Composite 8 - Isaiah 40, 41, 45, 48, 54 (Vespers)

1Thus says the Lord: Comfort, comfort my people, says God. Priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem. Comfort her, because her humiliation has been completed; for her has sin has been abolished, because she has received from the Lord’s hand double for her sins. A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill made low; what is crooked will become straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Go up onto a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Sion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem. Lift it up, do not be afraid. I the Lord God, I, the God of Israel, will hearken and will not forsake them; but I will open rivers from the mountains and springs in the middle of plains. I will turn the wilderness into water meadows and the thirsty earth with water courses. Let the heavens rejoice from on high and let the clouds rain justice. Let the earth sprout and blossom with mercy and justice. Announce a voice of gladness to the end of the earth and let this be heard: Say that the Lord has delivered his servant Jacob. And if they thirst through deserts, he will bring water for them from a rock. Rejoice you barren who have never given birth, break out and shout, you who have never known birth pangs, for the children of the deserted are more than those of her who has a husband.

Composite 9 - Malachi 3, 4 (Vespers)

1Thus says the Lord Almighty: See, I am sending my Angel, my messenger, before your face, who will prepare your way before you. And the Lord whom you seek will come to his temple. And who will endure the day of his entrance? And who will withstand at his appearing? Because he will enter like fire in a smelting furnace and like the lye of launderers. And he will come to you in judgement; and he will be a swift witness against the wicked and against adulteresses and against those swear falsely in his name and those who do not fear him, says the Lord Almighty. Because I am the Lord your God, and I have not changed and you, children of Jacob, have perverted the laws and not kept them. Therefore turn back to me and I will turn back to you, says the Lord Almighty. And all the nations will call you blessed and you will know that I am the Lord who discern between just and lawless on the day on which I make a peculiar possession of those who love me. Know then and remember the law of Moses my servant, as I gave him commandment on Horeb, to all Israel ordinances and judgements. And see, I will send you Elias the Thesbite, before the great and manifest day of the Lord comes; he will turn again the heart of father to son and of a man to his neighbour, lest when I come I smite the earth grievously, says the Lord Almighty, God the Holy One of Israel.

Composite 3 - Wisdom of Solomon 4, 5 (Vespers)

1A just man if he comes to his end will be at rest. A just man who dies will condemn the ungodly who are alive; for they will see the end of a just man and will not understand what they counselled concerning him. For the Lord will break the ungodly, render them voiceless and cast them headlong, and he will shake them from the foundations and they will be utterly worsted in sorrow, and their memory shall perish. They shall come with fear at the accounting of their sins, and their iniquities will convict them to their face. Then the just will stand with much boldness in the face of those who afflicted him and made his toils of no account. When they see this they will be troubled with great fear and will be amazed at the wonder of his salvation. For they will say as they repent and with anguish they will groan and say: Is this he whom we fools once made a laughing stock and a byword of reproach? We reckoned his life folly and his end dishonour. How has he been numbered among the children of God and his lot with the Saints? Therefore we have erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousness has not shone on us and the sun has not dawned on us. We have been filled with paths of lawlessness and destruction and journeyed through trackless paths, but have not known the way of the Lord.

John 20.11-18 (8th Matins Gospel)

11A Marija stajaše napolju kod groba i plakaše. I kad plakaše nadviri se nad grob, 12I vidje dva anðela u bijelijem haljinama gdje sjede jedan èelo glave a jedan èelo nogu gdje bješe ležalo tijelo Isusovo. 13I rekoše joj oni: ženo! što plaèeš? Reèe im: uzeše Gospoda mojega, i ne znam gdje ga metnuše. 14I ovo rekavši obazre se natrag, i vidje Isusa gdje stoji, i ne znadijaše da je Isus. 15Isus joj reèe: ženo! što plaèeš? koga tražiš? A ona misleæi da je vrtar reèe mu: gospodine! ako si ga ti uzeo kaži mi gdje si ga metnuo, i ja æu ga uzeti. 16Isus joj reèe: Marija! A ona obazrevši se reèe mu: Ravuni! koje znaèi uèitelju. 17Reèe joj Isus: ne dohvataj se do mene, jer se još ne vratih k ocu svojemu; nego idi k braæi mojoj, i kaži im: vraæam se k ocu svojemu i ocu vašemu, i Bogu svojemu i Bogu vašemu. 18A Marija Magdalina otide, i javi uèenicima da vidje Gospoda i kaza joj ovo.

