John 10.1-9 (Matins Gospel, St Raphael)

1Zaista, zaista vam kažem: ko ne ulazi na vrata u tor ovèij nego prelazi na drugom mjestu on je lupež i hajduk; 2A koji ulazi na vrata jest pastir ovcama: 3Njemu vratar otvora, i ovce glas njegov slušaju, i svoje ovce zove po imenu, i izgoni ih; 4I kad svoje ovce istjera, ide pred njima, i ovce idu za njim, jer poznaju glas njegov. 5A za tuðinom neæe da idu, nego bježe od njega, jer ne poznaju glasa tuðega. 6Ovu prièu kaza im Isus, ali oni ne razumješe šta to bijaše što im kaza. 7Tada im reèe Isus opet: zaista, zaista vam kažem: ja sam vrata k ovcama. 8Svi koliko ih god doðe prije mene lupeži su i hajduci; ali ih ovce ne poslušaše. 9Ja sam vrata; ko uðe kroza me spašæe se, i uæi æe i iziæi æe, i pašu æe naæi.

Isaiah 11.10-12.2 (6th Hour)

10I u to æe vrijeme za korijen Jesejev, koji æe biti zastava narodima, raspitivati narodi, i poèivalište njegovo biæe slavno. 11I tada æe Gospod opet podignuti ruku svoju da zadobije ostatak naroda svojega, što ostane od Asirske i od Misira i od Patrosa i od Etiopske i od Elama i od Senara i od Emata i od ostrva morskih. 12I podignuæe zastavu narodima i prognane Izrailjeve i rasijane Judine sabraæe s èetiri kraja zemaljska, 13I nestaæe zavisti Jefremove, i neprijatelji Judini istrijebiæe se; Jefrem neæe zavidjeti Judi, a Juda neæe zlobiti Jefremu. 14Nego æe složno letjeti na pleæa Filistejima k zapadu; zajedno æe plijeniti narode istoène; na Edomce i Moavce dignuæe ruke svoje, i sinovi Amonovi biæe im pokorni. 15I Gospod æe presušiti zaliv mora Misirskoga, i mahnuæe rukom svojom svrh rijeke sa silnijem vjetrom svojim, i udariæe je po sedam krakova da se može prelaziti u obuæi. 16I biæe put ostatku naroda njegova, što ostane od Asirske, kao što je bio Izrailju kad izide iz zemlje Misirske.

1I reæi æeš u ono vrijeme: hvalim te, Gospode, jer si se bio razgnjevio na me, pa se odvratio gnjev tvoj, i utješio si me. 2Gle, Bog je spasenje moje, uzdaæu se i neæu se bojati, jer mi je sila i pjesma Gospod Bog, on mi bi spasitelj.

Genesis 7.11-8.3 (Vespers)

11Kad je bilo Noju šest stotina godina, te godine drugoga mjeseca, sedamnaesti dan toga mjeseca, taj dan razvališe se svi izvori velikoga bezdana, i otvoriše se ustave nebeske; 12I udari dažd na zemlju za èetrdeset dana i èetrdeset noæi. 13Taj dan uðe u kovèeg Noje i Sim i Ham i Jafet, sinovi Nojevi, i žena Nojeva i tri žene sinova njegovijeh s njima; 14Oni, i svakojake zvijeri po vrstama svojim, i svakojaka stoka po vrstama svojim, i što se god mièe po zemlji po vrstama svojim, i ptice sve po vrstama svojim, i što god leti i ima krila. 15Doðe k Noju u kovèeg po dvoje od svakoga tijela, u kojem ima živa duša, 16Muško i žensko od svakoga tijela uðoše, kao što bješe Bog zapovjedio Noju; pa Gospod zatvori za njim. 17I bi potop na zemlji za èetrdeset dana; i voda doðe i uze kovèeg, i podiže ga od zemlje. 18I navali voda, i usta jako po zemlji, i kovèeg stade ploviti vodom. 19I navaljivaše voda sve veæma po zemlji, i pokri sva najviša brda što su pod cijelijem nebom. 20Petnaest lakata doðe voda iznad brda, pošto ih pokri. 21Tada izgibe svako tijelo što se micaše na zemlji, ptice i stoka, i zvijeri i sve što gamiže po zemlji, i svi ljudi. 22Sve što imaše dušu živu u nosu, sve što bijaše na suhu, pomrije. 23I istrijebi se svako tijelo živo na zemlji, i ljudi i stoka i što god gamiže i ptice nebeske, sve, velim, istrijebi se sa zemlje; samo Noje osta i što s njim bješe u kovèegu. 24I stajaše voda povrh zemlje sto i pedeset dana.

