Isaiah 48.17-49.4 (6th Hour)

17Ovako veli Gospod, izbavitelj tvoj, svetac Izrailjev: ja sam Gospod Bog tvoj koji te uèim da bi napredovao, vodim te putem kojim treba da ideš. 18O, da si pazio na zapovjesti moje! mir bi tvoj bio kao rijeka, i pravda tvoja kao valovi morski; 19I sjemena bi tvojega bilo kao pijeska, i poroda utrobe tvoje kao zrna njegovijeh; ime se njihovo ne bi zatrlo ni istrijebilo ispred mene. 20Izidite iz Vavilona, bježite od Haldejaca; glasno pjevajuæi objavljujte, kazujte, razglašujte do krajeva zemaljskih; recite: izbavi Gospod slugu svojega Jakova. 21Neæe ožednjeti kad ih povede preko pustinje; vodu iz stijene toèiæe im, jer æe rascijepiti kamen i poteæi æe voda. 22Nema mira bezbožnicima, veli Gospod.

1Poslušajte me, ostrva, i pazite, narodi daljni. Gospod me pozva od utrobe; od utrobe matere moje pomenu ime moje. 2I uèinio je usta moja da su kao oštar maè, u sjenu ruke svoje sakri me; uèinio me je sjajnom strijelom, i u tulu svojem sakri me. 3I reèe mi: ti si sluga moj, u Izrailju æu se tobom proslaviti. 4A ja rekoh: uzalud se trudih, uzalud i naprazno potroših silu svoju; ali opet sud je moj u Gospoda i posao moj u Boga mojega.

Genesis 27.1-41 (Vespers)

