Isaiah 1.1-20 (6th Hour)

1Utvara Isaije sina Amosova, koju vidje za Judu i za Jerusalim za vremena Ozije, Joatana, Ahaza i Jezekije, careva Judinijeh. 2Èujte, nebesa, i slušaj, zemljo; jer Gospod govori: sinove odgojih i podigoh, a oni se odvrgoše mene. 3Vo poznaje gospodara svojega i magarac jasle gospodara svojega, a Izrailj ne poznaje, narod moj ne razumije. 4Da grješna naroda! naroda ogrezla u bezakonju! sjemena zlikovaèkoga, sinova pokvarenijeh! ostaviše Gospoda, prezreše sveca Izrailjeva, otstupiše natrag. 5Što biste još bili bijeni kad se sve više odmeæete? Sva je glava bolesna i sve srce iznemoglo. 6Od pete do glave nema ništa zdrava, nego uboj i modrice i rane gnojave, ni iscijeðene ni zavijene ni uljem zablažene. 7Zemlja je vaša pusta, gradovi vaši ognjem popaljeni; vaše njive jedu tuðini na vaše oèi, i pustoš je kao što opustošavaju tuðini. 8I osta kæi Sionska kao koliba u vinogradu, kao sjenica u gradini od krastavaca, kao grad opkoljen. 9Da nam Gospod nad vojskama nije ostavio malo ostatka, bili bismo kao Sodom, izjednaèili bismo se s Gomorom. 10Èujte rijeè Gospodnju, knezovi Sodomski, poslušajte zakon Boga našega, narode Gomorski! 11Što æe mi mnoštvo žrtava vaših? veli Gospod. Sit sam žrtava paljenica od ovnova i pretiline od gojene stoke, i ne marim za krv junèiju i jagnjeæu i jareæu. 12Kad dolazite da se pokažete preda mnom, ko ište to od vas, da gazite po mom trijemu? 13Ne prinosite više žrtve zaludne; na kad gadim se; a o mladinama i subotama i o sazivanju skupštine ne mogu podnositi bezakonja i svetkovine. 14Na mladine vaše i na praznike vaše mrzi duša moja, dosadiše mi, dodija mi podnositi. 15Zato kad širite ruke svoje, zaklanjam oèi svoje od vas; i kad množite molitve, ne slušam; ruke su vaše pune krvi. 16Umijte se, oèistite se, uklonite zloæu djela svojih ispred oèiju mojih, prestanite zlo èiniti. 17Uèite se dobro èiniti, tražite pravdu, ispravljajte potlaèenoga, dajite pravicu siroti, branite udovicu. 18Tada doðite, veli Gospod, pa æemo se suditi: ako grijesi vaši budu kao skerlet, postaæe bijeli kao snijeg; ako budu crveni kao crvac, postaæe kao vuna. 19Ako hoæete slušati, dobra zemaljska ješæete. 20Ako li neæete, nego budete nepokorni, maè æe vas pojesti, jer usta Gospodnja rekoše.

Genesis 1.1-13 (Vespers)

1U poèetku stvori Bog nebo i zemlju. 2A zemlja bješe bez oblièja i pusta, i bješe tama nad bezdanom; i duh Božji dizaše se nad vodom. 3I reèe Bog: neka bude svjetlost. I bi svjetlost. 4I vidje Bog svjetlost da je dobra; i rastavi Bog svjetlost od tame. 5I svjetlost nazva Bog dan, a tamu nazva noæ. I bi veèe i bi jutro, dan prvi. 6Potom reèe Bog: neka bude svod posred vode, da rastavlja vodu od vode. 7I stvori Bog svod, i rastavi vodu pod svodom od vode nad svodom; i bi tako. 8A svod nazva Bog nebo. I bi veèe i bi jutro, dan drugi. 9Potom reèe Bog: neka se sabere voda što je pod nebom na jedno mjesto, i neka se pokaže suho. I bi tako. 10I suho nazva Bog zemlja, a zborišta vodena nazva mora; i vidje Bog da je dobro. 11Opet reèe Bog: neka pusti zemlja iz sebe travu, bilje, što nosi sjeme, i drvo rodno, koje raða rod po svojim vrstama, u kojem æe biti sjeme njegovo na zemlji. I bi tako. 12I pusti zemlja iz sebe travu, bilje, što nosi sjeme po svojim vrstama, i drvo, koje raða rod, u kojem je sjeme njegovo po njegovijem vrstama. I vidje Bog da je dobro. 13I bi veèe i bi jutro, dan treæi.

