Genesis 28.10-17 (Vespers)

10A Jakov otide od Virsaveje iduæi u Haran. 11I doðe na jedno mjesto, i ondje zanoæi, jer sunce bješe zašlo; i uze kamen na onom mjestu, i metnu ga sebi pod glavu, i zaspa na onom mjestu. 12I usni, a to ljestve stajahu na zemlji a vrhom ticahu u nebo, i gle, anðeli Božji po njima se penjahu i slažahu; 13I gle, na vrhu stajaše Gospod, i reèe: ja sam Gospod Bog Avrama oca tvojega i Bog Isakov; tu zemlju na kojoj spavaš tebi æu dati i sjemenu tvojemu; 14I sjemena æe tvojega biti kao praha na zemlji, te æeš se raširiti na zapad i na istok i na sjever i na jug, i svi narodi na zemlji blagosloviæe se u tebi i u sjemenu tvojem. 15I evo, ja sam s tobom, i èuvaæu te kuda god poðeš, i dovešæu te natrag u ovu zemlju, jer te neæu ostaviti dokle god ne uèinim što ti rekoh. 16A kad se Jakov probudi od sna, reèe: zacijelo je Gospod na ovom mjestu; a ja ne znah. 17I uplaši se, i reèe: kako je strašno mjesto ovo! ovdje je doista kuæa Božja, i ovo su vrata nebeska.

Ezekiel 43.27-44.4 (Vespers)

27A kad se navrše ti dani, osmoga dana i poslije neka prinose sveštenici na oltaru žrtve vaše paljenice i žrtve vaše zahvalne, i primiæu vas, govori Gospod Gospod.

1I odvede me opet k vratima spoljašnjim od svetinje, koja gledaju na istok, a ona bjehu zatvorena. 2I reèe mi Gospod: ova vrata neka budu zatvorena i da se ne otvoraju, i niko da ne ulazi na njih, jer je Gospod Bog Izrailjev ušao na njih; zato neka budu zatvorena. 3Za kneza su; sam knez neka sjeda na njima da jede hljeb pred Gospodom; kroz trijem od ovijeh vrata neka ulazi i istijem putem neka izlazi. 4I odvede me k sjevernijem vratima pred dom; i vidjeh, i gle, dom Gospodnji bješe pun slave Gospodnje, i padoh na lice svoje.

Proverbs 9.1-11 (Vespers)

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.

Luke 1.39-49, 56 (Matins Gospel)

39A Marija ustavši onijeh dana otide brzo u gornju zemlju u grad Judin. 40I uðe u kuæu Zarijinu, i pozdravi se s Jelisavetom. 41I kad Jelisaveta èu èestitanje Marijino, zaigra dijete u utrobi njezinoj, i Jelisaveta se napuni Duha svetoga, 42I povika zdravo i reèe: blagoslovena si ti meðu ženama, i blagosloven je plod utrobe tvoje. 43I otkud meni ovo da doðe mati Gospoda mojega k meni? 44Jer gle, kad doðe glas èestitanja tvojega u uši moje, zaigra dijete radosno u utrobi mojoj. 45I blago onoj koja vjerova; jer æe se izvršiti što joj kaza Gospod. 46I reèe Marija: velièa duša moja Gospoda; 47I obradova se duh moj Bogu spasu mojemu, 48Što pogleda na poniženje sluškinje svoje; jer gle, otsad æe me zvati blaženom svi naraštaji; 49Što mi uèini velièinu silni, i sveto ime njegovo; 56Marija pak sjedi s njom oko tri mjeseca, i vrati se kuæi svojoj.

