Isaiah 6.1-12 (6th Hour)

1Godine koje umrije car Ozija vidjeh Gospoda gdje sjedi na prijestolu visoku i izdignutu, i skut mu ispunjavaše crkvu. 2Serafimi stajahu više njega, svaki ih imaše šest krila: dvjema zaklanjaše lice svoje i dvjema zaklanjaše noge svoje, a dvjema leæaše. 3I vikahu jedan drugome govoreæi: svet, svet, svet je Gospod nad vojskama; puna je sva zemlja slave njegove. 4I zadrmaše se pragovi na vratima od glasa kojim vikahu, i dom se napuni dima. 5I rekoh: jaoh meni! pogiboh, jer sam èovjek neèistijeh usana, i živim usred naroda neèistijeh usana, jer cara Gospoda nad vojskama vidjeh svojim oèima. 6A jedan od serafima doletje k meni držeæi u ruci živ ugljen, koji uze s oltara kliještima, 7I dotaèe se usta mojih i reèe: evo, ovo se dotaèe usta tvojih, i bezakonje tvoje uze se, i grijeh tvoj oèisti se. 8Potom èuh glas Gospodnji gdje reèe: koga æu poslati? i ko æe nam iæi? A ja rekoh: evo mene, pošlji mene. 9A on reèe: idi, i reci tome narodu: slušajte ali neæete razumjeti, gledajte ali neæete poznati. 10Uèini da odeblja srce tome narodu i uši da im otežaju, i oèi im zatvori, da ne vide oèima svojim i ušima svojim da ne èuju i srcem svojim da ne razumiju i ne obrate se i ne iscijele. 11A ja rekoh: dokle Gospode? A on reèe: dokle ne opuste gradovi da budu bez stanovnika i kuæe da budu bez ljudi, i zemlja dokle sasvijem ne opusti, 12I dokle Gospod opravi daleko ljude i bude sama pustoš u zemlji.

Genesis 5.1-24 (Vespers)

1Ovo je pleme Adamovo. Kad Bog stvori èovjeka, po oblièju svojemu stvori ga. 2Muško i žensko stvori ih, i blagoslovi ih, i nazva ih èovjek, kad biše stvoreni. 3I poživje Adam sto i trideset godina, i rodi sina po oblièju svojemu, kao što je on, i nadjede mu ime Sit. 4A rodiv Sita poživje Adam osam stotina godina, raðajuæi sinove i kæeri; 5Tako poživje Adam svega devet stotina i trideset godina; i umrije. 6A Sit poživje sto i pet godina, i rodi Enosa; 7A rodiv Enosa poživje Sit osam stotina i sedam godina, raðajuæi sinove i kæeri; 8Tako poživje Sit svega devet stotina i dvanaest godina; i umrije. 9A Enos poživje devedeset godina, i rodi Kajinana; 10A rodiv Kajinana poživje Enos osam stotina i petnaest godina, raðajuæi sinove i kæeri; 11Tako poživje Enos svega devet stotina i pet godina; i umrije. 12A Kajinan poživje sedamdeset godina, i rodi Maleleila; 13A rodiv Maleleila poživje Kajinan osam stotina i èetrdeset godina, raðajuæi sinove i kæeri; 14Tako poživje Kajinan svega devet stotina i deset godina; i umrije. 15A Maleleilo poživje šezdeset i pet godina, i rodi Jareda; 16A rodiv Jareda poživje Maleleilo osam stotina i trideset godina, raðajuæi sinove i kæeri; 17Tako poživje Maleleilo svega osam stotina i devedeset i pet godina; i umrije. 18A Jared poživje sto i šezdeset i dvije godine, i rodi Enoha; 19A rodiv Enoha poživje Jared osam stotina godina, raðajuæi sinove i kæeri; 20Tako poživje Jared svega devet stotina i šezdeset i dvije godine, i umrije. 21A Enoh poživje šezdeset i pet godina, i rodi Matusala; 22A rodiv Matusala poživje Enoh jednako po volji Božjoj trista godina, raðajuæi sinove i kæeri; 23Tako poživje Enoh svega trista i šezdeset i pet godina; 24I živeæi Enoh jednako po volji Božjoj, nestade ga, jer ga uze Bog.