1A Bog se opomenu Noja i svijeh zvijeri i sve stoke što bjehu s njim u kovèegu; i posla Bog vjetar na zemlju da uzbije vodu. 2I zatvoriše se izvori bezdanu i ustave nebeske, i dažd s neba prestade. 3I stade voda opadati na zemlji, i jednako opadaše poslije sto i pedeset dana;

Proverbs 10.1-22 (Vespers)

1Mudar je sin radost ocu svojemu, a lud je sin žalost materi svojoj. 2Ne pomaže nepravedno blago, nego pravda izbavlja od smrti. 3Ne da Gospod da gladuje duša pravednikova, a imanje bezbožnièko razmeæe. 4Nemarna ruka osiromašava, a vrijedna ruka obogaæava. 5Ko zbira u ljeto, sin je razuman; ko spava o žetvi, sin je sramotan. 6Blagoslovi su nad glavom pravedniku, a usta bezbožnièka pokriva nasilje. 7Spomen pravednikov ostaje blagosloven, a ime bezbožnièko truhne. 8Ko je mudra srca, prima zapovijesti; a ko je ludijeh usana, pašæe. 9Ko hodi bezazleno, hodi pouzdano; a ko je opak na putovima svojim, poznaæe se. 10Ko namiguje okom, daje muku; i ko je ludijeh usana, pašæe. 11Usta su pravednikova izvor životu, a usta bezbožnièka pokriva nasilje. 12Mrzost zameæe svaðe, a ljubav prikriva sve prijestupe. 13Na usnama razumnoga nalazi se mudrost, a za leða je bezumnoga batina. 14Mudri sklanjaju znanje, a usta ludoga blizu su pogibli. 15Bogatstvo je bogatima tvrd grad, siromaštvo je siromasima pogibao. 16Rad je pravednikov na život, dobitak bezbožnikov na grijeh. 17Ko prima nastavu, na putu je k životu; a ko odbacuje kar, luta. 18Ko pokriva mržnju, lažljivih je usana; i ko iznosi sramotu, bezuman je. 19U mnogim rijeèima ne biva bez grijeha; ali ko zadržava usne svoje, razuman je. 20Jezik je pravednikov srebro odabrano; srce bezbožnièko ne vrijedi ništa. 21Usne pravednikove pasu mnoge, a bezumni umiru s bezumlja. 22Blagoslov Gospodnji obogaæava a bez muke.

Hebrews 13.17-21 (Epistle, St Raphael)

17Slušajte uèitelje svoje i pokoravajte im se, jer se oni staraju za duše vaše, kao koji æe dati odgovor, da to s radošæu èine, a ne uzdišuæi; jer vam ovo ne pomaže. 18Molite se Bogu za nas. Jer se nadamo da imamo dobru savjest, starajuæi se u svemu dobro da živimo. 19A odviše molim èinite ovo, da bih se prije vratio k vama. 20A Bog mira, koji izvede iz mrtvijeh velikoga pastira ovcama, krvlju zavjeta vjeènoga, Gospoda našega Isusa Hrista, 21Da vas savrši u svakome djelu dobrom, da uèinite volju njegovu, èineæi u vama što je ugodno pred njim, kroz Isusa Hrista, kojemu slava va vijek vijeka. Amin.