Philippians 2.24-30 (Epistle)

24A nadam se u Gospoda da æu i sam skoro doæi k vama. 25Ali naðoh za potrebno da pošljem k vama brata Epafrodita, svojega pomagaèa i drugara u vojevanju, a vašega poslanika i slugu moje potrebe; 26Jer željaše od srca vas sve da vidi, i žaljaše što ste èuli da je bolovao. 27Jer bješe bolestan do smrti; no Bog pomilova ga, ne samo njega, nego i mene, da mi ne doðe žalost na žalost. 28Zato ga poslah skorije, da se obradujete kad ga opet vidite, i meni da olakša malo. 29Primite ga dakle u Gospodu sa svakom radosti, i takove poštujte; 30Jer za djelo Hristovo doðe do same smrti, ne marivši za svoj život da naknadi u službi mojoj što vas nemam.

Hebrews 9.1-7 (Epistle, Protection)

1Tako i prvi zavjet imaše pravde bogomoljstva i svetinju zemaljsku. 2Jer skinija bješe naèinjena prva, u kojoj bijaše svijeænjak i trpeza i postavljeni hljebovi, što se zove svetinja. 3A za drugijem zavjesom bijaše skinija, koja se zove svetinja nad svetinjama, 4Koja imaše zlatnu kadionicu, i kovèeg zavjeta okovan svuda zlatom, u kome bijaše zlatan sud s manom, i palica Aronova, koja se bješe omladila, i ploèe zavjeta. 5A više njega bijahu heruvimi slave, koji osjenjavahu oltar; o èemu se ne može sad govoriti redom. 6A kad ovo bijaše tako ureðeno, ulažahu sveštenici svagda u prvu skiniju i savršivahu službu Božiju. 7A u drugu ulažaše jednom u godini sam poglavar sveštenièki, ne bez krvi, koju prinosi za sebe i za narodna neznanja.

Luke 5.33-39 (Gospel)

33A oni mu rekoše: zašto uèenici Jovanovi poste èesto i mole se Bogu, tako i farisejski; a tvoji jedu i piju? 34A on im reèe: možete li svatove natjerati da poste dok je ženik s njima? 35Nego æe doæi dani kad æe se oteti od njih ženik, i onda æe postiti u one dane. 36Kaza im pak i prièu: niko ne meæe zakrpe od nove haljine na staru haljinu, inaèe æe i novu razdrijeti, i staroj ne lièi što je od novoga. 37I niko ne ljeva vina novoga u mjehove stare; inaèe prodre novo vino mjehove i ono se prolije, i mjehovi propadnu; 38Nego vino novo u mjehove nove treba ljevati, i oboje æe se saèuvati. 39I niko pivši staro neæe odmah novoga; jer veli: staro je bolje.

Luke 10.38-42, 11.27-28 (Gospel, Protection)

38A kad iðahu putem i on uðe u jedno selo, a žena neka, po imenu Marta, primi ga u svoju kuæu. 39I u nje bješe sestra, po imenu Marija, koja i sjede kod nogu Isusovijeh i slušaše besjedu njegovu. 40A Marta se bješe zabunila kako æe ga doèekati, i prikuèivši se reèe: Gospode! zar ti ne mariš što me sestra moja ostavi samu da služim? reci joj dakle da mi pomože. 41A Isus odgovarajuæi reèe joj: Marta! Marta! brineš se i trudiš za mnogo, 42A samo je jedno potrebno. Ali je Marija dobri dijel izabrala, koji se neæe uzeti od nje. 27A kad to govoraše, podiže glas jedna žena iz naroda i reèe mu: blago utrobi koja te je nosila, i sisama koje si sao! 28A on reèe: blago i onima koji slušaju rijeè Božiju, i drže je.

The Protection of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

On October 1, 911, during the reign of Emperor Leo the Wise, an all-night vigil was being held at the Blachernae Church of the Mother of God in Constantinople, with many of the faithful crowding the church. St Andrew the Fool for Christ (commemorated tomorrow, October 2) was standing at the back of the church with his disciple Epiphanius. At around four in the morning, the most holy Theotokos appeared above the people, clothed in resplendent garments, surrounded by indescribable radiance, and holding a veil in her outstretched hands, as though to protect all the people. St Andrew said to Epiphanius ‘Do you see how the Queen and Lady of all is praying for the whole world?’ Epiphanius replied ‘Yes, Father, I see it and stand in dread.’ This wonderful event is recorded in Epiphanius’ life of St Andrew. Because of it, the Church keeps an annual feast on this date.

