2 Corinthians 7.10-16 (Epistle)

10În adevăr, când întristarea este după voia lui Dumnezeu, aduce o pocăinţă care duce la mântuire şi de care cineva nu se căieşte niciodată; pe când întristarea lumii aduce moartea. 11Căci uite, tocmai întristarea aceasta a voastră, după voia lui Dumnezeu, ce frământare a trezit în voi! Şi ce cuvinte de dezvinovăţire! Ce mânie! Ce frică! Ce dorinţă aprinsă! Ce râvnă! Ce pedeapsă! În toate, voi aţi arătat că sunteţi curaţi în privinţa aceasta. 12Aşa că, dacă v-am scris, nu v-am scris nici din pricina celui ce a făcut ocara, nici din pricina celui ce a suferit ocara, ci ca să se arate marea noastră purtare de grijă pentru voi, înaintea lui Dumnezeu. 13De aceea am fost mângâiaţi. Dar, pe lângă mângâierea aceasta a noastră, ne-am bucurat şi mai mult de bucuria lui Tit, al cărui duh a fost răcorit de voi toţi. 14Şi, dacă m-am lăudat puţin cu voi înaintea lui, n-am fost dat de ruşine. Ci, după cum în orice lucru v-am spus adevărul, tot aşa şi lauda noastră cu voi, înaintea lui Tit, s-a adeverit. 15El are o şi mai mare dragoste pentru voi, când îşi aduce aminte de ascultarea voastră a tuturor şi de primirea pe care i-aţi făcut-o, cu frică şi cu cutremur.

16Mă bucur că mă pot încrede în voi în toate privinţele.

Mark 2.18-22 (Gospel)

18Ucenicii lui Ioan şi fariseii obişnuiau să postească. Ei au venit şi au zis lui Isus: „Pentru ce ucenicii lui Ioan şi ai fariseilor postesc, iar ucenicii Tăi nu postesc?” 19Isus le-a răspuns: „Oare pot posti nuntaşii câtă vreme este mirele cu ei? Câtă vreme au pe mire cu ei, nu pot posti. 20Vor veni zile când va fi luat mirele de la ei, şi atunci vor posti în ziua aceea. 21Nimeni nu coase un petic de postav nou la o haină veche; altfel, peticul de postav nou rupe o parte din cel vechi, şi mai rea ruptură se face. 22Şi nimeni nu pune vin nou în burdufuri vechi; altfel, vinul cel nou sparge burdufurile, şi vinul se varsă, iar burdufurile se prăpădesc; ci vinul nou este pus în burdufuri noi.”

Martyrs Anicetas and Photius of Nicomedia (305)

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.

Hieromaryr Alexander, Bishop of Comana (3rd c.)

“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)