Romans 7.1-13 (Epistle)

1Ili ne znate, braæo jer govorim onima koji znadu zakon da zakon vlada nad èovjekom dokle je živ? 2Jer je udata žena privezana zakonom za muža dokle god on živi; a ako li muž njezin umre, razdriješi se od zakona muževljega. 3Zato dakle dok joj je muž živ biva preljuboèinica ako poðe za drugog muža; a ako joj umre muž prosta je od zakona da ne bude preljuboèinica ako poðe za drugoga. 4Zato, braæo moja, i vi umrijeste zakonu tijelom Hristovijem, da budete drugoga, onoga što usta iz mrtvijeh, da plod donesemo Bogu. 5Jer kad bijasmo u tijelu, bijahu slasti grjehovne, koje zakon raðahu u udima našima da se smrti plod donosi. 6A sad umrvši izbavismo se od zakona koji nas držaše, da služimo Bogu) u obnovljenju Duha a ne u starini slova. 7Šta æemo dakle reæi? Je li zakon grijeh? Bože saèuvaj! nego ja grijeha ne poznah osim kroz zakon; jer ne znadoh za želju da zakon ne kaza: ne zaželi. 8A grijeh uze poèetak kroz zapovijest, i naèini u meni svaku želju; jer je grijeh bez zakona mrtav. 9A ja življah nekad bez zakona; a kad doðe zapovijest, onda grijeh oživlje, 10A ja umrijeh, i naðe se da mi zapovijest bi za smrt koja bješe data za život. 11Jer grijeh uzevši poèetak kroz zapovijest prevari me, i ubi me njome. 12Tako je dakle zakon svet i zapovijest sveta i pravedna i dobra. 13Dobro li dakle bi meni smrt? Bože saèuvaj! nego grijeh, da se pokaže grijeh dobrom èineæi mi smrt, da bude grijeh odviše grješan zapoviješæu.

Matthew 9.36-10.8 (Gospel)

36A gledajuæi ljude sažali mu se, jer bijahu smeteni i rasijani kao ovce bez pastira. 37Tada reèe uèenicima svojijem: žetve je mnogo, a poslenika malo. 38Molite se dakle gospodaru od žetve da izvede poslenike na žetvu svoju.

1I dozvavši svojijeh dvanaest uèenika dade im vlast nad duhovima neèistijem da ih izgone, i da iscjeljuju od svake bolesti i svake nemoæi. 2A dvanaest apostola imena su ova: prvi Simon, koji se zove Petar, i Andrija brat njegov; Jakov Zevedejev, i Jovan brat njegov; 3Filip i Vartolomije; Toma i Matej carinik; Jakov Alfejev, i Levej prozvani Tadija; 4Simon Kananit, i Juda Iskariotski, koji ga i predade. 5Ovijeh dvanaest posla Isus i zapovjedi im govoreæi: na put neznabožaca ne idite, i u grad Samarjanski ne ulazite. 6Nego idite k izgubljenijem ovcama doma Izrailjeva. 7A hodeæi propovijedajte i kazujte da se približilo carstvo nebesko. 8Bolesne iscjeljujte, gubave èistite, mrtve dižite, ðavole izgonite; zabadava ste dobili, zabadava i dajite.

St Hilarion the New, abbot of the Dalmatian Monastery (845)

He was born in 775 in Cappadocia. He became abbot of the Monastery of Dalmatus, where he fervently defended the icons against the attacks of the Emperor Leo the Armenian. He was exiled twice, first by Leo, then by Theophilus, but was finally freed by the Empress Theodora and again became abbot of the monastery, where he served until his repose.

Our Holy Mothers the Martyrs Archelaïs, Thekla and Susanna (293)

“As pure and virginal nuns, they lived the ascetic life in an unknown monastery near Rome. When a persecution of Christians arose under the wicked Emperor Diocletian, they fled to Campania and settled near the town of Nola. Their holy life could not be concealed, and people from nearby began to come to them for counsel, instruction and help in various trials and sicknesses, and they were finally seized by the pagans and taken for trial. They publicly and freely confessed their faith in Christ. When the judge, Leontius, questioned the holy Archelaïs about the Christian faith, she replied: ‘It is by the power of Christ that I overcome the power of the devil and teach the people understanding and knowledge of the one, true God. By the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, it is given that, through me His servant, the sick find healing.’ All three maidens were whipped, flogged with heavy staves, left to languish in prison and finally beheaded. When they were led out to the scaffold, angels appeared to them, which were seen by some of the executioners and inspired such fear in them that they dared not lift up their swords against the holy maidens. They, however, urged the executioners to finish their task. And thus, as lambs, were they beheaded in the year 293, and went to the Kingdom of Christ to rest in eternity and delight in beholding the face of God.” (Prologue)

St Bessarion the Wonderworker of Egypt (466)

He is commemorated today in the Slavic Menaion. See February 20, the date of his commemoration in the Greek Synaxarion.