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

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.

Proverbs 10.31-11.12 (Vespers)

31Usta pravednikova iznose mudrost, a jezik opaki istrijebiæe se. 32Usne pravednikove znaju što je milo, a bezbožnièka su usta opaèina.

1Lažna su mjerila mrska Gospodu, a prava mjera ugodna mu je. 2Kad doðe oholost, doðe i sramota; a u smjernijeh je mudrost. 3Pravedne vodi bezazlenost njihova, a bezakonike satire zloæa njihova. 4Neæe pomoæi bogatstvo u dan gnjeva, a pravda izbavlja od smrti. 5Pravda bezazlenoga upravlja put njegov, a bezbožnik pada od svoje bezbožnosti. 6Pravedne izbavlja pravda njihova, a bezakonici hvataju se u svojoj zloæi. 7Kad umire bezbožnik, propada nadanje, i najjaèe uzdanje propada. 8Pravednik se izbavlja iz nevolje, a bezbožnik dolazi na njegovo mjesto. 9Licemjer kvari ustima bližnjega svojega; ali se pravednici izbavljaju znanjem. 10Dobru pravednijeh raduje se grad; a kad propadaju bezbožnici, biva pjevanje. 11Blagoslovima pravednijeh ljudi podiže se grad, a s usta bezbožnièkih raskopava se. 12Bezumnik se ruga bližnjemu svojemu, a razuman èovjek muèi.

Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15 (Vespers)

John 10.1-9 (Matins Gospel)

1Zaista, zaista vam kažem: ko ne ulazi na vrata u tor ovèij nego prelazi na drugom mjestu on je lupež i hajduk; 2A koji ulazi na vrata jest pastir ovcama: 3Njemu vratar otvora, i ovce glas njegov slušaju, i svoje ovce zove po imenu, i izgoni ih; 4I kad svoje ovce istjera, ide pred njima, i ovce idu za njim, jer poznaju glas njegov. 5A za tuðinom neæe da idu, nego bježe od njega, jer ne poznaju glasa tuðega. 6Ovu prièu kaza im Isus, ali oni ne razumješe šta to bijaše što im kaza. 7Tada im reèe Isus opet: zaista, zaista vam kažem: ja sam vrata k ovcama. 8Svi koliko ih god doðe prije mene lupeži su i hajduci; ali ih ovce ne poslušaše. 9Ja sam vrata; ko uðe kroza me spašæe se, i uæi æe i iziæi æe, i pašu æe naæi.

Acts 4.1-10 (Epistle)

1A kad oni govorahu narodu, naiðoše na njih sveštenici i vojvoda crkveni i sadukeji; 2I rasrdiše se, što oni uèe ljude i javljaju u Isusu vaskrsenije iz mrtvijeh. 3I digoše na njih ruke, i metnuše ih u zatvor do ujutru: jer veæ bješe veèe. 4A od onijeh koji slušahu rijeè mnogi vjerovaše, i postade broj ljudi oko pet hiljada. 5A kad bi ujutru, skupiše se knezovi njihovi i starješine i književnici u Jerusalim, 6I Ana poglavar sveštenièki i Kajafa i Jovan i Aleksandar i koliko ih god bješe od roda sveštenièkoga; 7I metnuvši ih na srijedu pitahu: kakom silom ili u èije ime uèiniste vi ovo? 8Tada Petar napunivši se Duha svetoga reèe im: knezovi narodni i starješine Izrailjeve! 9Ako nas danas pitate za dobro djelo koje uèinismo bolesnu èovjeku te on ozdravi: 10Da je na znanje svima vama i svemu narodu Izrailjevu da u ime Isusa Hrista Nazareæanina, kojega vi raspeste, kojega Bog podiže iz mrtvijeh, stoji ovaj pred vama zdrav.

Hebrews 7.26-8.2 (Epistle, Saints)

26Jer takov nama trebaše poglavar sveštenièki: svet, bezazlen, èist, odvojen od grješnika, i koji je bio više nebesa; 27Kojemu nije potrebno svaki dan, kao sveštenicima, najprije za svoje grijehe žrtve prinositi, a potom za narodne, jer on ovo uèini jednom, kad sebe prinese. 28Jer zakon postavlja ljude za sveštenike koji imaju slabost; a rijeè zakletve koja je reèena po zakonu, postavi sina vavijek savršena.

