Composite 2 - Proverbs 10, 3, 8 (Vespers, St Raphael)

1The memory of a just man is praised, and the Lord’s blessing is upon his head. Blessed is one who has found wisdom; a mortal who knows understanding. To import her is better than treasures of gold and silver. She is more valuable than precious stones; nothing of value equals her worth. Justice proceeds from her mouth; she bears law and mercy on her tongue. Therefore, my children, listen to me, for I speak weighty things. And blessed is the one who keeps my ways. For my goings out are the goings out of life, and favour is prepared from the Lord. Therefore I exhort you, and utter my voice to the children of humankind. Because I, Wisdom, have prepared counsel, knowledge and understanding. I have called on them. Counsel and sureness are mine; prudence is mine, strength is mine. I love those who are my friends, while those who seek me will find grace. You innocent, then, understand cunning; you untaught, take it to heart. Listen to me, for I will speak weighty things, and I will open right things from my lips. Because my throat will meditate truth; lying lips are abominable before me. All the words of my mouth are with justice, there is nothing crooked in them nor twisted. They are all straight for those who understand, and right for those who find knowledge. For I teach you what is true, that your hope may be in the Lord and that you may be filled with spirit.

Proverbs 10.31-11.12 (Vespers, St Raphael)

31Usta pravednikova iznose mudrost, a jezik opaki istrijebiæe se. 32Usne pravednikove znaju što je milo, a bezbožnièka su usta opaèina.

1Lažna su mjerila mrska Gospodu, a prava mjera ugodna mu je. 2Kad doðe oholost, doðe i sramota; a u smjernijeh je mudrost. 3Pravedne vodi bezazlenost njihova, a bezakonike satire zloæa njihova. 4Neæe pomoæi bogatstvo u dan gnjeva, a pravda izbavlja od smrti. 5Pravda bezazlenoga upravlja put njegov, a bezbožnik pada od svoje bezbožnosti. 6Pravedne izbavlja pravda njihova, a bezakonici hvataju se u svojoj zloæi. 7Kad umire bezbožnik, propada nadanje, i najjaèe uzdanje propada. 8Pravednik se izbavlja iz nevolje, a bezbožnik dolazi na njegovo mjesto. 9Licemjer kvari ustima bližnjega svojega; ali se pravednici izbavljaju znanjem. 10Dobru pravednijeh raduje se grad; a kad propadaju bezbožnici, biva pjevanje. 11Blagoslovima pravednijeh ljudi podiže se grad, a s usta bezbožnièkih raskopava se. 12Bezumnik se ruga bližnjemu svojemu, a razuman èovjek muèi.

Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15 (Vespers, St Raphael)

John 10.1-9 (Matins Gospel, St Raphael)

1Zaista, zaista vam kažem: ko ne ulazi na vrata u tor ovèij nego prelazi na drugom mjestu on je lupež i hajduk; 2A koji ulazi na vrata jest pastir ovcama: 3Njemu vratar otvora, i ovce glas njegov slušaju, i svoje ovce zove po imenu, i izgoni ih; 4I kad svoje ovce istjera, ide pred njima, i ovce idu za njim, jer poznaju glas njegov. 5A za tuðinom neæe da idu, nego bježe od njega, jer ne poznaju glasa tuðega. 6Ovu prièu kaza im Isus, ali oni ne razumješe šta to bijaše što im kaza. 7Tada im reèe Isus opet: zaista, zaista vam kažem: ja sam vrata k ovcama. 8Svi koliko ih god doðe prije mene lupeži su i hajduci; ali ih ovce ne poslušaše. 9Ja sam vrata; ko uðe kroza me spašæe se, i uæi æe i iziæi æe, i pašu æe naæi.

