Romans 2.14-29 (Epistle)

14Jer kad neznabošci ne imajuæi zakona sami od sebe èine što je po zakonu, oni zakona ne imajuæi sami su sebi zakon: 15Oni dokazuju da je ono napisano u srcima njihovijem što se èini po zakonu, buduæi da im savjest svjedoèi, i misli meðu sobom tuže se ili pravdaju) 16Na dan kad Bog uzasudi tajne ljudske po jevanðelju mojemu preko Isusa Hrista. 17Gle, ti se zoveš Jevrejin, a oslanjaš se na zakon i hvališ se Bogom, 18I poznaješ volju, i izbiraš što je bolje, jer si nauèen od zakona; 19I misliš da si voð slijepima, vidjelo onima koji su u mraku, 20Nakazatelj bezumnima, uèitelj djeci, koji imaš ugled razuma i istine u zakonu. 21Uèeæi dakle drugoga sebe ne uèiš; 22Propovijedajuæi da se ne krade, kradeš; govoreæi: ne èini preljube, èiniš preljubu; gadeæi se na idole, kradeš svetinju; 23Koji se hvališ zakonom, a prijestupom zakona sramotiš Boga. 24Jer se ime Božije zbog vas huli u neznabošcima, kao što stoji napisano. 25Obrezanje pomaže ako zakon držiš; ako li si prestupnik zakona, obrezanje je tvoje neobrezanje postalo. 26Ako dakle neobrezanje pravdu zakona drži, zašto se ne bi njegovo neobrezanje za obrezanje uzelo? 27I onaj koji je od roda neobrezan i izvršuje zakon, osudiæe tebe koji si sa slovima i obrezanjem prestupnik zakona. 28Jer ono nije Jevrejin koji je spolja Jevrejin, niti je ono obrezanje koje je spolja na tijelu; 29Nego je ono Jevrejin koji je iznutra, i obrezanje srca duhom a ne slovima, to je obrezanje; kome je hvala ne od ljudi nego od Boga.

Matthew 5.33-41 (Gospel)

33Još ste èuli kako je kazano starima: ne kuni se krivo, a ispuni što si se Gospodu zakleo. 34A ja vam kažem: ne kunite se nikako: ni nebom, jer je prijestol Božij; 35Ni zemljom, jer je podnožje nogama njegovijem; ni Jerusalimom, jer je grad velikoga cara. 36Ni glavom svojom ne kuni se, jer ne možeš ni dlake jedne bijele ili crne uèiniti. 37Dakle neka bude vaša rijeè: da, da; ne, ne; a što je više od ovoga, oda zla je. 38Èuli ste da je kazano: oko za oko, i zub za zub. 39A ja vam kažem da se ne branite oda zla, nego ako te ko udari po desnome tvom obrazu, obrni mu i drugi; 40I koji hoæe da se sudi s tobom i košulju tvoju da uzme, podaj mu i haljinu. 41I ako te potjera ko jedan sahat, idi s njime dva.

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.