Isaiah 42.5-16 (6th Hour)

5Ovako govori Bog Gospod, koji je stvorio nebesa i razapeo ih, koji je rasprostro zemlju i što ona raða, koji daje disanje narodu što je na njoj i duh onima što hode po njoj: 6Ja Gospod dozvah te u pravdi, i držaæu te za ruku, i èuvaæu te, i uèiniæu te da budeš zavjet narodu, vidjelo narodima; 7Da otvoriš oèi slijepcima, da izvedeš sužnje iz zatvora i iz tamnice koji sjede u tami. 8Ja sam Gospod, to je ime moje, i slave svoje neæu dati drugome ni hvale svoje likovima rezanijem. 9Evo, preðašnje doðe, i ja javljam novo, prije nego nastane kazujem vam. 10Pjevajte Gospodu pjesmu novu, hvalu njegovu od kraja zemlje, koji se plavite po moru i sve što je u njemu, ostrva i koji živite na njima. 11Pustinja i gradovi njezini, sela gdje stanuje Kidar, neka podignu glas, neka pjevaju koji žive po stijenama, neka klikuju savrh gora. 12Neka daju slavu Gospodu, i hvalu njegovu neka javljaju po ostrvima. 13Gospod æe izaæi kao junak, podignuæe revnost svoju kao vojnik, vikaæe i klikovati, nadvladaæe neprijatelje svoje. 14Muèah dugo, èinjah se gluh, ustezah se; ali æu sada vikati kao žena kad se poraða, i sve æu potrti i istrijebiti. 15Opustiæu gore i bregove, i svaku travu na njima osušiæu, i od rijeka æu naèiniti ostrva, i jezera æu isušiti. 16I vodiæu slijepce putem kojega nijesu znali; vodiæu ih stazama kojih nijesu znali; obratiæu pred njima mrak u svjetlost i što je neravno u ravno. To æu im uèiniti, i neæu ih ostaviti.

Genesis 18.20-33 (Vespers)

20I reèe Gospod: vika je u Sodomu i Gomoru velika, i grijeh je njihov grdan. 21Zato æu siæi da vidim eda li sve èine kao što vika doðe preda me; ako li nije tako, da znam. 22I ljudi okrenuvši se poðoše put Sodoma; ali Avram još stajaše pred Gospodom, 23I pristupiv Avram reèe: hoæeš li pogubiti i pravednoga s nepravednim? 24Može biti da ima pedeset pravednika u gradu; hoæeš li i njih pogubiti, i neæeš oprostiti mjestu za onijeh pedeset pravednika što su u njemu? 25Nemoj to èiniti, ni gubiti pravednika s nepravednikom, da bude pravedniku kao i nepravedniku; nemoj; eda li sudija cijele zemlje neæe suditi pravo? 26I reèe Gospod: ako naðem u Sodomu pedeset pravednika u gradu, oprostiæu cijelom mjestu njih radi. 27A Avram odgovori i reèe: gle, sada bih progovorio Gospodu, ako i jesam prah i pepeo. 28Može biti pravednika pedeset manje pet, hoæeš li za ovijeh pet zatrti sav grad? Odgovori: neæu, ako naðem èetrdeset i pet. 29I stade dalje govoriti, i reèe: može biti da æe se naæi èetrdeset. Reèe: neæu radi onijeh èetrdeset. 30Potom reèe: nemoj se gnjeviti, Gospode, što æu reæi; može biti da æe se naæi trideset. I reèe: neæu, ako naðem trideset. 31Opet reèe: gle, sada bih progovorio Gospodu; može biti da æe se naæi dvadeset. Reèe: neæu ih pogubiti za onijeh dvadeset. 32Najposlije reèe: nemoj se gnjeviti, Gospode, što æu još jednom progovoriti; može biti da æe se naæi deset. Reèe: neæu ih pogubiti radi onijeh deset. 33I Gospod otide svršivši razgovor s Avramom; a Avram se vrati na svoje mjesto.

Proverbs 16.17-17.17 (Vespers)

17Put je pravednijeh uklanjanje oda zla; èuva dušu svoju ko pazi na put svoj. 18Oholost dolazi pred pogibao, i ponosit duh pred propast. 19Bolje je biti ponizna duha s krotkima nego dijeliti plijen s oholima. 20Ko pazi na rijeè, nalazi dobro, i ko se uzda u Gospoda, blago njemu. 21Ko je mudra srca, zove se razuman, a slast na usnama umnožava nauku. 22Izvor je životu razum onima koji ga imaju, a nauka bezumnijeh bezumlje je. 23Srce mudroga razumno upravlja ustima njegovijem, i dodaje nauku usnama njegovijem. 24Ljubazne su rijeèi sat meda, slast duši i zdravlje kostima. 25Neki se put èini èovjeku prav, a kraj mu je put k smrti. 26Ko se trudi, sebi se trudi, jer ga nagone usta njegova. 27Èovjek nevaljao kopa zlo, i na usnama mu je kao oganj koji pali. 28Opak èovjek zameæe svaðu, i opadaè rastavlja glavne prijatelje. 29Nasilnik mami druga svojega i zavodi ga na put koji nije dobar; 30Namiguje oèima, kad misli naopako; kad mièe usnama, èini zlo. 31Sijeda je kosa slavna kruna, nalazi se na putu pravednom. 32Bolji je spor na gnjev nego junak, i gospodar od svoga srca bolji je nego onaj koji uzme grad. 33Ždrijeb se baca u krilo, ali je od Gospoda sve što izlazi.

1Bolji je zalogaj suha hljeba s mirom nego kuæa puna poklane stoke sa svaðom. 2Razuman sluga biæe gospodar nad sinom sramotnijem i s braæom æe dijeliti našljedstvo. 3Topionica je za srebro i peæ za zlato, a srca iskušava Gospod. 4Zao èovjek pazi na usne zle, a lažljivac sluša jezik pakostan. 5Ko se ruga siromahu, sramoti stvoritelja njegova; ko se raduje nesreæi, neæe ostati bez kara. 6Vijenac su starcima unuci, a slava sinovima oci njihovi. 7Ne prilièi bezumnom visoka besjeda, akamoli knezu lažljiva besjeda. 8Poklon je dragi kamen onome koji ga prima, kuda se god okrene napreduje. 9Ko pokriva prijestup, traži ljubav; a ko ponavlja stvar, rastavlja glavne prijatelje. 10Ukor tišti razumnoga veæma nego ludoga sto udaraca. 11Zao èovjek traži samo odmet, ali æe se ljut glasnik poslati na nj. 12Bolje je da èovjeka srete medvjedica kojoj su oteti medvjediæi, nego bezumnik u svom bezumlju. 13Ko vraæa zlo za dobro, neæe se zlo odmaæi od kuæe njegove. 14Ko poène svaðu, otvori ustavu vodi; zato prije nego se zametne, proði se raspre. 15Ko opravda krivoga i ko osudi pravoga, obojica su gad Gospodu. 16Na što je blago bezumnome u ruci kad nema razuma da pribavi mudrost? 17U svako doba ljubi prijatelj, i brat postaje u nevolji.

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.