Jude 11-25 (Epistle)

11Teško njima! jer putem Kainovijem poðoše i u prijevaru Valaamove plate padoše, i u buni Koreovoj izgiboše. 12Ovo su oni što pogane vaše milostinje jeduæi s vama bez straha i gojeæi se; oblaci bezvodni, koje vjetrovi prenose; jesenska drveta nerodljiva, koja su dvaput umrla, i iz korijena išèupana; 13Bijesni valovi morski, koji se pjene svojijem sramotama, zvijezde lažne, kojima se èuva mrak vjeène tame. 14Ali i za ovake prorokova Enoh, sedmi od Adama, govoreæi: gle, ide Gospod s hiljadama svetijeh anðela svojijeh 15Da uèini sud svima, i da pokara sve bezbožnike za sva njihova bezbožna djela kojima bezbožnost èiniše, i za sve ružne rijeèi njihove koje bezbožni grješnici govoriše na nj. 16Ovo su nezadovoljni vikaèi, koji po željama svojijem žive, i usta njihova govore ponosite rijeèi, i za dobitak gledaju ko je ko. 17A vi, ljubazni, opominjite se rijeèi koje naprijed kazaše apostoli Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, 18Jer vam kazaše da æe u pošljednje vrijeme postati rugaèi, koji æe hoditi po svojijem željama i bezbožnostima. 19Ovo su oni što se odvajaju od jedinosti vjere i jesu tjelesni, koji duha nemaju. 20A vi, ljubazni, naziðujte se svojom svetom vjerom, i molite se Bogu Duhom svetijem. 21I sami sebe držite u ljubavi Božijoj, èekajuæi milosti Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista za život vjeèni. 22I tako razlikujuæi jedne milujte, 23A jedne strahom izbavljajte i iz ognja vadite; a karajte sa strahom, mrzeæi i na haljinu opoganjenu od tijela. 24A onome koji vas može saèuvati bez grijeha i bez mane, i postaviti prave pred slavom svojom u radosti, 25Jedinome premudrome Bogu i spasu našemu, kroz Isusa Hrista Gospoda našega, slava i velièanstvo, država i vlast prije sviju vijekova i sad i u sve vijekove. Amin.

Hebrews 13.17-21 (Epistle, St Raphael)

17Slušajte uèitelje svoje i pokoravajte im se, jer se oni staraju za duše vaše, kao koji æe dati odgovor, da to s radošæu èine, a ne uzdišuæi; jer vam ovo ne pomaže. 18Molite se Bogu za nas. Jer se nadamo da imamo dobru savjest, starajuæi se u svemu dobro da živimo. 19A odviše molim èinite ovo, da bih se prije vratio k vama. 20A Bog mira, koji izvede iz mrtvijeh velikoga pastira ovcama, krvlju zavjeta vjeènoga, Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, 21Da vas savrši u svakome djelu dobrom, da uèinite volju njegovu, èineæi u vama što je ugodno pred njim, kroz Isusa Hrista, kojemu slava va vijek vijeka. Amin.

Luke 23.2-34, 44-56 (Gospel)

