Acts 23.1-11 (Epistle)

1A Pavle pogledavši na skupštinu reèe: ljudi braæo! ja sa svom dobrom savjesti življeh pred Bogom do samoga ovog dana. 2A poglavar sveštenièki Ananija zapovjedi onima što stajahu kod njega da ga biju po ustima. 3Tada mu reèe Pavle: tebe æe Bog biti, zide okreèeni! I ti sjediš te mi sudiš po zakonu, a prestupajuæi zakon zapovijedaš da me biju. 4A oni što stajahu naokolo rekoše: zar psuješ Božijeg poglavara sveštenièkoga? 5A Pavle reèe: ne znadoh, braæo, da je poglavar sveštenièki, jer stoji napisano: starješini naroda svojega da ne govoriš ružno. 6A znajuæi Pavle da je jedan dio sadukeja a drugi fariseja, povika na skupštini: ljudi braæo! ja sam farisej i sin farisejev: za nad i za vaskrsenije iz mrtvijeh doveden sam na sud. 7A kad on ovo reèe, postade raspra meðu sadukejima i farisejima, i razdijeli se narod. 8Jer sadukeji govore da nema vaskrsenija, ni anðela ni duha; a fariseji priznaju oboje. 9I postade velika vika, i ustavši književnici od strane farisejske prepirahu se meðu sobom govoreæi: nikakvo zlo ne nalazimo na ovome èovjeku; ako li mu govori duh ili anðeo, da se ne suprotimo Bogu. 10A kad posta raspra velika, pobojavši se vojvoda da Pavla ne raskinu, zapovjedi da siðu vojnici i da ga otmu izmeðu njih, i da ga odvedu u oko. 11A onu noæ stade Gospod predanjga i reèe: ne boj se, Pavle, jer kao što si svjedoèio za mene u Jerusalimu, tako ti valja i u Rimu svjedoèiti.

John 16.15-23 (Gospel)

15Sve što ima otac moje je: zato rekoh da æe od mojega uzeti, i javiti vam. 16Još malo, i neæete me vidjeti, i opet malo, pa æete me vidjeti: jer idem k ocu. 17A neki od uèenika njegovijeh rekoše meðu sobom: šta je to što nam kaže: još malo, i neæete me vidjeti; i opet malo pa æete me vidjeti; i: ja idem k ocu? 18Govorahu dakle: šta je to što govori: malo? ne znamo šta govori. 19A Isus razumje da šæadijahu da ga zapitaju, pa im reèe: zato li se zapitujete meðu sobom što rekoh: još malo i neæete me vidjeti, i opet malo pa æete me vidjeti? 20Zaista, zaista vam kažem da æete vi zaplakati i zaridati, a svijet æe se radovati; i vi æete žalosni biti, ali æe se vaša žalost okrenuti na radost. 21Žena kad raða trpi muku; jer doðe èas njezin: ali kad rodi dijete, više se ne opominje žalosti od radosti, jer se rodi èovjek na svijet. 22Tako i vi dakle imate sad žalost; ali æu vas opet vidjeti, i radovaæe se srce vaše, i vaše radosti niko neæe uzeti od vas; 23I u onaj dan neæete me pitati ni za što. Zaista, zaista vam kažem da što god uzištete u oca u ime moje, daæe vam.

Martyr Theodotus of Ancyra and seven virgin-martyrs with him (303)

Theodotus was a married inn-keeper in Ancyra during the persecutions of Diocletian. He used his inn-keeping trade as a means of secretly helping the persecuted Christians, many of whom used his inn as a refuge in time of need. One of his holy works was to retrieve the bodies of martyred Christians and give them burial. At that time, seven maidens were tried and tortured for their faith in Christ, then killed by being thrown into a lake. One of them, St Tecusa, appeared to St Theodotus and asked him to retrieve the bodies of her and her sisters in Christ. Under cover of night Theodotus, guided by an Angel, was able to find all seven bodies and bury them honorably. But a friend whom he had asked to help him in this work betrayed him, and he was arrested and subjected to cruel tortures. Finally he was sentenced to be beheaded. As he went to the block, he said to the many Christians who had gathered to weep for him: ‘Do not weep for me, brethren, but glorify our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose aid I am finishing my course and overcoming the enemy.’ A church dedicated to him was later built on the site of his burial.

Holy Martyrs Peter, Dionysius, Christina, Andrew, Paul, Benedimus, Paulinus, and Heraclius (250)

“These Saints all contested in martyrdom during the reign of Decius (249-251). Peter was from Lampsacus in the Hellespont. For refusing to offer sacrifice to the idol of Aphrodite, his whole body was crushed and broken with chains and pieces of wood on a torture-wheel; having endured this torment courageously, he gave up his soul.

“Paul and Andrew were soldiers from Mesopotamia brought to Athens with their governor; there they were put in charge of two captive Christians, Dionysius and Christina. The soldiers, seeing the beauty of the virgin Christina, attempted to move her to commit sin with them, but she refused and, by her admonitions, brought them to faith in Christ. They and Dionysius were stoned to death, and Christina was beheaded.

“Heraclius, Paulinus,and Benedimus were Athenians, and preachers of the Gospel who turned many of the heathen from their error to the light of Christ. Brought before the governor, they confesed their Faith, and after many torments were beheaded.” (Great Horologion)

The Prologue adds: “One Nicomachus, who was tortured with them, denied Christ under torture, and instantly lost his mind, tearing at his body with his teeth and foaming at the mouth until he breathed his last.”