi se na idole, kradeš svetinju; 23Koji se hvališ zakonom, a prijestupom zakona sramotiš Boga. 24Jer se ime Božije zbog vas huli u neznabošcima, kao što stoji napisano. 25Obrezanje pomaže ako zakon držiš; ako li si prestupnik zakona, obrezanje je tvoje neobrezanje postalo. 26Ako dakle neobrezanje pravdu zakona drži, zašto se ne bi njegovo neobrezanje za obrezanje uzelo? 27I onaj koji je od roda neobrezan i izvršuje zakon, osudiæe tebe koji si sa slovima i obrezanjem prestupnik zakona. 28Jer ono nije Jevrejin koji je spolja Jevrejin, niti je ono obrezanje koje je spolja na tijelu; 29Nego je ono Jevrejin koji je iznutra, i obrezanje srca duhom a ne slovima, to je obrezanje; kome je hvala ne od ljudi nego od Boga.

Matthew 5.33-41 (Gospel)

33Još ste èuli kako je kazano starima: ne kuni se krivo, a ispuni što si se Gospodu zakleo. 34A ja vam kažem: ne kunite se nikako: ni nebom, jer je prijestol Božij; 35Ni zemljom, jer je podnožje nogama njegovijem; ni Jerusalimom, jer je grad velikoga cara. 36Ni glavom svojom ne kuni se, jer ne možeš ni dlake jedne bijele ili crne uèiniti. 37Dakle neka bude vaša rijeè: da, da; ne, ne; a što je više od ovoga, oda zla je. 38Èuli ste da je kazano: oko za oko, i zub za zub. 39A ja vam kažem da se ne branite oda zla, nego ako te ko udari po desnome tvom obrazu, obrni mu i drugi; 40I koji hoæe da se sudi s tobom i košulju tvoju da uzme, podaj mu i haljinu. 41I ako te potjera ko jedan sahat, idi s njime dva.

Our Holy Fathers Onuphrios the Great and Peter of Mount Athos

They lived in different times and places, but are commemorated together.

Saint Onuphrios the Great (400). “This holy ascetic had been living a whole sixty years in the desert when the monk Paphnutius visited him. His hair and beard reached down to the ground, and long hair, as white as snow, had grown all overy his body during his years of nakedness. His appearance was cadaverous, unearthly and awe-inspiring. Seeing Paphnutius, he called him by name and then recounted to him his life in the desert. His guardian angel had appeared to him and taken him to that place. He had for a long time only eaten earth, which was hard to find in the desert, and, after that, when he had survived an intensive struggle with diabolical temptations and when his heart had become utterly established in love for God, an angel had brought him bread to eat. And besides that, through God’s gracious providence, a palm tree grew up at one side of his cell, that gave good dates, and a spring of water began to flow there. ‘But especially,’ said Onuphrios, ‘my food and drink are the sweet words of God.’ To Paphnutius’ question about his receiving of Communion, the hermit answered that the angel of God brought him Communion every Saturday. On the next day, the old man told Paphnutius that it was the day of his departure from this world; then he knelt down, prayed to God and gave his spirit into God’s hands. Then Paphnutius saw a heavenly light that illumined the body of the departed saint, and heard a choir of angelic hosts. He buried Onuphrios’ body with honour and returned to his own monastery, there as a living witness to narrate to the brethren, for their edification, the wonderful life of the man of God and the greatness of God’s providence towards those who give themselves wholly to His service.” (Prologue)

The Great Horologion adds that Paphnutius intended to stay in the place where Onuphrios died, but soon the palm tree withered and the spring dried up, which Paphnutius took as a sign that he was meant to leave that place and return to live with the brethren.

Saint Peter of Mt Athos (734). He was born to a noble family in Constantinople and became a soldier. He was taken captive by the Saracens and thrown into prison in chains, in Samarra of Syria. He spent his long imprisonment praying to God to free him and send him to some deserted place where he could devote the rest of his life to ascesis and prayer. One day St Nicholas appeared to him along with St Simeon the God-receiver; when they touched his chains they melted like wax, and Peter instantly found himself outside Samarra. He set out for Rome, where he was tonsured as a monk by the Pope, then set out by ship to return home. During the voyage, the Mother of God appeared to him along with St Nicholas, and Peter heard her tell St Nicholas that she had set Mt Athos apart for Peter to live in solitude. Peter had never heard of Mt Athos, but disembarked there and settled in a cave. There he spent fifty-three years in complete solitude, praying and struggling with the harshness of the elements and the attacks of demonic powers. After he had withstood fierce temptations for awhile, an angel of God began to bring him bread every forty days. Like St Onuphrios, his humble life might have passed completely unrecorded; but by God’s providence, one year before the Saint’s death a deer-hunter found him and heard the tale of Peter’s life, which he recorded. Saint Peter reposed in peace; his relics were taken to Macedonia.