Acts 15.35-41 (Epistle)

35A Pavle i Varnava življahu u Antiohiji i uèahu i propovijedahu rijeè Gospodnju s mnogima drugijem. 36A poslije nekoliko dana reèe Pavle Varnavi: hajde da se vratimo i da obiðemo braæu po svijem gradovima po kojima propovijedasmo rijeè Gospodnju kako žive. 37A Varnava šæaše da uzmu sa sobom Jovana prozvanoga Marka. 38Pavle pak govoraše: onoga koji nas je odustao u Pamfiliji i nije išao s nama na djelo na koje smo bili odreðeni, da ne uzimamo sa sobom. 39Tako postade raspra da se oni razdvojiše, i Varnava uzevši Marka otplovi u Kipar. 40A Pavle izbravši Silu iziðe predan blagodati Božijoj od braæe. 41I prolažaše kroz Siriju i Kilikiju utvrðujuæi crkve.

John 10.27-38 (Gospel)

27Ovce moje slušaju glas moj, i ja poznajem njih, i za mnom idu. 28I ja æu im dati život vjeèni, i nikad neæe izginuti, i niko ih neæe oteti iz ruke moje. 29Otac moj koji mi ih dade veæi je od sviju; i niko ih ne može oteti iz ruke oca mojega. 30Ja i otac jedno smo. 31A Jevreji opet uzeše kamenje da ga ubiju. 32Isus im odgovori: mnoga vam dobra djela javih od oca svojega; za koje od onijeh djela bacate kamenje na me? 33Odgovoriše mu Jevreji govoreæi: za dobro djelo ne bacamo kamenja na te, nego za hulu na Boga, što ti, èovjek buduæi, gradiš se Bog. 34Isus im odgovori: ne stoji li napisano u zakonu vašemu: ja rekoh: bogovi ste? 35Ako one nazva bogovima kojima rijeè Božija bi, i pismo se ne može pokvariti; 36Kako vi govorite onome kojega otac posveti i posla na svijet: hulu na Boga govoriš, što rekoh: ja sam sin Božij? 37Ako ne tvorim djela oca svojega ne vjerujte mi. 38Ako li tvorim, ako meni i ne vjerujete, djelima mojima vjerujte, da poznate i vjerujete da je otac u meni i ja u njemu.

St Michael the Confessor, bishop of Synnada (818)

“This Saint was from Synnada in Phrygia of Asia Minor. In Constantinople he met Saint Theophylact (March 8); the holy Patriarch Tarasius, learning that Michael and Theophylact desired to become monks, sent them to a monastery on the Black Sea. Because of their great virtue, St Tarasius afterwards compelled them to accept consecration, Theophylact as Bishop of Nicomedia, and Michael as Bishop of his native Synnada. Because St Michael fearlessly confessed the veneration of the holy icons, he was banished by the Iconoclast Emperor Leo V the Armenian, who reigned from 813 to 820. After being driven from one place to another, in many hardships and bitter pains, St Michael died in exile.” (Great Horologion)

Holy Myrrh-bearer Mary, wife of Cleopas

Holy Martyr Michael of St Sabbas' Monastery(9th c.)

When his parents died, the young Michael gave away all his goods and travelled to Jerusalem, where he entered the monastery of St Sabbas the Sanctified. Once he was sent into town to sell some handwork for the monastery. A eunuch of an Arab princess met him in the street and brought him to princess’ home to show his wares. (Jerusalem was ruled by Muslim Arabs at that time.) The princess, like Potiphar’s wife, conceived an illicit passion for the young monk and invited him to her bed. When he refused, the angry princess had him beaten and taken to the Sultan, where she accused him of blasphemy against Mohammed. The Sultan tried to make him accept Islam, but he refused. When a dose of poison had no effect on the holy Michael, the Sultan had him publicly beheaded in the center of Jerusalem. The monks retrieved his body and gave it honorable burial at his monastery.

Holy Virgin Euphrosyne, Princess of Polotsk (1173)

“She was the daughter of Prince Vseslav of Polotsk. When her parents wished her to be married, she ran away to a monastery and became a nun. An angel of the Lord appeared to her three times to show her the place where she was to build a new monastery for virgins. She brought her own sister, Evdokia, into monasticism and many other young girls from the ranks of the aristocracy. One kinswoman of hers, Zvenislava, a princess of Borisov, brought all her wealth, clothing and precious jewels, and said: ‘I count all the beauty of this world as naught, and wish to give these fine things, prepared for my marriage, to the Church of the Saviour. And I desire to espouse myself to Him in a spiritual marriage, and to bow my head beneath His easy and light yoke.’ Euphrosyne professed her too, and gave her the name Evpraxia. In old age, Euphrosyne evinced a desire to die in Jerusalem, and prayed for this boon. God heard her prayer, and she did indeed die in the monastery of St Theodosius in Jerusalem on May 23rd, 1173, during a visit there.” (Prologue)