1 John 2.18-3.10 (Epistle)

18Djeco! pošljednje je vrijeme, i kao što èuste da æe doæi antihrist, i sad mnogi antihristi postaše; po tom poznajemo da je pošljednji èas. 19Od nas iziðoše, ali ne biše od nas: kad bi bili od nas onda bi ostali s nama; ali da se jave da nijesu svi od nas. 20I vi imate pomazanje od svetoga, i znate sve. 21Ne pisah vam kao da ne znate istine, nego što je znate, i znate da nikakva laž nije od istine. 22Ko je lažljivac osim onoga koji odrièe da Isus nije Hristos? Ovo je antihrist, koji se odrièe oca i sina. 23Koji se god odrièe sina ni oca nema; a koji priznaje sina, i oca ima. 24Vi dakle što èuste ispoèetka u vama neka stoji; ako u vama ostane što èuste ispoèetka, i vi æete ostati u sinu i u ocu. 25I ovo je obeæanje koje nam on obeæa, život vjeèni. 26Ovo vam pisah za one koji vas varaju. 27I vi pomazanje što primiste od njega, u vama stoji, i ne trebujete da vas ko uèi; nego kako vas to samo pomazanje uèi u svemu, i istinito je, i nije laž, i kao što vas nauèi ostanite u njemu. 28I sad, djeèice, ostanite u njemu da imamo slobodu kad se javi, i da se ne osramotimo pred njim o njegovu dolasku. 29Ako znate da je pravednik, poznajte da je svaki koji tvori pravdu od njega roðen.

1Vidite kakvu nam je ljubav dao otac, da se djeca Božija nazovemo i budemo; zato svijet ne poznaje nas, jer njega ne pozna. 2Ljubazni! sad smo djeca Božija, i još se ne pokaza šta æemo biti; nego znamo da kad se pokaže, biæemo kao i on, jer æemo ga vidjeti kao što jest. 3I svaki koji ovaj nad ima na njega, èisti se, kao i on što je èist. 4Svaki koji èini grijeh i bezakonje èini: i grijeh je bezakonje. 5I znate da se on javi da grijehe naše uzme; i grijeha u njemu nema. 6Koji god u njemu stoji ne griješi; koji god griješi ne vidje ga niti ga pozna. 7Djeèice! niko da vas ne vara: koji pravdu tvori pravednik je, kao što je on pravedan; 8Koji tvori grijeh od ðavola je, jer ðavo griješi od poèetka. Zato se javi sin Božij da raskopa djela ðavolja. 9Koji je god roðen od Boga ne èini grijeha, jer njegovo sjeme stoji u njemu, i ne može griješiti, jer je roðen od Boga. 10Po tom se poznaju djeca Božija i djeca ðavolja: koji god ne tvori pravde, nije od Boga, i koji ne ljubi brata svojega.

Mark 11.1-11 (Gospel)

1I kad se približi k Jerusalimu, k Vitfazi i Vitaniji, kod gore Maslinske, posla dvojicu od uèenika svojijeh 2I reèe im: idite u selo što je prema vama, i odmah kako uðete u njega naæi æete magare privezano, na koje niko od ljudi nije usjedao; odriješite ga i dovedite. 3I ako vam ko reèe: šta to èinite? kažite: treba Gospodu; i odmah æe ga poslati amo. 4A oni otidoše, i naðoše magare privezano kod vrata napolju na raskršæu, i odriješiše ga. 5I neki od onijeh što stajahu ondje rekoše im: zašto driješite magare? 6A oni rekoše im kao što im zapovjedi Isus; i ostaviše ih. 7I dovedoše magare k Isusu, i metnuše na nj haljine svoje; i usjede na nj. 8A mnogi prostriješe haljine svoje po putu; a jedni rezahu granje od drveta, i prostirahu po putu. 9A koji iðahu pred njim i za njim, vikahu govoreæi: Osana! blagosloven koji ide u ime Gospodnje! 10Blagosloveno carstvo oca našega Davida koje ide u ime Gospodnje! Osana na visini! 11I uðe Isus u Jerusalim, i u crkvu; i promotrivši sve, kad bi uveèe, iziðe u Vitaniju s dvanaestoricom.