Note: This feast is particularly well-loved in the Slavic churches. In 1960, the Greek church transferred its observance to October 28, in memory of the Mother of God’s protection of the Greek forces holding the Albanian front against Italy in 1940.

St Romanos the Melodist of Constantinople (556)

He was born in Emessa in Syria, probably of Jewish parents. He served as a deacon in Beirut, then in Constantinople at the time of Patriarch Euphemius (490-496). He was illiterate, had no musical training, and was a poor singer; thus he was despised by many of the more cultivated clergy. One night, after Romanos had prayed to the Mother of God, she appeared to him in a dream, held out a piece of paper and told him to swallow it. On the following day, the Nativity of Christ, Romanos went to the ambon and, with an angelic voice, sang ‘Today the Virgin…’, which is still sung as the Kontakion of the Feast. All present were amazed at the completely unexpected beauty of the hymn and of Romanos’ singing. St Romanos went on to compose more than a thousand Kontakia (which were once long hymns, not the short verses used in church today). He is almost certainly the author of the sublime Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God, which has served as the model for all other Akathists. He reposed in peace, while still a deacon of the Great Church in Constantinople. Many of his hymns were inspired by the hymns of St Ephraim of Syria.

The influence of Middle Eastern music on the hymnography of the Church is incalculable. Many of those who established the form of the Church’s music were Syrians: two noted examples are St Romanos and St John of Damascus, who composed the Octoechos, the Pascha service, and the Funeral Service. Their music was in turn modeled on the music of the Hebrew temple. The Byzantine musical tradition has descended without break from the music sung in Christ’s time, and presumably by Christ Himself.

Our Holy Father Gregory the Choirmaster (Domestikos) of the Great Lavra (1355)

He was a cantor at the Great Lavra on Mt Athos. Once, on the eve of Theophany, he was inspired to sing the hymn O full of grace, thou who art the joy of all creation instead of the usual It is truly meet to bless thee during the Divine Liturgy. When he did this, the most holy Theotokos appeared to him, thanked him and gave him a gold coin as a sign of her favor. The coin is still kept at the Lavra. He reposed in peace. St Gregory’s hymn has been sung since that time as part of the Divine Liturgy of St Basil.

Saint Remigius, Bishop of Rheims, Apostle to the Franks (533)

He was born in 438 in northern Gaul. After devoting himself for awhile to secular and sacred learning, he withdrew to a small house near Laon, to live in reclusion and prayer. But when a bishop was needed in Rheims, the clergy and people carried him off from his hermitage and made him their bishop. He was only twenty-two years old at the time.

The holy bishop soon became renowned throughout northern Gaul. He converted heretics, brought Arian heretics back to the Orthodox Faith, and cared for the many who suffered at the hands of barbarian marauders. Wherever he went, miracles attended him. He healed the sick and demonized and once, when a town was on fire, threw himself into the flames and quenched them. Birds would come to his table whenever he ate, and he would share his meal with them.

In 482 the young warrior Clovis became leader of the Frankish tribes in that region. Though he was a pagan, he knew and admired St Remigius, and was married to a Christian, St Clotilde (June 3). Once, when his army faced defeat by the Alemanii, Clovis prayed to ‘the God of Clotilde and Remigius’ and won a great victory. This answer to his prayers convinced him of the truth of the Christian Faith, and he asked St Remigius to instruct him. Two years later he gathered all his chieftains in Rheims to attend his baptism. The baptism was accompanied by many miracles, seen by all in attendance. Two of the king’s sisters and three thousand of his lords and soldiers were baptized at the ceremony. This event is considered the birth of France as a Christian nation.

In great old age, St Remigius went blind, but miraculously recovered his sight. He reposed in peace at the age of 105, immediately after serving the Divine Liturgy.