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.

Jude 11-25 (Epistle)

11Teško njima! jer putem Kainovijem poðoše i u prijevaru Valaamove plate padoše, i u buni Koreovoj izgiboše. 12Ovo su oni što pogane vaše milostinje jeduæi s vama bez straha i gojeæi se; oblaci bezvodni, koje vjetrovi prenose; jesenska drveta nerodljiva, koja su dvaput umrla, i iz korijena išèupana; 13Bijesni valovi morski, koji se pjene svojijem sramotama, zvijezde lažne, kojima se èuva mrak vjeène tame. 14Ali i za ovake prorokova Enoh, sedmi od Adama, govoreæi: gle, ide Gospod s hiljadama svetijeh anðela svojijeh 15Da uèini sud svima, i da pokara sve bezbožnike za sva njihova bezbožna djela kojima bezbožnost èiniše, i za sve ružne rijeèi njihove koje bezbožni grješnici govoriše na nj. 16Ovo su nezadovoljni vikaèi, koji po željama svojijem žive, i usta njihova govore ponosite rijeèi, i za dobitak gledaju ko je ko. 17A vi, ljubazni, opominjite se rijeèi koje naprijed kazaše apostoli Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, 18Jer vam kazaše da æe u pošljednje vrijeme postati rugaèi, koji æe hoditi po svojijem željama i bezbožnostima. 19Ovo su oni što se odvajaju od jedinosti vjere i jesu tjelesni, koji duha nemaju. 20A vi, ljubazni, naziðujte se svojom svetom vjerom, i molite se Bogu Duhom svetijem. 21I sami sebe držite u ljubavi Božijoj, èekajuæi milosti Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista za život vjeèni. 22I tako razlikujuæi jedne milujte, 23A jedne strahom izbavljajte i iz ognja vadite; a karajte sa strahom, mrzeæi i na haljinu opoganjenu od tijela. 24A onome koji vas može saèuvati bez grijeha i bez mane, i postaviti prave pred slavom svojom u radosti, 25Jedinome premudrome Bogu i spasu našemu, kroz Isusa Hrista Gospoda našega, slava i velièanstvo, država i vlast prije sviju vijekova i sad i u sve vijekove. 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.

Luke 23.2-34, 44-56 (Gospel)

2I poèeše ga tužiti govoreæi: ovoga naðosmo da otpaðuje narod naš, i zabranjuje davati æesaru danak, i govori da je on Hristos car. 3A Pilat ga zapita: ti li si car Judejski? A on odgovarajuæi reèe mu: ti kažeš. 4A Pilat reèe glavarima sveštenièkijem i narodu: ja ne nalazim nikakve krivice na ovom èovjeku. 5A oni navaljivahu govoreæi: on buni ljude uèeæi po svoj Judeji poèevši od Galileje dovde. 6A Pilat èuvši za Galileju zapita: zar je on Galilejac? 7I razumjevši da je iz podruèja Irodova posla ga Irodu, koji takoðer bijaše u Jerusalimu onijeh dana. 8A Irod vidjevši Isusa bi mu vrlo milo; jer je odavno željeo da ga vidi, jer je mnogo slušao za njega, i nadaše se da æe vidjeti od njega kako èudo. 9I pita ga mnogo koje za što; ali mu on ništa ne odgovori. 10A glavari sveštenièki i književnici stajahu, i jednako tužahu ga. 11A Irod osramotivši ga sa svojijem vojnicima, i narugavši mu se, obuèe mu bijelu haljinu, i posla ga natrag Pilatu. 12I u taj se dan pomiriše Pilat i Irod meðu sobom; jer prije bijahu u zavadi. 13A Pilat sazvavši glavare sveštenièke i knezove i narod 14Reèe im: dovedoste mi ovoga èovjeka kao koji narod otpaðuje, i eto ja ga pred vama ispitah, i ne nalazim na ovom èovjeku nijedne krivice što vi na njega govorite; 15A ni Irod, jer sam ga slao k njemu; i eto se ne nalazi ništa da je uèinio što bi zasluživalo smrt. 16Daklem da ga izbijem pa da pustim. 17A trebaše o svakom prazniku pashe da im pusti po jednoga sužnja. 18Ali narod sav povika govoreæi: uzmi ovoga, a pusti nam Varavu; 19Koji bijaše baèen u tamnicu za nekakvu bunu uèinjenu u gradu i za krv. 20A Pilat opet reèe da bi on htio pustiti Isusa. 21A oni vikahu govoreæi: raspni ga, raspni. 22A on im treæi put reèe: kakvo je dakle on zlo uèinio? ja ništa na njemu ne naðoh što bi zasluživalo smrt; daklem da ga izbijem pa da pustim. 23A oni jednako navaljivahu s velikom vikom, i iskahu da se on razapne; i nadvlada vika njihova i glavara sveštenièkijeh. 24I Pilat presudi da bude kao što oni ištu. 25I pusti onoga što iskahu, koji bješe baèen u tamnicu za bunu i za krv; a Isusa ostavi na njihovu volju. 26I kad ga povedoše, uhvatiše nekoga Simona Kirinca koji iðaše iz polja, i metnuše na njega krst da nosi za Isusom. 27A za njim iðaše mnoštvo naroda i žena, koje plakahu i naricahu za njim. 28A Isus obazrevši se na njih reèe: kæeri Jerusalimske! ne plaèite za mnom, nego plaèite za sobom i za djecom svojom. 29Jer gle, idu dani u koje æe se reæi: blago nerotkinjama, i utrobama koje ne rodiše, i sisama koje ne dojiše. 30Tada æe poèeti govoriti gorama: padnite na nas; i bregovima: pokrijte nas. 31Jer kad se ovako radi od sirova drveta, šta æe biti od suha? 32Voðahu pak i druga dva zloèinca da pogube s njim. 33I kad doðoše na mjesto koje se zvaše košturnica, ondje razapeše njega i zloèince, jednoga s desne strane a drugoga s lijeve. 34A Isus govoraše: oèe! oprosti im; jer ne znadu šta èine. A dijeleæi njegove haljine bacahu kocke. 44A bijaše oko šestoga sahata, i tama bi po svoj zemlji do sahata devetoga. 45I pomrèa sunce, i zavjes crkveni razdrije se napola. 46I povikavši Isus iza glasa reèe: oèe! u ruke tvoje predajem duh svoj. I rekavši ovo izdahnu. 47A kad vidje kapetan šta bi, stade hvaliti Boga govoreæi: zaista ovaj èovjek bješe pravednik. 48I sav narod koji se bijaše skupio da gleda ovo, kad vidje šta biva, vrati se bijuæi se u prsi svoje. 49A svi njegovi znanci stajahu izdaleka, i žene koje bijahu išle za njim iz Galileje, i gledahu ovo. 50I gle, èovjek, po imenu Josif, savjetnik, èovjek dobar i pravedan, 51On ne bijaše pristao na njihov savjet i na posao) iz Arimateje grada Judejskoga, koji i sam èekaše carstva Božijega, 52On pristupivši k Pilatu zaiska tijelo Isusovo. 53I skide ga, i obavi platnom, i metnu ga u grob isjeèen, u kome niko ne bijaše nikad metnut. 54I dan bijaše petak, i subota osvitaše. 55A žene koje bijahu došle s Isusom iz Galileje, idoše za Josifom, i vidješe grob i kako se tijelo metnu. 56Vrativši se pak pripraviše mirise i miro; i u subotu dakle ostaše na miru po zakonu.

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.