Isaiah 10.12-20 (6th Hour)

12Ali kad svrši Gospod sve djelo svoje na gori Sionskoj i u Jerusalimu, tada æu obiæi plod ohologa srca cara Asirskoga i slavu ponositijeh oèiju njegovijeh. 13Jer reèe: krjepošæu ruke svoje uèinih i mudrošæu svojom, jer sam razuman; i premjestih meðe narodima i blago njihovo zaplijenih i kao junak oborih stanovnike. 14I ruka moja naðe kao gnijezdo bogatstvo u naroda, i kako se kupe jajca ostavljena tako pokupih svu zemlju, i ne bi nikoga da makne krilom ili da otvori usta i pisne. 15Hoæe li se sjekira velièati nad onijem koji njom sijeèe? hoæe li se pila razmetati nad onijem koji njom radi? kao da bi prut mahao onijem koji ga digne, kao da bi se hvalio štap da nije od drveta. 16Zato æe Gospod, Gospod nad vojskama, pustiti na pretile njegove mršu, i slavu æe njegovu potpaliti da gori kao oganj. 17Jer æe vidjelo Izrailjevo biti oganj, i svetac æe njegov biti plamen, i upaliæe i sažeæi trnje njegovo i èkalj njegov u jedan dan. 18I krasotu šume njegove i njive njegove, od duše do tijela, uništiæe, i biæe kao bjegunac kad iznemogne. 19I što ostane drveta šume njegove, biæe malo, da bi ih dijete moglo popisati. 20I u to vrijeme ostatak Izrailjev i koji se izbave u domu Jakovljevu neæe se više oslanjati na onoga ko ih bije, nego æe se oslanjati na Gospoda sveca Izrailjeva istinom.

Genesis 7.6-9 (Vespers)

6A bješe Noju šest stotina godina kad doðe potop na zemlju. 7I uðe Noje u kovèeg i sinovi njegovi i žena njegova i žene sinova njegovijeh s njim radi potopa. 8Od životinja èistih i od životinja neèistih i od ptica i od svega što se mièe po zemlji, 9Uðe k Noju u kovèeg po dvoje, muško i žensko, kao što bješe Bog zapovjedio Noju.

Proverbs 9.12-18 (LXX) (Vespers)

12Ako budeš mudar, sebi æeš biti mudar; ako li budeš potsmjevaè, sam æeš tegliti. 13Žena bezumna plaha je, luda i ništa ne zna; 14I sjedi na vratima od kuæe svoje na stolici, na visinama gradskim, 15Te vièe one koji prolaze, koji idu pravo svojim putem: 16Ko je lud? neka se uvrati ovamo. I bezumnome govori: 17Voda je kradena slatka, i hljeb je sakriven ugodan. 18A on ne zna da su ondje mrtvaci i u dubokom grobu da su zvanice njezine.

Composite 2 - Proverbs 10, 3, 8 (Vespers, St Raphael)

1The memory of a just man is praised, and the Lord’s blessing is upon his head. Blessed is one who has found wisdom; a mortal who knows understanding. To import her is better than treasures of gold and silver. She is more valuable than precious stones; nothing of value equals her worth. Justice proceeds from her mouth; she bears law and mercy on her tongue. Therefore, my children, listen to me, for I speak weighty things. And blessed is the one who keeps my ways. For my goings out are the goings out of life, and favour is prepared from the Lord. Therefore I exhort you, and utter my voice to the children of humankind. Because I, Wisdom, have prepared counsel, knowledge and understanding. I have called on them. Counsel and sureness are mine; prudence is mine, strength is mine. I love those who are my friends, while those who seek me will find grace. You innocent, then, understand cunning; you untaught, take it to heart. Listen to me, for I will speak weighty things, and I will open right things from my lips. Because my throat will meditate truth; lying lips are abominable before me. All the words of my mouth are with justice, there is nothing crooked in them nor twisted. They are all straight for those who understand, and right for those who find knowledge. For I teach you what is true, that your hope may be in the Lord and that you may be filled with spirit.

