Isaiah 28.14-22 (6th Hour)

14Zato slušajte rijeè Gospodnju, ljudi potsmjevaèi, koji vladate narodom što je u Jerusalimu. 15Što rekoste: uhvatismo vjeru sa smræu, i ugovorismo s grobom; kad zaðe biè kao povodanj, neæe nas dohvatiti, jer od laži naèinismo sebi utoèište, i za prijevaru zaklonismo se; 16Zato ovako veli Gospod Gospod: evo, ja meæem u Sionu kamen, kamen izabran, kamen od ugla, skupocjen, temelj tvrd; ko vjeruje neæe se plašiti. 17I izvršiæu sud po pravilu i pravdu po mjerilima; i grad æe potrti lažno utoèište i voda æe potopiti zaklon. 18I vjera vaša sa smræu uništiæe se, i ugovor vaš s grobom neæe ostati, a kad zaðe biè kao povodanj, potlaèiæe vas. 19Èim zaðe, odnijeæe vas, jer æe zalaziti svako jutro, danju i noæu, i kad se èuje vika, biæe sam strah. 20Jer æe odar biti kratak da se èovjek ne može pružiti, i pokrivaè uzak da se ne može umotati. 21Jer æe Gospod ustati kao na gori Ferasimu, razgnjeviæe se kao u dolu Gavaonskom, da uèini djelo svoje, neobièno djelo svoje, da svrši posao svoj, neobièan posao svoj. 22Nemojte se dakle više potsmijevati da ne postanu jaèi okovi vaši, jer èuh od Gospoda Gospoda nad vojskama pogibao odreðenu svoj zemlji.

Genesis 10.32-11.9 (Vespers)

32To su porodice sinova Nojevijeh po plemenima svojim, u narodima svojim; i od njih se razdijeliše narodi po zemlji poslije potopa.

1A bijaše na cijeloj zemlji jedan jezik i jednake rijeèi. 2A kad otidoše od istoka, naðoše ravnicu u zemlji Senarskoj, i naseliše se ondje. 3Pa rekoše meðu sobom: hajde da pravimo ploèe i da ih u vatri peèemo. I bjehu im opeke mjesto kamena i smola zemljana mjesto kreèa. 4Poslije rekoše: hajde da sazidamo grad i kulu, kojoj æe vrh biti do neba, da steèemo sebi ime, da se ne bismo rasijali po zemlji. 5A Gospod siðe da vidi grad i kulu, što zidahu sinovi èovjeèiji. 6I reèe Gospod: gle, narod jedan, i jedan jezik u svijeh, i to poèeše raditi, i neæe im smetati ništa da ne urade što su naumili. 7Hajde da siðemo, i da im pometemo jezik, da ne razumiju jedan drugoga što govore. 8Tako ih Gospod rasu odande po svoj zemlji, te ne sazidaše grada. 9Zato se prozva Vavilon, jer ondje pomete Gospod jezik cijele zemlje, i odande ih rasu Gospod po svoj zemlji.

Proverbs 13.19-14.6 (Vespers)

19Ispunjena je želja slast duši, a bezumnima je mrsko otstupiti oda zla. 20Ko hodi s mudrima postaje mudar, a ko se druži s bezumnicima postaje gori. 21Grješnike goni zlo, a pravednicima se vraæa dobro. 22Dobar èovjek ostavlja našljedstvo sinovima sinova svojih, a grješnikovo imanje èuva se pravedniku. 23Izobila hrane ima na njivi siromaškoj, a ima ko propada sa zle uprave. 24Ko žali prut, mrzi na sina svojega; a ko ga ljubi, kara ga za vremena. 25Pravednik jede, i sita mu je duša; a trbuh bezbožnicima nema dosta.

1Mudra žena zida kuæu svoju, a luda svojim rukama raskopava. 2Ko hodi pravo, boji se Gospoda; a ko je opak na svojim putovima, prezire ga. 3U ustima je bezbožnikovijem prut oholosti, a mudre èuvaju usta njihova. 4Gdje nema volova, èiste su jasle; a obilata je ljetina od sile volovske. 5Istinit svjedok ne laže, a lažan svjedok govori laž. 6Potsmjevaè traži mudrost, i ne nahodi je; a razumnomu je znanje lako naæi.

St Benedict of Nursia, abbot (547)

His name, Benedictus, means “Blessed” in Latin. He was born in 480 in Nursia, a small town northeast of Rome. He had only rudimentary schooling: he wrote later of his fear that through book-learning he might ‘lose the great understanding of my soul.’ At an early age he fled to a monastery where he was tonsured; he then withdrew to a remote mountain, where he lived or several years in a cave, perfecting himself in prayer. His only food was some bread brought to him by Romanus, the monk who had tonsured him. When he became known in the area, he fled his cave to escape the attentions of the pious; but flight proved useless, and in time a community of monks formed around him. He was granted many spiritual gifts: he healed the sick and drove out evil spirits, raised the dead, and appeared in visions to others many miles away.

Benedict founded twelve monasteries, most famously that at Monte Cassino. Initially, each monastic house had twelve monks, to imitate the number of the Twelve Apostles. The Rule that he established for his monks was based on the works of St John Cassian and St Basil the Great, and became a standard for western monasteries. Thus he is sometimes called the first teacher of monks in the West.

Six days before his death, the Saint ordered that his grave be opened, gathered all his monks together, gave them counsel, then gave his soul back to God on the day that he had predicted. At the moment of his death, two monks in different places had the same vision: they saw a path from earth to heaven, richly adorned and lined on either side with ranks of people. At the top of the path stood a man, clothed in light and unspeakably beautiful, who told them that the path was prepared for Benedict, the beloved of God. In this way, the monks learned that their abbot had gone to his rest.

St Theognostus, Metropolitan of Kiev (1353)

He was born in Greece and succeeded St Peter of Kiev as Metropolitan of that city. Some of his enemies among his own flock denounced him to the Mongol ruler, saying that he had collected no tribute from his churches to pay to the Mongols. Summoned before the Mongol prince and asked about this, he answered ‘Christ our God bought His Church from the unbelievers with His precious Blood. For what do we pay tribute to unbelievers?’ Returning home, he governed the Church for twenty-five more years and reposed in peace in 1353.