دوم قرنتیان ۷.۱۰-۱۶ (رساله)

۱۰چون اندوهی که برای خدا باشد، موجب توبه می‌شود، که به نجات می‌انجامد و پشیمانی ندارد. امّا اندوهی که برای دنیاست، مرگ به بار می‌آورد. ۱۱ببینید اندوهی که برای خدا بود چه ثمراتی در شما پدید آورده است: چه شور و شوقی، چه اشتیاقی به اثبات بی‌گناهیتان، چه نارضایی و احساس خطری، چه دلتنگی، غیرت و مجازاتی. شما از هر حیث ثابت کردید که در آن قضیه بی‌تقصیر بوده‌اید. ۱۲پس نامۀ من به شما به‌خاطر آن کس که بدی کرده و یا آن که به او بدی شده نبوده است، بلکه بدین منظور بوده که در حضور خدا ارادت شما به ما، بر خودتان آشکار شود. ۱۳اینها همه موجب دلگرمی ما شده است. افزون بر دلگرمی خودِ ما، دیدن شادی تیتوس نیز موجب شادی هر چه بیشتر ما شد، زیرا همگی شما جان او را تازه ساخته بودید. ۱۴من نزد او به شما فخر کردم و شما مرا سرافکنده نساختید، بلکه همان‌گونه که هرآنچه به شما گفتیم درست بود، ثابت شد که فخر ما نزد تیتوس نیز به‌جا بوده است. ۱۵هر بار که او اطاعت همگی شما را به یاد می‌آوَرَد و این را که چگونه با ترس و لرز او را پذیرفتید، دلبستگی‌اش به شما بیشتر می‌شود. ۱۶شادمانم که در هر چیز به شما اطمینان دارم.

مرقس ۲.۱۸-۲۲ (انجیل)

۱۸زمانی که شاگردان یحیی و فَریسیان روزه‌دار بودند، عده‌ای نزد عیسی آمدند و گفتند: «چرا شاگردان یحیی و شاگردان فَریسیان روزه می‌گیرند، امّا شاگردان تو روزه نمی‌گیرند؟» ۱۹عیسی پاسخ داد: «آیا ممکن است میهمانان عروسی تا زمانی که داماد با ایشان است، روزه بگیرند؟ تا وقتی داماد با آنهاست نمی‌توانند روزه بگیرند. ۲۰امّا زمانی خواهد رسید که داماد از ایشان گرفته شود. در آن ایام روزه خواهند گرفت. ۲۱«هیچ‌کس پارچۀ نو را بر جامۀ کهنه وصله نمی‌زند. اگر چنین کند، وصله از آن کنده شده، نو از کهنه جدا می‌شود، و پارگی بدتر می‌گردد. ۲۲و نیز هیچ‌کس شراب نو را در مَشکهای کهنه نمی‌ریزد. اگر چنین کند، آن شراب مَشکها را پاره می‌کند، و این‌گونه، شراب و مَشکها هر دو تباه خواهند شد. شراب نو را در مَشکهای نو باید ریخت.»

شهیدان آنیکلتوس و فوتیوس نیکومدیا (۳۰۵)

These holy martyrs suffered victoriously in the year 305 (Prologue) or 288 (Great Horologion), during the reign of Diocletian, who visited Nicomedia to stir up a persecution of Christians there. Anicetas, one of the city governors, presented himself before the Emperor, boldly confessed his Christian faith, and denounced the worship of the idols. Anicetas was subjected to a series of cruelties: his tongue was cut out, but he miraculously continued to speak; he was thrown to a lion, but it refused to attack him; then he was savagely beaten with rods until his bones showed through his wounds. His nephew Photius, seeing his endurance of all these trials, ran forward, embraced his uncle, and declared to the Emperor that he too was a Christian. The Emperor ordered that he be beheaded immediately, but the executioner, raising his sword, gave himself such a wound that he died instead. After many tortures, the two were put in prison for three years, then brought out and cast into a fiery furnace, where they died, though their bodies were brought out of the flames intact.

Saint Anicetas is counted as one of the Holy Unmercenaries.

کشیش‌شهید الکساندر, اسقف کومانا (سده ۳)

“He lived in the town of Comana near Neocaesarea as a simple charcoal-burner. When the Bishop of Comana died, St Gregory of Neocaesarea, the Wonderworker (Nov. 17), was invited to preside over the Council to choose a new bishop. At the Council there were both clergy and laymen. They were unable to come to agreement on one person, estimating the candidates they selected according to their outward worth and behaviour. St Gregory told them that they must not give so much weight to the outward impression as to the soul and the spiritual aptitude. Then some wag called out mockingly: ‘Then let’s choose Alexander the charcoal-burner as bishop!’, and there was general laughter. St Gregory asked who this Alexander was. Thinking that his name would not have come up before the Council except by the providence of God, he commanded that he be brought. Being a charcoal-burner, he was black with soot and in rags, and his appearance provoked further mirth in the Council. Then Gregory took him aside and asked him to tell the truth about himself. Alexander told him that he had been a Greek philosopher, enjoying great honour and position, but that he had set it all aside, demeaned himself and made himself as a fool for Christ from the time that he had read and understood the Holy Scriptures. Gregory commanded that he be bathed and clad in new clothes, then went into the Council with him and, before them all, began to examine him in the Scriptures. All were filled with amazement at the wisdom and grace of Alexander’s words, and were quite unable to recognize the former charcoal-burner in this wise man. With one voice, they chose him as bishop, and he received the love of his flock for his holiness, his wisdom and his goodness. He died a martyr for Christ under Diocletian.” (Prologue)