Isaiah 2.11-21 (6th Hour)

11Ponosite oèi èovjeèije poniziæe se, i visina ljudska ugnuæe se, a Gospod æe sam biti uzvišen u onaj dan. 12Jer æe doæi dan Gospoda nad vojskama na sve ohole i ponosite i na svakoga koji se podiže, te æe biti poniženi, 13I na sve kedre Livanske velike i visoke i na sve hrastove Vasanske, 14I na sve gore visoke i na sve humove izdignute, 15I na svaku kulu visoku i na svaki zid tvrdi, 16I na sve laðe Tarsiske i na sve likove mile. 17Tada æe se ponositost ljudska ugnuti i visina se ljudska poniziti, i Gospod æe sam biti uzvišen u onaj dan. 18I idola æe nestati sasvijem. 19I ljudi æe iæi u peæine kamene i u rupe zemaljske od straha Gospodnjega i od slave velièanstva njegova, kad ustane da potre zemlju. 20Tada æe baciti èovjek idole svoje srebrne i idole svoje zlatne, koje naèini sebi da im se klanja, krticama i slijepijem mišima, 21Ulazeæi u rasjeline kamene i u peæine kamene od straha Gospodnjega i od slave velièanstva njegova, kad ustane da potre zemlju.

Genesis 2.4-19 (Vespers)

4To je postanje neba i zemlje, kad postaše, kad Gospod Bog stvori zemlju i nebo, 5I svaku biljku poljsku, dokle je još ne bješe na zemlji, i svaku travku poljsku, dokle još ne nicaše; jer Gospod Bog još ne pusti dažda na zemlju, niti bješe èovjeka da radi zemlju, 6Ali se podizaše para sa zemlje da natapa svu zemlju. 7A stvori Gospod Bog èovjeka od praha zemaljskoga, i dunu mu u nos duh životni; i posta èovjek duša živa. 8I nasadi Gospod Bog vrt u Edemu na istoku; i ondje namjesti èovjeka, kojega stvori. 9I uèini Gospod Bog, te nikoše iz zemlje svakojaka drveta lijepa za gledanje i dobra za jelo, i drvo od života usred vrta i drvo od znanja dobra i zla. 10A voda tecijaše iz Edema natapajuæi vrt, i odande se dijeljaše u èetiri rijeke. 11Jednoj je ime Fison, ona teèe oko cijele zemlje Evilske, a ondje ima zlata, 12I zlato je one zemlje vrlo dobro; ondje ima i bdela i dragoga kamena oniha. 13A drugoj je rijeci ime Geon, ona teèe oko cijele zemlje Huske. 14A treæoj je rijeci ime Hidekel, ona teèe k Asirskoj. A èetvrta je rijeka Efrat. 15I uzevši Gospod Bog èovjeka namjesti ga u vrtu Edemskom, da ga radi i da ga èuva. 16I zaprijeti Gospod Bog èovjeku govoreæi: jedi slobodno sa svakoga drveta u vrtu; 17Ali s drveta od znanja dobra i zla, s njega ne jedi; jer u koji dan okusiš s njega, umrijeæeš. 18I reèe Gospod Bog: nije dobro da je èovjek sam; da mu naèinim druga prema njemu. 19Jer Gospod Bog stvori od zemlje sve zvijeri poljske i sve ptice nebeske, i dovede k Adamu da vidi kako æe koju nazvati, pa kako Adam nazove koju životinju onako da joj bude ime;

Proverbs 3.1-18 (Vespers)

1Sine moj, ne zaboravljaj nauke moje, i zapovijesti moje neka hrani srce tvoje. 2Jer æe ti donijeti dug život, dobre godine i mir. 3Milost i istina neka te ne ostavlja; priveži ih sebi na grlo, upiši ih na ploèi srca svojega. 4Te æeš naæi milost i dobru misao pred Bogom i pred ljudima. 5Uzdaj se u Gospoda svijem srcem svojim, a na svoj razum ne oslanjaj se. 6Na svijem putovima svojim imaj ga na umu, i on æe upravljati staze tvoje. 7Ne misli sam o sebi da si mudar; boj se Gospoda i uklanjaj se oda zla. 8To æe biti zdravlje pupku tvojemu i zaljevanje kostima tvojim. 9Poštuj Gospoda imanjem svojim i prvinama od svega dohotka svojega; 10I biæe pune žitnice tvoje obilja, i presipaæe se vino iz kaca tvojih. 11Sine moj, ne odbacuj nastave Gospodnje, i nemoj da ti dosadi karanje njegovo. 12Jer koga ljubi Gospod onoga kara, i kao otac sina koji mu je mio. 13Blago èovjeku koji naðe mudrost, i èovjeku koji dobije razum. 14Jer je bolje njom trgovati nego trgovati srebrom, i dobitak na njoj bolji je od zlata. 15Skuplja je od dragoga kamenja, i što je god najmilijih stvari tvojih ne mogu se izjednaèiti s njom. 16Dug život u desnici joj je, a u ljevici bogatstvo i slava. 17Puti su njezini mili puti i sve staze njezine mirne. 18Drvo je životno onima koji se hvataju za nju, i ko je god drži sreæan je.

St Porphyrius, bishop of Gaza (420)

He was born to a wealthy, noble family in Thessalonica around 347. Filled more and more with a yearning for God, he abandoned his worldly possessions and traveled to Egypt, living for five years as a monk at Sketis. From there he went to Palestine, where he lived for another five years in a cave in the Jordan desert. Suffering from a severe ailment, he was forced to move to Jerusalem; there he was suddenly and completely cured following a vision on Golgotha, in which he saw the Good Thief come down from the cross to lead him to Christ, who gave the Cross into his keeping.

Porphyrius took up the trade of a shoemaker in Jerusalem to provide for his few needs. His humility and charity became so well-known that the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him to the priesthood at the age of forty-five, and made him Stavrophylax, keeper of the True Cross of the Savior — thus fulfilling Porphyrius’ vision on Golgotha. Three years later, much against his will, he was elected Bishop of Gaza.

Throughout his episcopate he was persecuted by the pagans who still dominated the life of that city — though he was able to convert many of them by his own example of holiness, and by the many miracles that were wrought through his intercessions. Once, when the city was suffering from a long drought, the Saint gathered the city’s Christians (who numbered no more than 280), told them to fast, and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning, as the Bishop and his entire flock went in procession through the city it began to rain. At this, 127 pagans were converted. When the pagans’ violent attacks continued, Porphyrius appealed to the Emperor Arcadius for an edict closing of the pagan temples in Gaza. With the support of St John Chrysostom the edict was issued. When the Imperial representatives entered Gaza, accompanied by Bishop Porphyrius bearing the Cross, the statue of Aphrodite in the city’s main temple shattered into pieces. Eight temples were destroyed, and a Church was built on the site of the largest. Hundreds of pagans embraced the Faith and, after instruction, were baptized by the Saint.

After twenty-five years as bishop, during which he had seen his see transformed from a small flock of beleaguered Christians into a Christian territory, Saint Porphyrius reposed in peace in 420.

St Photini the Samaritan Woman, and those with her (66)

She was the Samaritan Woman who met Christ at Jacob’s Well (John ch. 4). She repented, and told her townsmen that she had met the Christ, for which she is sometimes called the first to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. She converted her four sisters (Phota, Photis,Parasceva, and Cyriaca), and her sons (Victor and Joses), and all of them became tireless evangelists for Christ. After the martyrdom of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, she traveled to Carthage to proclaim the Gospel there. She, with her Christian sisters and sons, all met martyrdom under the persecutions of Nero. She is also commemorated on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman during the Paschal season.