John 10.1-9 (Matins Gospel, St Innocent)

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 40.18-31 (6th Hour)

18S kim æete dakle izjednaèiti Boga? i kaku æete mu priliku naæi? 19Umjetnik lije lik, i zlatar ga pozlaæuje, i verižice srebrne lije. 20A ko je siromah, te nema šta prinijeti, bira drvo koje ne trune, i traži vješta umjetnika da naèini rezan lik, koji se ne pomièe. 21Ne znate li? ne èujete li? ne kazuje li vam se od iskona? ne razumijete li od temelja zemaljskih? 22On sjedi nad krugom zemaljskim, i njezini su mu stanovnici kao skakavci; on je razastro nebesa kao platno i razapeo ih kao šator za stan. 23On obraæa knezove u ništa, sudije zemaljske èini da su kao taština. 24Kao da nijesu posaðeni ni posijani, i kao da im se stablo nije ukorijenilo u zemlji, èim dune na njih, posahnu, i vihor kao pljevu raznese ih. 25S kim æete me dakle izjednaèiti da bih bio kao on? veli sveti. 26Podignite gore oèi svoje i vidite; ko je to stvorio? ko izvodi vojsku svega toga na broj i zove svako po imenu, i velike radi sile njegove i jake moæi ne izostaje nijedno? 27Zašto govoriš, Jakove, i kažeš, Izrailju: sakriven je put moj od Gospoda, i stvar moja ne izlazi pred Boga mojega? 28Ne znaš li? nijesi li èuo da Bog vjeèni Gospod, koji je stvorio krajeve zemaljske, ne sustaje niti se utruðuje? razumu njegovu nema mjere. 29On daje snagu umornome, i nejakome umnožava krjepost. 30Djeca se more i sustaju, i mladiæi padaju; 31Ali koji se nadaju Gospodu, dobijaju novu snagu, podižu se na krilima kao orlovi, trèe i ne sustaju, hode i ne more se.

Genesis 15.1-15 (Vespers)

1Poslije ovijeh stvari doðe Avramu rijeè Gospodnja u utvari govoreæi: ne boj se, Avrame, ja sam ti štit, i plata je tvoja vrlo velika. 2A Avram reèe: Gospode, Gospode, šta æeš mi dati kad živim bez djece, a na kom æe ostati moja kuæa to je Elijezer ovaj Damaštanin? 3Još reèe Avram: eto meni nijesi dao poroda, pa æe sluga roðen u kuæi mojoj biti moj našljednik. 4A gle, Gospod mu progovori: neæe taj biti našljednik tvoj, nego koji æe izaæi od tebe taj æe ti biti našljednik. 5Pa ga izvede napolje i reèe mu: pogledaj na nebo i prebroj zvijezde, ako ih možeš prebrojiti. I reèe mu: tako æe biti sjeme tvoje. 6I povjerova Avram Bogu, a on mu primi to u pravdu. 7I reèe mu: ja sam Gospod, koji te izvedoh iz Ura Haldejskoga da ti dam zemlju ovu da bude tvoja. 8A on reèe: Gospode, Gospode, po èemu æu poznati da æe biti moja? 9I reèe mu: prinesi mi junicu od tri godine i kozu od tri godine i ovna od tri godine i grlicu i golupèe. 10I on uze sve to, i rasijeèe na pole, i metnu sve pole jednu prema drugoj; ali ne rasijeèe ptica. 11A ptice slijetahu na te mrtve životinje; a Avram ih odgonjaše. 12A kad sunce bješe na zahodu, uhvati Avrama tvrd san, i gle, strah i mrak velik obuze ga. 13I Gospod reèe Avramu: znaj zacijelo da æe sjeme tvoje biti došljaci u zemlji tuðoj, pa æe joj služiti, i ona æe ih muèiti èetiri stotine godina. 14Ali æu suditi i narodu kojemu æe služiti; a poslije æe oni izaæi s velikim blagom. 15A ti æeš otiæi k ocima svojim u miru, i biæeš pogreben u dobroj starosti.

Proverbs 15.7-19 (Vespers)

7Usne mudrijeh ljudi siju znanje, a srce bezumnièko ne èini tako. 8Žrtva je bezbožnièka gad Gospodu, a molitva pravednijeh ugodna mu je. 9Gad je Gospodu put bezbožnikov; a ko ide za pravdom, njega ljubi. 10Karanje je zlo onome ko ostavlja put; koji mrzi na ukor, umrijeæe. 11Pakao je i pogibao pred Gospodom, akamoli srca sinova èovjeèijih. 12Potsmjevaè ne ljubi onoga ko ga kori, niti ide k mudrima. 13Veselo srce veseli lice, a žalost u srcu obara duh. 14Srce razumno traži znanje, a usta bezumnijeh ljudi naslaðuju se bezumljem. 15Svi su dani nevoljnikovi zli; a ko je vesela srca, na gozbi je jednako. 16Bolje je malo sa strahom Gospodnjim nego veliko blago s nemirom. 17Bolje je jelo od zelja gdje je ljubav nego od vola ugojena gdje je mržnja. 18Èovjek gnjevljiv zameæe raspru; a ko je spor na gnjev, utišava svaðu. 19Put je lijenoga kao ograda od trnja, a staza je pravednijeh nasuta.

