Isaiah 7.1-14 (6th Hour)

1U vrijeme Ahaza sina Jotama sina Ozije cara Judina doðe Resin car Sirski i Fakej sin Remalijin car Izrailjev na Jerusalim da ga biju, ali ga ne mogoše uzeti. 2I doðe glas domu Davidovu i rekoše: Sirija se složi s Jefremom. A srce Ahazovo i srce naroda njegova ustrepta kao drveæe u šumi od vjetra. 3Tada reèe Gospod Isaiji: izidi na susret Ahazu, ti i Sear-jasuv sin tvoj, nakraj jaza gornjega jezera, na put kod polja bjeljareva. 4I reci mu: èuvaj se i budi miran, ne boj se i srce tvoje neka se ne plaši od dva kraja ovijeh glavanja što se puše, od raspaljenoga gnjeva Resinova i Sirskoga i sina Remalijina. 5Što se Sirci i Jefrem i sin Remalijin dogovoriše na tvoje zlo govoreæi: 6Hajdemo na Judejsku da joj dosadimo i da je osvojimo i da postavimo u njoj carem sina Taveilova; 7Zato ovako veli Gospod Bog: neæe se to uèiniti, neæe biti. 8Jer je glava Siriji Damasak, a Damasku je glava Resin; i do šezdeset i pet godina satræe se Jefrem tako da više neæe biti narod. 9I glava je Jefremu Samarija, a Samariji je glava sin Remalijin. Ako ne vjerujete, neæete se održati. 10I još reèe Gospod Ahazu govoreæi: 11Išti znak od Gospoda Boga svojega, išti ozdo iz dubine ili ozgo s visine. 12A Ahaz reèe: neæu iskati, niti æu kušati Gospoda. 13Tada reèe Isaija: slušajte sada, dome Davidov; malo li vam je što dosaðujete ljudima, nego dosaðujete i Bogu mojemu? 14Zato æe vam sam Gospod dati znak: eto djevojka æe zatrudnjeti i rodiæe sina, i nadjenuæe mu ime Emanuilo.

Genesis 5.32-6.8 (Vespers)

32A Noju kad bi pet stotina godina, rodi Noje Sima, Hama i Jafeta.

1A kad se ljudi poèeše množiti na zemlji, i kæeri im se narodiše. 2Videæi sinovi Božji kæeri èovjeèije kako su lijepe uzimaše ih za žene koje htješe. 3A Gospod reèe: neæe se duh moj dovijeka preti s ljudima, jer su tijelo; neka im još sto i dvadeset godina. 4A bijaše tada divova na zemlji; a i poslije, kad se sinovi Božji sastajahu sa kæerima èovjeèijim, pa im one raðahu sinove; to bijahu silni ljudi, od starine na glasu. 5I Gospod videæi da je nevaljalstvo ljudsko veliko na zemlji, i da su sve misli srca njihova svagda samo zle, 6Pokaja se Gospod što je stvorio èovjeka na zemlji, i bi mu žao u srcu. 7I reèe Gospod: hoæu da istrijebim sa zemlje ljude, koje sam stvorio, od èovjeka do stoke i do sitne životinje i do ptica nebeskih; jer se kajem što sam ih stvorio. 8Ali Noje naðe milost pred Gospodom.

Proverbs 6.20-7.1 (Vespers)

20Èuvaj, sine moj, zapovijest oca svojega, i ne ostavljaj nauke matere svoje. 21Priveži ih sebi na srce zasvagda, i spuèi ih sebi oko grla. 22Kuda god poðeš, vodiæe te; kad zaspiš, èuvaæe te; kad se probudiš, razgovaraæe te; 23Jer je zapovijest žižak, i nauka je vidjelo, i put je životni karanje koje pouèava; 24Da te èuvaju od zle žene, od jezika kojim laska žena tuða. 25Ne zaželi u srcu svom ljepote njezine, i nemoj da te uhvati vjeðama svojim. 26Jer sa žene kurve spada èovjek na komad hljeba, i žena pusta lovi dragocjenu dušu. 27Hoæe li ko uzeti ognja u njedra a haljine da mu se ne upale? 28Hoæe li ko hoditi po živom ugljevlju a nogu da ne ožeže? 29Tako biva onome koji ide k ženi bližnjega svojega; neæe biti bez krivice ko je se god dotakne. 30Ne sramote lupeža koji ukrade da nasiti dušu svoju, buduæi gladan; 31Nego kad ga uhvate plati samosedmo, da sve imanje doma svojega. 32Ali ko uèini preljubu sa ženom, bezuman je, dušu svoju gubi ko tako èini; 33Muke i ruga dopada, i sramota se njegova ne može izbrisati. 34Jer je ljubavna sumnja žestoka u muža i ne štedi na dan osvete; 35Ne mari ni za kakav otkup, i ne prima ako æeš i mnogo darova davati.

1Sine, èuvaj rijeèi moje, i zapovijesti moje sahrani kod sebe.

