Isaiah 13.2-13 (6th Hour)

2Na gori visokoj podignite zastavu, vièite im iza glasa, mašite rukom, neka uðu na vrata kneževska. 3Ja sam zapovjedio izabranima svojim i dozvao sam junake svoje da izvrše gnjev moj koji se raduju s velièine moje. 4Vika stoji ljudstva na gorama kao da je velik narod, vika i vreva carstva skupljenijeh naroda; Gospod nad vojskama pregleda vojsku ubojitu. 5Dolaze iz daljne zemlje, s kraja nebesa, Gospod i oruða srdnje njegove, da zatre svu zemlju. 6Ridajte, jer je blizu dan Gospodnji; doæi æe kao pustoš od svemoguæega. 7Zato æe svaka ruka klonuti, i svako srce èovjeèije rastopiti se. 8I oni æe se smesti, muke i bolovi spopašæe ih, muèiæe se kao porodilja, prepašæe se jedan od drugoga, lica æe im biti kao plamen. 9Evo, ide dan Gospodnji ljuti s gnjevom i jarošæu da obrati zemlju u pustoš, i grješnike da istrijebi iz nje. 10Jer zvijezde nebeske i prilike nebeske neæe pustiti svjetlosti svoje, sunce æe pomrèati o roðaju svom, i mjesec neæe pustiti svjetlosti svoje. 11I pohodiæu vasiljenu za zloæu, i bezbožnike za bezakonje; i ukinuæu razmetanje oholijeh, i ponos silnijeh oboriæu. 12Uèiniæu da æe èovjek više vrijediti nego zlato èisto, više nego zlato Ofirsko. 13Zato æu zatresti nebo, i zemlja æe se pokrenuti sa svoga mjesta od jarosti Gospoda nad vojskama i u dan kad se raspali gnjev njegov.

Genesis 8.4-21 (Vespers)

4Te se ustavi kovèeg sedmoga mjeseca dana sedamnaestoga na planini Araratu. 5I voda opadaše sve veæma do desetoga mjeseca; i prvoga dana desetoga mjeseca pokazaše se vrhovi od brda. 6A poslije èetrdeset dana otvori Noje prozor na kovèegu, koji bješe naèinio; 7I ispusti gavrana, koji jednako odlijetaše i dolijetaše dokle ne presahnu voda na zemlji. 8Pa pusti i golubicu da bi vidio je li opala voda sa zemlje. 9A golubica ne našavši gdje bi stala nogom svojom vrati se k njemu u kovèeg, jer još bješe voda po svoj zemlji; i Noje pruživši ruku uhvati je i uze k sebi u kovèeg. 10I poèeka još sedam dana, pa opet ispusti golubicu iz kovèega. 11I pred veèe vrati se k njemu golubica, i gle, u kljunu joj list maslinov, koji bješe otkinula; tako pozna Noje da je opala voda sa zemlje. 12Ali poèeka još sedam dana, pa opet ispusti golubicu, a ona mu se više ne vrati. 13Šest stotina prve godine vijeka Nojeva prvi dan prvoga mjeseca usahnu voda na zemlji; i Noje otkri krov na kovèegu, i ugleda zemlju suhu. 14A drugoga mjeseca dvadeset sedmoga dana bješe sva zemlja suha. 15Tada reèe Bog Noju govoreæi: 16Izidi iz kovèega ti i žena tvoja i sinovi tvoji i žene sinova tvojih s tobom; 17Sve zvijeri što su s tobom od svakoga tijela, ptice i stoku i što god gamiže po zemlji, izvedi sa sobom, neka se raziðu po zemlji, i neka se plode i množe na zemlji. 18I izide Noje i sinovi njegovi i žena njegova i žene sinova njegovijeh s njim. 19Sve zvijeri, sve sitne životinje, sve ptice i sve što se mièe po zemlji po svojim vrstama izidoše iz kovèega. 20I naèini Noje žrtvenik Gospodu, i uze od svake èiste stoke i od svijeh ptica èistijeh, i prinese na žrtveniku žrtve paljenice. 21I Gospod omirisa miris ugodni, i reèe u srcu svojem: neæu više kleti zemlje s ljudi, što je misao srca èovjeèijega zla od malena; niti æu više ubijati svega što živi, kao što uèinih.

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.

St Alexis, the Man of God (411)

He was born of pious and noble parents in Rome in the time of the Emperor Honorius. His parents, Euphemianus and Agalais, set a high standard of godly living: his father, though wealthy, sat down to dine only once a day, at sunset. By his parents’ arrangement Alexis was married at a young age. However, without ever living with his new wife, he fled to Edessa in Mesopotamia, where he lived in asceticism for eighteen years, presenting himself as a beggar in order to avoid the praise of men. When, despite his efforts, he began to be known as a holy man, he fled the city and took ship for Laodicea. By divine providence, the ship was blown off course and forced to land in Rome. Taking this as a sign, Alexis, still disguised as a beggar, returned to his parents’ house, where he sat at the gates, unrecognized by any of his family. His father, not knowing who he was, allowed him to live in a hut in his courtyard. There Alexis spent another seventeen years, living only on bread and water. He died clutching a piece of paper on which he had revealed his true identity. At the time of his death, the pope of Rome heard a voice saying “Look for the Man of God,” and revealing where he should look. It is said that the Emperor Honorius, the Pope and a large retinue came to the house, where they found Alexis dead in his tiny hut, his face shining like the sun. His parents and wife were at first overcome with grief to learn that their son and husband had been secretly living near them, but they were comforted when they saw that his body healed the sick and exuded a fragrant myrrh. Thus they knew that God had glorified him. His head is preserved at the Church of St Laurus on the Peloponnese.

St Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland (ca. 461)

“Saint Patrick, the Apostle of the Irish, was seized from his native Britain by Irish marauders when he was sixteen years old. Though the son of a deacon and grandson of a priest, it was not until his captivity that he sought out the Lord with his whole heart. In his Confession, the testament he wrote towards the end of his life, he says, ‘After I came to Ireland — every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed — the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was so moved that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as many at night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountain; and I would rise for prayer before daylight, through snow, through frost, through rain, and I felt no harm.”

After six years of slavery in Ireland, he was guided by God to make his escape, and afterwards struggled in the monastic life in Aesir in Gaul [now France], under the guidance of the holy Bishop Germanus. Many years later he was ordained bishop and sent to Ireland once again, about the year 432, to convert the Irish to Christ. His arduous labours bore so much fruit that within seven years, three bishops were sent from Gaul to help him shepherd his flock, ‘my brethren and sons whom I have baptized in the Lord — so many thousands of people,’ he says in his Confession.

His apostolic work was not accomplished without much ‘weariness and painfulness,’ long journeys through difficult country, and many perils; he says his very life was in danger twelve times. When he came to Ireland, as its enlightener, it was a pagan country; when he ended his earthly life some thirty years later, about 461, the Faith of Christ was established in every corner.” (Great Horologion)

The work of St Patrick and his brethren has been called the most successful single missionary venture in the history of the Church.

It is said of St Patrick that he chanted the entire Psalter every day.