John 10.9-16 (Gospel, St Raphael)

9Ja sam vrata; ko uðe kroza me spašæe se, i uæi æe i iziæi æe, i pašu æe naæi. 10Lupež ne dolazi ni za što drugo nego da ukrade i ubije i pogubi; ja doðoh da imaju život i izobilje. 11Ja sam pastir dobri; pastir dobri dušu svoju polaže za ovce, 12A najamnik, koji nije pastir, kome nijesu ovce svoje, vidi vuka gdje ide, i ostavlja ovce, i bježi: i vuk razgrabi ovce i raspudi ih; 13A najamnik bježi, jer je najamnik i ne mari za ovce. 14Ja sam pastir dobri i znam svoje, i moje mene znaju. 15Kao što mene zna otac i ja znam oca; i dušu svoju polažem za ovce. 16I druge ovce imam koje nijesu iz ovoga tora, i one mi valja dovesti; i èuæe glas moj, i biæe jedno stado i jedan pastir.

Our Holy Father Procopius of Decapolis (9th c.)

He was from Decapolis near the Sea of Galilee, and entered monastic life as a youth. When the Emperor Leo the Isaurian began his persecution of the holy icons, Procopius, who had previously spent his life in hiddenness and silence, boldly stood forth to defend the true Orthodox veneration of the icons. For this he was cruelly tortured and imprisoned. When the cruel Leo died and the icons were restored to the churches, Procopius returned to his monastery, where he lived in peace to a great old age. The Prologue concludes, ‘In old age, he entered into God’s Kingdom, where he beheld with joy the living angels and saints whose images were on the honoured icons on earth.’

St Raphael, bishop of Brooklyn (1915)

He was born in Syria in 1860, in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. In his childhood, his family took refuge in Lebanon after their parish priest, St Joseph of Damascus (July 10) was martyred; but they later returned to Damascus. In 1879 he was tonsured a monk and entered into the service of Patriarch Hierotheos of Antioch. The Balamand Seminary had been closed since 1840, but the young monk was offered a scholarship at the Constantinople Patriarchate’s seminary at Halki. Returning to Syria with a theological degree, St Raphael became assistant to Gerasimos, the new Patriarch of Antioch, traveling and preaching on his behalf. After further studies in Kiev, he transferred to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow and for a time was professer of Arabic studies at the Theological Academy in Kazan. (At that time the downtrodden Orthodox of the Middle East received considerable aid and theological training from the Tsar and from the Church in Russia).

In 1895 he was sent to the United States to shepherd the Arab Orthodox Community in New York, which was without a church or a priest. He quickly consecrated a chapel and with great energy set about the work of shepherding his flock there; but he was concerned not only for them but for the Arab Christian immigrants scattered through North America, most of whom were without a pastor and in danger of falling into heterodoxy or abandoning religious life. He traveled widely throughout the continent, visiting, counseling and serving Arab Christians, preaching, celebrating marriages and baptisms, receiving confessions and celebrating the Divine Liturgy, usually in private houses. In 1898 he published the first Orthodox prayer book in Arabic to appear in the New World. In 1899, he made a seven-month journey through forty-three American cities, seeking out the “scattered sheep” of the Church in America. His services were attended not only by Arabs but by Russians and Greeks, all of whom at that time depended on the Russian mission to North America. During this entire period, he held the official rank of Archimandrite, though his work and duties exceeded those of most bishops.

In 1901, Patriarch Meletios was elected to the see of Antioch, the first Arab to occupy the patriarchal throne for 168 years. Several proposals were made to elect Archimandrite Raphael to a see in Syria; but he refused all such offers, pointing out the Orthodox people’s great and little-met needs in North America. In 1904, the Moscow Patriarchate made him Bishop of Brooklyn, the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated on American soil. He redoubled his already impressive pastoral work, ordaining priests to the many new parishes that he had founded, and assisting Saint Tikhon (then Bishop of North America) in the care of his huge diocese. In 1905 he laid the foundation of the Monastery of St Tikhon in Pennsylvania.