Composite 2 - Proverbs 10, 3, 8 (Vespers, St Raphael)

1The memory of a just man is praised, and the Lord’s blessing is upon his head. Blessed is one who has found wisdom; a mortal who knows understanding. To import her is better than treasures of gold and silver. She is more valuable than precious stones; nothing of value equals her worth. Justice proceeds from her mouth; she bears law and mercy on her tongue. Therefore, my children, listen to me, for I speak weighty things. And blessed is the one who keeps my ways. For my goings out are the goings out of life, and favour is prepared from the Lord. Therefore I exhort you, and utter my voice to the children of humankind. Because I, Wisdom, have prepared counsel, knowledge and understanding. I have called on them. Counsel and sureness are mine; prudence is mine, strength is mine. I love those who are my friends, while those who seek me will find grace. You innocent, then, understand cunning; you untaught, take it to heart. Listen to me, for I will speak weighty things, and I will open right things from my lips. Because my throat will meditate truth; lying lips are abominable before me. All the words of my mouth are with justice, there is nothing crooked in them nor twisted. They are all straight for those who understand, and right for those who find knowledge. For I teach you what is true, that your hope may be in the Lord and that you may be filled with spirit.

Proverbs 10.31-11.12 (Vespers, St Raphael)

31Usta pravednikova iznose mudrost, a jezik opaki istrijebiæe se. 32Usne pravednikove znaju što je milo, a bezbožnièka su usta opaèina.

1Lažna su mjerila mrska Gospodu, a prava mjera ugodna mu je. 2Kad doðe oholost, doðe i sramota; a u smjernijeh je mudrost. 3Pravedne vodi bezazlenost njihova, a bezakonike satire zloæa njihova. 4Neæe pomoæi bogatstvo u dan gnjeva, a pravda izbavlja od smrti. 5Pravda bezazlenoga upravlja put njegov, a bezbožnik pada od svoje bezbožnosti. 6Pravedne izbavlja pravda njihova, a bezakonici hvataju se u svojoj zloæi. 7Kad umire bezbožnik, propada nadanje, i najjaèe uzdanje propada. 8Pravednik se izbavlja iz nevolje, a bezbožnik dolazi na njegovo mjesto. 9Licemjer kvari ustima bližnjega svojega; ali se pravednici izbavljaju znanjem. 10Dobru pravednijeh raduje se grad; a kad propadaju bezbožnici, biva pjevanje. 11Blagoslovima pravednijeh ljudi podiže se grad, a s usta bezbožnièkih raskopava se. 12Bezumnik se ruga bližnjemu svojemu, a razuman èovjek muèi.

Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15 (Vespers, St Raphael)

St Porphyrius, bishop of Gaza (420)

He was born to a wealthy, noble family in Thessalonica around 347. Filled more and more with a yearning for God, he abandoned his worldly possessions and traveled to Egypt, living for five years as a monk at Sketis. From there he went to Palestine, where he lived for another five years in a cave in the Jordan desert. Suffering from a severe ailment, he was forced to move to Jerusalem; there he was suddenly and completely cured following a vision on Golgotha, in which he saw the Good Thief come down from the cross to lead him to Christ, who gave the Cross into his keeping.

Porphyrius took up the trade of a shoemaker in Jerusalem to provide for his few needs. His humility and charity became so well-known that the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him to the priesthood at the age of forty-five, and made him Stavrophylax, keeper of the True Cross of the Savior — thus fulfilling Porphyrius’ vision on Golgotha. Three years later, much against his will, he was elected Bishop of Gaza.

Throughout his episcopate he was persecuted by the pagans who still dominated the life of that city — though he was able to convert many of them by his own example of holiness, and by the many miracles that were wrought through his intercessions. Once, when the city was suffering from a long drought, the Saint gathered the city’s Christians (who numbered no more than 280), told them to fast, and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning, as the Bishop and his entire flock went in procession through the city it began to rain. At this, 127 pagans were converted. When the pagans’ violent attacks continued, Porphyrius appealed to the Emperor Arcadius for an edict closing of the pagan temples in Gaza. With the support of St John Chrysostom the edict was issued. When the Imperial representatives entered Gaza, accompanied by Bishop Porphyrius bearing the Cross, the statue of Aphrodite in the city’s main temple shattered into pieces. Eight temples were destroyed, and a Church was built on the site of the largest. Hundreds of pagans embraced the Faith and, after instruction, were baptized by the Saint.

After twenty-five years as bishop, during which he had seen his see transformed from a small flock of beleaguered Christians into a Christian territory, Saint Porphyrius reposed in peace in 420.

St Photini the Samaritan Woman, and those with her (66)

She was the Samaritan Woman who met Christ at Jacob’s Well (John ch. 4). She repented, and told her townsmen that she had met the Christ, for which she is sometimes called the first to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. She converted her four sisters (Phota, Photis,Parasceva, and Cyriaca), and her sons (Victor and Joses), and all of them became tireless evangelists for Christ. After the martyrdom of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, she traveled to Carthage to proclaim the Gospel there. She, with her Christian sisters and sons, all met martyrdom under the persecutions of Nero. She is also commemorated on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman during the Paschal season.