1Kad Isak ostarje i oèi mu potamnješe, te ne viðaše, dozva Isava starijega sina svojega, i reèe mu: sine! A on odgovori: evo me. 2Tada reèe: evo ostario sam, ne znam kad æu umrijeti; 3Uzmi oružje svoje, tul i luk, i izidi u planinu, te mi ulovi lova; 4I zgotovi mi jelo po mojoj volji, i donesi mi da jedem, pa da te blagoslovi duša moja dok nijesam umro. 5A Reveka èu šta Isak reèe sinu svojemu Isavu. I Isav otide u planinu da ulovi lova i donese. 6A Reveka reèe Jakovu sinu svojemu govoreæi: gle, èuh oca tvojega gdje besjedi s Isavom bratom tvojim i reèe: 7Donesi mi lova, i zgotovi jelo da jedem, pa da te blagoslovim pred Gospodom dok nijesam umro. 8Nego sada, sine, poslušaj me što æu ti kazati. 9Idi sada k stadu i donesi dva dobra jareta, da zgotovim ocu tvojemu jelo od njih, kako rado jede. 10Pa æeš unijeti ocu da jede i da te blagoslovi dok nije umro. 11A Jakov reèe Reveci materi svojoj: ali je Isav brat moj rutav, a ja sam gladak; 12Može me opipati otac, pa æe se osjetiti da sam ga htio prevariti, te æu navuæi na se prokletstvo mjesto blagoslova. 13A mati mu reèe: neka prokletstvo tvoje, sine, padne na mene; samo me poslušaj, i idi i donesi mi. 14Tada otišav uze i donese materi svojoj; a mati njegova zgotovi jelo kako jeðaše rado otac njegov. 15Pa onda uze Reveka najljepše haljine starijega sina svojega, koje bijahu u nje kod kuæe, i obuèe Jakova mlaðega sina svojega. 16I jareæim kožicama obloži mu ruke i vrat gdje bješe gladak. 17I dade Jakovu sinu svojemu u ruke jelo i hljeb što zgotovi. 18A on uðe k ocu svojemu i reèe: oèe. A on odgovori: evo me; koji si ti, sine? 19I Jakov reèe ocu svojemu: ja, Isav tvoj prvenac; uèinio sam kako si mi rekao; digni se, posadi se da jedeš lova mojega, pa da me blagoslovi duša tvoja. 20A Isak reèe sinu svojemu: kad brže naðe, sine? A on reèe: Gospod Bog tvoj dade, te izaðe preda me. 21Tada reèe Isak Jakovu: hodi bliže, sine, da te opipam jesi li sin moj Isav ili ne. 22I pristupi Jakov k Isaku ocu svojemu, a on ga opipa, pa reèe: glas je Jakovljev, ali ruke su Isavove. 23I ne pozna ga, jer mu ruke bjehu kao u Isava brata njegova rutave; zato ga blagoslovi; 24I reèe mu: jesi li ti sin moj Isav? A on odgovori: ja sam. 25Tada reèe: a ti daj sine, da jedem lova tvojega, pa da te blagoslovi duša moja. I dade mu, te jede; pa mu donese i vina, te pi. 26Potom Isak otac njegov reèe mu: hodi, sine, cjeluj me. 27I on pristupi i cjeliva ga; a Isak osjeti miris od haljina njegovijeh, i blagoslovi ga govoreæi: gle, miris sina mojega kao miris od polja koje blagoslovi Gospod. 28Bog ti dao rose nebeske, i dobre zemlje i pšenice i vina izobila! 29Narodi ti služili i plemena ti se klanjala! Bio gospodar braæi svojoj i klanjali ti se sinovi matere tvoje! Proklet bio koji tebe usproklinje a blagosloven koji tebe uzblagosilja! 30A kad Isak blagoslovi Jakova, i Jakov otide ispred Isaka oca svojega, u taj èas doðe Isav brat njegov iz lova. 31Pa zgotovi i on jelo i unese ocu svojemu, i reèe mu: ustani, oèe, da jedeš što ti je sin ulovio, pa da me blagoslovi duša tvoja. 32A Isak otac njegov reèe mu: ko si ti? A on reèe: ja, sin tvoj, prvenac tvoj, Isav. 33Tada se prepade Isak, i reèe: ko? da gdje je onaj koji ulovi i donese mi lova, i od svega jedoh prije nego ti doðe, i blagoslovih ga? on æe i ostati blagosloven. 34A kad èu Isav rijeèi oca svojega, vrište iza glasa i ožalosti se veoma, i reèe ocu svojemu: blagoslovi i mene, oèe. 35A on mu reèe: doðe brat tvoj s prijevarom, i odnese tvoj blagoslov. 36A Isav reèe: pravo je što mu je ime Jakov, jer me veæ drugom prevari. Prvenaštvo mi uze, pa eto sada mi uze i blagoslov. Potom reèe: nijesi li i meni ostavio blagoslov? 37A Isak odgovori, i reèe Isavu: eto sam ga postavio tebi za gospodara; i svu braæu njegovu dadoh mu da mu budu sluge; pšenicom i vinom ukrijepih ga; pa šta bih sada tebi uèinio, sine? 38A Isav reèe ocu svojemu: eda li je samo jedan blagoslov u tebe, oèe? blagoslovi i mene, oèe. I stade iza glasa plakati Isav. 39A Isak otac njegov odgovarajuæi reèe mu: evo, stan æe ti biti na rodnoj zemlji i rosi nebeskoj ozgo. 40Ali æeš živjeti od maèa svojega, i bratu æeš svojemu služiti; ali æe doæi vrijeme, te æeš pošto se naplaèeš skršiti jaram njegov s vrata svojega. 41I Isav omrze ljuto na Jakova radi blagoslova, kojim ga blagoslovi otac, i govoraše u srcu svojem: blizu su žalosni dani oca mojega, tada æu ubiti Jakova brata svojega.

Proverbs 19.16-25 (Vespers)

16Ko drži zapovijesti, èuva dušu svoju; a ko ne mari za putove svoje, poginuæe. 17Gospodu pozaima ko poklanja siromahu, i platiæe mu za dobro njegovo. 18Karaj sina svojega dokle ima nadanja, i na pogibao njegovu da ne prašta duša tvoja. 19Velik gnjev pokazuj kad praštaš kar, i kad oprostiš, poslije veæma pokaraj. 20Slušaj svjet i primaj nastavu, da poslije budeš mudar. 21Mnogo ima misli u srcu èovjeèijem, ali što Gospod naumi ono æe ostati. 22Želja èovjeku treba da je da èini milost, a bolji je siromah nego laža. 23Strah je Gospodnji na život; u koga je on, boravi sit, niti ga pohodi zlo. 24Ljenivac krije ruku svoju u njedra, ni k ustima svojim ne prinosi je. 25Udri potsmjevaèa da ludi omudra, i razumnoga nakaraj da razumije nauku.

