Composite 19 - Micah 4.2-3, 5; 6.2-5, 8; 5.4, 5 (Vespers)

1Thus says the Lord: From Sion will come forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he will judge among many peoples and rebuke mighty nations in a distant land. For all the peoples will walk, each its own way, while we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever. Thus says the Lord Almighty: Listen hills and valleys, foundations of the earth, because the Lord has a controversy with his people; for he will dispute with Israel, saying, ‘My people, what have I done to you? Or how have I grieved you? Or how have I troubled you? Answer me. For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and rescued you from the house of slavery, and sent Moses and Aaron before your face. My people, what have your enemies planned against you? Was it not told you, O man, what is good? And what does the Lord seek from you, except to execute judgement, and to love mercy and to be ready to walk with the Lord your God?’ Therefore the Lord will be magnified in strength, and will shepherd his flock in peace, to the extremities of the earth.

Composite 20 - Isaiah 55.1; 12.3-4; 55.2-13 (Vespers)

1Thus says the Lord: You who thirst, go to the water; and all who have no money, go, buy and eat and drink wine and fat without money or price. For thus says the Lord Almighty to you: My people, draw water with joy from the springs of salvation. And you will say in that day: Praise the Lord, cry his name aloud, declare his glory among the nations, call to mind that his name has been exalted. My people, hear me, and eat good things, and your soul will delight in good things. Attend with your ears and follow my ways. Listen to me and your soul will live among good things. And I will make an eternal covenant with you, and you will call upon me. And when you draw near me, let the impious abandon his ways, and the lawless man his plans; and turn back to me and I will have mercy on you and forgive your sins. For your plans are not as my plans, says the Lord; but as heaven is distant from the earth, so is my way distant from your ways, and your thoughts from my mind. For as rain or snow would come down from heaven and not return there, until it had soaked the earth, and it bring forth and bud and give seed to the sower, and bread for food, so shall my word be, which once it has come from my mouth will not return there until it has accomplished all that I willed; and I will make my ways and my commands succeed. For you will go out with joy, and be taught with gladness; for the mountains and hills will exult as they receive you with joy; and all the trees of the field will clap with their branches; and instead of the briar shall come up the cypress; instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle; and the Lord shall be for a name and for an eternal sign, says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel.

Proverbs 9.1-11 (Vespers)

1Premudrost sazida sebi kuæu, i otesa sedam stupova; 2Pokla stoku svoju, rastvori vino svoje, i postavi sto svoj. 3Posla djevojke svoje, te zove svrh visina gradskih: 4Ko je lud, neka se uvrati ovamo. I bezumnima veli: 5Hodite, jedite hljeba mojega, i pijte vina koje sam rastvorila. 6Ostavite ludost i biæete živi, i idite putem razuma. 7Ko uèi potsmjevaèa, prima sramotu; i ko kori bezbožnika, prima rug. 8Ne karaj potsmjevaèa da ne omrzne na te; karaj mudra, i ljubiæe te. 9Kaži mudrome, i biæe još mudriji; pouèi pravednoga, i znaæe više. 10Poèetak je mudrosti strah Gospodnji, i znanje je svetijeh stvari razum. 11Jer æe se mnom umnožiti dani tvoji i dodaæe ti se godine životu.

Acts 14.6-18 (Epistle)

6Oni doznavši pobjegoše u gradove Likaonske, u Listru i u Dervu i u okolinu njihovu. 7I onamo propovijedahu jevanðelje. 8I jedan èovjek u Listri sjeðaše nemoæan u nogama, i bješe hrom od utrobe matere svoje, i ne bješe nikad hodio. 9Ovaj slušaše Pavla gdje govori. Pavle pogledavši na nj i vidjevši da vjeruje da æe ozdraviti, 10Reèe velikijem glasom: tebi govorim u ime Gospoda Isusa Hrista, ustani na svoje noge upravo. I skoèi, i hoðaše. 11A kad vidje narod šta uèini Pavle, podigoše glas svoj govoreæi Likaonski: bogovi naèiniše se kao ljudi, i siðoše k nama. 12I nazivahu Varnavu Jupiterom, a Pavla Merkurijem, jer on upravljaše rijeèju. 13A sveštenik Jupitera koji bješe pred gradom njihovijem dovede junce, i donese vijence pred vrata, i s narodom šæadijaše da prinosi žrtvu. 14A kad èuše apostoli, Varnava i Pavle, razdriješe haljine svoje, i skoèiše meðu narod vièuæi i govoreæi: 15Ljudi! šta to èinite? I mi smo kao i vi smrtni ljudi, koji vam propovijedamo jevanðelje da se od ovijeh lažnijeh stvari obratite k Bogu živome, koji stvori nebo i zemlju i more i sve što je u njima; 16Koji u prošavšijem naraštajima bješe pustio sve narode da idu svojijem putovima: 17I opet ne ostavi sebe neposvjedoèena, èineæi dobro, dajuæi nam s neba dažd i godine rodne, puneæi srca naša jelom i veseljem. 18I ovo govoreæi jedva ustaviše narod da im ne prinose žrtve, nego da ide svaki svojoj kuæi. A dok oni življahu ondje i uèahu,

