Scripture Readings
Galatians 6.2-10 (Epistle)
2Nosite bremena jedan drugoga, i tako æete ispuniti zakon Hristov.
3Jer ako ko misli da je što a nije ništa, umom vara sebe.
4A svaki da ispita svoje djelo, i tada æe sam u sebi imati slavu, a ne u drugome.
5Jer æe svaki svoje breme nositi.
6A koji se uèi rijeèi neka daje dijel od svakoga dobra onome koji ga uèi.
7Ne varajte se: Bog se ne da ružiti; jer šta èovjek posije ono æe i požnjeti.
8Jer koji sije u tijelo svoje, od tijela æe požnjeti pogibao; a koji sije u duh, od duha æe požnjeti život vjeèni.
9A dobro èiniti da nam se ne dosadi; jer æemo u svoje vrijeme požnjeti ako se ne umorimo.
10Zato dakle dok imamo vremena da èinimo dobro svakome, a osobito onima koji su s nama u vjeri.
Mark 7.14-24 (Gospel)
14I dozvavši sav narod reèe im: poslušajte mene svi, i razumijte.
15Ništa nema što bi èovjeka moglo opoganiti da uðe spolja u njega, nego što izlazi iz njega ono je što pogani èovjeka.
16Ako ko ima uši da èuje neka èuje.
17I kad doðe od naroda u kuæu pitahu ga uèenici njegovi za prièu.
18I reèe im: zar ste i vi tako nerazumni? Ne razumijete li da što god u èovjeka spolja ulazi ne može ga opoganiti?
19Jer mu ne ulazi u srce nego u trbuh; i izlazi napolje èisteæi sva jela.
20Još reèe: što izlazi iz èovjeka ono pogani èovjeka;
21Jer iznutra iz srca ljudskoga izlaze misli zle, preljube, kurvarstva, ubistva,
22Kraðe, lakomstva, pakosti, zloæe, lukavstvo, sramote, zlo oko, huljenje na Boga, ponos, bezumlje.
23Sva ova zla iznutra izlaze, i pogane èovjeka.
24I ustavši odande otide na krajeve Tirske i Sidonske, i ušavši u kuæu šæadijaše da niko ne èuje za nj; i ne može se sakriti.
Commemorations
Martyr Sozon of Cilicia (208/304)
He began life as a pagan shepherd in Lycaonia. Coming to faith in Christ, he was baptized and received the name Sozon (“Save”). Thereafter he took every opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to his countrymen and to urge them to give up their idols. Entering a temple of Artemis in Cilicia, he cut off its golden hand, broke it into pieces, and distributed the gold to the poor. When he learned that because of this some were being punished unjustly for theft, he gave himself up to the governor Maximian. He was beaten to death with rods, by some accounts in 288, by others in 304.
Holy Apostles Evodus and Onesiphorus of the Seventy
St Evodus (or Evodius) is mentioned by St Ignatios of Antioch. He was a disciple of the Apostle Peter and succeeded him as Bishop of Antioch. It is said that the name “Christians” for members of the Church was given by Evodus. He was martyred during a visit by the Emperor Vespasian to Antioch. St Onesiphorus is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in his second epistle to St Timothy, where he calls Onesiphorus a friend and helper. He was a bishop in Colophon in Asia Minor, where he met martyrdom for Christ.
Holy Martyr Eupsychyius of Caesarea (2nd c.)
He was the son of a wealthy pagan senator in Caesarea of Cappadocia. When his father died, he gave his inheritance to the poor, proclaiming the Kingdom of God while he did so. For this he was arrested by Sapricius, Governor of Cappadocia, and put in prison. He persuaded his jailers to release him for awhile, and set about giving away the remainder of his worldly goods, first to his accusers and persecutors, then to the poor. When all his wealth was gone, he voluntarily returned to prison. He was viciously scourged several times, then beheaded. At his martyrdom, it is said that milk instead of blood flowed from his body.
Our Holy Father John, Archbishop of Novgorod (1185)
“He was first a married priest and then, from 1163, bishop in Novgorod, building seven churches during his lifetime. He had a vision of the holy Mother of God and a rare power over demons, making them obey him, and he once miraculously preserved Novgorod from an attack by seventy-two princes. He suffered from diabolical temptations, but overcame them all by the power of the Cross and by prayer. Retiring to a monastery in old age, he received the Great Habit and entered peacefully into rest in the Lord on September 7th, 1185.” (Prologue)
St Kassia (Kassiani) the Hymnographer (9th c.)
She was born in Constantinople to a noble family, and grew to be unusually beautiful and learned — so much so that she was chosen to participate in a ‘bride show’, at which the Emperor Theophilos was to choose a wife. Struck by Kassia’s beauty, the Emperor approached her and said ‘Through a woman came forth the baser things,’ referring to Eve’s transgression. Kassia responded, ‘Through a woman came forth the better things’, referring to the Incarnation of Christ through His Most Pure Mother. Stung by her reply, the Emperor rejected her and chose Theodora as his wife. Kassia entered monastic life and founded a women’s monastery in Constantinople, closely allied with the Stoudion Monastery. Serving as abbess of the monastery, she wrote many liturgical hymns, at least twenty of which are included in the services of the Church. Best-known (or at least most closely associated with her) is the Hymn of Kassiani, sung at Matins on Holy Wednesday. She reposed in peace.