1A ovo je glava od toga što govorimo: imamo takovoga poglavara sveštenièkoga koji sjede s desne strane prijestola velièine na nebesima; 2Koji je sluga svetinjama i istinitoj skiniji, koju naèini Gospod, a ne èovjek.

John 3.16-21 (Gospel)

16Jer Bogu tako omilje svijet da je i sina svojega jedinorodnoga dao, da nijedan koji ga vjeruje ne pogine, nego da ima život vjeèni. 17Jer Bog ne posla sina svojega na svijet da sudi svijetu, nego da se svijet spase kroza nj. 18Koji njega vjeruje ne sudi mu se, a koji ne vjeruje veæ je osuðen, jer ne vjerova u ime jedinorodnoga sina Božijega. 19A sud je ovaj što vidjelo doðe na svijet, i ljudima omilje veæma tama negoli vidjelo; jer njihova djela bijahu zla. 20Jer svaki koji zlo èini mrzi na vidjelo i ne ide k vidjelu da ne pokaraju djela njegovijeh, jer su zla. 21A ko istinu èini ide k vidjelu, da se vide djela njegova, jer su u Bogu uèinjena.

Matthew 5.14-19 (Gospel, Saints)

14Vi ste vidjelo svijetu; ne može se grad sakriti kad na gori stoji. 15Niti se užiže svijeæa i meæe pod sud nego na svijeænjak, te svijetli svima koji su u kuæi. 16Tako da se svijetli vaše vidjelo pred ljudima, da vide vaša dobra djela, i slave oca vašega koji je na nebesima. 17Ne mislite da sam ja došao da pokvarim zakon ili proroke: nijesam došao da pokvarim, nego da ispunim. 18Jer vam zaista kažem: dokle nebo i zemlja stoji, neæe nestati ni najmanjega slovca ili jedne title iz zakona dok se sve ne izvrši. 19Ako ko pokvari jednu od ovijeh najmanjijeh zapovijesti i nauèi tako ljude, najmanji nazvaæe se u carstvu nebeskome; a ko izvrši i nauèi, taj æe se veliki nazvati u carstvu nebeskome.

Holy Equals-to-the-Apostles Methodius (885) and Cyril (869), first teachers of the Slavs

The two saints were brothers, born in Thessalonica. St Methodius, the elder brother, served as a soldier for ten years before becoming a monk. Cyril was librarian at the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople; then he too became a monk.

Their first missionary work was not among the Slavs: When the king of the Khazars (a Mongol people who then inhabited much of what is now Russia) petitioned the Emperor Michael to sent teachers to instruct his people, the Emperor chose Cyril and Methodius as his emissaries. They converted the Khazar king to the Christian faith, along with many of his nobles and commoners.

When King Rostislav of Moravia likewise sought teachers of the Christian faith, Cyril and Methodius were again sent forth. This time they devised an alphabet for the Slavic language and used it to translate many of the Greek service books into the language of the people. (In theory, the Orthodox people have always been privileged to hear the Church’s services in their own tongue, though often attachment to dead languages has prevented this ideal from becoming reality.) Both brothers were repeatedly attacked by Germanic priests of the region, who opposed the use of the common tongue in the liturgy. At different times, both brothers were forced to appeal for exoneration and protection to the Pope of Rome, who supported them warmly each time.

After the two Saints reposed, attacks on their work continued, and their disciples were eventually driven from Moravia. The disciples, fleeing southward, found a warmer welcome among the southern Slavic peoples, and their work bore much fruit in Bulgaria (including modern-day Serbia) and other countries. And, of course, the alphabet that they devised, called Cyrillic after St Cyril, remains the standard alphabet of both the Slavonic service books of the Church and the Slavic languages of today.

Holy Hieromartyr Mocius (288? 295?)

“The holy Hieromartyr Mocius, who was of Roman parents, lived during the reign of Diocletian, and was a priest in Amphilopolis of Thrace. One day as the idolaters were assembled, and the Proconsul Laodicius was offering sacrifice to Dionysius, Mocius entered the temple and overturned the altar. After many torments, through which he was preserved whole by grace divine, he was sent to Byzantium, where he was beheaded about the year 288. Saint Constantine the Great built a magnificent church in honour of Saint Mocius in Constantinople, where his holy relics were enshrined. He is one of the Holy Unmercenaries.” (Great Horologion)

The Prologue and St Herman Calendar give the date of his repose as 295.