Isaiah 5.16-25 (6th Hour)

16Gospod nad vojskama uzvisiæe se sudom, i Bog sveti posvetiæe se pravdom. 17I jaganjci æe pasti po svom obièaju, i došljaci æe jesti s pustijeh mjesta pretilinu. 18Teško onima koji vuku bezakonje uzicama od taštine, i grijeh kao užem kolskim, 19Koji govore: neka pohiti, neka brzo doðe djelo njegovo, da vidimo, i neka se približi i doðe što je naumio svetac Izrailjev, da poznamo. 20Teško onima koji zlo zovu dobro, a dobro zlo, koji prave od mraka svjetlost a od svjetlosti mrak, koji prave od gorkoga slatko a od slatkoga gorko. 21Teško onima koji misle da su mudri, i sami su sebi razumni. 22Teško onima koji su jaki piti vino i junaci u miješanju silovita piæa. 23Koji pravdaju bezbožnika za poklon, a pravednima uzimaju pravdu. 24Zato kao što oganj proždire strnjiku i slame nestaje u plamenu, tako æe korijen njihov biti kao trulež i cvijet njihov otiæi æe kao prah, jer odbaciše zakon Gospoda nad vojskama i prezreše rijeè sveca Izrailjeva. 25Zato se raspali gnjev Gospodnji na narod njegov, i mahnuv rukom svojom na nj udari ga da se gore zadrmaše i mrtva tjelesa njegova biše kao blato po ulicama. Kod svega toga gnjev se njegov ne odvrati, nego je ruka njegova još podignuta.

Genesis 4.16-26 (Vespers)

16I otide Kajin ispred Gospoda, i naseli se u zemlji Naidskoj na istoku prema Edemu. 17I pozna Kajin ženu svoju, a ona zatrudnje i rodi Enoha. I sazida grad i prozva ga po imenu sina svojega Enoh. 18A Enohu rodi se Gaidad; a Gaidad rodi Maleleila; a Maleleilo rodi Matusala; a Matusal rodi Lameha. 19I uze Lameh dvije žene: jednoj bješe ime Ada a drugoj Sela. 20I Ada rodi Jovila; od njega se narodiše koji žive pod šatorima i stoku pasu. 21A bratu njegovu bješe ime Juval; od njega se narodiše gudaèi i sviraèi. 22A i Sela rodi Tovela, koji bješe vješt kovati svašta od mjedi i od gvožða; a sestra Tovelu bješe Noema. 23I reèe Lameh svojima ženama, Adi i Seli: èujte glas moj, žene Lamehove, poslušajte rijeèi moje: ubiæu èovjeka za ranu svoju i mladiæa za masnicu svoju. 24Kad æe se Kajin osvetiti sedam puta, Lameh æe sedamdeset i sedam puta. 25A Adam opet pozna ženu svoju, i ona rodi sina, i nadje mu ime Sit, jer mi, reèe, Bog dade drugoga sina za Avelja, kojega ubi Kajin. 26I Situ se rodi sin, kojemu nadjede ime Enos. Tada se poèe prizivati ime Gospodnje.

Proverbs 5.15-6.3 (Vespers)

15Pij vodu iz svojega studenca i što teèe iz tvojega izvora. 16Neka se razlivaju tvoji izvori na polje, i potoci po ulicama. 17Imaj ih sam za se, a ne tuðin s tobom. 18Blagosloven da je izvor tvoj, i veseli se ženom mladosti svoje; 19Neka ti je kao košuta mila i kao srna ljupka; dojke njezine neka te opijaju u svako doba, u ljubavi njezinoj posræi jednako. 20A zašto bi, sine, posrtao za tuðinkom i golio njedra tuðoj, 21Kad su pred oèima Gospodu putovi svaèiji, i mjeri sve staze njegove? 22Bezbožnika æe uhvatiti njegova bezakonja, i u uža grijeha svojih zaplešæe se; 23Umrijeæe bez nastave, i od mnoštva ludosti svoje lutaæe.

1Sine moj, kad se podjemèiš za prijatelja svojega, i daš ruku svoju tuðincu, 2Vezao si se rijeèima usta svojih, uhvatio si se rijeèima usta svojih. 3Zato uèini tako, sine moj, i oprosti se, jer si dopao u ruke bližnjemu svojemu; idi, pripadni, i navali na bližnjega svojega.

St Sophronios, patriarch of Jerusalem (638)

He was born in Damascus to an eminent family, and was well educated in his youth. Discontented with the wisdom of the world, he entered monastic life in the monastery of St Theodosius, where he became the lifelong friend and disciple of John Moschos. Together they visited the monasteries and hermitages of Egypt; they later wrote down their discoveries among the holy monks in the classic Spiritual Meadow. After the death of his teacher, St Sophronius traveled to Jerusalem, which had just been liberated from the Persians. He was there to see the Precious Cross returned from Persia by the Emperor Heraclius, who carried it into Jerusalem on his back. A few years later, in 634, St Sophronius was elected Patriarch of Jerusalem, where he served his flock wisely for three years and three months. He was zealous in the defense of Orthodoxy against the Monothelite heresy: He convoked a Council in Jerusalem which condemned it before it was condemned at the Sixth Ecumenical Council. The holy Patriarch even traveled to Constantinople to rebuke the Patriarch Sergius and Emperor Heraclius, who had embraced the Monothelite error.

The years of peace were few for the Holy Land; for just as the Persian Empire was decisively defeated by Heraclius, the followers of Islam erupted out of Arabia, conquering most of North Africa and the Middle East in a few years. The Saint was so grieved by the capture of Jerusalem in 637 by the Caliph Omar that begged God to take him, so that he might not live to see the desecration of the holy places. His prayer was granted, and he reposed in peace less than a year later.

St Sophronios is the author of the Life of Saint Mary of Egypt, appointed to be read in the churches during every Great Lent. He also wrote the service of the Great Blessing of the Waters. Some have attributed the Vesperal hymn “Gladsome Light” to him, but we know that it dates from before the time of St Basil the Great, who mentions it in his writings. It seems though, that St Sophronios supplemented the hymn, and that its present form is due to him.

St John Moschos, author of the Spiritual Meadow (622)

He is commemorated today along with his disciple and friend St Sophronius (see above).

Holy Martyr Pionius (250)

“A priest of Smyrna, he suffered there in the time of Decius’ persecution. They condemned him to be crucified, which was a great joy to him. And as soon as the soldiers assembled the cross and laid it on the ground, Pionius laid himself on it and stretched out his arms, calling to the soldiers to put the nails into his hands. The cross was inserted into the ground upside down, and a fire lit under the martyr’s head. There were many bystanders. Pionius closed his eyes and prayed to God within himself. The flames could not succeed in igniting even his hair, and when the fire had at last gone out and everyone thought that he was dead, Pionius opened his eyes and cried out joyfully: ‘O Lord, receive my spirit!’, and breathed his last. This saint wrote the life of St Polycarp of Smyrna, together with whom he now makes merry in the Kingdom of Christ. He suffered and was glorified in 250.” (Prologue)