Proverbs 10.31-11.12 (Vespers, St Raphael)

31Usta pravednikova iznose mudrost, a jezik opaki istrijebiæe se. 32Usne pravednikove znaju što je milo, a bezbožnièka su usta opaèina.

1Lažna su mjerila mrska Gospodu, a prava mjera ugodna mu je. 2Kad doðe oholost, doðe i sramota; a u smjernijeh je mudrost. 3Pravedne vodi bezazlenost njihova, a bezakonike satire zloæa njihova. 4Neæe pomoæi bogatstvo u dan gnjeva, a pravda izbavlja od smrti. 5Pravda bezazlenoga upravlja put njegov, a bezbožnik pada od svoje bezbožnosti. 6Pravedne izbavlja pravda njihova, a bezakonici hvataju se u svojoj zloæi. 7Kad umire bezbožnik, propada nadanje, i najjaèe uzdanje propada. 8Pravednik se izbavlja iz nevolje, a bezbožnik dolazi na njegovo mjesto. 9Licemjer kvari ustima bližnjega svojega; ali se pravednici izbavljaju znanjem. 10Dobru pravednijeh raduje se grad; a kad propadaju bezbožnici, biva pjevanje. 11Blagoslovima pravednijeh ljudi podiže se grad, a s usta bezbožnièkih raskopava se. 12Bezumnik se ruga bližnjemu svojemu, a razuman èovjek muèi.

Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15 (Vespers, St Raphael)

St Porphyrius, bishop of Gaza (420)

He was born to a wealthy, noble family in Thessalonica around 347. Filled more and more with a yearning for God, he abandoned his worldly possessions and traveled to Egypt, living for five years as a monk at Sketis. From there he went to Palestine, where he lived for another five years in a cave in the Jordan desert. Suffering from a severe ailment, he was forced to move to Jerusalem; there he was suddenly and completely cured following a vision on Golgotha, in which he saw the Good Thief come down from the cross to lead him to Christ, who gave the Cross into his keeping.

Porphyrius took up the trade of a shoemaker in Jerusalem to provide for his few needs. His humility and charity became so well-known that the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him to the priesthood at the age of forty-five, and made him Stavrophylax, keeper of the True Cross of the Savior — thus fulfilling Porphyrius’ vision on Golgotha. Three years later, much against his will, he was elected Bishop of Gaza.

Throughout his episcopate he was persecuted by the pagans who still dominated the life of that city — though he was able to convert many of them by his own example of holiness, and by the many miracles that were wrought through his intercessions. Once, when the city was suffering from a long drought, the Saint gathered the city’s Christians (who numbered no more than 280), told them to fast, and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning, as the Bishop and his entire flock went in procession through the city it began to rain. At this, 127 pagans were converted. When the pagans’ violent attacks continued, Porphyrius appealed to the Emperor Arcadius for an edict closing of the pagan temples in Gaza. With the support of St John Chrysostom the edict was issued. When the Imperial representatives entered Gaza, accompanied by Bishop Porphyrius bearing the Cross, the statue of Aphrodite in the city’s main temple shattered into pieces. Eight temples were destroyed, and a Church was built on the site of the largest. Hundreds of pagans embraced the Faith and, after instruction, were baptized by the Saint.

After twenty-five years as bishop, during which he had seen his see transformed from a small flock of beleaguered Christians into a Christian territory, Saint Porphyrius reposed in peace in 420.

St Photini the Samaritan Woman, and those with her (66)

She was the Samaritan Woman who met Christ at Jacob’s Well (John ch. 4). She repented, and told her townsmen that she had met the Christ, for which she is sometimes called the first to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. She converted her four sisters (Phota, Photis,Parasceva, and Cyriaca), and her sons (Victor and Joses), and all of them became tireless evangelists for Christ. After the martyrdom of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, she traveled to Carthage to proclaim the Gospel there. She, with her Christian sisters and sons, all met martyrdom under the persecutions of Nero. She is also commemorated on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman during the Paschal season.