Isaiah 66.10-24 (6th Hour)

10Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and all you⌃ that love her hold in her a general assembly: rejoice greatly with her, all that now mourn over her: 11that you⌃ may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolation; that you⌃ may milk out, and delight yourselves with the influx of her glory. 12For thus says the Lord, Behold, I turn toward them as a river of peace, and as a torrent bringing upon them in a flood the glory of the Gentiles: their children shall be borne upon the shoulders, and comforted on the knees. 13As if his mother should comfort one, so will I also comfort you; and you⌃ shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14And you⌃ shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall thrive like grass: and the hand of the Lord shall be known to them that fear him, and he shall threaten the disobedient. 15For, behold, the Lord will come as fire, and his chariots as a storm, to render his vengeance with wrath, and his rebuke with a flame of fire. 16For with the fire of the Lord all the earth shall be judged, and all flesh with his sword: many shall be slain by the Lord. 17They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens, and eat swine's flesh in the porches, and the abominations, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, says the Lord. 18And I know their works and their imagination. I am going to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. 19And I will leave a sign upon them, and I will send forth them that have escaped of them to the nations, to Tharsis, and Phud, and Lud, and Mosoch, and to Thobel, and to Greece, and to the isles afar off, to those who have not heard my name, nor seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. 20And they shall bring your brethren out of all nations for a gift to the Lord with horses, and chariots, in litters drawn by mules with awnings, to the holy city Jerusalem, said the Lord, as though the children of Israel should bring their sacrifices to me with psalms into the house of the Lord. 21And I will take of them priests and Levites, says the Lord. 22For as the new heaven and the new earth, which I make, remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your seed and your name continue. 23And it shall come to pass from month to month, and from sabbath to sabbath, that all flesh shall come to worship before me in Jerusalem, says the Lord. 24And they shall go forth, and see the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be a spectacle to all flesh.

Genesis 49.33-50.26 (Vespers)

33And Jacob ceased giving charges to his sons; and having lifted up his feet on the bed, he died, and was gathered to his people.

1And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept on him, and kissed him. 2And Joseph commanded his servants the embalmers to embalm his father; and the embalmers embalmed Israel. 3And they fulfilled forty days for him, for so are the days of embalming numbered; and Egypt mourned for him seventy days. 4And when the days of mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the princes of Pharao, saying, If I have found favor in your sight, speak concerning me in the ears of Pharao, saying, 5My father adjured me, saying, In the sepulchre which I dug for myself in the land of Chanaan, there you shall bury me; now then I will go up and bury my father, and return again. 6And Pharao said to Joseph, Go up, bury your father, as he constrained you to swear. 7So Joseph went up to bury his father; and all the servants of Pharao went up with him, and the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. 8And all the household of Joseph, and his brethren, and all the house of his father, and his kindred; and they left behind the sheep and the oxen in the land of Gesem. 9And there went up with him also chariots and horsemen; and there was a very great company. 10And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan; and they bewailed him with a great and very sore lamentation; and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11And the inhabitants of the land of Chanaan saw the mourning at the floor of Atad, and said, This is a great mourning to the Egyptians; therefore he called its name, The mourning of Egypt, which is beyond Jordan. 12And thus his sons did to him. 13So his sons carried him up into the land of Chanaan, and buried him in the double cave, which cave Abraam bought for possession of a burying place, of Ephrom the Chettite, before Mambre. 14And Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brethren, and those that had gone up with him to bury his father. 15And when the brethren of Joseph saw that their father was dead, they said, Let us take heed, lest at any time Joseph remember evil against us, and recompense to us all the evils which we have done against him. 16And they came to Joseph, and said, Your father adjured us before his death, saying, 17Thus say you⌃ to Joseph, Forgive them their injustice and their sin, forasmuch as they have done you evil; and now pardon the injustice of the servants of the God of your father. And Joseph wept while they spoke to him. 18And they came to him and said, We, these persons, are your servants. 19And Joseph said to them, Fear not, for I am God's. 20You⌃ took counsel against me for evil, but God took counsel for me for good, that the matter might be as it is today, and much people might be fed. 21And he said to them, Fear not, I will maintain you, and your families: and he comforted them, and spoke kindly to them. 22And Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his brethren, and all the family of his father; and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23And Joseph saw the children of Ephraim to the third generation; and the sons of Machir the son of Manasse were borne on the sides of Joseph. 24And Joseph spoke to his brethren, saying, I die, and God will surely visit you, and will bring you out of this land to the land concerning which God swore to our fathers, Abraam, Isaac, and Jacob. 25And Joseph adjured the sons of Israel, saying, At the visitation with which God shall visit you, then you⌃ shall carry up my bones hence with you. 26And Joseph died, aged one hundred and ten years; and they prepared his corpse, and put him in a coffin in Egypt.

