Acts 13.13-24 (Epistle)

13A kad se Pavle sa svojijem društvom odveze iz Pafa, doðoše u Pergu Pamfilijsku; a Jovan se odvoji od njih, i vrati se u Jerusalim. 14A oni otišavši iz Perge doðoše u Antiohiju Pisidijsku, i ušavši u zbornicu u dan subotni sjedoše. 15A po èitanju zakona i proroka poslaše starješine zbornièke k njima govoreæi: ljudi braæo! ako je u vama rijeè utjehe za narod, govorite. 16A Pavle ustavši i mahnuvši rukom reèe: ljudi Izrailjci i koji se Boga bojite! èujte. 17Bog naroda ovoga izabra oce naše, i podiže narod kad bijahu došljaci u zemlji Misirskoj, i rukom visokom izvede ih iz nje. 18I do èetrdeset godina prehrani ih u pustinji. 19I zatrvši sedam naroda u zemlji Hanaanskoj na kocke razdijeli im zemlju njihovu. 20I potom na èetiri stotine i pedeset godina dade im sudije do Samuila proroka. 21I od tada iskaše cara, i dade im Bog Saula, sina Kisova, èovjeka od koljena Venijaminova, za èetrdeset godina. 22I uklonivši njega podiže im Davida za cara, kome i reèe svjedoèeæi: naðoh Davida sina Jesejeva, èovjeka po srcu mojemu, koji æe ispuniti sve volje moje. 23Od njegova sjemena podiže Bog po obeæanju Izrailju spasa Isusa; 24Kad Jovan pred njegovijem dolaskom propovijeda krštenje pokajanja svemu narodu Izrailjevu.

John 6.5-14 (Gospel)

5Podignuvši dakle Isus oèi, i vidjevši da mnoštvo naroda ide k njemu, reèe Filipu: gdje æemo kupiti hljeba da ovi jedu? 6A ovo govoraše kušajuæi ga, jer sam znadijaše šta æe èiniti. 7Odgovori mu Filip: dvjesta groša hljeba nije dosta da svakome od njih po malo dopadne. 8Reèe mu jedan od uèenika njegovijeh, Andrija, brat Simona Petra: 9Ovdje ima jedno momèe koje ima pet hljebova jeèmenijeh i dvije ribe; ali šta je to na toliki svijet! 10A Isus reèe: posadite ljude. A bješe trave mnogo na onome mjestu. Posadi se dakle ljudi na broj oko pet hiljada. 11A Isus uzevši one hljebove, i davši hvalu, dade uèenicima, a uèenici onima koji bijahu posaðeni; tako i od riba koliko htješe. 12I kad se nasitiše, reèe uèenicima svojijem: skupite komade što pretekoše da ništa ne propadne. 13I skupiše, i napuniše dvanaest kotarica komada od pet hljebova jeèmenijeh što preteèe iza onijeh što su jeli. 14A ljudi vidjevši èudo koje uèini Isus govorahu: ovo je zaista onaj prorok koji treba da doðe na svijet.

Our Holy Father Nikephoros the Hesychast (14th c.)

He was originally a Roman Catholic, but became Orthodox and lived in asceticism on the Holy Mountain as a monk. He was the spiritual father of St Gregory Palamas. His life was outwardly uneventful, and he reposed in peace in the 14th century. He left this very concise description of the hesychast’s path:

“Gather your mind and compel it to enter into your heart and remain there. When your mind is firmly in your heart, it must not remain empty, but must incessantly make the prayer: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!’ And it must never fall silent. Through this the whole string of the virtues: love, joy, peace and the others, will make their abode in you, by which, then, every request of yours to God will be fulfilled.”

Virgin-martyr Pelagia of Tarsus in Asia Minor (287)

She was born in Tarsus (home of the Apostle Paul). Though her parents were prominent pagans, she heard of Christ from Christians in that city, and her heart was filled with love for the Savior. The Emperor Diocletian visited Tarsus, and during his stay the Emperor’s son and heir fell in love with Pelagia and wished to marry her. To her parents’ complete amazement, Pelagia replied that she was already promised to her betrothed, Christ the Lord. She then fled her parents’ house and went to the holy Bishop Linus, who instructed her in the Faith and baptized her. Pelagia then gave away all her many possessions, returned home, and told her parents that she was baptised. The Emperor’s son, despairing of marryng her, killed himself. Pelagia’s mother then denounced her daughter to the Emperor, who summoned her for trial. When Pelagia freely confessed her unwavering faith in Christ, the Emperor condemned her to be burned in a metal ox heated by fire. An account of her martyrdom says that, entering the ox with prayers of thanksgiving on her lips, she instantly melted like wax. Bishop Linus, who had baptised her, found a few of her bones and buried them on a hill near Tarsus. During the reign of the Emperor Constantine Copronymus (741-775), a church was built there in her honor.

St Monica, mother of Blessed Augustine (388)