John 7.14-30 (Gospel)

14Ali odmah u polovini praznika iziðe Isus u crkvu i uèaše. 15I divljahu se Jevreji govoreæi: kako ovaj zna knjige a nije se uèio? 16Tada im odgovori Isus i reèe: moja nauka nije moja, nego onoga koji me je poslao. 17Ko hoæe njegovu volju tvoriti, razumjeæe je li ova nauka od Boga ili ja sam od sebe govorim. 18Koji govori sam od sebe, slavu svoju traži; a ko traži slavu onoga koji ga je poslao, on je istinit i nema u njemu nepravde. 19Ne dade li Mojsije vama zakon i niko od vas ne živi po zakonu? Zašto tražite da me ubijete? 20Odgovori narod i reèe: je li ðavo u tebi? ko traži da te ubije? 21Odgovori Isus i reèe im: jedno djelo uèinih i svi se divite tome. 22Mojsije vam dade da se obrezujete ne kao da je od Mojsija nego od otaca i u subotu obrezujete èovjeka. 23Ako se èovjek u subotu obrezuje da se ne pokvari zakon Mojsijev, srdite li se na mene što svega èovjeka iscijelih u subotu? 24Ne gledajte ko je ko kad sudite, nego pravedan sud sudite. 25Tada govorahu neki od Jerusalimljana: nije li to onaj kojega traže da ubiju? 26I gle, kako govori slobodno i ništa mu ne vele: da ne doznaše naši knezovi da je on zaista Hristos? 27Ali ovoga znamo otkuda je; a Hristos kad doðe, niko neæe znati otkuda je. 28Tada Isus povika u crkvi uèeæi i reèe: i mene poznajete i znate otkuda sam; i sam od sebe ne doðoh, nego ima istiniti koji me posla, kojega vi ne znate. 29Ja ga znam, jer sam od njega i on me posla. 30Tada gledahu da ga uhvate; i niko ne metnu na nj ruke, jer još ne bješe došao èas njegov.

Hebrews 2.11-18 (Epistle, Blessing of Waters)

11Jer i onaj koji osveæuje, i oni koji se osveæuju, svi su od jednoga; zaradi toga uzroka ne stidi se nazvati ih braæom 12Govoreæi: objaviæu ime tvoje braæi svojoj, i posred crkve zapjevaæu te. 13I opet: ja æu se u njega uzdati. I opet: evo ja i djeca moja koju mi je dao Bog. 14Buduæi pak da djeca imaju tijelo i krv, tako i on uze dijel u tome, da smræu satre onoga koji ima državu smrti, to jest ðavola; 15I da izbavi one koji god od straha smrti u svemu životu biše robovi. 16Jer se zaista ne prima anðela, nego se prima sjemena Avraamova. 17Zato bješe dužan u svemu da bude kao braæa, da bude milostiv i vjeran poglavar sveštenièki pred Bogom, da oèisti grijehe narodne. 18Jer u èemu postrada i iskušan bi u onome može pomoæi i onima koji se iskušavaju.

John 5.1-4 (Gospel, Blessing of Waters)

1A potom bješe praznik Jevrejski, i iziðe Isus u Jerusalim. 2U Jerusalimu pak kod Ovèijeh vrata ima banja, koja se zove Jevrejski Vitezda, i oko nje pet pokrivenijeh trijemova, 3U kojima ležaše mnoštvo bolesnika, slijepijeh, hromijeh, suhijeh, koji èekahu da se zaljulja voda; 4Jer anðeo Gospodnji silažaše u odreðeno vrijeme u banju i muæaše vodu; i koji najprije ulažaše pošto se zamuti voda, ozdravljaše, makar kakva bolest da je na njemu.

