Composite 8 - Isaiah 40, 41, 45, 48, 54 (Vespers, Forerunner)

1Thus says the Lord: Comfort, comfort my people, says God. Priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem. Comfort her, because her humiliation has been completed; for her has sin has been abolished, because she has received from the Lord’s hand double for her sins. A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill made low; what is crooked will become straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Go up onto a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Sion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem. Lift it up, do not be afraid. I the Lord God, I, the God of Israel, will hearken and will not forsake them; but I will open rivers from the mountains and springs in the middle of plains. I will turn the wilderness into water meadows and the thirsty earth with water courses. Let the heavens rejoice from on high and let the clouds rain justice. Let the earth sprout and blossom with mercy and justice. Announce a voice of gladness to the end of the earth and let this be heard: Say that the Lord has delivered his servant Jacob. And if they thirst through deserts, he will bring water for them from a rock. Rejoice you barren who have never given birth, break out and shout, you who have never known birth pangs, for the children of the deserted are more than those of her who has a husband.

Composite 9 - Malachi 3, 4 (Vespers, Forerunner)

1Thus says the Lord Almighty: See, I am sending my Angel, my messenger, before your face, who will prepare your way before you. And the Lord whom you seek will come to his temple. And who will endure the day of his entrance? And who will withstand at his appearing? Because he will enter like fire in a smelting furnace and like the lye of launderers. And he will come to you in judgement; and he will be a swift witness against the wicked and against adulteresses and against those swear falsely in his name and those who do not fear him, says the Lord Almighty. Because I am the Lord your God, and I have not changed and you, children of Jacob, have perverted the laws and not kept them. Therefore turn back to me and I will turn back to you, says the Lord Almighty. And all the nations will call you blessed and you will know that I am the Lord who discern between just and lawless on the day on which I make a peculiar possession of those who love me. Know then and remember the law of Moses my servant, as I gave him commandment on Horeb, to all Israel ordinances and judgements. And see, I will send you Elias the Thesbite, before the great and manifest day of the Lord comes; he will turn again the heart of father to son and of a man to his neighbour, lest when I come I smite the earth grievously, says the Lord Almighty, God the Holy One of Israel.

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

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.

Luke 7.17-30 (Matins Gospel, Forerunner)

17I otide glas ovaj o njemu po svoj Judeji i po svoj okolini. 18I javiše Jovanu uèenici njegovi za sve ovo. 19I dozvavši Jovan dva od uèenika svojijeh posla ih k Isusu govoreæi: jesi li ti onaj što æe doæi, ili drugoga da èekamo? 20Došavši pak ljudi k njemu rekoše: Jovan krstitelj posla nas k tebi govoreæi: jesi li ti onaj što æe doæi, ili drugoga da èekamo? 21A u taj èas iscijeli mnoge od bolesti i od muka i od zlijeh duhova, i mnogima slijepijem darova vid. 22I odgovarajuæi Isus reèe im: idite i kažite Jovanu što vidjeste i èuste: slijepi progledaju, hromi hode, gubavi èiste se, gluhi èuju, mrtvi ustaju, siromašnima propovijeda se jevanðelje. 23I blago onome koji se ne sablazni o mene. 24A kad otidoše uèenici Jovanovi, poèe narodu govoriti za Jovana: šta ste izišli u pustinji da vidite? Trsku, koju ljulja vjetar? 25Šta ste dakle izišli da vidite? Èovjeka u meke haljine obuèena? Eto, koji gospodske haljine nose i u slastima žive po carskijem su dvorovima. 26Šta ste dakle izišli da vidite? Proroka? Da, ja vam kažem, i više od proroka; 27Jer je ovo onaj za koga je pisano: eto ja šaljem anðela svojega pred licem tvojijem koji æe pripraviti put tvoj pred tobom. 28Jer vam kažem: nijedan izmeðu roðenijeh od žena nije veæi prorok od Jovana krstitelja; a najmanji u carstvu Božijemu veæi je od njega. 29I svi ljudi koji slušahu i carinici opravdaše Boga, i krstiše se krštenjem Jovanovijem; 30A fariseji i književnici odbaciše svjet Božij za njih, i ne htješe da ih on krsti.

