Joel 2.12-26 (Sixth Hour)

12Zato još govori Gospod: obratite se k meni svijem srcem svojim i posteæi i plaèuæi i tužeæi. 13I razderite srca svoja a ne haljine svoje, i obratite se ka Gospodu Bogu svojemu, jer je milostiv i žalostiv, spor na gnjev i obilan milosrðem i kaje se oda zla. 14Ko zna, neæe li se povratiti i raskajati se, i ostaviti iza toga blagoslov, dar i naljev za Gospoda Boga vašega. 15Trubite u trubu na Sionu, naredite post, proglasite svetkovinu. 16Saberite narod, osveštajte sabor, skupite starce, saberite djecu i koja sisaju; ženik neka izide iz svoje klijeti i nevjesta iz ložnice svoje. 17Izmeðu trijema i oltara neka plaèu sveštenici, sluge Gospodnje, i neka reku: prosti, Gospode, narodu svojemu, i ne daj našljedstva svojega pod sramotu, da njim obladaju narodi; zašto da reku u narodima: gdje im je Bog? 18I Gospod æe revnovati za zemlju svoju i požaliæe narod svoj. 19I Gospod æe odgovoriti i reæi æe svome narodu: evo, ja æu vam poslati žita i vina i ulja, i biæete ga siti, i neæu vas više dati pod sramotu meðu narodima. 20Jer æu udaljiti od vas sjeverca, i odagnati ga u zemlju suhu i pustu, prednju èetu njegovu u istoèno more a zadnju u more zapadno, i podignuæe se smrad njegov, i trulež æe se njegov podignuti, pošto uèini velike stvari. 21Ne boj se, zemljo, raduj se i veseli se, jer æe Gospod uèiniti velike stvari. 22Ne bojte se, zvijeri poljske; jer æe se zelenjeti pasišta u pustinji i drveta æe nositi rod svoj, smokva æe i loza vinova davati silu svoju. 23I vi, sinovi Sionski, radujte se i veselite se u Gospodu Bogu svojem, jer æe vam dati dažd na vrijeme, i spustiæe vam dažd rani i pozni na vrijeme. 24I gumna æe se napuniti žita, a kace æe se preljevati vinom i uljem. 25I naknadiæu vam godine koje izjede skakavac, hrušt i crv i gusjenica, velika vojska moja, koju slah na vas. 26I ješæete izobila, i biæete siti i hvaliæete ime Gospoda Boga svojega, koji uèini s vama èudesa, i narod moj neæe se posramiti dovijeka.

Joel 3.12-21 (Vespers)

12Neka se podignu i doðu narodi u dolinu Josafatovu; jer æu ondje sjesti da sudim svijem narodima unaokolo. 13Zamahnite srpom, jer je žetva uzrela; hodite, siðite, jer je tijesak pun, kace se preljevaju; jer je zloæa njihova velika. 14Gomile, gomile u dolini sudskoj; jer je dan Gospodnji blizu u dolini sudskoj. 15Sunce æe i mjesec pomrknuti, i zvijezde æe ustegnuti svoju svjetlost. 16I Gospod æe riknuti sa Siona, i iz Jerusalima æe pustiti glas svoj, i zatrešæe se nebo i zemlja; ali æe Gospod biti utoèište svome narodu i krjepost sinovima Izrailjevijem. 17I poznaæete da sam ja Gospod Bog vaš, koji nastavam u Sionu, u svetoj gori svojoj; i Jerusalim æe biti svet, i tuðinci neæe više iæi po njemu. 18I tada æe gore kapati slatkim vinom, i humovi æe se topiti od mlijeka, i svijem potocima Judinijem teæi æe voda, i izaæi æe izvor iz doma Gospodnjega i natopiæe dolinu Sitim. 19Misir æe opustjeti, i Edomska æe biti pusta pustinja za nasilje uèinjeno sinovima Judinijem, jer proliše krv pravu u zemlji njihovoj. 20A Juda æe stajati dovijeka i Jerusalim od koljena do koljena. 21I oèistiæu krv njihovu, koje ne oèistih; i Gospod æe nastavati u Sionu.

Hieromartyr Haralambos (Charalampus), bishop of Magnesia (202)

“This great saint was bishop in Magnesia, and suffered for Christ at the age of 113. When a violent persecution broke out under the Emperor Septimus Severus, the aged Charalampus did not hide from his persecutors, but freely and openly preached the Christian faith. He endured all tortures as though not in the body, and when they flayed the living flesh from him, the godly saint said to the Emperor’s soldiers: ‘Thank you, my brethren, for scraping off the old body and renewing my soul for new and eternal life.’ He performed many wonders and brought many to the Faith. Even the Emperor’s daughter, Gallina, repudiated the paganism of her father and became a Christian. Condemned to death and led to the place of execution, St Charalampus raised his arms to heaven and prayed for all men, that God would give them bodily health and salvation of soul, and that He would grant them the fruits of the earth in abundance: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that men are flesh and blood; forgive them their sins and pour out Thy blessing on all.’ After praying thus, the saintly elder gave his soul to God before the executioner had laid his sword to his neck. He suffered in 202. Gallina took his body and buried it.” (Prologue)

The Great Horologion puts his age at 103.

St Scholastica of Italy, sister of St Benedict (543)

She was the twin sister of St Benedict, patriarch of monasticism in the West (March 14), and his constant fellow-laborer in the vineyard of Christ. They lived in neighboring monasteries; though they loved one another dearly, they met only once a year, spending the day in prayer and spiritual conversation, then parting after sharing a simple meal. At their meeting in 543, she prevailed on her brother (and the monk who accompanied him) to break his own monastic rule and stay with her in vigil through the night. Three days later, as Benedict looked out his cell window, he saw his sister’s soul in the form of a dove ascending to heaven.

Recommended: The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica, a beautifully illustrated children’s book about the two Saints; by Kathleen Norris, illustrated by Tomie dePaola.

Our Venerable Father Prochorus of the Kiev Caves (1107)

“A wonder-worker of the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, he was named the Orach-eater because the whole time he lived in the monastery, he never tasted bread but fed himself on orach [a kind of wild spinach] prepared according to his own particular method as a sort of bread. When he gave someone some of this bread with his blessing, it was as sweet as honey, but if someone stole some, it was as bitter as wormwood.

“At one time, when there was a dearth of salt in Russia, Prochorus distributed ashes to the people for salt. The ashes that he distributed with his blessing became salt; ashes, however, that anyone took for himself remained ordinary ashes. Prince Svyatopolk ordered that all the ashes from Prochorus’ cell be brought to the court without his permission, let alone his blessing. When the ashes were brought there, it was obvious to everyone that they were ashes and not salt. Then Prochorus told all the people who came to him for salt to go to the prince’s court, and, when the prince threw the ashes away, to take them and use them as salt. This they did, and the ashes again became salt. The prince himself, learning of this, was filled with a deep respect and love for him and, when Prochorus died in 1107, placed him with his own hands in a grave near the great Russian saints, Antony and Theodosius.” (Prologue).