Romans 12.1-3 (Epistle)

1Molim vas dakle, braæo, milosti Božije radi, da date tjelesa svoja u žrtvu živu, svetu, ugodnu Bogu; to da bude vaše duhovno bogomoljstvo. 2I ne vladajte se prema ovome vijeku, nego se promijenite obnovljenjem uma svojega, da biste mogli kušati koje je dobra i ugodna i savršena volja Božija. 3Jer kroz blagodat koja je meni data kažem svakome koji je meðu vama da ne mislite za sebe više nego što valja misliti; nego da mislite u smjernosti kao što je kome Bog udijelio mjeru vjere.

Galatians 4.22-31 (Epistle, St Anna)

22Jer je pisano da Avraam dva sina imade, jednoga od robinje, a drugoga od slobodne. 23Ali koji bješe od robinje, po tijelu se rodi; a koji od slobodne, po obeæanju. 24Koje znaèi drugo: jer su ovo dva zavjeta: jedan dakle od gore Sinajske, koja raða za robovanje, i to je Agar. 25Jer Agar znaèi Sinaj gora u Arapskoj, i poredi se sa sadašnjijem Jerusalimom, i služi sa djecom svojom. 26A gornji Jerusalim slobodna je, koji je mati svima nama. 27Jer je pisano: razveseli se, nerotkinjo koja ne raðaš; prokini i povièi, ti koja ne trpiš muke poroðaja; jer pusta ima mnogo više djece negoli ona koja ima muža. 28A mi smo, braæo, po Isaku djeca obeæanja. 29No kako onda onaj što se rodi po tijelu gonjaše duhovnoga, tako i sad. 30Ali šta govori pismo? Istjeraj robinju i sina njezina; jer sin robinjin neæe naslijediti sa sinom slobodne. 31Tako, braæo, nijesmo djeca robinjina nego slobodne.

Matthew 10.37-11.1 (Gospel)

37Koji ljubi oca ili mater veæma nego mene, nije mene dostojan; i koji ljubi sina ili kæer veæma nego mene, nije mene dostojan. 38I koji ne uzme krsta svojega i ne poðe za mnom, nije mene dostojan. 39Koji èuva dušu svoju, izgubiæe je; a koji izgubi dušu svoju mene radi, naæi æe je. 40Koji vas prima, mene prima; a koji prima mene, prima onoga koji me je poslao. 41Koji prima proroka u ime proroèko, platu proroèku primiæe; a koji prima pravednika u ime pravednièko, platu pravednièku primiæe. 42I ako ko napoji jednoga od ovijeh malijeh samo èašom studene vode u ime uèenièko, zaista vam kažem, neæe mu plata propasti.

1I kad svrši Isus zapovijesti dvanaestorici uèenika svojijeh, otide odande dalje da uèi i da propovijeda po gradovima njihovijem.

Luke 8.16-21 (Gospel, St Anna)

16Niko pak svijeæe ne poklapa sudom kad je zapali, niti meæe pod odar, nego je metne na svijeænjak da vide svjetlost koji ulaze. 17Jer nema ništa tajno što neæe biti javno, ni sakriveno što se neæe doznati i na vidjelo iziæi. 18Gledajte dakle kako slušate; jer ko ima, daæe mu se, a ko nema, uzeæe se od njega i ono što misli da ima. 19Doðoše pak k njemu mati i braæa njegova, i ne mogahu od naroda da govore s njim. 20I javiše mu govoreæi: mati tvoja i braæa tvoja stoje napolju, hoæe da te vide. 21A on odgovarajuæi reèe im: mati moja i braæa moja oni su koji slušaju rijeè Božiju i izvršuju je.

Dormition of the Righteous Anna, mother of the Most Holy Theotokos

According to tradition, both Anna and her husband Joachim had reposed by the time the Most Holy Theotokos was about eleven years old and living in the Temple; thus when she reached maturity she was an orphan, and was given into the care of the noble Joseph. The prayers of St Anna are invoked for conceiving children and for help in difficult childbirth. Her main feast is on September 9th.

Commemoration of the holy 165 Fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553)

This council was held in Constantinople during the reign of Justinian the Great. The council condemned the various forms of monophysitism, the heretical writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Theodoret, and the writings of Origen (particularly on universal salvation).

St Olympias the Deaconess (408)

She was born to a noble family in Constantinople: her father Anysius Secundus was a senator. She was betrothed to a nobleman who died before they could be wed; resisting all advice to take another husband, Olympias devoted herself entirely to God, giving her large inheritance to the Church and to the poor. She served as a deaconess, first under the Patriarch Nektarios, then under St John Chrysostom. When St John was sent into exile, he advised her to remain in Constantinople, and to continue to serve the Church whatever patriarch took his place. But as soon as the holy hierarch went into exile, a fire destroyed a large part of the City, and St John’s enemies accused the holy Olympias of setting the fire. She in turn was exiled to Nikomedia, where she reposed in 408. She left instructions that her body be placed in a coffin and thrown into the sea, to be buried wherever it was cast up. The coffin came to shore at Vrochthoi and was buried there at a church dedicated to the Apostle Thomas. Her relics have continued to be a source of great miracles of healing.

During his exile, St John Chrysostom wrote a number of letters to St Olympias, seventeen of which have been preserved through the centuries. In one he writes: ‘Now I am deeply joyful, not only because you have been delivered from sickness, but even more because you are bearing adversities with such fortitude, calling them trifles — a characteristic of a soul filled with power and abounding in the rich fruits of courage. You are not only enduring misfortune with fortitude, but are making light of it in a seemingly effortless way, rejoicing and triumphing over it — this is a proof of the greatest wisdom.’