Acts 16.16-34 (Epistle)

16A dogodi se kad iðasmo na molitvu da nas srete jedna robinja koja imaše duh pogaðaèki i vraèajuæi donošaše veliki dobitak svojijem gospodarima. 17Ova poðe za Pavlom i za nama, i vikaše govoreæi: ovi su ljudi sluge Boga najvišega, koji javljaju nama put spasenija. 18I ovako èinjaše mnogo dana. A kad se Pavlu dosadi, okrenu se i reèe duhu: zapovijedam ti imenom Isusa Hrista, iziði iz nje. I iziðe u taj èas. 19A kad vidješe njezini gospodari da iziðe nad njihova dobitka, uzeše Pavla i Silu i odvukoše ih na pazar ka knezovima. 20I dovedavši ih k vojvodama, rekoše: ovi su ljudi Jevreji, i mute po našemu gradu, 21I propovijedaju obièaje kojijeh nama ne valja primati ni tvoriti, jer smo Rimljani. 22I sleže se narod na njih, i vojvode izdriješe im haljine, i zapovjediše da ih šibaju. 23I pošto ih zdravo izbiše baciše ih u tamnicu, i zapovjediše tamnièaru da ih dobro èuva. 24Primivši takovu zapovijest on ih baci u najdonju tamnicu i noge im metnu u klade. 25A u ponoæi bijahu Pavle i Sila na molitvi i hvaljahu Boga; a sužnji ih slušahu. 26A ujedanput tako se vrlo zatrese zemlja da se pomjesti temelj tamnièki; i odmah se otvoriše sva vrata i svima spadoše okovi. 27A kad se probudi tamnièar i vidje otvorena vrata tamnièka, izvadi nož i šæaše da se ubije, misleæi da su pobjegli sužnji. 28A Pavle povika zdravo govoreæi: ne èini sebi zla nikakva, jer smo mi svi ovdje. 29A on zaiskavši svijeæu uletje i drkæuæi pripade k Pavlu i Sili; 30I izvedavši ih napolje reèe: gospodo! šta mi treba èiniti da se spasem? 31A oni rekoše: vjeruj Gospoda Isusa Hrista i spašæeš se ti i sav dom tvoj. 32I kazaše mu rijeè Gospodnju, i svima koji su u domu njegovu. 33I uze ih u onaj sahat noæi i opra im rane; i krsti se on i svi njegovi odmah. 34I uvedavši ih u svoj dom postavi trpezu, i radovaše se sa svijem domom svojijem što vjerova Boga.

2 Corinthians 4.6-15 (Epistle, Forerunner)

6Jer Bog koji reèe da iz tame zasvijetli vidjelo, zasvijetli u srcima našima na svjetlost poznanja slave Božije u licu Isusa Hrista. 7Ali ovo blago imamo u zemljanijem sudovima, da premnoštvo sile bude od Boga a ne od nas. 8U svemu imamo nevolje, ali nam se ne dosaðuje; zbunjeni smo, ali ne gubimo nada; 9Progone nas, ali nijesmo ostavljeni; obaljuju nas, ali ne ginemo. 10I jednako nosimo na tijelu smrt Gospoda Isusa, da se i život Isusov na tijelu našemu pokaže. 11Jer mi živi jednako se predajemo na smrt za Isusa, da se i život Isusov javi na smrtnome tijelu našemu. 12Zato dakle smrt vlada u nama, a život u vama. 13Imajuæi pak onaj isti duh vjere kao što je napisano: vjerovah, zato govorih; mi vjerujemo, zato i govorimo. 14Znajuæi da æe onaj koji podiže Isusa, i nas podignuti s Isusom, i postaviti s vama. 15Jer je sve vas radi, da blagodat umnožena izobiluje hvalama na slavu Božiju.

