1 Corinthians 15.29-38 (Epistle)

29Šta dakle èine oni koji se krste mrtvijeh radi? Kad mrtvi jamaèno ne ustaju, što se i kršæavaju mrtvijeh radi? 30I mi zašto podnosimo muke i nevolje svaki èas? 31Svaki dan umirem, tako mi, braæo, vaše slave, koju imam u Hristu Isusu Gospodu našemu. 32Jer ako sam se po èovjeku borio sa zvjerovima u Efesu, kaka mi je korist ako mrtvi ne ustaju? Da jedemo i pijemo, jer æemo sutra umrijeti. 33Ne varajte se: zli razgovori kvare dobre obièaje. 34Otrijeznite se jedanput kao što treba, i ne griješite; jer neki ne znadu za Boga, na sramotu vama kažem. 35Ali æe reæi ko: kako æe ustati mrtvi? i u kakom æe tijelu doæi? 36Bezumnièe! ti što siješ neæe oživljeti ako ne umre. 37I što siješ ne siješ tijelo koje æe biti, nego golo zrno, bilo pšenièno ili drugo kako. 38A Bog mu daje tijelo kako hoæe, i svakom sjemenu svoje tijelo.

Matthew 21.23-27 (Gospel)

23I kad doðe u crkvu i stade uèiti, pristupiše k njemu glavari sveštenièki i starješine narodne govoreæi: kakvom vlasti to èiniš? i ko ti dade vlast tu? 24A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe im: i ja æu vas upitati jednu rijeè, koju ako mi kažete, i ja æu vama kazati kakvom vlasti ovo èinim. 25Krštenje Jovanovo otkuda bi? ili s neba, ili od ljudi? A oni pomišljavahu u sebi govoreæi: ako reèemo: s neba, reæi æe nam: zašto mu dakle ne vjerovaste? 26Ako li reèemo: od ljudi, bojimo se naroda; jer svi Jovana držahu za proroka. 27I odgovarajuæi Isusu rekoše: ne znamo. Reèe i on njima: ni ja vama neæu kazati kakvom vlasti ovo èinim.

Holy Martyr and Archdeacon Euplus of Catania (304)

He was a deacon from Catania in Sicily during the reign of Diocletian. During a persecution of Christians there, Euplus presented himself to the governor and proclaimed himself a Christian. While he was being tortured on the rack, the governor ordered him to worship Mars, Apollos, and Aeculapius, but he answered that he worshipped the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He was beheaded in 304. His wonderworking relics are preserved in the village of Vico della Batonia near Naples.

The Holy Martyr Susanna the Virgin, and those with her (295-296)

She was the daughter of Gavinius, a Christian priest in Rome, and the niece of Pope Gaius. The Emperor Diocletian’s adopted son Maximian wished to marry Susanna, but she had no desire to marry any one, least of all a pagan. The patricians Claudia and Maxima were sent to Susanna by the Emperor to present Maximian’s suit; but instead she turned both of them, and all their households, to the Faith. The enraged Emperor had Claudia, Maxima and their families executed, then had Susanna herself beheaded. The Emperor’s wife, Serena, was a secret Christian, and took Susanna’s body secretly and buried it. Soon after this Susanna’s father Gavinius and her uncle Pope Gaius also met martyrdom.

Saint Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople (1508)

He was born in Greece and became a monk at a young age, spending many years in asceticism on the Holy Mountain. Against his desire, he was made Bishop of Thessalonika, then Patriarch of Constantinople. He was banished by the Sultan (the Prologue does not say why), served as archbishop in Wallachia for a time, then returned to Dionysiou monastery on the Holy Mountain, where he reposed at the age of ninety. He composed the ‘Prayer at Departing’ used in the funeral service.

Repose of Fr Georges Florovsky (1979) (July 29 OC)