Joel 2.12-26 (Sixth Hour)

12Zato još govori Gospod: obratite se k meni svijem srcem svojim i posteæi i plaèuæi i tužeæi. 13I razderite srca svoja a ne haljine svoje, i obratite se ka Gospodu Bogu svojemu, jer je milostiv i žalostiv, spor na gnjev i obilan milosrðem i kaje se oda zla. 14Ko zna, neæe li se povratiti i raskajati se, i ostaviti iza toga blagoslov, dar i naljev za Gospoda Boga vašega. 15Trubite u trubu na Sionu, naredite post, proglasite svetkovinu. 16Saberite narod, osveštajte sabor, skupite starce, saberite djecu i koja sisaju; ženik neka izide iz svoje klijeti i nevjesta iz ložnice svoje. 17Izmeðu trijema i oltara neka plaèu sveštenici, sluge Gospodnje, i neka reku: prosti, Gospode, narodu svojemu, i ne daj našljedstva svojega pod sramotu, da njim obladaju narodi; zašto da reku u narodima: gdje im je Bog? 18I Gospod æe revnovati za zemlju svoju i požaliæe narod svoj. 19I Gospod æe odgovoriti i reæi æe svome narodu: evo, ja æu vam poslati žita i vina i ulja, i biæete ga siti, i neæu vas više dati pod sramotu meðu narodima. 20Jer æu udaljiti od vas sjeverca, i odagnati ga u zemlju suhu i pustu, prednju èetu njegovu u istoèno more a zadnju u more zapadno, i podignuæe se smrad njegov, i trulež æe se njegov podignuti, pošto uèini velike stvari. 21Ne boj se, zemljo, raduj se i veseli se, jer æe Gospod uèiniti velike stvari. 22Ne bojte se, zvijeri poljske; jer æe se zelenjeti pasišta u pustinji i drveta æe nositi rod svoj, smokva æe i loza vinova davati silu svoju. 23I vi, sinovi Sionski, radujte se i veselite se u Gospodu Bogu svojem, jer æe vam dati dažd na vrijeme, i spustiæe vam dažd rani i pozni na vrijeme. 24I gumna æe se napuniti žita, a kace æe se preljevati vinom i uljem. 25I naknadiæu vam godine koje izjede skakavac, hrušt i crv i gusjenica, velika vojska moja, koju slah na vas. 26I ješæete izobila, i biæete siti i hvaliæete ime Gospoda Boga svojega, koji uèini s vama èudesa, i narod moj neæe se posramiti dovijeka.

Joel 3.12-21 (Vespers)

12Neka se podignu i doðu narodi u dolinu Josafatovu; jer æu ondje sjesti da sudim svijem narodima unaokolo. 13Zamahnite srpom, jer je žetva uzrela; hodite, siðite, jer je tijesak pun, kace se preljevaju; jer je zloæa njihova velika. 14Gomile, gomile u dolini sudskoj; jer je dan Gospodnji blizu u dolini sudskoj. 15Sunce æe i mjesec pomrknuti, i zvijezde æe ustegnuti svoju svjetlost. 16I Gospod æe riknuti sa Siona, i iz Jerusalima æe pustiti glas svoj, i zatrešæe se nebo i zemlja; ali æe Gospod biti utoèište svome narodu i krjepost sinovima Izrailjevijem. 17I poznaæete da sam ja Gospod Bog vaš, koji nastavam u Sionu, u svetoj gori svojoj; i Jerusalim æe biti svet, i tuðinci neæe više iæi po njemu. 18I tada æe gore kapati slatkim vinom, i humovi æe se topiti od mlijeka, i svijem potocima Judinijem teæi æe voda, i izaæi æe izvor iz doma Gospodnjega i natopiæe dolinu Sitim. 19Misir æe opustjeti, i Edomska æe biti pusta pustinja za nasilje uèinjeno sinovima Judinijem, jer proliše krv pravu u zemlji njihovoj. 20A Juda æe stajati dovijeka i Jerusalim od koljena do koljena. 21I oèistiæu krv njihovu, koje ne oèistih; i Gospod æe nastavati u Sionu.

St Leo the Great, pope of Rome(461)

Pope Leo was one of the great bastions of Orthodoxy during the time of the monophysite heresy and its offshoots. ‘According to some, this Saint was born in Rome, but according to others in Tyrrenia (Tuscany), and was consecrated to the archiepiscopal throne of Rome in 440. In 448, when St Flavian, Archbishop of Constantinople [also commemorated today], summoned Eutyches, an archimandrite in Constantinople, to give account for his teaching that there was only one nature in Christ after the Incarnation, Eutyches appealed to St Leo in Rome. After St Leo had carefully examined Eutyches’ teachings, he wrote an epistle to St Flavian, setting forth the Orthodox teaching of the person of Christ, and His two natures, and also counseling Flavian that, should Eutyches sincerely repent of his error, he should be received back with all good will. At the Council held in Ephesus in 449, which was presided over by Dioscorus, Patriarch of Alexandria (and which Saint Leo, in a letter to the holy Empress Pulcheria in 451, was the first to call “The Robber Council”), Dioscorus, having military might behind him, did not allow Saint Leo’s epistle to Flavian to be read, although repeatedly asked to do so; even before the Robber Council was held, Dioscorus had uncanonically received the unrepentant Eutyches back into communion. Because Saint Leo had many cares in Rome owing to the wars of Attila the Hun and other barbarians, in 451 he sent four delegates to the Fourth Ecumenical Council, where 630 Fathers gathered in Chalcedon during the reign of Marcian, to condemn the teachings of Eutyches and those who supported him. Saint Leo’s epistle to Flavian was read at the Fourth Council, and was confirmed by the Holy Fathers as the Orthodox teaching on the incarnate Person of our Lord; it is also called the “Tome of Leo.” The Saint wrote many works in Latin; he reposed in 461.’(Great Horologion).

St Leo is remembered for saving Rome from conquest by Attila the Hun. When Attila drew near to Rome, preparing to pillage the city, St Leo went out to him in his episcopal vestments and enjoined him to turn back. For reasons unknown to worldly historians, the pitiless Attila with all his troops abandoned their attack and returned the way they had come.