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

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.

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

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.

Composite 4 - Proverbs 10; Wisdom of Solomon 6, 7, 8, 9 (Vespers, St Innocent)

1The mouth of a just man distils wisdom; the lips of men know graces. The mouth of the wise meditates wisdom; justice delivers them from death. When a just man dies hope is not lost; for a just son is born for life, and among his good things he will pluck the fruit of justice. There is light at all times for the just, and they will find grace and glory from the Lord. The tongue of the wise knows what is good, and wisdom will take its rest in their hearts. The Lord loves holy hearts; while all who are blameless in the way are acceptable to him. The wisdom of the Lord will enlighten the face of the understanding; for she anticipates those who desire her before they know it, and is easily contemplated by those who love her. One who rises for her at dawn will not toil, and one who keeps vigil because of her will be without care. For she goes about seeking those who are worthy of her, and shows herself favourably to those on her paths. Wickedness will never prevail against wisdom. Because of this I too became a lover of her beauty and became her friend, and I sought her out from my youth, and I sought to take her as my bride, because the Master of all things loved her, for she is an initiate of the knowledge of God and one who chooses his works. Her toils are virtues; she herself teaches sobriety and prudence; justice and courage, than which things nothing is more useful in human life. If anyone longs for much experience, she knows how to compare things of old and those that are to come. She knows the twists of words and the explanations of riddles. She foresees signs and wonders and the outcomes of seasons and times. And to all she is a good counsellor. Because immortality is in her, and fame in the fellowship of her words. Therefore I appealed to the Lord and besought him and said from my whole heart, ‘God of my Fathers and Lord of mercy, who made all things by your Word, and established humanity by your Wisdom to be sovereign over the creatures that had come into being by you, and to order the world in holiness and justice, give me Wisdom who sits by your throne, and do not reject me from among your children, for I am your servant and the son of your maid servant. Send her out from your holy dwelling and from the throne of your glory, that she may be present with me and teach me what is well pleasing before you. And she will guide me with knowledge and guard me with her glory. For all the thoughts of mortals are wretched and their ideas are unstable.’

St John Klimakos (John of the Ladder) of Sinai (649)

He is best known as the author of the Ladder of Divine Ascent, a treasury of spiritual wisdom which is read in its entirety in monasteries during every Lenten season. He is also commemorated on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent.

Nothing is known of his life before he entered the monastery at Mount Sinai (now St Katherine’s Monastery) at the age of sixteen; he remained there until his death at the age of eighty. After he first arrived, he spent nineteen years in strict obedience to his spiritual father, Martyrios. When Martyrios died, John retired to a nearby cave, where he lived in the strictest asceticism for twenty years. (It was during these years that he wrote the Ladder.) He reluctantly returned to the monastery when he was made abbot by the brethren, and spent the rest of his days guiding his spiritual children in the way of salvation.

Once he heard a monk criticize him for speaking too much; rather than reproach the monk, he himself kept silence for a full year, never uttering a word until the brethren begged him to speak again. At another time a large company of pilgrims came to Mt Sinai. At supper they all saw a young man, dressed as a Jew, serving at table and giving orders to the other servants, then suddenly disappearing. When they wondered among themselves what this could mean, John said ‘Do not try to look for him; that was the prophet Moses serving you in his own home.’

When the holy abbot knew that his death was approaching, he appointed his own brother, George, as his successor. George grieved the approaching death of his beloved brother, but St John told him that, if he was found worthy to stand close to God after his death, he would pray that George be taken up to heaven in the same year. So it happened: ten months after St John’s death, George reposed in the Lord.

Commemoration of an Uncondemning Monk

“This monk died joyfully because he had never in his life condemned anyone. He was lazy, careless, disinclined to prayer, but throughout his entire life he had never judged anyone. And when he lay dying, he was full of joy. The brethren asked him how he could die so joyfully with all his sins, and he replied: ‘I have just seen the angels, and they showed me a page with all my many sins. I said to them: “The Lord said: ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’ I have never judged anyone and I hope in the mercy of God, that He will not judge me.” And the angels tore up the sheet of paper.’ Hearing this, the monks wondered at it and learned from it.” (From the Prologue)