Acts 14.20-27 (Epistle)

20A kad ga opkoliše uèenici njegovi, ustade i uðe u grad, i sjutradan iziðe s Varnavom u Dervu. 21I propovjedivši jevanðelje gradu onome i nauèivši mnoge vratiše se u Listru i Ikoniju i Antiohiju 22Utvrðujuæi duše uèenika i svjetujuæi ih da ostanu u vjeri, i da nam kroz mnoge nevolje valja uæi u carstvo Božije. 23I postavivši im starješine po svijem crkvama, i pomolivši se Bogu s postom, predadoše ih Gospodu koga vjerovaše. 24I prošavši Pisidiju doðoše u Pamfiliju. 25I govorivši rijeè Gospodnju u Perzi siðoše u Ataliju. 26I odande otploviše u Antiohiju, odakle bijahu predani blagodati Božijoj na djelo koje svršiše. 27A kad doðoše i sabraše crkvu, kazaše sve šta uèini Bog s njima, i kako otvori neznabošcima vrata vjere.

John 9.39-10.9 (Gospel)

39I reèe Isus: ja doðoh na sud na ovaj svijet, da vide koji ne vide, i koji vide da postanu slijepi. 40I èuše ovo neki od fariseja koji bijahu s njim, i rekoše mu: eda li smo i mi slijepi? 41Reèe im Isus: kad biste bili slijepi, ne biste imali grijeha, a sad govorite da vidite, tako vaš grijeh ostaje.

1Zaista, zaista vam kažem: ko ne ulazi na vrata u tor ovèij nego prelazi na drugom mjestu on je lupež i hajduk; 2A koji ulazi na vrata jest pastir ovcama: 3Njemu vratar otvora, i ovce glas njegov slušaju, i svoje ovce zove po imenu, i izgoni ih; 4I kad svoje ovce istjera, ide pred njima, i ovce idu za njim, jer poznaju glas njegov. 5A za tuðinom neæe da idu, nego bježe od njega, jer ne poznaju glasa tuðega. 6Ovu prièu kaza im Isus, ali oni ne razumješe šta to bijaše što im kaza. 7Tada im reèe Isus opet: zaista, zaista vam kažem: ja sam vrata k ovcama. 8Svi koliko ih god doðe prije mene lupeži su i hajduci; ali ih ovce ne poslušaše. 9Ja sam vrata; ko uðe kroza me spašæe se, i uæi æe i iziæi æe, i pašu æe naæi.

Great-martyr Irene of Thessalonica (4th c.)

“Saint Irene was the daughter of a princelet called Licinius; named Penelope by her parents, through a divine revelation she was brought to faith in Christ and at Baptism was renamed Irene. In her zeal for piety she broke in pieces all the idols of her father, who commanded that she be trampled underfoot by horses. But while she remained unharmed, one of the horses rose up and cast down her father, killing him. By her prayer she raised him to life again, and he believed and was baptized. Afterwards, in many journeyings, Saint Irene suffered torments and punishments for her faith, but was preserved by the power of God, while working dread miracles and converting many thousands of souls. At last she came to Ephesus, where she fell asleep in peace, in the first half of the fourth century. Two days after her death, her gravestone was found lifted off, and her grave empty. At least two churches were dedicated to St Irene in Constantinople, and she is the patroness of the Aegean island of Thera, which is commonly called Santorini, a corruption of “Saint Irene.” (Great Horologion)

Note: The most famous Agia Irene church in Constantinople is not named after her, but for the Holy Peace (Greek Irene) of God, which is Christ.

The Prologue’s account differs in several details. St Nikolai places St Irene in the Balkans in the town of Magedon, in apostolic times rather than the 3rd-4th century. In his account Irene learned the Christian faith from her teacher, Appelianus, and was baptised by the Apostle Timothy himself. He attributes the anger of Irene’s father to her refusal to marry rather than her smashing the family idols (though of course she might have done both).