The bishop saw the importance of integrating the faithful into the life of their new homeland, and was an early advocate of the use of English in American Church services. When Isabel Hapgood’s Service Book — the first useful English translation of the Church’s services — was published in 1906, he advocated its use in all his parishes.

In 1912, St Raphael was found to be suffering from heart disease, but continued his exhausting pastoral work for two more years. In 1915 he was finally unable to continue, and reposed after two months’ illness.

When his relics were transported in 1998 from Brooklyn to Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA, they were found to be incorrupt, and in 2000 he became the most recently glorified Saint of North America.

In North America St Raphael is commemorated on the anniversary of his repose: February 27 on the Civil/New Calendar, February 14 on the Julian Calendar. He is also commemorated with the Synaxis of Saints of North America on the Second Sunday after Pentecost. The Patriarchate of Antioch also commemorates him, but on Saturday before the Synaxis of the Archangels (November 8).

Our Venerable Father Titus of the Lavra of the Kiev Caves (1190)

Titus and Evagrius, two monks in the famed Kiev Caves Lavra, were dear friends who, through the instigation of the demons, allowed a disagreement to descend into mutual enmity. Despite the efforts of their brother monks to reconcile them, their mutual hatred grew, to the extreme that when one of them censed the church, the other would turn and walk out.

Titus fell gravely ill and, feeling that his end was near, at last repented and asked that Evagrius come and be reconciled with him. Evagrius was unwilling, but the other monks brought him by bodily force to his brother’s bedside. Titus fell at his feet and said ‘Forgive me for having offended and wounded you in my anger. Bless me!’ Evagrius, unmoved, shouted ‘I will never forgive him, neither in this world nor in the next!’ As soon as he had uttered these words he suddenly fell down dead. Titus, on the other hand, rose up, completely cured of his illness. He told his brethren that he had seen a spear come down from heaven and strike Evagrius, and that the spear had then touched and healed him; and that the swarms of demons who had been terrifying him as he lay dying, vanished at the moment he asked Evagrius to forgive him. Saint Titus spent the rest of his days in repentance and love, and fell asleep in peace around 1190.

Our Holy Father Leander, Bishop of Seville and Apostle of Spain (600)

He was born to an aristocratic Roman family living in Spain: his father Severian was Duke of Cartagena. Saint Leander embraced monastic life as a young man in Seville, capital of the Visigoths, who had embraced Arianism and caused the Arian heresy to dominate throughout Spain. Leander became a leading figure in the struggle to restore his land to Orthodoxy, founding a school in Seville to promote the Orthodox faith. In 583 he travelled to Constantinople to seek the Emperor’s support for the Spanish Orthodox; while there he met St Gregory the Great (the future Pope of Rome), with whom he formed a lifelong friendship. On his return to Spain, Leander was made Bishop of Seville.

One of the holy bishop’s converts was Hermengild, one of the sons of the Arian king Leovigild. When Hermengild rose up against his father in the name of Orthodoxy, Leovigild launched a violent persecution of the Orthodox throughout his kingdom. (Leovigild had his son imprisoned, then executed on Pascha Day of 586.) By God’s grace, at the very height of the persecution Leovigild fell mortally ill, repented, and embraced the true Faith; at his urging his son and successor Recared converted to Orthodoxy and convened the Third Council of Toledo in 589, at which he proclaimed that the Gothic and Suevic peoples were returning to the unity of the One Church. Saint Leander presided at the Council, and devoted the rest of his life to educating the (mostly) newly-Orthodox people of Spain in the Faith. It was he who established the early form of the Mozarabic Liturgy. He reposed in peace on March 13, 600. (He is venerated on this day because his name was incorrectly placed on February 27 in the Roman Martyrology.)