Isaiah 9.9-10.4 (6th Hour)

9I znaæe sav narod, Jefrem i stanovnici Samarijski, koji oholo i ponosita srca govore: 10Padoše opeke, ali æemo mi zidati od tesana kamena; dudovi su posjeèeni, ali æemo mi zamijeniti kedrima. 11Ali æe Gospod podignuti protivnike Resinove na nj, i skupiæe neprijatelje njegove, 12Sirce s istoka i Filisteje sa zapada, te æe ždrijeti Izrailja na sva usta. Kod svega toga neæe se odvratiti gnjev njegov, nego æe ruka njegova još biti podignuta. 13Jer se narod neæe obratiti k onomu ko ga bije, i neæe tražiti Gospoda nad vojskama. 14Zato æe otsjeæi Gospod Izrailju glavu i rep, granu i situ u jedan dan. 15Starješina i ugledan èovjek to je glava, a prorok koji uèi laž to je rep. 16Jer koji vode taj narod, oni ga zavode, a koje vode, oni su propali. 17Zato se Gospod neæe radovati mladiæima njegovijem, i na sirote njegove i na udovice njegove neæe se smilovati, jer su svikoliki licemjeri i zlikovci, i svaka usta govore nevaljalstvo. Kod svega toga neæe se odvratiti gnjev njegov, nego æe ruka njegova još biti podignuta. 18Jer æe se razgorjeti bezbožnost kao oganj, koji sažeže èkalj i trnje, pa upali gustu šumu, te otide u dim visoko. 19Od gnjeva Gospoda nad vojskama zamraèiæe se zemlja i narod æe biti kao hrana ognju, niko neæe požaliti brata svojega. 20I zgrabiæe s desne strane, pa æe opet biti gladan, i ješæe s lijeve strane, pa se opet neæe nasititi; svaki æe jesti meso od mišice svoje, 21Manasija Jefrema, i Jefrem Manasiju, a obojica æe se složiti na Judu. Kod svega toga neæe se odvratiti gnjev njegov, nego æe ruka njegova još biti podignuta.

1Teško onima koji postavljaju zakone nepravedne i koji pišu nepravdu, 2Da odbiju od suda uboge, i da otimaju pravicu siromasima naroda mojega, da bi im plijen bile udovice i sirote grabež. 3A što æete èiniti u dan pohoðenja i pogibli koja æe doæi izdaleka? kome æete pribjeæi za pomoæ? gdje li æete ostaviti slavu svoju? 4Da se ne bi unizila meðu roblje i meðu pobijene pala? Kod svega toga neæe se odvratiti gnjev njegov, nego æe ruka njegova još biti podignuta.

Genesis 7.1-5 (Vespers)

1I reèe Gospod Noju: uði u kovèeg ti i sav dom tvoj; jer te naðoh pravedna pred sobom ovoga vijeka. 2Uzmi sa sobom od svijeh životinja èistih po sedmoro, sve mužjaka i ženku njegovu; a od životinja neèistih po dvoje, mužjaka i ženku njegovu, 3Takoðer i od ptica nebeskih po sedam, mužjaka i ženku njegovu, da im se saèuva sjeme na zemlji. 4Jer æu do sedam dana pustiti dažd na zemlju za èetrdeset dana i èetrdeset noæi, i istrijebiæu sa zemlje svako tijelo živo, koje sam stvorio. 5I Noje uèini sve što mu zapovjedi Gospod.

Proverbs 8.32-9.11 (Vespers)

32Tako dakle, sinovi, poslušajte me, jer blago onima koji se drže putova mojih. 33Slušajte nastavu, i budite mudri, i nemojte je odbaciti. 34Blago èovjeku koji me sluša stražeæi na vratima mojim svaki dan i èuvajuæi pragove vrata mojih. 35Jer ko mene nalazi, nalazi život i dobija ljubav od Gospoda. 36A ko o mene griješi, èini krivo duši svojoj; svi koji mrze na me, ljube smrt.

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.

Martyr Conon of Isauria (2nd c.)

The holy Martyr Conon lived in the days of the holy Apostles; he was born in the village of Bydane of Isauria in Asia Minor, to parents named Nestor and Nada. He was instructed in the Faith and baptised into Christ by the Archangel Michael himself, who, it is said, accompanied him for the rest of his life. His parents joined him in marriage to a pagan maiden named Anna; but on their wedding night he took a candle, put it under a vessel, and asked her ‘Which is better, light or darkness?’ She answered ‘Light,’ and he told her of the Christian faith and the joys of the spiritual life. She accepted Christ, and the two agreed to live in virginity. Conon went on to bring many pagans to Christ, including his own parents. His wife and both parents died after a few years (Nestor as a Martyr) and he gave himself up entirely to prayer, fasting, and contemplation on God. He was known as a wonder-worker, and even evil spirits were compelled to serve him.

During one of the persecutions, Magnus the governor of Isauria imprisoned Conon and had him tortured, beaten and stabbed with knives. Believers obtained some of his blood, and the sick who were anointed with it became well. A large crowd of Christians whom Conon had brought to Faith surrounded the governor’s palace demanding Conon’s release, and the frightened governor let him go. He lived for two more years in his own home, then reposed in peace.

St Mark of Athens (4th c.)

He was born in Athens of pagan parents, but believed and was baptized, and, forsaking everything, lived as a hermit in the desert beyond Egypt. He did not see another human being for ninety-five years, and we would know nothing of his life had not the monk Serapion come upon him. Mark was about to depart this life, and lived only long enough to tell Serapion his story. Serapion then gave him burial.

St Mark the Ascetic (5th c.)

St Mark was a disciple of St John Chrysostom, tonsured a monk at the age of forty by St John himself. He then withdrew to the Nitrian desert and lived for sixty years as a hermit, devoting himself to fasting, prayer, and writing spiritual discourses.

Saint Mark knew all the Holy Scriptures by heart. His compassion was so great that he wept at the distress of any of God’s creatures: once he wept for the blind pup of a hyena, and the pup received its sight. Though he lived alone in the desert, it is said that he received Communion from an angel.

The holy and scholarly Patriarch Photios held his writings in the highest esteem, and at one time there was a saying, ‘sell all that you have, and buy Mark.’ Some of these beautiful and profound writings may be read in English in the first volume of the Philokalia.