2I poèeše ga tužiti govoreæi: ovoga naðosmo da otpaðuje narod naš, i zabranjuje davati æesaru danak, i govori da je on Hristos car. 3A Pilat ga zapita: ti li si car Judejski? A on odgovarajuæi reèe mu: ti kažeš. 4A Pilat reèe glavarima sveštenièkijem i narodu: ja ne nalazim nikakve krivice na ovom èovjeku. 5A oni navaljivahu govoreæi: on buni ljude uèeæi po svoj Judeji poèevši od Galileje dovde. 6A Pilat èuvši za Galileju zapita: zar je on Galilejac? 7I razumjevši da je iz podruèja Irodova posla ga Irodu, koji takoðer bijaše u Jerusalimu onijeh dana. 8A Irod vidjevši Isusa bi mu vrlo milo; jer je odavno željeo da ga vidi, jer je mnogo slušao za njega, i nadaše se da æe vidjeti od njega kako èudo. 9I pita ga mnogo koje za što; ali mu on ništa ne odgovori. 10A glavari sveštenièki i književnici stajahu, i jednako tužahu ga. 11A Irod osramotivši ga sa svojijem vojnicima, i narugavši mu se, obuèe mu bijelu haljinu, i posla ga natrag Pilatu. 12I u taj se dan pomiriše Pilat i Irod meðu sobom; jer prije bijahu u zavadi. 13A Pilat sazvavši glavare sveštenièke i knezove i narod 14Reèe im: dovedoste mi ovoga èovjeka kao koji narod otpaðuje, i eto ja ga pred vama ispitah, i ne nalazim na ovom èovjeku nijedne krivice što vi na njega govorite; 15A ni Irod, jer sam ga slao k njemu; i eto se ne nalazi ništa da je uèinio što bi zasluživalo smrt. 16Daklem da ga izbijem pa da pustim. 17A trebaše o svakom prazniku pashe da im pusti po jednoga sužnja. 18Ali narod sav povika govoreæi: uzmi ovoga, a pusti nam Varavu; 19Koji bijaše baèen u tamnicu za nekakvu bunu uèinjenu u gradu i za krv. 20A Pilat opet reèe da bi on htio pustiti Isusa. 21A oni vikahu govoreæi: raspni ga, raspni. 22A on im treæi put reèe: kakvo je dakle on zlo uèinio? ja ništa na njemu ne naðoh što bi zasluživalo smrt; daklem da ga izbijem pa da pustim. 23A oni jednako navaljivahu s velikom vikom, i iskahu da se on razapne; i nadvlada vika njihova i glavara sveštenièkijeh. 24I Pilat presudi da bude kao što oni ištu. 25I pusti onoga što iskahu, koji bješe baèen u tamnicu za bunu i za krv; a Isusa ostavi na njihovu volju. 26I kad ga povedoše, uhvatiše nekoga Simona Kirinca koji iðaše iz polja, i metnuše na njega krst da nosi za Isusom. 27A za njim iðaše mnoštvo naroda i žena, koje plakahu i naricahu za njim. 28A Isus obazrevši se na njih reèe: kæeri Jerusalimske! ne plaèite za mnom, nego plaèite za sobom i za djecom svojom. 29Jer gle, idu dani u koje æe se reæi: blago nerotkinjama, i utrobama koje ne rodiše, i sisama koje ne dojiše. 30Tada æe poèeti govoriti gorama: padnite na nas; i bregovima: pokrijte nas. 31Jer kad se ovako radi od sirova drveta, šta æe biti od suha? 32Voðahu pak i druga dva zloèinca da pogube s njim. 33I kad doðoše na mjesto koje se zvaše košturnica, ondje razapeše njega i zloèince, jednoga s desne strane a drugoga s lijeve. 34A Isus govoraše: oèe! oprosti im; jer ne znadu šta èine. A dijeleæi njegove haljine bacahu kocke. 44A bijaše oko šestoga sahata, i tama bi po svoj zemlji do sahata devetoga. 45I pomrèa sunce, i zavjes crkveni razdrije se napola. 46I povikavši Isus iza glasa reèe: oèe! u ruke tvoje predajem duh svoj. I rekavši ovo izdahnu. 47A kad vidje kapetan šta bi, stade hvaliti Boga govoreæi: zaista ovaj èovjek bješe pravednik. 48I sav narod koji se bijaše skupio da gleda ovo, kad vidje šta biva, vrati se bijuæi se u prsi svoje. 49A svi njegovi znanci stajahu izdaleka, i žene koje bijahu išle za njim iz Galileje, i gledahu ovo. 50I gle, èovjek, po imenu Josif, savjetnik, èovjek dobar i pravedan, 51On ne bijaše pristao na njihov savjet i na posao) iz Arimateje grada Judejskoga, koji i sam èekaše carstva Božijega, 52On pristupivši k Pilatu zaiska tijelo Isusovo. 53I skide ga, i obavi platnom, i metnu ga u grob isjeèen, u kome niko ne bijaše nikad metnut. 54I dan bijaše petak, i subota osvitaše. 55A žene koje bijahu došle s Isusom iz Galileje, idoše za Josifom, i vidješe grob i kako se tijelo metnu. 56Vrativši se pak pripraviše mirise i miro; i u subotu dakle ostaše na miru po zakonu.

