Isaiah 1.1-20 (6th Hour)

1Utvara Isaije sina Amosova, koju vidje za Judu i za Jerusalim za vremena Ozije, Joatana, Ahaza i Jezekije, careva Judinijeh. 2Èujte, nebesa, i slušaj, zemljo; jer Gospod govori: sinove odgojih i podigoh, a oni se odvrgoše mene. 3Vo poznaje gospodara svojega i magarac jasle gospodara svojega, a Izrailj ne poznaje, narod moj ne razumije. 4Da grješna naroda! naroda ogrezla u bezakonju! sjemena zlikovaèkoga, sinova pokvarenijeh! ostaviše Gospoda, prezreše sveca Izrailjeva, otstupiše natrag. 5Što biste još bili bijeni kad se sve više odmeæete? Sva je glava bolesna i sve srce iznemoglo. 6Od pete do glave nema ništa zdrava, nego uboj i modrice i rane gnojave, ni iscijeðene ni zavijene ni uljem zablažene. 7Zemlja je vaša pusta, gradovi vaši ognjem popaljeni; vaše njive jedu tuðini na vaše oèi, i pustoš je kao što opustošavaju tuðini. 8I osta kæi Sionska kao koliba u vinogradu, kao sjenica u gradini od krastavaca, kao grad opkoljen. 9Da nam Gospod nad vojskama nije ostavio malo ostatka, bili bismo kao Sodom, izjednaèili bismo se s Gomorom. 10Èujte rijeè Gospodnju, knezovi Sodomski, poslušajte zakon Boga našega, narode Gomorski! 11Što æe mi mnoštvo žrtava vaših? veli Gospod. Sit sam žrtava paljenica od ovnova i pretiline od gojene stoke, i ne marim za krv junèiju i jagnjeæu i jareæu. 12Kad dolazite da se pokažete preda mnom, ko ište to od vas, da gazite po mom trijemu? 13Ne prinosite više žrtve zaludne; na kad gadim se; a o mladinama i subotama i o sazivanju skupštine ne mogu podnositi bezakonja i svetkovine. 14Na mladine vaše i na praznike vaše mrzi duša moja, dosadiše mi, dodija mi podnositi. 15Zato kad širite ruke svoje, zaklanjam oèi svoje od vas; i kad množite molitve, ne slušam; ruke su vaše pune krvi. 16Umijte se, oèistite se, uklonite zloæu djela svojih ispred oèiju mojih, prestanite zlo èiniti. 17Uèite se dobro èiniti, tražite pravdu, ispravljajte potlaèenoga, dajite pravicu siroti, branite udovicu. 18Tada doðite, veli Gospod, pa æemo se suditi: ako grijesi vaši budu kao skerlet, postaæe bijeli kao snijeg; ako budu crveni kao crvac, postaæe kao vuna. 19Ako hoæete slušati, dobra zemaljska ješæete. 20Ako li neæete, nego budete nepokorni, maè æe vas pojesti, jer usta Gospodnja rekoše.

Genesis 1.1-13 (Vespers)

1U poèetku stvori Bog nebo i zemlju. 2A zemlja bješe bez oblièja i pusta, i bješe tama nad bezdanom; i duh Božji dizaše se nad vodom. 3I reèe Bog: neka bude svjetlost. I bi svjetlost. 4I vidje Bog svjetlost da je dobra; i rastavi Bog svjetlost od tame. 5I svjetlost nazva Bog dan, a tamu nazva noæ. I bi veèe i bi jutro, dan prvi. 6Potom reèe Bog: neka bude svod posred vode, da rastavlja vodu od vode. 7I stvori Bog svod, i rastavi vodu pod svodom od vode nad svodom; i bi tako. 8A svod nazva Bog nebo. I bi veèe i bi jutro, dan drugi. 9Potom reèe Bog: neka se sabere voda što je pod nebom na jedno mjesto, i neka se pokaže suho. I bi tako. 10I suho nazva Bog zemlja, a zborišta vodena nazva mora; i vidje Bog da je dobro. 11Opet reèe Bog: neka pusti zemlja iz sebe travu, bilje, što nosi sjeme, i drvo rodno, koje raða rod po svojim vrstama, u kojem æe biti sjeme njegovo na zemlji. I bi tako. 12I pusti zemlja iz sebe travu, bilje, što nosi sjeme po svojim vrstama, i drvo, koje raða rod, u kojem je sjeme njegovo po njegovijem vrstama. I vidje Bog da je dobro. 13I bi veèe i bi jutro, dan treæi.