John 9.1-38 (Gospel)

1I prolazeæi vidje èovjeka slijepa od roðenja. 2I zapitaše ga uèenici njegovi govoreæi: Ravi! ko sagriješi, ili ovaj ili roditelji njegovi, te se rodi slijep? 3Isus odgovori: ni on sagriješi ni roditelji njegovi, nego da se jave djela Božija na njemu. 4Meni valja raditi djela onoga koji me posla dok je dan: doæi æe noæ kad niko ne može raditi. 5Dok sam na svijetu vidjelo sam svijetu. 6Rekavši ovo pljunu na zemlju i naèini kao od pljuvanke, i pomaza kalom oèi slijepome, 7I reèe: idi umij se u banji Siloamskoj koje znaèi poslan). Otide dakle i umi se, i doðe gledajuæi. 8A susjedi i koji ga bijahu vidjeli prije da bješe slijep govorahu: nije li ovo onaj što sjeðaše i prošaše? 9Jedni govorahu: on je; a drugi: nalik je na nj. A on govoraše: ja sam. 10Tada mu govorahu: kako ti se otvoriše oèi? 11On odgovori i reèe: èovjek koji se zove Isus naèini kao, i pomaza oèi moje, i reèe mi: idi u banju Siloamsku i umij se. A kad otidoh i umih se, progledah. 12Tada mu rekoše: gdje je on? Reèe: ne znam. 13Tada ga povedoše k farisejima, onoga što bješe nekad slijep. 14A bješe subota kad naèini Isus kao i otvori mu oèi. 15Tada ga opet pitahu i fariseji kako progleda. A on im reèe: kao metnu mi na oèi, i umih se, i vidim. 16Tada govorahu neki od fariseja: nije ovaj èovjek od Boga, jer ne svetkuje subote. Drugi govorahu: kako može èovjek grješan takova èudesa èiniti? I posta raspra meðu njima. 17Rekoše dakle opet slijepcu: šta veliš ti za njega što ti otvori oèi tvoje? A on reèe: prorok je. 18Tada Jevreji ne vjerovaše za njega da bješe slijep i progleda, dok ne dozvaše roditelje onoga što je progledao, 19I zapitaše ih govoreæi: je li ovo vaš sin za koga vi govorite da se rodi slijep? kako dakle sad vidi? 20A roditelji njegovi odgovoriše im i rekoše: znamo da je ovo sin naš i da se rodi slijep; 21A kako sad vidi ne znamo; ili ko mu otvori oèi mi ne znamo; on je veliki, pitajte njega neka sam kaže za sebe. 22Ovo rekoše roditelji njegovi, jer se bojahu Jevreja; jer se Jevreji bijahu dogovorili da bude odluèen od zbornice ko ga prizna za Hrista. 23Zato rekoše roditelji njegovi: on je veliki, pitajte njega. 24Tada po drugi put dozvaše èovjeka koji je bio slijep, i rekoše mu: podaj Bogu slavu; mi znamo da je èovjek ovaj grješan. 25A on odgovori i reèe: je li grješan ne znam; samo znam da ja bijah slijep, a sad vidim. 26Tada mu opet rekoše: šta ti uèini? kako otvori oèi tvoje? 27Odgovori im: ja vam veæ kazah, i ne slušaste; šta æete opet slušati? Veæ ako i vi hoæete uèenici njegovi da budete? 28A oni ga ukoriše, i rekoše mu: ti si uèenik njegov, a mi smo uèenici Mojsijevi. 29Mi znamo da s Mojsijem govori Bog; a ovoga ne znamo otkuda je. 30Èovjek odgovori i reèe im: to i jest za èudo, što vi ne znate otkuda je a on otvori oèi moje. 31A znamo da Bog ne sluša grješnika; nego ako ko poštuje Boga i volju njegovu tvori onoga sluša. 32Otkako je svijeta nije èuveno da ko otvori oèi roðenom slijepcu. 33Kad on ne bi bio od Boga ne bi mogao ništa èiniti. 34Odgovoriše i rekoše mu: ti si se rodio sav u grijesima, pa zar ti nas da uèiš? I istjeraše ga napolje. 35Èu Isus da ga istjeraše napolje; i našavši ga reèe mu: vjeruješ li ti sina Božijega? 36On odgovori i reèe: a koje je, Gospode, da ga vjerujem? 37A Isus mu reèe: i vidio si ga, i koji govori s tobom on je. 38A on reèe: vjerujem, Gospode! I pokloni mu se.