Proverbs 1.1-20 (Vespers)

1Prièe Solomuna sina Davidova, cara Izrailjeva, 2Da se poznaje mudrost i nastava, da se razumiju rijeèi razumne, 3Da se prima nastava u razumu, u pravdi, u sudu i u svemu što je pravo, 4Da se daje ludima razboritost, mladiæima znanje i pomnjivost. 5Mudar æe slušati i više æe znati, i razuman æe steæi mudrost, 6Da razumije prièe i znaèenje, rijeèi mudrijeh ljudi i zagonetke njihove. 7Poèetak je mudrosti strah Gospodnji; ludi preziru mudrost i nastavu. 8Slušaj, sine, nastavu oca svojega, i ne ostavljaj nauke matere svoje. 9Jer æe biti vijenac od milina oko glave tvoje, i grivna na grlu tvom. 10Sine moj, ako bi te mamili grješnici, ne pristaj; 11Ako bi rekli: hodi s nama da vrebamo krv, da zasjedamo pravome ni za što; 12Proždrijeæemo ih kao grob žive, i svekolike kao one koji slaze u jamu; 13Svakojakoga blaga dobiæemo, napuniæemo kuæe svoje plijena; 14Bacaæeš ždrijeb svoj s nama; jedan æe nam tobolac biti svjema; 15Sine moj, ne idi na put s njima, èuvaj nogu svoju od staze njihove. 16Jer nogama svojim trèe na zlo i hite da proljevaju krv. 17Jer se uzalud razapinje mreža na oèi svakoj ptici; 18A oni vrebaju svoju krv i zasjedaju svojoj duši. 19Taki su putovi svijeh lakomijeh na dobitak, koji uzima dušu svojim gospodarima. 20Premudrost vièe na polju, na ulicama pušta glas svoj;

Hieromartyr Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (167)

He was born at Ephesus around the year 70. St Irenaeus of Lyons, his disciple, says that St Polycarp was ‘a disciple of the Apostles and acquainted with those who had seen the Lord.’ His parents died as martyrs, and he was given into the care of a devout lady named Callista. As a child, the Saint was so eager to follow the commandments of Christ that he repeatedly emptied his foster-mother’s pantry to feed the poor. Since her supplies were always miraculously renewed, Callista changed his name from Pancratius to Polykarpos, meaning ‘Much fruit.’

When grown, Polycarp became a disciple of St John the Theologian, and in time became Bishop of Smyrna; it is told that the messages to the Church at Smyrna in the Book of Revelation are addressed to St Polycarp and his flock. He knew St Ignatius of Antioch personally, and some of their correspondence is preserved.

Polycarp led his Church in holiness for more than fifty years, and became known throughout the Christian world as a true shepherd and standard-bearer of the Faith. About the year 154 he traveled to Rome and consulted with Pope Anacletus on the defense of the Faith.

Not long after he returned to Smyrna, a fierce persecution was unleashed against Christians in Asia Minor; along with many others, St Polycarp was arrested, having predicted his imminent martyrdom. (The account of his martyrdom that follows is based on eyewitness accounts gathered immediately after his death.)

On the evening of Holy Friday, soldiers burst into the farmhouse where he was staying. The Bishop welcomed them cheerfully, and ordered that a meal be prepared for them. He was granted some time to pray, and for two hours stood commemorating everyone that he had known and praying for the Church throughout the world. His captors sorrowed that they had come to take such a venerable man, and reluctantly took him to the Proconsul. When urged to deny Christ and save his life, the aged Saint replied, ‘For eighty-six years I have been his servant, and he has wronged me in nothing; how can I blaspheme my King and Savior?’ Told that he would die by fire if he did not apostatize, Polycarp replied ‘You threaten me with a fire that burns for a short time and then goes out, while you know nothing of the fire of the judgment to come and of the everlasting torment awaiting the wicked. Why wait any longer? Do what you will!’

Placed on the pyre, Polycarp lifted his eyes heavenward and gave thanks to God for finding him worthy to share with the holy Martyrs of the cup of Christ. When he had said his Amen, the executioners lit the fire. The eyewitnesses write that the fire sprang up around him like a curtain, and that he stood in its midst glowing like gold and sending forth a delightful scent of incense. Seeing that the fire was not harming him, the executioners stabbed him with a sword. His blood flowed so copiously that it put out the fire, and he gave back his soul to God. His relics were burned by the persecutors, but Christians rescued a few fragments of bone, which were venerated for many generations on the anniversary of his repose.