Hebrews 7.26-8.2 (Epistle, St Innocent)

26Jer takov nama trebaše poglavar sveštenièki: svet, bezazlen, èist, odvojen od grješnika, i koji je bio više nebesa; 27Kojemu nije potrebno svaki dan, kao sveštenicima, najprije za svoje grijehe žrtve prinositi, a potom za narodne, jer on ovo uèini jednom, kad sebe prinese. 28Jer zakon postavlja ljude za sveštenike koji imaju slabost; a rijeè zakletve koja je reèena po zakonu, postavi sina vavijek savršena.

1A ovo je glava od toga što govorimo: imamo takovoga poglavara sveštenièkoga koji sjede s desne strane prijestola velièine na nebesima; 2Koji je sluga svetinjama i istinitoj skiniji, koju naèini Gospod, a ne èovjek.

John 10.9-16 (Gospel, St Innocent)

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.

St Innocent, enlightener of Alaska and Siberia (1879)

He was born in Siberia in 1797 to a clerical family, and became a married parish priest in Irkutsk. A devout explorer, John Kriukov, told him of the great spiritual needs among the Russian and native peoples in Alaska, then Russian territory. Moved to serve Christ in this very difficult environment, he and his family arrived in Alaska in 1824. He quickly learned the Aleut language and worked humbly and tirelessly among the Aleuts. His spiritual classic, An Indication of the Way to the Kingdom of Heaven, was originally written in Aleut and later translated into many languages.

While he was visiting Russia in 1838, his wife died; one year later he was tonsured a monk and given the name of Innocent (he had been Fr John Veniaminov). Almost immediately after his tonsuring he was, without warning, raised to the rank of Bishop of all Eastern Siberia and Russian America, probably the largest diocese in the world at that time. Returning to Alaska, he continued his missionary work with vigor, often traveling among Aleut and Tlingit settlements in his own kayak. Wherever he went, he found the Alaskan people hungry for the faith, and his labors bore rich fruit which is still obvious today: Alaska has more Orthodox churches per capita than any other state.

In old age he was made Metropolitan of Moscow, head of the entire Russian Orthodox Church. His concern for Christian mission was undiminished, and as Metropolitan he created the Orthodox Missionary Society. He reposed on Holy Saturday of 1879.

Hieromartyr Hypatius, Bishop of Gangra (326)

He was born in Cilicia in Asia Minor, and became Bishop of Gangra, the capital of Paphlagonia. He took part in the First Ecumenical Council, where he was praised by all for his piety and miracles. It is said that the Emperor Constantius kept a bust of Hypatius in his palace as a weapon against demonic powers. The Saint was murdered by the Novatians, a sect which believed that there is no forgiveness for sins committed after Baptism. [The popularity of this belief helps to explain why many believers at that time postponed baptism until very late in life.] As Hypatius was traveling home from Constantinople, they attacked him on the road and stoned him to death. A woman who took part in the attack went mad and began to beat herself with a stone; she was only healed when her friends took her to the grave of St Hypatius and prayed for her. Restored by his compassionate intercession, she spent the rest of her life in repentance and prayer.

St Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow (1461)

He became a monk at the age of twelve and lived in the Simonov Monastery near Moscow. He later became Bishop of Ryazan, then was chosen as Metropolitan of Moscow (at this time the Russian Church was still under the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the Metropolitanate of Moscow was its highest office). But through some political intrigue, a man named Isidore became Metropolitan instead. It was this Isidore who attended the Council of Florence and voted for the infamous Union with Rome perpetrated there. When he returned to Moscow three years later he was condemned as an apostate and exiled. Bishop Jonah at last became Metropolitan in his place. In his lifetime he was widely known as a healer, wonder-worker, seer and spiritual father. In his last years he prayed to suffer greatly through some illness, so as to be purified by his sufferings. In answer to this prayer, he was given wounds in his feet, of which he died. His relics continued to perform many wonders. The Prologue recounts, “A dumb man, John, was brought to the saint’s relics. John kissed Jonah’s hand and, as he related afterwards, the hand grabbed hold of his tongue and he felt a sharp pain. When it let his tongue go, he went back to his friends — and spoke as if he had never been dumb.”