1 Corinthians 4.17-5.5 (Epistle)

17Zato poslah k vama Timotija, koji mi je sin ljubazni i vjerni u Gospodu; on æe vam opomenuti putove moje koji su u Hristu Isusu, kao što svuda i u svakoj crkvi uèim. 18Neki se naduše kao da ja neæu doæi k vama. 19Ali æu vam doæi skoro, ako Bog da, i neæu gledati na rijeèi onijeh što su se naduli, nego na silu. 20Jer carstvo Božije nije u rijeèi nego u sili. 21Šta hoæete? da doðem k vama s prutom ili s ljubavi i duhom krotosti?

1Vrlo se glasi da je kurvarstvo meðu vama, i takovo kurvarstvo kakovo se ni meðu neznabošcima ne èuje, da nekakav ima ženu oèinu. 2I vi se još nadimate, mjesto da plaèete, da se izvadi izmeðu vas onaj koji je uèinio to djelo. 3Jer ja, koji ako nijesam kod vas tijelom ali duhom tu živim, veæ otsudih kao da sam tamo, da se onaj koji je to tako uèinio, 4U ime Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista kad se saberete vi i moj duh, sa silom Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, 5Da se on preda sotoni na muèenje tijela, da bi se duh spasao u dan Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista.

Matthew 24.1-13 (Gospel)

1I izišavši Isus iðaše od crkve, i pristupiše k njemu uèenici njegovi da mu pokažu graðevinu crkvenu. 2A Isus reèe im: ne vidite li sve ovo? Zaista vam kažem: neæe ostati ovdje ni kamen na kamenu koji se neæe razmetnuti. 3A kad sjeðaše na gori Maslinskoj pristupiše k njemu uèenici nasamo govoreæi: kaži nam kad æe to biti? i kakav je znak tvojega dolaska i pošljetka vijeka? 4I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe im: èuvajte se da vas ko ne prevari. 5Jer æe mnogi doæi u ime moje govoreæi: ja sam Hristos. I mnoge æe prevariti. 6Èuæete ratove i glasove o ratovima. Gledajte da se ne uplašite; jer treba da to sve bude. Ali nije još tada pošljedak. 7Jer æe ustati narod na narod i carstvo na carstvo; i biæe gladi i pomori, i zemlja æe se tresti po svijetu. 8A to je sve poèetak stradanja. 9Tada æe vas predati na muke, i pobiæe vas, i svi æe narodi omrznuti na vas imena mojega radi. 10I tada æe se mnogi sablazniti, i drug druga izdaæe, i omrznuæe drug na druga. 11I iziæi æe mnogi lažni proroci i prevariæe mnoge. 12I što æe se bezakonje umnožiti, ohladnjeæe ljubav mnogijeh. 13Ali koji pretrpi do kraja blago njemu.

Hieromartyr Anthimos, bishop of Nicomedia, and those with him (303-304)

“After the death of the 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia (see Dec. 28), their Bishop Anthimos fled to a certain village to care for his remaining flock. The Emperor Maximian sent men in search of him. When they found him, he promised to show Anthimos to them, but first took them in as guests, fed them, and only then made himself known to them. Amazed at his kindness, the soldiers promised him to tell Maximian that they had not found him. But Anthimos went willingly with them, and converting them by his admonitions, baptized them on the way. He boldly confessed his Faith before Maximian, and after frightful tortures was beheaded in the year 303 or 304.” (Great Horologion)

Our Holy Father Theoctistus, Fellow Ascetic of St Euthymius (451), is also commemorated today. A faithful disciple of St Euthymius, he was abbot of St Euthymius’ monastery in Palestine until his repose in peace at the age of ninety.

Holy Martyr Basilissa (309)

She lived near Nicomedia during the great persecution by the Emperor Diocletian. Though she was only nine years old, she was arrested and brought before Alexander, the Governor of Bithynia. When she fearlessly proclaimed her faith in Christ, the Governor had her stripped and beaten, but she only gave thanks to God. Enraged at the steadfastness of a mere child, the Governor ordered her chained and plunged head-first into boiling pitch, then cast into a blazing furnace, then thrown to the lions. Through all these torments she was miraculously preserved. Astonished at the wonders that he beheld, Alexander fell at Basilissa’s feet and confessed that he too believed that Christ is the Savior. He was baptized by the Bishop of Nicomedia and died not long afterward. Basilissa went into the wilderness outside the city to give thanks to God for her endurance under torture and to ask Him to receive her soul in peace. While praying in this way, she entered into her rest.

Our Holy Father Joannicius, Archbishop and first Patriarch of Serbia (1354)

“Born in Prizrem, he served as first secretary to King Dušan. He became Archbishop in 1339, and in 1346 was raised to the rank of Patriarch. He was a zealous pastor, and brought order to the Serbian Church, being ‘a great upholder of the Church’s laws’. He entered into rest on September 3rd, 1349, and his relics are preserved at Pec´.” (Prologue)