Mark 16.9-20 (3rd Matins Gospel)

9A Isus ustavši rano u prvi dan nedjelje javi se najprije Mariji Magdalini, iz koje je istjerao sedam ðavola. 10A ona otide te javi onima što su bili s njim, koji plakahu i ridahu. 11I oni èuvši da je živ i da ga je ona vidjela ne vjerovaše. 12A potom javi se na putu dvojici od njih u drugome oblièju, kad su išli u selo. 13I oni otišavši javiše ostalima; i ni njima ne vjerovaše. 14A najposlije javi se kad njih jedanaestorica bijahu za trpezom, i prekori ih za njihovo nevjerje i tvrðu srca što ne vjerovaše onima koji su ga vidjeli da je ustao; 15I reèe im: idite po svemu svijetu i propovjedite jevanðelje svakome stvorenju. 16Koji uzvjeruje i pokrsti se, spašæe se; a ko ne vjeruje osudiæe se. 17A znaci onima koji vjeruju biæe ovi: imenom mojijem izgoniæe ðavole; govoriæe novijem jezicima; 18Uzimaæe zmije u ruke, ako i smrtno što popiju, neæe im nauditi; na bolesnike metaæe ruke, i ozdravljaæe. 19A Gospod pošto im izgovori uze se na nebo, i sjede Bogu s desne strane. 20A oni iziðoše i propovijedaše svuda, i Gospod ih potpomaga, i rijeè potvrðiva znacima koji su se potom pokazivali. Amin.

Romans 5.1-10 (Epistle)

1Opravdavši se dakle vjerom, imamo mir s Bogom kroz Gospoda svojega Isusa Hrista, 2Kroz kojega i pristup naðosmo vjerom u ovu blagodat u kojoj stojimo, i hvalimo se nadanjem slave Božije. 3Ne samo pak to, nego se hvalimo i nevoljama, znajuæi da nevolja trpljenje gradi; 4A trpljenje iskustvo, a iskustvo nadanje; 5A nadanje neæe se osramotiti, jer se ljubav Božija izli u srca naša Duhom svetijem koji je dat nama. 6Jer Hristos još kad slabi bjesmo umrije u vrijeme svoje za bezbožnike. 7Jer jedva ko umre za pravednika; za dobroga može biti da bi se ko usudio umrijeti. 8Ali Bog pokazuje svoju ljubav k nama što Hristos još kad bijasmo grješnici umrije za nas. 9Mnogo æemo dakle veæma biti kroza nj spaseni od gnjeva kad smo se sad opravdali krvlju njegovom. 10Jer kad smo se pomirili s Bogom smræu sina njegova dok smo još bili neprijatelji, mnogo æemo se veæma spasti u životu njegovu kad smo se pomirili.

Matthew 6.22-33 (Gospel)

22Svijeæa je tijelu oko. Ako dakle bude oko tvoje zdravo, sve æe tijelo tvoje svijetlo biti. 23Ako li oko tvoje kvarno bude, sve æe tijelo tvoje tamno biti. Ako je dakle vidjelo što je u tebi tama, akamoli tama? 24Niko ne može dva gospodara služiti: jer ili æe na jednoga mrziti, a drugoga ljubiti; ili jednome voljeti, a za drugog ne mariti. Ne možete Bogu služiti i mamoni. 25Zato vam kažem: ne brinite se za život svoj, šta æete jesti, ili šta æete piti; ni za tijelo svoje, u što æete se obuæi. Nije li život pretežniji od hrane, i tijelo od odijela? 26Pogledajte na ptice nebeske kako ne siju, niti žnju, ni sabiraju u žitnice; pa otac vaš nebeski hrani ih. Nijeste li vi mnogo pretežniji od njih? 27A ko od vas brinuæi se može primaknuti rastu svojemu lakat jedan? 28I za odijelo što se brinete? Pogledajte na ljiljane u polju kako rastu; ne trude se niti predu. 29Ali ja vam kažem da ni Solomun u svoj svojoj slavi ne obuèe se kao jedan od njih. 30A kad travu po polju, koja danas jest a sjutra se u peæ baca, Bog tako odijeva; akamoli vas, malovjerni? 31Ne brinite se dakle govoreæi: šta æemo jesti, ili, šta æemo piti, ili, èim æemo se odjenuti? 32Jer sve ovo neznabošci ištu; a zna i otac vaš nebeski da vama treba sve ovo. 33Nego ištite najprije carstva Božijega, i pravde njegove, i ovo æe vam se sve dodati.

Our Holy Fathers Onuphrios the Great and Peter of Mount Athos

They lived in different times and places, but are commemorated together.

Saint Onuphrios the Great (400). “This holy ascetic had been living a whole sixty years in the desert when the monk Paphnutius visited him. His hair and beard reached down to the ground, and long hair, as white as snow, had grown all overy his body during his years of nakedness. His appearance was cadaverous, unearthly and awe-inspiring. Seeing Paphnutius, he called him by name and then recounted to him his life in the desert. His guardian angel had appeared to him and taken him to that place. He had for a long time only eaten earth, which was hard to find in the desert, and, after that, when he had survived an intensive struggle with diabolical temptations and when his heart had become utterly established in love for God, an angel had brought him bread to eat. And besides that, through God’s gracious providence, a palm tree grew up at one side of his cell, that gave good dates, and a spring of water began to flow there. ‘But especially,’ said Onuphrios, ‘my food and drink are the sweet words of God.’ To Paphnutius’ question about his receiving of Communion, the hermit answered that the angel of God brought him Communion every Saturday. On the next day, the old man told Paphnutius that it was the day of his departure from this world; then he knelt down, prayed to God and gave his spirit into God’s hands. Then Paphnutius saw a heavenly light that illumined the body of the departed saint, and heard a choir of angelic hosts. He buried Onuphrios’ body with honour and returned to his own monastery, there as a living witness to narrate to the brethren, for their edification, the wonderful life of the man of God and the greatness of God’s providence towards those who give themselves wholly to His service.” (Prologue)

The Great Horologion adds that Paphnutius intended to stay in the place where Onuphrios died, but soon the palm tree withered and the spring dried up, which Paphnutius took as a sign that he was meant to leave that place and return to live with the brethren.

Saint Peter of Mt Athos (734). He was born to a noble family in Constantinople and became a soldier. He was taken captive by the Saracens and thrown into prison in chains, in Samarra of Syria. He spent his long imprisonment praying to God to free him and send him to some deserted place where he could devote the rest of his life to ascesis and prayer. One day St Nicholas appeared to him along with St Simeon the God-receiver; when they touched his chains they melted like wax, and Peter instantly found himself outside Samarra. He set out for Rome, where he was tonsured as a monk by the Pope, then set out by ship to return home. During the voyage, the Mother of God appeared to him along with St Nicholas, and Peter heard her tell St Nicholas that she had set Mt Athos apart for Peter to live in solitude. Peter had never heard of Mt Athos, but disembarked there and settled in a cave. There he spent fifty-three years in complete solitude, praying and struggling with the harshness of the elements and the attacks of demonic powers. After he had withstood fierce temptations for awhile, an angel of God began to bring him bread every forty days. Like St Onuphrios, his humble life might have passed completely unrecorded; but by God’s providence, one year before the Saint’s death a deer-hunter found him and heard the tale of Peter’s life, which he recorded. Saint Peter reposed in peace; his relics were taken to Macedonia.