John 10.9-16 (Gospel, St Raphael)

9Ja sam vrata; ko uðe kroza me spašæe se, i uæi æe i iziæi æe, i pašu æe naæi. 10Lupež ne dolazi ni za što drugo nego da ukrade i ubije i pogubi; ja doðoh da imaju život i izobilje. 11Ja sam pastir dobri; pastir dobri dušu svoju polaže za ovce, 12A najamnik, koji nije pastir, kome nijesu ovce svoje, vidi vuka gdje ide, i ostavlja ovce, i bježi: i vuk razgrabi ovce i raspudi ih; 13A najamnik bježi, jer je najamnik i ne mari za ovce. 14Ja sam pastir dobri i znam svoje, i moje mene znaju. 15Kao što mene zna otac i ja znam oca; i dušu svoju polažem za ovce. 16I druge ovce imam koje nijesu iz ovoga tora, i one mi valja dovesti; i èuæe glas moj, i biæe jedno stado i jedan pastir.

Our Holy Father Procopius of Decapolis (9th c.)

He was from Decapolis near the Sea of Galilee, and entered monastic life as a youth. When the Emperor Leo the Isaurian began his persecution of the holy icons, Procopius, who had previously spent his life in hiddenness and silence, boldly stood forth to defend the true Orthodox veneration of the icons. For this he was cruelly tortured and imprisoned. When the cruel Leo died and the icons were restored to the churches, Procopius returned to his monastery, where he lived in peace to a great old age. The Prologue concludes, ‘In old age, he entered into God’s Kingdom, where he beheld with joy the living angels and saints whose images were on the honoured icons on earth.’

St Raphael, bishop of Brooklyn (1915)

He was born in Syria in 1860, in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. In his childhood, his family took refuge in Lebanon after their parish priest, St Joseph of Damascus (July 10) was martyred; but they later returned to Damascus. In 1879 he was tonsured a monk and entered into the service of Patriarch Hierotheos of Antioch. The Balamand Seminary had been closed since 1840, but the young monk was offered a scholarship at the Constantinople Patriarchate’s seminary at Halki. Returning to Syria with a theological degree, St Raphael became assistant to Gerasimos, the new Patriarch of Antioch, traveling and preaching on his behalf. After further studies in Kiev, he transferred to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow and for a time was professer of Arabic studies at the Theological Academy in Kazan. (At that time the downtrodden Orthodox of the Middle East received considerable aid and theological training from the Tsar and from the Church in Russia).

In 1895 he was sent to the United States to shepherd the Arab Orthodox Community in New York, which was without a church or a priest. He quickly consecrated a chapel and with great energy set about the work of shepherding his flock there; but he was concerned not only for them but for the Arab Christian immigrants scattered through North America, most of whom were without a pastor and in danger of falling into heterodoxy or abandoning religious life. He traveled widely throughout the continent, visiting, counseling and serving Arab Christians, preaching, celebrating marriages and baptisms, receiving confessions and celebrating the Divine Liturgy, usually in private houses. In 1898 he published the first Orthodox prayer book in Arabic to appear in the New World. In 1899, he made a seven-month journey through forty-three American cities, seeking out the “scattered sheep” of the Church in America. His services were attended not only by Arabs but by Russians and Greeks, all of whom at that time depended on the Russian mission to North America. During this entire period, he held the official rank of Archimandrite, though his work and duties exceeded those of most bishops.

In 1901, Patriarch Meletios was elected to the see of Antioch, the first Arab to occupy the patriarchal throne for 168 years. Several proposals were made to elect Archimandrite Raphael to a see in Syria; but he refused all such offers, pointing out the Orthodox people’s great and little-met needs in North America. In 1904, the Moscow Patriarchate made him Bishop of Brooklyn, the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated on American soil. He redoubled his already impressive pastoral work, ordaining priests to the many new parishes that he had founded, and assisting Saint Tikhon (then Bishop of North America) in the care of his huge diocese. In 1905 he laid the foundation of the Monastery of St Tikhon in Pennsylvania.

