Galatians 2.21-3.7 (Epistle)

21Ne odbacujem blagodati Božije; jer ako pravda kroz zakon dolazi, to Hristos uzalud umrije.

1O nerazumni Galati! ko vas je opèinio da se ne pokoravate istini? Vi, kojima pred oèima bješe napisan Isus Hristos, a sad se meðu vama razape. 2Ovo jedno hoæu od vas da doznam, ili Duha primiste kroz djela zakona ili kroz èuvenje vjere? 3Tako li ste nerazumni? Poèevši Duhom, sad tijelom svršujete? 4Tako li uzalud postradaste? Kad bi bilo samo uzalud! 5Koji vam dakle daje Duha i èini èudesa meðu vama, èini li djelima zakona ili èuvenjem vjere? 6Kao što Avraam vjerova Bogu, i primi mu se u pravdu. 7Poznajte dakle da su oni sinovi Avraamovi koji su od vjere.

Mark 6.1-7 (Gospel)

1I iziðe odande, i doðe na svoju postojbinu; i za njim idoše uèenici njegovi. 2I kad doðe subota, poèe uèiti u zbornici. I mnogi koji slušahu, divljahu se govoreæi: otkud ovome to? I kakva mu je premudrost dana? I èudesa takova rukama njegovijem èine se? 3Nije li ovo drvodjelja, sin Marijin, a brat Jakovljev i Josijin i Judin i Simonov? I nijesu li sestre njegove ovdje meðu nama? I sablažnjavahu se o njega. 4A Isus reèe im: nigdje nije prorok bez èasti do na postojbini svojoj i u rodu i u domu svome. 5I ne mogaše ondje nijednoga èuda da uèini, osim što malo bolesnika iscijeli metnuvši na njih ruke. 6I divljaše se nevjerstvu njihovome. I iðaše po okolnijem selima i uèaše. 7I dozva dvanaestoricu, i poèe ih slati dva i dva, i davaše im vlast nad duhovima neèistijem.

Great Martyr Nicetas the Goth (372)

He was a Goth of noble birth among his people, a disciple of Bishop Theophilus of the Goths, who took part in the First Ecumenical Council. When he confronted Athanaric, the pagan ruler of the Goths, for his persecution of Christians and for his unbelief, Nicetas was cruelly tortured and finally burned to death. Though he died in the flames, his body was brought forth unharmed. His relics were taken by his friend Marianus to Mopsuestia in Cilicia, where a church dedicated to the Saint was built.

Holy Martyr Porphyrius (361).

“An actor, he first mocked at Christians before Julian the Apostate. On one occasion, when he was mimicking the Christian mystery of Baptism, he was dipped into the water, pronouncing the words: ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ When he emerged from the water, he cried out: ‘Now I am a Christian!’ Everyone thought that this was in jest, as always, but he held firm to it, stopped mocking Christians and finally suffered for Christ. He was beheaded in 361, and entered into the Kingdom of Christ.” (Prologue)

We rightly condemn worship that is purely external; but the life of St Porphyrius reminds us in a striking way that the ‘externals’ of the Faith have a power that can work to convert the heart of man. St Porphyrius used the words of Holy Baptism not only carelessly but mockingly, yet by God’s grace he emerged from the waters truly renewed into Christ.