Holy Martyr Tryphon (250)

He was the son of humble, pious parents in Phrygia, and as supported himself keeping geese. At a very early age he was granted the gift of healing illnesses of man and animals, and driving out unclean spirits.

The daughter of the Emperor Gordian (238-244) was possessed by a demon, which no physician or pagan sorcerer had been able to drive away. One day the demon shouted, ‘Only Tryphon is able to drive me out!’ Gordian sent servants to scour the Empire in search of the unknown healer; eventually their inquiries led them to the teenaged goose-keeper, and they brought him to Rome, where his prayers immediately drove out the demon. The Emperor showered Tryphon with gifts, which he gave away to the poor on his journey homeward.

When the persecution of Christians under Decius (250) broke out, Tryphon was denounced to the regional government as a dangerous promoter of Christianity (though he had continued to live as a humble peasant, his miracles and healings had made him known). His former service to the Emperor was either forgotten or of no account to the governor, who had him viciously tortured, then sent to Nicaea for further interrogation. There, when no torment would persuade him to deny Christ or worship the idols, he was beheaded outside the city gates. His relics were returned to Lampsacus, near his home, where he continued to work many miracles of healing.

Saint Tryphon is especially invoked for the protection of gardens and farmland against locusts, reptiles, and all small pests.

Holy Martyrs Perpetua and Felicity, and those with them at Carthage (203)

Perpetua, Felicity, Saturus, Saturninus, Secundus and Revocatus were all young catechumens living near Carthage. Perpetua was of noble birth; Felicity (Felicitas) was her slave. All were arrested under Emperor Valerian’s persecution and sent to Carthage. Perpetua had a young child still at the breast, which she asked to take with her.

The holy martyrs appeared before the tribunal and joyfully received their sentence of condemnation to be thrown to the wild beasts in the arena. Felicity, who was eight months pregnant, was concerned that her martyrdom might be postponed because of her pregnancy, but at the prayers of her friends, she went into labor three days before the games. As she groaned in labor, a jailer mocked her, telling her that the pain she felt was nothing to the pain that she would feel in the arena. The Saint replied, ‘Here I suffer for myself; then there will be Another with me, who will suffer with me; and my sufferings will be for Him!’ When she gave birth, she entrusted her newborn child to the care of a Christian couple and prepared for her end.

On the day of the games, the brothers and sisters in Christ entered the arena together. The men were soon killed by the beasts, but Perpetua and Felicity, though mauled, remained alive. The impatient persecutors ordered that they be beheaded. Walking to the center of the arena, the two spiritual sisters exchanged the kiss of peace and gave up their souls to God.

Our Holy Mother Brigid of Kildare (524)

Her name is also spelled Brigit or Bridget; she is considered, equally with St Patrick (March 17), patron of Ireland. She was born in Ulster of a noble Irish family which had been converted by St Patrick. She was uncommonly beautiful, and her father planned to marry her to the King of Ulster. But at the age of sixteen she asked her Lord Jesus Christ to make her unattractive, so that no one would marry her and she could devote herself to Him alone. Soon she lost an eye and was allowed to enter a monastery. On the day that she took monastic vows, she was miraculously healed and her original beauty restored.

Near Dublin she built herself a cell under an oak tree, which was called Kill-dara, or Cell of the Oak. Soon seven other young women joined her and established the monastery of Kill-dara, which in time became the cathedral city of Kildare. The monastery grew rapidly and became a double monastery with both men’s and women’s settlements, with the Abbess ranking above the Abbot; from it several other monasteries were planted throughout Ireland. (Combined men’s and women’s monastic communities are virtually unknown in the east, but were common in the golden age of the Irish Church).

The Saint predicted the day of her death and fell asleep in peace in 524, leaving a monastic Rule to govern all the monasteries under her care. During the Middle Ages her veneration spread throughout Europe.