The bishop saw the importance of integrating the faithful into the life of their new homeland, and was an early advocate of the use of English in American Church services. When Isabel Hapgood’s Service Book — the first useful English translation of the Church’s services — was published in 1906, he advocated its use in all his parishes.

In 1912, St Raphael was found to be suffering from heart disease, but continued his exhausting pastoral work for two more years. In 1915 he was finally unable to continue, and reposed after two months’ illness.

When his relics were transported in 1998 from Brooklyn to Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA, they were found to be incorrupt, and in 2000 he became the most recently glorified Saint of North America.

In North America St Raphael is commemorated on the anniversary of his repose: February 27 on the Civil/New Calendar, February 14 on the Julian Calendar. He is also commemorated with the Synaxis of Saints of North America on the Second Sunday after Pentecost. The Patriarchate of Antioch also commemorates him, but on Saturday before the Synaxis of the Archangels (November 8).

Our Venerable Father Titus of the Lavra of the Kiev Caves (1190)

Titus and Evagrius, two monks in the famed Kiev Caves Lavra, were dear friends who, through the instigation of the demons, allowed a disagreement to descend into mutual enmity. Despite the efforts of their brother monks to reconcile them, their mutual hatred grew, to the extreme that when one of them censed the church, the other would turn and walk out.

Titus fell gravely ill and, feeling that his end was near, at last repented and asked that Evagrius come and be reconciled with him. Evagrius was unwilling, but the other monks brought him by bodily force to his brother’s bedside. Titus fell at his feet and said ‘Forgive me for having offended and wounded you in my anger. Bless me!’ Evagrius, unmoved, shouted ‘I will never forgive him, neither in this world nor in the next!’ As soon as he had uttered these words he suddenly fell down dead. Titus, on the other hand, rose up, completely cured of his illness. He told his brethren that he had seen a spear come down from heaven and strike Evagrius, and that the spear had then touched and healed him; and that the swarms of demons who had been terrifying him as he lay dying, vanished at the moment he asked Evagrius to forgive him. Saint Titus spent the rest of his days in repentance and love, and fell asleep in peace around 1190.

Our Holy Father Leander, Bishop of Seville and Apostle of Spain (600)

He was born to an aristocratic Roman family living in Spain: his father Severian was Duke of Cartagena. Saint Leander embraced monastic life as a young man in Seville, capital of the Visigoths, who had embraced Arianism and caused the Arian heresy to dominate throughout Spain. Leander became a leading figure in the struggle to restore his land to Orthodoxy, founding a school in Seville to promote the Orthodox faith. In 583 he travelled to Constantinople to seek the Emperor’s support for the Spanish Orthodox; while there he met St Gregory the Great (the future Pope of Rome), with whom he formed a lifelong friendship. On his return to Spain, Leander was made Bishop of Seville.

One of the holy bishop’s converts was Hermengild, one of the sons of the Arian king Leovigild. When Hermengild rose up against his father in the name of Orthodoxy, Leovigild launched a violent persecution of the Orthodox throughout his kingdom. (Leovigild had his son imprisoned, then executed on Pascha Day of 586.) By God’s grace, at the very height of the persecution Leovigild fell mortally ill, repented, and embraced the true Faith; at his urging his son and successor Recared converted to Orthodoxy and convened the Third Council of Toledo in 589, at which he proclaimed that the Gothic and Suevic peoples were returning to the unity of the One Church. Saint Leander presided at the Council, and devoted the rest of his life to educating the (mostly) newly-Orthodox people of Spain in the Faith. It was he who established the early form of the Mozarabic Liturgy. He reposed in peace on March 13, 600. (He is venerated on this day because his name was incorrectly placed on February 27 in the Roman Martyrology.)