2 Peter 3.1-18 (Epistle)

1Evo vam, ljubazni, veæ pišem drugu poslanicu u kojima budim napominjanjem vaš èisti razum, 2Da se opominjete rijeèi koje su naprijed kazali sveti proroci, i zapovijesti svojijeh apostola od Gospoda i spasa. 3I ovo znajte najprije da æe u pošljednje dane doæi rugaèi koji æe življeti po svojijem željama, 4I govoriti: gdje je obeæanje dolaska njegova? Jer otkako oci pomriješe sve stoji tako od poèetka stvorenja. 5Jer navalice neæe da znadu da su nebesa bila otprije i zemlja iz vode i usred vode Božijom rijeèi. 6Zato tadašnji svijet bi vodom potopljen i pogibe. 7A sadašnja nebesa i zemlja tom istom rijeèi zadržana su te se èuvaju za dan strašnoga suda i pogibli bezakonijeh ljudi. 8Ali ovo jedno da vam ne bude nepoznato, ljubazni, da je jedan dan pred Gospodom kao hiljada godina, i hiljada godina kao jedan dan. 9Ne docni Gospod s obeæanjem, kao što neki misle da docni, nego nas trpi, jer neæe da ko pogine, nego svi da doðu u pokajanje. 10Ali æe doæi dan Gospodnji kao lupež noæu, u koji æe nebesa s hukom proæi, a stihije æe se od vatre raspasti a zemlja i djela što su na njoj izgorjeæe. 11Kad æe se dakle ovo sve raskopati, kakovijem treba vama biti u svetom življenju i pobožnosti, 12Èekajuæi i želeæi da bude skorije dolazak Božijega dana, kojega æe se radi nebesa spaliti i raskopati, i stihije od vatre rastopiti? 13Ali èekamo po obeæanju njegovu novo nebo i novu zemlju, gdje pravda živi. 14Zato, ljubazni, èekajuæi ovo starajte se da vas on naðe èiste i prave u miru. 15I trpljenje Gospoda našega držite za spasenje; kao što vam i ljubazni naš brat Pavle po danoj mu premudrosti pisa. 16Kao što govori o ovome i u svima svojijem poslanicama, u kojima imaju neke stvari teške razumjeti, koje nenauèeni i neutvrðeni izvræu, kao i ostala pisma, na svoju pogibao. 17A vi dakle, ljubazni, znajuæi naprijed, èuvajte se da prijevarom bezakonika ne budete odvedeni s njima, i ne otpadnete od svoje tvrðe; 18Nego napredujte u blagodati i u poznanju Gospoda našega i spasa Isusa Hrista. Njemu slava i sad i u vjeèna vremena. Amin.

2 Corinthians 4.6-15 (Epistle, Forerunner)

6Jer Bog koji reèe da iz tame zasvijetli vidjelo, zasvijetli u srcima našima na svjetlost poznanja slave Božije u licu Isusa Hrista. 7Ali ovo blago imamo u zemljanijem sudovima, da premnoštvo sile bude od Boga a ne od nas. 8U svemu imamo nevolje, ali nam se ne dosaðuje; zbunjeni smo, ali ne gubimo nada; 9Progone nas, ali nijesmo ostavljeni; obaljuju nas, ali ne ginemo. 10I jednako nosimo na tijelu smrt Gospoda Isusa, da se i život Isusov na tijelu našemu pokaže. 11Jer mi živi jednako se predajemo na smrt za Isusa, da se i život Isusov javi na smrtnome tijelu našemu. 12Zato dakle smrt vlada u nama, a život u vama. 13Imajuæi pak onaj isti duh vjere kao što je napisano: vjerovah, zato govorih; mi vjerujemo, zato i govorimo. 14Znajuæi da æe onaj koji podiže Isusa, i nas podignuti s Isusom, i postaviti s vama. 15Jer je sve vas radi, da blagodat umnožena izobiluje hvalama na slavu Božiju.

Mark 13.24-31 (Gospel)

24Ali u te dane, poslije te nevolje, sunce æe pomrèati, i mjesec svoju svjetlost izgubiti. 25I zvijezde æe spadati s neba i sile nebeske pokrenuti se. 26I tada æe ugledati sina èovjeèijega gdje ide na oblacima sa silom i slavom velikom. 27I tada æe poslati anðele svoje i sabraæe izbrane svoje od èetiri vjetra, od kraja zemlje do kraja neba. 28A od smokve nauèite se prièi: kad se veæ njezina grana pomladi i stane listati, znate da je blizu ljeto. 29Tako i vi kad vidite ovo da se zbiva, znajte da je blizu kod vrata. 30Zaista vam kažem da ovaj naraštaj neæe proæi dok se ovo sve ne zbude. 31Nebo i zemlja proæi æe, ali rijeèi moje neæe proæi.