Matthew 11.2-15 (Gospel, Forerunner)

2A Jovan èuvši u tamnici djela Hristova posla dvojicu uèenika svojijeh, 3I reèe mu: jesi li ti onaj što æe doæi, ili drugoga da èekamo? 4A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe im: idite i kažite Jovanu što èujete i vidite: 5Slijepi progledaju i hromi hode, gubavi èiste se i gluhi èuju, mrtvi ustaju i siromašnima propovijeda se jevanðelje. 6I blago onome koji se ne sablazni o mene. 7A kad ovi otidoše, poèe Isus ljudima govoriti o Jovanu: šta ste izišli u pustinji da vidite? Trsku, koju ljulja vjetar? 8Ili šta ste izišli da vidite? Èovjeka u meke haljine obuèena? Eto, koji meke haljine nose po carskijem su dvorovima. 9Ili šta ste izišli da vidite? Proroka? Da, ja vam kažem, i više od proroka. 10Jer je ovo onaj za koga je pisano: eto, ja šaljem anðela svojega pred licem tvojijem, koji æe pripraviti put tvoj pred tobom. 11Zaista vam kažem: nijedan izmeðu roðenijeh od žena nije izišao veæi od Jovana krstitelja; a najmanji u carstvu nebeskome veæi je od njega. 12A od vremena Jovana krstitelja dosad carstvo nebesko na silu se uzima, i siledžije dobijaju ga. 13Jer su svi proroci i zakon proricali do Jovana. 14I ako hoæete vjerovati, on je Ilija što æe doæi. 15Koji ima uši da èuje neka èuje.

Third Finding of the Precious Head of St John the Baptist (ca. 850)

In the eighth century, during the iconoclast persecutions, the head of St John the Baptist was taken to Comana (the place of St John Chrysostom’s exile) for safekeeping, and was lost. (The iconoclasts attacked not only the holy icons, but the veneration of relics of the Saints, sometimes destroying the relics themselves.) When the persecutions ended, the location of the head was revealed to a priest, and it was found in a silver vessel, “in a sacred place.” It was returned to Constantinople with great solemnity and celebration. See the First and Second Findings, commemorated February 24.

Where is it now? After several inquiries, we have not been able to learn whether the Head of St John the Baptist is lost again, or whether it rests in some known place. Information welcomed at [email protected].

Holy Hieromartyr Therapon, Bishop of Cyprus (4th c.)

Little is recorded of his earthly life, except that he was a monk and ascetic on Cyprus who rose to episcopal rank, and that he was martyred during a persecution of Christians. His body rested for centuries in a church in Cyprus. Then in 806, during the reign of the Emperor Nikephoros, the Saint appeared to the church’s caretaker, warned him that infidels were about to attack Cyprus, and ordered that his relics be transferred to Constantinople. Without hesitation the caretaker had the casket containing St Therapon’s relics put in a ship bound for the Capital. During the journey a great storm arose, but the waters around the ship remained calm, and a sweet scent filled the ship. The caretaker opened the casket and found that it was full to overflowing of a fragrant myrrh which exuded from the holy martyr’s relics. In Constantinople, a church was built over the Saint’s relics, which became known as a powerful source of healing for those who approached in faith.

Holy Martyrs Pasicrates, Valentian, Julius and those with them (302)

“They were Roman soldiers, and suffered for Christ in about 302 in Macedonian Dorostol. When Pasicrates’ brother, Papianus (who had apostatised from Christ through fear), came to his brother and tried to persuade him to renounce Christ and stay alive, St Pasicrates replied: ‘Get away from me; you are no brother of mine!’ Pasicrates and Valentian were beheaded together. At his trial, Julius said: ‘I am a war veteran, and have served the Emperor faithfully for twenty-six years. And, having been faithful till now in lesser things, how can I not be faithful, in the things that are greater, to the heavenly Kingdom and its King?’ Then Nicanor was brought before the prefect, Maximus. Nicanor’s wife encouraged her husband to die for the sake of Christ. ‘You stupid old woman,’ Maximus hurled at her, ‘Are you after a better husband?’ She replied: ‘If you think that of me, give the order to have me killed now, before my husband!’ Marcian also perished with Nicanor. His wife came to the place of execution, carrying their son in her arms. Marcian kissed his son and prayed: ‘O almighty God, do Thou take care of him!’ And they were all then slain and entered into the Kingdom of Christ.” (Prologue)