Romans 16.17-24 (Epistle)

17Molim vas pak, braæo, èuvajte se od onijeh koji èine raspre i razdore na štetu nauke koju vi nauèiste, i uklonite se od njih; 18Jer takovi ne služe Gospodu našemu Isusu Hristu nego svojemu trbuhu, i blagijem rijeèima i blagoslovima prelašæuju srca bezazlenijeh. 19Jer vaše slušanje razglasi se svuda. I radujem se za vas; ali hoæu da ste vi mudri na dobro a prosti na zlo. 20A Bog mira da satre sotonu pod noge vaše skoro. Blagodat Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista s vama. Amin. 21Pozdravlja vas Timotije, pomoænik moj, i Lukije i Jason i Sosipatar, roðaci moji. 22Pozdravljam vas i ja Tertije, koji napisah ovu poslanicu u Gospodu. 23Pozdravlja vas Gaj, domaæin moj i cijele crkve. Pozdravlja vas Erast, haznadar gradski, i brat Kvart. 24Blagodat Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista sa svima vama. Amin.

Matthew 13.10-23 (Gospel)

10I pristupivši uèenici rekoše mu: zašto im govoriš u prièama? 11A on odgovarajuæi reèe im: vama je dano da znate tajne carstva nebeskoga, a njima nije dano. 12Jer ko ima, daæe mu se, i preteæi æe mu; a koji nema, uzeæe mu se i ono što ima. 13Zato im govorim u prièama, jer gledajuæi ne vide, i èujuæi ne èuju niti razumiju. 14I zbiva se na njima proroštvo Isaijno, koje govori: ušima æete èuti, i neæete razumjeti; i oèima æete gledati, i neæete vidjeti. 15Jer je odrvenilo srce ovijeh ljudi, i ušima teško èuju, i oèi su svoje zatvorili da kako ne vide oèima, i ušima ne èuju, i srcem ne razumiju, i ne obrate se da ih iscijelim. 16A blago vašijem oèima što vide, i ušima vašijem što èuju. 17Jer vam kažem zaista da su mnogi proroci i pravednici željeli vidjeti što vi vidite, i ne vidješe; i èuti što vi èujete, i ne èuše. 18Vi pak èujte prièu o sijaèu: 19Svakome koji sluša rijeè o carstvu i ne razumije, dolazi neèastivi i krade posijano u srcu njegovom: to je oko puta posijano. 20A na kamenu posijano to je koji sluša rijeè i odmah s radosti primi je, 21Ali nema korijena u sebi, nego je nepostojan, pa kad bude do nevolje ili ga potjeraju rijeèi radi, odmah udari natrag. 22A posijano u trnju to je koji sluša rijeè, no briga ovoga svijeta i prijevara bogatstva zaguše rijeè, i bez roda ostane. 23A posijano na dobroj zemlji to je koji sluša rijeè i razumije, koji dakle i rod raða, i donosi jedan po sto, a jedan po šeset, a jedan po trideset.

Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel

On this day all the many visitations and miracles of the holy Archangel, recorded in Holy Scripture and ever since, are commemorated. This feast duplicates the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel that is celebrated on March 26, the day after Annunciation; it is thought that it was added to the calendar here some time in the ninth century, so that it could be celebrated more festively outside of Great Lent.

Holy Martyr Golinduc of Persia (6th c.)

She was a Persian noblewoman during the reign of Chosroës II (590-628). Through a vision of an angel, she came to belief in Christ and received holy baptism; her name in baptism was Maria. Her furious husband reported her to King Chosroës, who had her thrown into a foul dungeon known as Oblivion for eighteen years. During these years she was repeatedly told to renounce Christ and was tormented in many ways. She was thrown to venomous snakes, which refused to harm her. Some lawless young men were sent to her cell to defile her, but God made her invisible to them. Many Persians, amazed and inspired by her patient sufferings, accepted Christ. She was finally set free through the visitation of an angel, traveled to Jerusalem and Constantinople, and reposed in peace.

She is commemorated July 12 on the Slavic calendar.

Saint Julian, Bishop of Cenomanis (Le Mans) (1st c.)

He was made bishop by the Apostle Peter and sent to Gaul as a missionary. Some believe that he was Simon the Leper, whom the Lord healed, later named Julian in Baptism. In Gaul, despite great difficulty and privation, he converted many to faith in Christ and worked many miracles — healing the sick, driving out demons, and even raising the dead. In time the local prince, Defenson, was baptised along with many of his subjects. He reposed in peace.

Repose of Photios Kontoglou (1965) (June 30 OC)

He is called “Blessed Photios” by many, but has not yet been officially glorified. In the twentieth century, he almost singlehandedly restored the practice of true Byzantine iconography to the Church. He was born in 1895 in one of the many Greek towns of Asia Minor. He and his family fled to Greece during the “exchange of populations” of 1923, when more than a million Greeks were driven from Turkey and resettled in Greece. He studied to be a secular artist, but was increasingly drawn to Byzantine iconography, the practice of which had almost disappeared: he learned the iconographic ethos and technique by copying ancient models and studying with the few monks on the Holy Mountain who still practiced true iconography. Initially his work was scorned, since secular western standards had come to dominate even the art of the Church. Slowly, through his tireless labors, an understanding of Orthodoxy iconography was restored to the Church, not only in Greece, but throughout the world. Though married, he lived his life in poverty, often donating his work to churches or performing it for nominal fees. His deeply spiritual writings are greatly honored in Greece, though most remain untranslated into English.