Proverbs 1.1-20 (Vespers)

1Prièe Solomuna sina Davidova, cara Izrailjeva, 2Da se poznaje mudrost i nastava, da se razumiju rijeèi razumne, 3Da se prima nastava u razumu, u pravdi, u sudu i u svemu što je pravo, 4Da se daje ludima razboritost, mladiæima znanje i pomnjivost. 5Mudar æe slušati i više æe znati, i razuman æe steæi mudrost, 6Da razumije prièe i znaèenje, rijeèi mudrijeh ljudi i zagonetke njihove. 7Poèetak je mudrosti strah Gospodnji; ludi preziru mudrost i nastavu. 8Slušaj, sine, nastavu oca svojega, i ne ostavljaj nauke matere svoje. 9Jer æe biti vijenac od milina oko glave tvoje, i grivna na grlu tvom. 10Sine moj, ako bi te mamili grješnici, ne pristaj; 11Ako bi rekli: hodi s nama da vrebamo krv, da zasjedamo pravome ni za što; 12Proždrijeæemo ih kao grob žive, i svekolike kao one koji slaze u jamu; 13Svakojakoga blaga dobiæemo, napuniæemo kuæe svoje plijena; 14Bacaæeš ždrijeb svoj s nama; jedan æe nam tobolac biti svjema; 15Sine moj, ne idi na put s njima, èuvaj nogu svoju od staze njihove. 16Jer nogama svojim trèe na zlo i hite da proljevaju krv. 17Jer se uzalud razapinje mreža na oèi svakoj ptici; 18A oni vrebaju svoju krv i zasjedaju svojoj duši. 19Taki su putovi svijeh lakomijeh na dobitak, koji uzima dušu svojim gospodarima. 20Premudrost vièe na polju, na ulicama pušta glas svoj;

Hieromartyr Haralambos (Charalampus), bishop of Magnesia (202)

“This great saint was bishop in Magnesia, and suffered for Christ at the age of 113. When a violent persecution broke out under the Emperor Septimus Severus, the aged Charalampus did not hide from his persecutors, but freely and openly preached the Christian faith. He endured all tortures as though not in the body, and when they flayed the living flesh from him, the godly saint said to the Emperor’s soldiers: ‘Thank you, my brethren, for scraping off the old body and renewing my soul for new and eternal life.’ He performed many wonders and brought many to the Faith. Even the Emperor’s daughter, Gallina, repudiated the paganism of her father and became a Christian. Condemned to death and led to the place of execution, St Charalampus raised his arms to heaven and prayed for all men, that God would give them bodily health and salvation of soul, and that He would grant them the fruits of the earth in abundance: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that men are flesh and blood; forgive them their sins and pour out Thy blessing on all.’ After praying thus, the saintly elder gave his soul to God before the executioner had laid his sword to his neck. He suffered in 202. Gallina took his body and buried it.” (Prologue)

The Great Horologion puts his age at 103.

St Scholastica of Italy, sister of St Benedict (543)

She was the twin sister of St Benedict, patriarch of monasticism in the West (March 14), and his constant fellow-laborer in the vineyard of Christ. They lived in neighboring monasteries; though they loved one another dearly, they met only once a year, spending the day in prayer and spiritual conversation, then parting after sharing a simple meal. At their meeting in 543, she prevailed on her brother (and the monk who accompanied him) to break his own monastic rule and stay with her in vigil through the night. Three days later, as Benedict looked out his cell window, he saw his sister’s soul in the form of a dove ascending to heaven.

Recommended: The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica, a beautifully illustrated children’s book about the two Saints; by Kathleen Norris, illustrated by Tomie dePaola.

Our Venerable Father Prochorus of the Kiev Caves (1107)

“A wonder-worker of the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, he was named the Orach-eater because the whole time he lived in the monastery, he never tasted bread but fed himself on orach [a kind of wild spinach] prepared according to his own particular method as a sort of bread. When he gave someone some of this bread with his blessing, it was as sweet as honey, but if someone stole some, it was as bitter as wormwood.

“At one time, when there was a dearth of salt in Russia, Prochorus distributed ashes to the people for salt. The ashes that he distributed with his blessing became salt; ashes, however, that anyone took for himself remained ordinary ashes. Prince Svyatopolk ordered that all the ashes from Prochorus’ cell be brought to the court without his permission, let alone his blessing. When the ashes were brought there, it was obvious to everyone that they were ashes and not salt. Then Prochorus told all the people who came to him for salt to go to the prince’s court, and, when the prince threw the ashes away, to take them and use them as salt. This they did, and the ashes again became salt. The prince himself, learning of this, was filled with a deep respect and love for him and, when Prochorus died in 1107, placed him with his own hands in a grave near the great Russian saints, Antony and Theodosius.” (Prologue).