Romans 2.14-29 (Epistle)

14Când Neamurile, măcar că n-au lege, fac din fire lucrurile Legii, prin aceasta ei, care n-au o lege, îşi sunt singuri lege; 15şi ei dovedesc că lucrarea Legii este scrisă în inimile lor; fiindcă despre lucrarea aceasta mărturiseşte cugetul lor şi gândurile lor, care sau se învinovăţesc sau se dezvinovăţesc între ele. 16Şi faptul acesta se va vedea în ziua când, după Evanghelia mea, Dumnezeu va judeca, prin Isus Hristos, lucrurile ascunse ale oamenilor. 17Tu, care te numeşti iudeu, care te rezemi pe o Lege, care te lauzi cu Dumnezeul tău, 18care cunoşti voia Lui, care ştii să faci deosebire între lucruri, pentru că eşti învăţat de Lege; 19tu, care te măguleşti că eşti călăuza orbilor, lumina celor ce sunt în întuneric, 20povăţuitorul celor fără minte, învăţătorul celor neştiutori, pentru că în Lege ai dreptarul cunoştinţei depline şi al adevărului; – 21tu deci, care înveţi pe alţii, pe tine însuţi nu te înveţi? Tu, care propovăduieşti: „Să nu furi”, furi? 22Tu care zici: „Să nu preacurveşti”, preacurveşti? Tu, căruia ţi-e scârbă de idoli, le jefuieşti templele? 23Tu, care te făleşti cu Legea, necinsteşti pe Dumnezeu prin călcarea acestei Legi? 24Căci „din pricina voastră este hulit Numele lui Dumnezeu între Neamuri”, după cum este scris. 25Tăierea împrejur, negreşit, este de folos, dacă împlineşti Legea; dar dacă tu calci Legea, tăierea ta împrejur ajunge netăiere împrejur. 26Dacă deci cel netăiat împrejur păzeşte poruncile Legii, netăierea lui împrejur nu i se va socoti ea ca o tăiere împrejur? 27Cel netăiat împrejur din naştere, care împlineşte Legea, nu te va osândi el pe tine, care o calci, măcar că ai slova Legii şi tăierea împrejur? 28Iudeu nu este acela care se arată pe din afară că este iudeu; şi tăiere împrejur nu este aceea care este pe din afară, în carne.

29Ci iudeu este acela care este iudeu înăuntru; şi tăiere împrejur este aceea a inimii, în duh, nu în slovă; un astfel de iudeu îşi scoate lauda nu de la oameni, ci de la Dumnezeu.

Matthew 5.33-41 (Gospel)

33Aţi mai auzit iarăşi că s-a zis celor din vechime: „Să nu juri strâmb; ci să împlineşti faţă de Domnul jurămintele tale.” 34Dar Eu vă spun: să nu juraţi nicidecum; nici pe cer, pentru că este scaunul de domnie al lui Dumnezeu; 35nici pe pământ, pentru că este aşternutul picioarelor Lui; nici pe Ierusalim, pentru că este cetatea marelui Împărat. 36Să nu juri nici pe capul tău, căci nu poţi face un singur păr alb sau negru. 37Felul vostru de vorbire să fie: „Da, da; nu, nu”; ce trece peste aceste cuvinte vine de la cel rău. 38Aţi auzit că s-a zis: „Ochi pentru ochi şi dinte pentru dinte.” 39Dar Eu vă spun: să nu vă împotriviţi celui ce vă face rău. Ci, oricui te loveşte peste obrazul drept, întoarce-i şi pe celălalt. 40Oricui vrea să se judece cu tine şi să-ţi ia haina, lasă-i şi cămaşa. 41Dacă te sileşte cineva să mergi cu el o milă de loc, mergi cu el două.

Hieromartyr Therapon, bishop of Sardis (259)

For boldly preaching Christ and bringing many to the Faith, he was seized and tortured by the pagans. After imprisoning and starving him, his persecutors bound him to four posts and flogged him until the flesh was stripped from his bones. But he remained alive, and the four dead posts to which he was tied sprouted into tall, green trees, from which many received healing. At last St Therapon was slain by the sword, during the reign of the Emperor Valerian.

Holy Martyrs Theodora and Didymus (304)

“In the reign of the wicked Emperor Maximilian, there lived in Alexandria a maiden, Theodora, well-educated and of noble lineage. She was brought to trial before the pagans for her Christian faith. After long interrogation and torture for the Faith, the prince, her tormentor, ordered that she be thrown into a brothel and the soldiers given free access to her to indulge their carnal lusts. Theodora prayed fervently to God to save her from defilement, and, when she had prayed, a soldier called Didymus came in to her and told her that he was a servant of Christ. He dressed her in his soldier’s garb and himself in her dress, then let her out and remained in the brothel himself. He was seized and brought before the judge, where he acknowledged that he was a Christian and had saved Theodora, and was now prepared to die for Christ. He was condemned to death and taken out to the place of execution. Theodora ran up to him there and cried out: ‘Although you saved my honour, I did not ask you to save me from death. Yield the martyr’s death to me!’ Didymus replied: ‘My beloved sister, do not hinder my death for Christ, nor the washing of my sins in my blood.’ Hearing this exchange, the pagans condemned them both to death, and they were beheaded and their bodies burned. They suffered with honour and received eternal wreaths of glory in Alexandria in the year 304.” (Prologue)

Holy New Confessor John the Russian (1730)

He was captured during a Russian campaign against the Turks in 1711, and sold into slavery in Asia Minor. As a slave he strove to serve God faithfully, while serving his earthly master in everything honorable. Despite many enticements offered by the Muslims to renounce his faith, he remained steadfast, and was permitted to work miracles through his prayers. He reposed in peace in 1730. His relics remained incorrupt.

Saint David of Garesjei (6th c.)

“This David is one of the thirteen Georgian Fathers (May 7). He is thus named for the Garajeli desert near Tiflis, where he lived the ascetic life. In old age, David decided to visit the Holy Land with several of his disciples. He left the direction of the monastery to two elders, Lucian and Dodo, and set out on the way. When they came to a hill from which Jerusalem was visible, David burst into tears and said: ‘How can I dare to walk in the steps of God incarnate with these sinful feet?’, and he told his disciples to go and worship at the holy places, but he himself took up three stones and set off to return. But the Lord did not let such humility remain hidden from the world, and an angel appeared to Elias, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and said to him: ‘Send at once for the elder who is even now returning to Syria; he has taken with him three stones, and is carrying with him all the Holy Land’s grace. One stone is a sufficient blessing for him; let him return the other two to Jerusalem. He is called Abba David of Garesjei.’ The Patriarch quickly sent men off to overtake the elder. They took two stones from him, and let him go on his way. The third stone lies on his grave to this day, and possesses miraculous healing power.” (Prologue)

Venerable Bede (Baeda) (735)

He spent almost his entire life as a monk in England, and is known primarily for his many writings. He entered the monastery at Wearmouth at the age of seven, and later moved (perhaps as one of the founders) to the monastery of Jarrow, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was ordained to the priesthood in his thirtieth year. In addition to many works of biblical exegesis, very popular in the middle ages, he compiled the Ecclesiastical History, still the primary source for the history of Christianity’s establishment in the British isles. He reposed in peace.

A problem: Bede lived during the time of the undivided Church, but was only canonized, in the west, in 1899, centuries after the Great Schism. Presumably, then, he has never been formally glorified by the Orthodox Church. Is he a Saint of the Church? We leave the answer to wiser heads.