Righteous Job the Long-suffering

This icon of patient endurance in the face of all that God sends us lived near Arabia about 2,000 years before Christ. He was a descendant of Abraham through Esau. His prosperity, his calamitous sufferings, his patient endurance, and his restoration to health and riches are told in detail in the Old Testament book that bears his name.

Some say that Job endured his sufferings for seven years before being restored to health and prosperity. Others say that all his sufferings occupied one year. The holy Fathers agree that Job for lived many years after his restoration, and died when he was more than 200 years old.

St Job, abbot and wonderworker of Pochaev (1651)

“Saint Job of Pochaev was born about 1551 in southwest Galicia of a pious Orthodox family. In his tenth year the Saint departed for the Ugornitsky Monastery of our Savior in the Carpathian Mountains. Tonsured after two years, he was ordained hieromonk about 1580. Renowned for his meekness and humility, Job was invited by the great zealot for Holy Orthodoxy in Carpatho-Russia, Prince Constantine Ostrozhky, to be Abbot of the Monastery of the Cross in Dubno. In his zeal for the preservation and propagation of the Orthodox Faith, and to counteract the propaganda of the Uniates, he printed and widely disseminated Orthodox spiritual and liturgical books. About 1600 he removed to the Mountain of Pochaev where at the insistence of the brethren, he became Abbot of the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos, which he enlarged and made to flourish. Through his labours, a large printing works was founded at Pochaev and greatly assisted in the nurture of the Orthodox faithful in that region. His monastery became the center of the Orthodox Church in western Ukraine. The Saint reposed, having taken the schema with the name of John, in 1651, at the advanced age of one hundred.” (Great Horologion)

Holy Martyr Barbarus the Soldier, with Bacchus, Callimachus and Dionysius (362)

He was a soldier in the Roman army during the reign of Julian the Apostate. Like many soldiers, he was a secret Christian, serving under the Imperial commander Bacchus when his troops battled the Franks. A mighty Frankish soldier, like Goliath, challenged the Romans to send one of their company out to do single combat with him. The commander sent Barbarus, who prayed to the Lord and overcame the Frankish giant, after which the Frankish army was easily vanquished. The commander then ordered a triumph in celebration of victory, including a public sacrifice to the Roman idols. At the sacrifice, the commander noticed that Barbarus was standing aside and asked him why: Barbarus revealed that he was a Christian and could not make sacrifice to the idols. The commander reported this to the unbelieving Emperor, who ordered that Barbarus be put to torture. Barbarus endured many cruel torments with serenity and courage. During his tortures, many wonders were seen, and many of his fellow-soldiers embraced the Christian faith. Three of these were Bacchus, Barbarus’ commander; Callimachus; and Dionysius. All three were beheaded for confessing Christ, then Barbarus himself attained the Martyr’s crown through beheading.

St. Sophia the Righteous (1974)

This holy ascetic, newly glorified in 2011, was born as Sophia Saoulidi in 1883 in Trebizond, Turkey. In 1907 she married, but her husband disappeared seven years later, leaving her with a newborn son. Not long afterward her beloved only son also died. Turning from the world, she placed all her trust in God, spending her time in solitary prayer on a mountain near her town.

In 1919 she arrived in Greece as part of the “exchange of populations” between Turkey and Greece. Not long after her arrival the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to her in a vision and said “Come to my house.” When Sophia asked her where to find her house, the Virgin replied “I am in Kleisoura.” Heeding these holy instructions, Sophia moved to the Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Kleisoura in northern Greece, where she remained for the rest of her life.

She never took monastic tonsure, but lived in the monastery kitchen. She slept only two hours a night, giving over the rest of the night to prayer. She dressed in old, tattered clothes, but if anyone tried to give her better clothing she would give it away to the poor. Similarly, if anyone gave her money, she would hide it until she could give it to someone in need. She ate very little and showed no interest in food. Worldly people called her “Crazy Sophia,” but those with discernment saw her as a living saint. She was endowed with gifts of healing and prophecy: when visitors would come to her she would greet them by name even if she had never met them before, and would describe their family problems, offering counsel.

In 1967 she was healed of a painful, life-threatening illness through a vision of the Holy Theotokos, the Archangel Gabriel and St. George. She fell asleep in the Lord on May 6 (New Calendar) 1974, after a long life given over to prayer, asceticism and utter poverty. Her relics are enshrined in the monastery where she spent most of her life.