Proverbs 6.3-20 (Vespers)

3Zato uèini tako, sine moj, i oprosti se, jer si dopao u ruke bližnjemu svojemu; idi, pripadni, i navali na bližnjega svojega. 4Ne daj sna oèima svojima, ni vjeðama svojima drijema. 5Otmi se kao srna iz ruke lovcu, i kao ptica iz ruke ptièaru. 6Idi k mravu, ljenivèe, gledaj putove njegove, i omudraj. 7Nema voða ni upravitelja ni gospodara; 8I opet pripravlja ljeti sebi hranu, zbira uz žetvu piæu svoju. 9Dokle æeš, ljenivèe, ležati? kad æeš ustati od sna svojega? 10Dok malo prospavaš, dok malo prodrijemlješ, dok malo sklopiš ruke da prilegneš, 11Utom æe doæi siromaštvo tvoje kao putnik i oskudica tvoja kao oružan èovjek. 12Èovjek nevaljao i nitkov hodi sa zlijem ustima; 13Namiguje oèima, govori nogama, pokazuje prstima; 14Svaka mu je opaèina u srcu, kuje zlo svagda, zameæe svaðu. 15Zato æe ujedanput doæi pogibao njegova, èasom æe se satrti i neæe biti lijeka. 16Na ovo šestoro mrzi Gospod, i sedmo je gad duši njegovoj: 17Oèi ponosite, jezik lažljiv i ruke koje proljevaju krv pravu, 18Srce koje kuje zle misli, noge koje brzo trèe na zlo, 19Lažan svjedok koji govori laž, i ko zameæe svaðu meðu braæom. 20Èuvaj, sine moj, zapovijest oca svojega, i ne ostavljaj nauke matere svoje.

St Tarasios, archbishop of Constantinople (806)

He was a nobleman born in Constantinople, and distinguished himself in a secular career, rising in the year 780 to the rank of protasecretis, Principal Secretary of State to the Emperor Constantine VI and his mother the Empress Irene, who was serving as regent.

His life took a sudden turn when, in 784, Patriarch Paul IV resigned, recommending Tarasios as the only man capable of restoring the Patriarchate, ravaged by the iconoclast heresy, to true Faith and full communion with the other Patriarchates. Tarasios, though unwilling, was virtually forced to accept the Patriarchate by the rulers and the Senate: he agreed at last on condition that an Ecumenical Council be summoned immediately to put an end to the iconoclast heresy. In a few days he was raised from a layman through all the degrees of the clergy and on December 25 784, was consecrated Archbishop of Constantinople.

At Saint Tarasios’ insistence, the Imperial rulers summoned a Church Council, which met at Constantinople in 786. Before its sessions had even begun, iconoclasts burst into the church and drove out the Fathers, who were forced to reconvene in Nicaea, where the first session opened. Patriarch Tarasios presided, and the Council concluded with a condemnation of the iconoclast heresy and the restoration of veneration of the holy images.

As Archbishop, the Saint was a model of humility, compassion, and firmness in the Faith. He refused to have any servants and dressed simply, a living rebuke to the luxury that had corrupted the clergy at that time. His works of charity were so great that he became known to the people as ‘the new Joseph’: he founded hospices and shelters, distributed the Church’s wealth freely to the poor, and often invited the poor to his own table to share his simple fare. He insisted on exercising all gentleness and mercy in restoring repentant heretics to the Church, a policy that met with opposition from the more severe leaders of the Studion monastery. At the same time he was unbending in the defense of the Faith: when the Emperor Constantine came of age he repudiated his wife Mary in order to marry Theodota, one of her servants. The Patriarch refused to bless the adulterous union and threatened the Emperor with excommunication if he persisted in sin. The Emperor had Tarasios imprisoned, forced his licit wife to enter a monastery, and found a priest, Joseph, to bless his second marriage. The following year Constantine was blinded and dethroned, and Tarasios regained his freedom.

The holy Patriarch continued to serve his Church faithfully, occupying the episcopal throne for a total of twenty-six years. In his last years, despite a long and painful illness, he continued to serve the Divine Liturgy daily, supporting himself with his staff. In the year 806, serving at the altar, he began to chant from Psalm 85, Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me, and gave up his soul to God.

“In 820, the Emperor Leo the Armenian, who for seven years had supported the iconoclasts and had fiercely persecuted the Orthodox, had a disturbing dream. He saw a stern-looking Saint Tarasius ordering a man by the name of Michael to run Leo himself through with a sword. Six days later, Leo was in fact assasinated by Michael the Stammerer, who seized power… In physical appearance, Saint Tarasius is said to have closely resembled Saint Gregory the Theologian.” (Synaxarion)