Isaiah 1.19-2.3 (6th Hour)

19Ako hoæete slušati, dobra zemaljska ješæete. 20Ako li neæete, nego budete nepokorni, maè æe vas pojesti, jer usta Gospodnja rekoše. 21Kako posta kurva vjerni grad? Pun bijaše pravice, pravda nastavaše u njemu, a sada krvnici. 22Srebro tvoje posta troska, vino tvoje pomiješa se s vodom. 23Knezovi su tvoji odmetnici i drugovi lupežima; svaki miluje mito i ide za darovima; siroti ne daju pravice, i parnica udovièka ne dolazi pred njih. 24Zato govori Gospod, Gospod nad vojskama, silni Izrailjev: aha! izdovoljiæu se na protivnicima svojim, i osvetiæu se neprijateljima svojim. 25I okrenuæu ruku svoju na te, i sažeæi æu troske tvoje da te preèistim, i ukloniæu sve olovo tvoje. 26I postaviæu ti opet sudije kao prije, i savjetnike kao ispoèetka; tada æeš se zvati grad pravedni, grad vjerni. 27Sion æe se otkupiti sudom, i pravdom oni koji se u nj vrate. 28A odmetnici i grješnici svi æe se satrti, i koji ostavljaju Gospoda, izginuæe. 29Jer æete se posramiti od gajeva koje željeste, i zastidjeti se od vrtova koje izabraste. 30Jer æete biti kao hrast kojemu opada lišæe i kao vrt u kom nema vode. 31I biæe junak kao kuèine i djelo njegovo kao iskra, i oboje æe se zapaliti, i neæe biti nikoga da ugasi.

1Rijeè koja doðe u utvari Isaiji sinu Amosovu za Judu i za Jerusalim. 2Biæe u potonja vremena gora doma Gospodnjega utvrðena uvrh gora i uzvišena iznad humova, i stjecaæe se k njoj svi narodi. 3I iæi æe mnogi narodi govoreæi: hodite da idemo na goru Gospodnju, u dom Boga Jakovljeva, i uèiæe nas svojim putovima, i hodiæemo stazama njegovijem; jer æe iz Siona izaæi zakon, i rijeè Gospodnja iz Jerusalima.

Genesis 1.14-23 (Vespers)

14Potom reèe Bog: neka budu vidjela na svodu nebeskom, da dijele dan i noæ, da budu znaci vremenima i danima i godinama; 15I neka svijetle na svodu nebeskom, da obasjavaju zemlju. I bi tako. 16I stvori Bog dva vidjela velika: vidjelo veæe da upravlja danom, i vidjelo manje da upravlja noæu, i zvijezde. 17I postavi ih Bog na svodu nebeskom da obasjavaju zemlju. 18I da upravljaju danom i noæu, i da dijele svjetlost od tame. I vidje Bog da je dobro. 19I bi veèe i bi jutro, dan èetvrti. 20Potom reèe Bog: neka vrve po vodi žive duše, i ptice neka lete iznad zemlje pod svod nebeski. 21I stvori Bog kitove velike i sve žive duše što se mièu, što provrvješe po vodi po vrstama svojim, i sve ptice krilate po vrstama njihovijem. I vidje Bog da je dobro; 22I blagoslovi ih Bog govoreæi: raðajte se i množite se, i napunite vodu po morima, i ptice neka se množe na zemlji. 23I bi veèe i bi jutro, dan peti.

Proverbs 1.20-33 (Vespers)

20Premudrost vièe na polju, na ulicama pušta glas svoj; 21U najveæoj vrevi vièe, na vratima, u gradu govori svoje besjede: 22Ludi, dokle æete ljubiti ludost? i potsmjevaèima dokle æe biti mio potsmijeh? i bezumni dokle æe mrziti na znanje? 23Obratite se na karanje moje; evo, izasuæu vam duh svoj, kazaæu vam rijeèi svoje. 24Što zvah, ali ne htjeste, pružah ruku svoju, ali niko ne mari, 25Nego odbaciste svaki savjet moj, i karanja mojega ne htjeste primiti; 26Zato æu se i ja smijati vašoj nevolji, rugaæu se kad doðe èega se bojite; 27Kad kao pustoš doðe èega se bojite, i pogibao vaša kao oluja kad doðe, kad navali na vas nevolja i muka. 28Tada æe me zvati, ali se neæu odazvati; rano æe tražiti, ali me neæe naæi. 29Jer mrziše na znanje, i straha Gospodnjega ne izabraše; 30Ne pristaše na moj svjet, i preziraše sva karanja moja. 31Zato æe jesti plod od putova svojih, i nasitiæe se savjeta svojih. 32Jer æe lude ubiti mir njihov, i bezumne æe pogubiti sreæa njihova. 33Ali ko me sluša, boraviæe bezbrižno, i biæe na miru ne bojeæi se zla.

Apostles Archippus and Philemon of the Seventy, and Martyr Apphia

Archippus was the son of Saints Philemon (Nov. 22) and Apphia (Feb. 15), and, like them, was a disciple of the Apostle Paul, who calls him “our fellow soldier” (Philm. 2). He and his father preached the Gospel at Colossae, and Archippus probably served as a priest for the church that gathered there at his family’s house (Col. 4:17). Archippus’ fervor in preaching the Gospel of Christ so angered the pagans that they seized him and brought him before the governor Androcles. When the Saint refused to sacrifice to Artemis, he was stripped, beaten, tormented in various ways, and finally stoned to death.

Our Venerable Mother Philothea of Athens (1589)

“This bright star of compassion arose in the dark days of the Turkish occupation to shed God’s mercy upon the oppressed people of Athens and to guide many endangered souls onto the path of righteousness.” (Synaxarion)

She was born in 1528 to the prominent Venizelou family, miraculously answering her mother’s prayer of many years. Though even in childhood she showed a love for ascesis and prayer, she was much sought-after as a wealthy heiress, and was married at the age of twelve to a rough, violent man. She endured his ill-treatment nobly, and prayed daily for his conversion. After three years, the brutal husband died, and Philothea gave herself entirely to a life of prayer and fasting, living like a hermitess though still in her parents’ house. When her parents died ten years later, she used her entire fortune to found a convent. Its design had been given her in a vision by the Apostle Andrew, and it was dedicated to him. Alongside the monastery, she founded a hospital, a hospice for the poor, and schools where boys and girls could receive a Christian education, something obviously not provided by the Turkish rulers.

As soon as the monastery was begun, she took monastic vows under the name of Philothea, and she, her own maidservants, and many young women of the city, became the first nuns there. Philothea continued in her boundless compassion for the poor and infirm, whom she visited and tended. She was so free in her almsgiving that more than once the monastery was left without food or other necessities of life, and the sisters began to complain about her. But each time, large donations appeared unexpectedly and saved the community from starvation.

Philothea offered asylum and refuge to Christian slave women who had fled their masters to preserve their faith and chastity. This angered the Turks, who surrounded the monastery, seized Philothea, and brought her before the judge. She was told to deny Christ or die, and when she refused was sentenced to death; but some influential Athenian Greeks were able to intervene on her behalf and to obtain her release.

Immediately upon her release she redoubled her prayers, her apostolic labors and her works of mercy, and was soon granted the gift of working miracles and healings. So many disciples came to join her that she established a second monastery. Her growing influence aroused the hatred of some of the Turks, who broke into the monastery one night and beat her violently, leaving her half-dead. She bore the effects of her injuries patiently, and after a short time gave back her soul to God in 1589.

Twenty years after her repose, a beautiful scent began to issue from her tomb. Her precious relics, venerated at the Cathedral in Athens, remain incorrupt to this day.