Matthew 11.2-15 (Gospel, Forerunner)

2A Jovan èuvši u tamnici djela Hristova posla dvojicu uèenika svojijeh, 3I reèe mu: jesi li ti onaj što æe doæi, ili drugoga da èekamo? 4A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe im: idite i kažite Jovanu što èujete i vidite: 5Slijepi progledaju i hromi hode, gubavi èiste se i gluhi èuju, mrtvi ustaju i siromašnima propovijeda se jevanðelje. 6I blago onome koji se ne sablazni o mene. 7A kad ovi otidoše, poèe Isus ljudima govoriti o Jovanu: šta ste izišli u pustinji da vidite? Trsku, koju ljulja vjetar? 8Ili šta ste izišli da vidite? Èovjeka u meke haljine obuèena? Eto, koji meke haljine nose po carskijem su dvorovima. 9Ili šta ste izišli da vidite? Proroka? Da, ja vam kažem, i više od proroka. 10Jer je ovo onaj za koga je pisano: eto, ja šaljem anðela svojega pred licem tvojijem, koji æe pripraviti put tvoj pred tobom. 11Zaista vam kažem: nijedan izmeðu roðenijeh od žena nije izišao veæi od Jovana krstitelja; a najmanji u carstvu nebeskome veæi je od njega. 12A od vremena Jovana krstitelja dosad carstvo nebesko na silu se uzima, i siledžije dobijaju ga. 13Jer su svi proroci i zakon proricali do Jovana. 14I ako hoæete vjerovati, on je Ilija što æe doæi. 15Koji ima uši da èuje neka èuje.

First (4th c.) and Second (9th c.) Findings of the Precious Head of St John the Baptist

After the Forerunner was beheaded at the order of Herod and his illicit wife Herodias, his head was discarded in what the Synaxarion calls “an unseemly location,” presumably a privy. According to some, it was secretly recovered by Joanna, one of the Myrrhbearing women, and given honorable burial near Jerusalem. There it was found, through a revelation of the Forerunner, by two monks who had come to Jerusalem to worship at the tomb of our Savior (the first finding). Putting the head in a bag, the monks returned home. On the way, they met an indigent potter from Emesa. That night the Forerunner appeared to the poor man and instructed him to make off with the relic. He returned with it to Emesa and immediately began to prosper in his business. Just before he died, he put the holy relic in a chest, which he left to his sister with these instructions: never to open it without instructions from the one hidden inside it; and to pass it on to a pious man beloved of God. Thus the Head of the Baptist passed through many generations, eventually being concealed in a cave near a monastery founded during the reign of Marcian (450-457), whose abbot was the godly Marcellus.

The blessed Forerunner appeared several times to Marcellus, embracing him and once even giving him a pot of honey. The Baptist ordered Marcellus to follow a star which led him to the cave and came to rest in front of a niche in the wall. Marcellus dug there and came upon a marble slab, under which was a large jar containing the precious Head. The holy relic was taken with rejoicing to the cathedral in Emesa,where it worked many wonders. In the reign of Michael III (842-867), it was taken to Constantinople. It was at this translation that the present Feast was instituted.

The version given here is that of St Symeon Metaphrastes. Other sources give substantially different accounts.

The Prologue observes: “It is important and interesting to note that, while he was alive, John did not work a single miracle (Jn 10:41), but to his relics was given the blessed power of working miracles.”

Saint Aethelberht (Ethelbert), first Christian King of Kent (616)

In 597, a party of forty missionary monks, led by St Augustine of Canterbury (May 28), was sent to Britain by the holy Pope Gregory the Great, to bring the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ to the English people. Aethelberht, who had been King of Kent for thirty-six years, received the monks favorably, allowed them to preach in his kingdom, and invited them to establish their headquarters in Canterbury, his capital city, which already contained a small, ruined church dedicated to St Martin of Tours in Roman times.

The king himself was converted and received holy Baptism at the hands of St Augustine; a crowd of his subjects followed his example. When St Augustine was consecrated bishop, Aethelberht allowed him to be made Archbishop of Canterbury and gave his own palace to serve as a monastery. The king worked steadily for the conversion of the neighboring kindoms, and in 604 established an episcopal see in London. Unlike some Christian rulers, he refused to see anyone converted forcibly.

Saint Aethelberht reposed in peace in 616, after reigning for fifty-six years. He was buried in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, which he had established. Many miracles were worked at his tomb, where a lamp was kept lit perpetually until the monastery was disbanded by the Protestants in 1538.