Proverbs 31.8-31 (Vespers)

8Open your mouth with the word of God, and judge all fairly. 9Open your mouth and judge justly, and plead the cause of the poor and weak. 10Who shall find a virtuous woman? for such a one is more valuable than precious stones. 11The heart of her husband trusts in her: such a one shall stand in no need of fine spoils. 12For she employs all her living for her husband's good. 13Gathering wool and flax, she makes it serviceable with her hands. 14She is like a ship trading from a distance: so she procures her livelihood. 15And she rises by night, and gives food to her household, and appointed tasks to her maidens. 16She views a farm, and buys it: and with the fruit of her hands she plants a possession. 17She strongly girds her loins, and strengthens her arms for work. 18And she finds by experience that working is good; and her candle goes not out all night. 19She reaches forth her arms to needful works, and applies her hands to the spindle. 20And she opens her hands to the needy, and reaches out fruit to the poor. 21Her husband is not anxious about those at home when he tarries anywhere abroad: for all her household are clothed. 22She makes for her husband clothes of double texture, and garments for herself of fine linen and scarlet. 23And her husband becomes a distinguished person in the gates, when he sits in council with the old inhabitants of the land. 24She makes fine linens, and sells girdles to the Chananites: she opens her mouth heedfully and with propriety, and controls her tongue. 25She puts on strength and honor; and rejoices in the last days. 26But she opens her mouth wisely, and according to law. 27The ways of her household are careful, and she eats not the bread of idleness. 28And her kindness to them sets up her children for them, and they grow rich, and her husband praises her. 29Many daughters have obtained wealth, many have wrought valiantly; but you have exceeded, you have surpassed all. 30Charms are false, and woman's beauty is vain: for it is a wise woman that is blessed, and let her praise the fear the Lord. 31Give her of the fruit of her lips; and let her husband be praised in the gates.

James 1.1-12 (Vespers, St James)

1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

2Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. 7For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord. 8He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; 10and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away. 11For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass; and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits.

12Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.

James 1.13-27 (Vespers, St James)

13Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. 15Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death. 16Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow. 18Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 20for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. 21Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; 24for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

26If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 2.1-13 (Vespers, St James)

1My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality. 2For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in, 3and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool” 4haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts? 7Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

8However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. 9But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak and so do as men who are to be judged by the law of freedom. 13For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Nine Martyrs at Cyzicus

Both were disciples of the Apostle Paul, who mentions them in his Epistle to the Romans: “Jason and Sosipater my kinsmen greet you” (16:21). Jason was born in Tarsus of Cilicia (as was the Apostle Paul), and became bishop of that town. Sosipater was from Patras of Achaia (now Greece), and became bishop of Iconium. After serving their flocks for many years, these two travelled together to Corfu, where they were the first to preach the Gospel. They were furiously opposed by the ruler of that island, but when he died, the new king came to faith in Christ and was baptised with the name Sebastian. Jason and Sosipater remained on Corfu, freely preaching the Gospel and building up the Church until they reposed in great old age. An ancient church in the city of Corfu, dating from the first centuries, bears inscriptions that mention the Saints by name.

They are commemorated April 28 on the Slavic calendar.

St Basil, bishop of Ostrog in Montenegro (Serbia) (1671)

As a monk, he was known for his very severe asceticism. Against his will, he was made Bishop of Zahum, where he served his flock faithfully for many years, “keeping it from the cruelty of the Turks and the guile of the Latins” (Prologue). When his monastery was destroyed by the Turks he moved to Ostrog, where he reposed. His body has remained whole, incorrupt, healing and wonderworking to this day. Innumerable miracles have been worked at his grave; both Christians and Muslims seek out his relics for healing from sicknesses and sufferings.

(A story heard from a parishioner at St Basil of Ostrog Church in Illinois: while the Saint’s relics remain intact, reputedly his shoes wear out from time to time and need to be replaced.)