Isaiah 9.9-10.4 (6th Hour)

9I znaæe sav narod, Jefrem i stanovnici Samarijski, koji oholo i ponosita srca govore: 10Padoše opeke, ali æemo mi zidati od tesana kamena; dudovi su posjeèeni, ali æemo mi zamijeniti kedrima. 11Ali æe Gospod podignuti protivnike Resinove na nj, i skupiæe neprijatelje njegove, 12Sirce s istoka i Filisteje sa zapada, te æe ždrijeti Izrailja na sva usta. Kod svega toga neæe se odvratiti gnjev njegov, nego æe ruka njegova još biti podignuta. 13Jer se narod neæe obratiti k onomu ko ga bije, i neæe tražiti Gospoda nad vojskama. 14Zato æe otsjeæi Gospod Izrailju glavu i rep, granu i situ u jedan dan. 15Starješina i ugledan èovjek to je glava, a prorok koji uèi laž to je rep. 16Jer koji vode taj narod, oni ga zavode, a koje vode, oni su propali. 17Zato se Gospod neæe radovati mladiæima njegovijem, i na sirote njegove i na udovice njegove neæe se smilovati, jer su svikoliki licemjeri i zlikovci, i svaka usta govore nevaljalstvo. Kod svega toga neæe se odvratiti gnjev njegov, nego æe ruka njegova još biti podignuta. 18Jer æe se razgorjeti bezbožnost kao oganj, koji sažeže èkalj i trnje, pa upali gustu šumu, te otide u dim visoko. 19Od gnjeva Gospoda nad vojskama zamraèiæe se zemlja i narod æe biti kao hrana ognju, niko neæe požaliti brata svojega. 20I zgrabiæe s desne strane, pa æe opet biti gladan, i ješæe s lijeve strane, pa se opet neæe nasititi; svaki æe jesti meso od mišice svoje, 21Manasija Jefrema, i Jefrem Manasiju, a obojica æe se složiti na Judu. Kod svega toga neæe se odvratiti gnjev njegov, nego æe ruka njegova još biti podignuta.

1Teško onima koji postavljaju zakone nepravedne i koji pišu nepravdu, 2Da odbiju od suda uboge, i da otimaju pravicu siromasima naroda mojega, da bi im plijen bile udovice i sirote grabež. 3A što æete èiniti u dan pohoðenja i pogibli koja æe doæi izdaleka? kome æete pribjeæi za pomoæ? gdje li æete ostaviti slavu svoju? 4Da se ne bi unizila meðu roblje i meðu pobijene pala? Kod svega toga neæe se odvratiti gnjev njegov, nego æe ruka njegova još biti podignuta.

Genesis 7.1-5 (Vespers)

1I reèe Gospod Noju: uði u kovèeg ti i sav dom tvoj; jer te naðoh pravedna pred sobom ovoga vijeka. 2Uzmi sa sobom od svijeh životinja èistih po sedmoro, sve mužjaka i ženku njegovu; a od životinja neèistih po dvoje, mužjaka i ženku njegovu, 3Takoðer i od ptica nebeskih po sedam, mužjaka i ženku njegovu, da im se saèuva sjeme na zemlji. 4Jer æu do sedam dana pustiti dažd na zemlju za èetrdeset dana i èetrdeset noæi, i istrijebiæu sa zemlje svako tijelo živo, koje sam stvorio. 5I Noje uèini sve što mu zapovjedi Gospod.

Proverbs 8.32-9.11 (Vespers)

32Tako dakle, sinovi, poslušajte me, jer blago onima koji se drže putova mojih. 33Slušajte nastavu, i budite mudri, i nemojte je odbaciti. 34Blago èovjeku koji me sluša stražeæi na vratima mojim svaki dan i èuvajuæi pragove vrata mojih. 35Jer ko mene nalazi, nalazi život i dobija ljubav od Gospoda. 36A ko o mene griješi, èini krivo duši svojoj; svi koji mrze na me, ljube smrt.

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.

St Alexis, the Man of God (411)

He was born of pious and noble parents in Rome in the time of the Emperor Honorius. His parents, Euphemianus and Agalais, set a high standard of godly living: his father, though wealthy, sat down to dine only once a day, at sunset. By his parents’ arrangement Alexis was married at a young age. However, without ever living with his new wife, he fled to Edessa in Mesopotamia, where he lived in asceticism for eighteen years, presenting himself as a beggar in order to avoid the praise of men. When, despite his efforts, he began to be known as a holy man, he fled the city and took ship for Laodicea. By divine providence, the ship was blown off course and forced to land in Rome. Taking this as a sign, Alexis, still disguised as a beggar, returned to his parents’ house, where he sat at the gates, unrecognized by any of his family. His father, not knowing who he was, allowed him to live in a hut in his courtyard. There Alexis spent another seventeen years, living only on bread and water. He died clutching a piece of paper on which he had revealed his true identity. At the time of his death, the pope of Rome heard a voice saying “Look for the Man of God,” and revealing where he should look. It is said that the Emperor Honorius, the Pope and a large retinue came to the house, where they found Alexis dead in his tiny hut, his face shining like the sun. His parents and wife were at first overcome with grief to learn that their son and husband had been secretly living near them, but they were comforted when they saw that his body healed the sick and exuded a fragrant myrrh. Thus they knew that God had glorified him. His head is preserved at the Church of St Laurus on the Peloponnese.

St Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland (ca. 461)

“Saint Patrick, the Apostle of the Irish, was seized from his native Britain by Irish marauders when he was sixteen years old. Though the son of a deacon and grandson of a priest, it was not until his captivity that he sought out the Lord with his whole heart. In his Confession, the testament he wrote towards the end of his life, he says, ‘After I came to Ireland — every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed — the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was so moved that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as many at night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountain; and I would rise for prayer before daylight, through snow, through frost, through rain, and I felt no harm.”

After six years of slavery in Ireland, he was guided by God to make his escape, and afterwards struggled in the monastic life in Aesir in Gaul [now France], under the guidance of the holy Bishop Germanus. Many years later he was ordained bishop and sent to Ireland once again, about the year 432, to convert the Irish to Christ. His arduous labours bore so much fruit that within seven years, three bishops were sent from Gaul to help him shepherd his flock, ‘my brethren and sons whom I have baptized in the Lord — so many thousands of people,’ he says in his Confession.

His apostolic work was not accomplished without much ‘weariness and painfulness,’ long journeys through difficult country, and many perils; he says his very life was in danger twelve times. When he came to Ireland, as its enlightener, it was a pagan country; when he ended his earthly life some thirty years later, about 461, the Faith of Christ was established in every corner.” (Great Horologion)

The work of St Patrick and his brethren has been called the most successful single missionary venture in the history of the Church.

It is said of St Patrick that he chanted the entire Psalter every day.