2 Timothy 2.11-19 (Epistle)

11Istinita je rijeè: ako s njim umrijesmo, to æemo s njim i oživljeti. 12Ako trpimo, s njim æemo i carovati. Ako se odreèemo, i on æe se nas odreæi. 13Ako ne vjerujemo, on ostaje vjeran; jer se sam sebe ne može odreæi. 14Ovo napominji, i posvjedoèi pred Gospodom da se ne prepiru, koje ništa ne pomaže, nego smeta one koji slušaju. 15Postaraj se da se pokažeš pošten pred Bogom, kao radin koji se nema šta stidjeti, i pravo upravlja rijeèju istine. 16A poganijeh praznijeh razgovora kloni se; jer najviše pomažu u bezbožnosti, 17I rijeè njihova kao živina toèi: meðu kojima je Imenej i Filit, 18Koji u istini pogriješiše govoreæi da je vaskrsenije veæ bilo; i smetaju vjeru nekijeh. 19Tvrdo dakle stoji temelj Božij imajuæi ovaj peèat: pozna Gospod svoje; i: da otstupi od nepravde svaki koji spominje ime Gospodnje.

Luke 18.2-8 (Gospel)

2Govoreæi: u jednome gradu bijaše jedan sudija koji se Boga ne bojaše i ljudi ne stiðaše. 3A u onome gradu bijaše jedna udovica i dolažaše k njemu govoreæi: ne daj me mojemu suparniku. 4I ne šæadijaše zadugo. A najposlije reèe u sebi: ako se i ne bojim Boga i ljudi ne sramim, 5No buduæi da mi dosaðuje ova udovica, odbraniæu je, da mi jednako ne dolazi i ne dosaðuje. 6Tada reèe Gospod: èujte šta govori nepravedni sudija. 7Akamoli Bog neæe odbraniti izbranijeh svojijeh koji ga mole dan i noæ? 8Kažem vam da æe ih odbraniti brzo. Ali sin èovjeèij kad doðe hoæe li naæi vjeru na zemlji?

Hieromartyr Clement of Ancyra, and Martyr Agathangelus (296)

He was from Ancyra in Galatia, son of a pagan father and a Christian mother named Euphrosyne. His mother prophesied on her deathbed that he would suffer great torments for Christ over many years. After her death he was adopted and reared by a pious woman named Sophia. From the age of twelve, he began to fast and pray like the monks, so that he was soon ordained a deacon, and became Bishop of Ancyra at the age of twenty. His piety and zeal for the faith attracted the attention of the Imperial Governor of the region, who had him arrested. Thus began Clement’s twenty-eight years of almost continuous suffering for the Faith. When he stood firm despite many tortures, he was sent to the Emperor Diocletian in Rome. The Emperor showed him a table set with costly vessels on one side, and another decked with instruments of torture on the other, and bade Clement to make his choice. The Saint replied: “These precious vessels remind how much more glorious must be the eternal good things of Paradise; and these instruments of torture remind me of the everlasting punishments of hell that await those who deny the Lord.”

The Saint was viciously tortured, then transported to Nicomedia, where a converted pagan named Agathangelus (‘good angel’) became his companion. For many years they endured unspeakable torments alternating with long imprisonments, but nothing would move them to deny the precious Faith of Christ. After twenty-eight years of suffering, Agathangelus was beheaded; but Clement was briefly paroled and allowed to celebrate the services of Theophany and to give the holy Communion to his fellow-Christians. A few days later, as he was again celebrating the Divine Liturgy, some pagan soldiers burst into the church and beheaded him at the altar.