Isaiah 10.12-20 (6th Hour)

12Ali kad svrši Gospod sve djelo svoje na gori Sionskoj i u Jerusalimu, tada æu obiæi plod ohologa srca cara Asirskoga i slavu ponositijeh oèiju njegovijeh. 13Jer reèe: krjepošæu ruke svoje uèinih i mudrošæu svojom, jer sam razuman; i premjestih meðe narodima i blago njihovo zaplijenih i kao junak oborih stanovnike. 14I ruka moja naðe kao gnijezdo bogatstvo u naroda, i kako se kupe jajca ostavljena tako pokupih svu zemlju, i ne bi nikoga da makne krilom ili da otvori usta i pisne. 15Hoæe li se sjekira velièati nad onijem koji njom sijeèe? hoæe li se pila razmetati nad onijem koji njom radi? kao da bi prut mahao onijem koji ga digne, kao da bi se hvalio štap da nije od drveta. 16Zato æe Gospod, Gospod nad vojskama, pustiti na pretile njegove mršu, i slavu æe njegovu potpaliti da gori kao oganj. 17Jer æe vidjelo Izrailjevo biti oganj, i svetac æe njegov biti plamen, i upaliæe i sažeæi trnje njegovo i èkalj njegov u jedan dan. 18I krasotu šume njegove i njive njegove, od duše do tijela, uništiæe, i biæe kao bjegunac kad iznemogne. 19I što ostane drveta šume njegove, biæe malo, da bi ih dijete moglo popisati. 20I u to vrijeme ostatak Izrailjev i koji se izbave u domu Jakovljevu neæe se više oslanjati na onoga ko ih bije, nego æe se oslanjati na Gospoda sveca Izrailjeva istinom.

Genesis 7.6-9 (Vespers)

6A bješe Noju šest stotina godina kad doðe potop na zemlju. 7I uðe Noje u kovèeg i sinovi njegovi i žena njegova i žene sinova njegovijeh s njim radi potopa. 8Od životinja èistih i od životinja neèistih i od ptica i od svega što se mièe po zemlji, 9Uðe k Noju u kovèeg po dvoje, muško i žensko, kao što bješe Bog zapovjedio Noju.

Proverbs 9.12-18 (LXX) (Vespers)

12Ako budeš mudar, sebi æeš biti mudar; ako li budeš potsmjevaè, sam æeš tegliti. 13Žena bezumna plaha je, luda i ništa ne zna; 14I sjedi na vratima od kuæe svoje na stolici, na visinama gradskim, 15Te vièe one koji prolaze, koji idu pravo svojim putem: 16Ko je lud? neka se uvrati ovamo. I bezumnome govori: 17Voda je kradena slatka, i hljeb je sakriven ugodan. 18A on ne zna da su ondje mrtvaci i u dubokom grobu da su zvanice njezine.

Hieromartyr Theodotus, bishop of Cyrenia (326)

Known for his wisdom and virtue, he was chosen as Bishop of Cyrenia on the island of Cyprus. When a persecution broke out against the Christians under the Emperor Licinius, Theodotus was arrested and subjected to many tortures. His torturer Sabinus urged him repeatedly to renounce Christ and worship the idols, but Theodotus replied, ‘If you knew the goodness of my God, who, it is my hope, will by these brief tortures make me worthy of eternal life, you would wish to suffer for Him as I do.’ The pagans then drove nails into his body, for which he thanked God. Believing that his death was approaching, he calmly gave counsel and instruction to the Christians around him. By God’s providence, an order came from the new Emperor Constantine to free all Christians who were being held for the sake of Christ. Thus Theodotus was freed and, though greatly weakened by his torments, served his flock faithfully for two more years before reposing in peace.

The Four Hundred and Forty Martyrs of Lombardy (579)

Forty of them were beheaded in one place in Lombardy (in Italy) because they refused to eat food offered to idols. Another four hundred were massacred because they refused to join with the Lombard pagans’ practice of dancing around a goat’s head that had been brought for sacrifice to the idols. Their deaths are recorded by St Gregory the Dialogist (Gregory the Great).

We sometimes imagine that the Roman Empire converted almost overnight to Christianity during the reign of St Constantine the Great. This incident, more than two hundred years into Europe’s ‘Christian era’, reminds us that the progress of the Faith among the people was often slow and halting, and that paganism remained a force for many centuries.

Holy Martyr Euthalia (257)

She was a pagan maiden living in Sicily with her mother (also named Euthalia) and her brother Sermilianus. When Euthalia’s mother became ill with an issue of blood, the holy martyrs Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus (May 10) appeared to her in a dream and told her that she would only be healed if she were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heeding the dream, she believed, was baptized, and was healed. Her daughter Euthalia, seeing this wonder, was also baptised. Sermilianus, despising and hating the Christian faith, first mocked his mother and sister for their conversion, then threatened them. The mother fled the house in fear. Euthalia remained, saying to her brother ‘I am a Christian, and have no fear of death.’ The cruel Sermilianus persecuted her more and more harshly until finally, enraged by the futility of his threats, he beheaded his own sister by his own hand, unknowingly procuring for her a crown of eternal glory. “And thus in this example were fulfilled the words of Christ that He was bringing a sword among men which would divide those of one blood but not those of one faith (Matt. 10:34-35).” (Prologue)