Saint Gorgonia (372)

She was the elder sister of St Gregory the Theologian (Jan. 25), and the daughter of St Gregory Nazianzen the Elder (January 1) and St Nonna (August 5). She married Alypius, a citizen of Iconium, and with him had three daughters. She became a holy guide to countless Christians whose lot it was to live out their Faith in the world. The Synaxarion says, “Her wisdom and knowledge of all that pertains to godliness made her the very model of a Christian wife. Her relatives, fellow-citizens, and numerous strangers relied on her as a counsellor who would indicate the Christian response in any of the knotty problems which they encountered while living in the world. She was foremost in her care for the churches of God, and in her respect for the priests and clergy, to whom the doors of her house were always open. Neither had she her equal in almsgiving nor in compassion for all the afflicted, so that you could well say that, like righteous Job, she was eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, a mother to the orphans.”

She received holy Baptism late in life, as was common at that time, and soon afterward the day of her death was revealed to her. She fell ill on the appointed day and, gathering her family and friends around her bed, gave them her final counsels. She then reposed in peace.

Our Venerable Father Alexander the Unsleeping (430)

He was born sometime in the mid-fourth century on an island in the Aegean. For a time he lived successfully in the world, receiving a good education in Constantinople, then serving for a time for the Prefect of the Praetorium. But, becoming aware of the vanity of worldly things, he answered Christ’s call, gave away all his goods to the poor and entered a monastery in Syria. After four years in obedience, he came to feel that the security of monastic life was inconsistent with the Gospel command to take no thought for the morrow; so he withdrew to the desert, taking with him only his garment and the Book of the Gospel. There he lived alone for seven years.

At the end of this period he set out on an apostolic mission to Mesopotamia, where he brought many to Christ: the city prefect Rabbula was converted after Alexander brought down fire from heaven, and a band of brigands who accosted the Saint on the road were transformed into a monastic community. He finally fled the city when the Christians there rose up demanding that he be made bishop. He once again took up a solitary life in the desert beyond the Euphrates, spending the day in prayer and part of the night sheltered in a barrel. There he remained for forty years. His holiness gradually attracted more than four hundred disciples, whom Alexander organized into a monastic community. Each disciple owned only one tunic, and was required to give away anything that they did not need for that day. Despite this threadbare life, the monastery was able to set up and run a hospice for the poor!

Alexander was perplexed as to how the admonition Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) could be fulfilled by frail human flesh, but after three years of fasting and prayer, God showed him a method. He organized his monks into four groups according to whether their native language was Greek, Latin, Syriac or Coptic, and the groups prayed in shifts throughout the day and night. Twenty-four divine services were appointed each day, and the monks would chant from the Psalter between services. The community henceforth came to be known as the Akoimetoi, the Unsleeping Ones. (Similar communities later sprang up in the West, practicing what was there called Laus Perennis; St Columban founded many of these.)

Always desiring to spread the holy Gospel, Saint Alexander sent companies of missionaries to the pagans of southern Egypt. He and a company of 150 disciples set out as a kind of traveling monastery, living entirely on the charity of the villages they visited. Eventually they settled in some abandoned baths in Antioch, setting up a there a monastery dedicated to the unceasing praise of God; but a jealous bishop drove them from the city. Making his way to Constantinople, he settled there with four monks. In a few days, more than four hundred monks had left their monasteries to join his community. The Saint organized them into three companies — Greeks, Latins and Syrians — and restored the program of unsleeping prayer that his community had practiced in Mesopotamia. Not surprisingly, his success aroused the envy and anger of the abbots whose monasteries had been nearly emptied; they managed to have him condemned as a Messalian at a council held in 426. (The Messalians were an over-spiritualizing sect who believed that the Christian life consisted exclusively of prayer.) Alexander was sent back to Syria, and most of his monks were imprisoned; but as soon as they were released, most fled the city to join him again. The Saint spent his last years traveling from place to place, founding monasteries, often persecuted, until he reposed in 430, ‘to join the Angelic choirs which he had so well imitated on earth.’ (Synaxarion)

The practice of unceasing praise, established by St Alexander, spread throughout the Empire. The Monastery of the Akoimetoi, founded by a St Marcellus, a successor of Alexander, was established in Constantinople and became a beacon to the Christian world. ‘Even though it has not been retained in today’s practice, the unceasing praise established by Saint Alexander was influential in the formation of the daily cycle of liturgical offices in the East and even more so in the West.’ (Synaxarion)