Isaiah 11.10-12.2 (6th Hour)

10And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall arise to rule over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust, and his rest shall be glorious. 11And it shall be in that day, that the Lord shall again show his hand, to be zealous for the remnant that is left of the people, which shall be left by the Assyrians, and that from Egypt, and from the country of Babylon, and from Ethiopia, and from the Elamites, and from the rising of the sun, and out of Arabia. 12And he shall lift up a standard for the nations, and he shall gather the lost ones of Israel, and he shall gather the dispersed of Juda from the four corners of the earth. 13And the envy of Ephraim shall be taken away, and the enemies of Juda shall perish: Ephraim shall not envy Juda, and Juda shall not afflict Ephraim. 14And they shall fly in the ships of the Philistines: they shall at the same time spoil the sea, and them that come from the east, and Idumea: and they shall lay their hands on Moab first; but the children of Ammon shall first obey them. 15And the Lord shall make desolate the sea of Egypt; and he shall lay his hand on the river with a strong wind, and he shall strike the seven channels, so that men shall pass through it dry-shod. 16And there shall be a passage for my people that is left in Egypt: and it shall be to Israel as the day when he came forth out of the land of Egypt.

1And in that day you shall say, I will bless you, O Lord; for you were angry with me, but you have turned aside your wrath, and have pitied me. 2Behold, my God is my Saviour; I will trust in him, and not be afraid: for the Lord is my glory and my praise, and is become my salvation.

Genesis 7.11-8.3 (Vespers)

11In the six hundredth year of the life of Noe, in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, on this day all the fountains of the abyss were broken up, and the flood-gates of heaven were opened. 12And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13On that very day entered Noe, Sem, Cham, Japheth, the sons of Noe, and the wife of Noe, and the three wives of his sons with him into the ark. 14And all the wild beasts after their kind, and all cattle after their kind, and every reptile moving itself on the earth after its kind, and every flying bird after its kind, 15went in to Noe into the ark, pairs, male and female of all flesh in which is the breath of life. 16And they that entered went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded Noe, and the Lord God shut the ark outside of him. 17And the flood was upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and the water abounded greatly and bore up the ark, and it was lifted on high from off the earth. 18And the water prevailed and abounded exceedingly upon the earth, and the ark was borne upon the water. 19And the water prevailed exceedingly upon the earth, and covered all the high mountains which were under heaven. 20Fifteen cubits upwards was the water raised, and it covered all the high mountains. 21And there died all flesh that moved upon the earth, of flying creatures and cattle, and of wild beasts, and every reptile moving upon the earth, and every man. 22And all things which have the breath of life, and whatever was on the dry land, died. 23And God blotted out every offspring which was upon the face of the earth, both man and beast, and reptiles, and birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth, and Noe was left alone, and those with him in the ark. 24And the water was raised over the earth one hundred and fifty days.

1And God remembered Noe, and all the wild beasts, and all the cattle, and all the birds, and all the reptiles that creep, as many as were with him in the ark, and God brought a wind upon the earth, and the water stayed. 2And the fountains of the deep were closed up, and the flood-gates of heaven, and the rain from heaven was withheld. 3And the water subsided, and went off the earth, and after one hundred and fifty days the water was diminished, and the ark rested in the seventh month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.

Proverbs 10.1-22 (Vespers)

1A wise son makes his father glad: but a foolish son is a grief to his mother. 2Treasures shall not profit the lawless: but righteousness shall deliver from death. 3The Lord will not famish a righteous soul: but he will overthrow the life of the ungodly. 4Poverty brings a man low: but the hands of the vigorous make rich. A son who is instructed shall be wise, and shall use the fool for a servant. 5A wise son is saved from heat: but a lawless son is blighted of the winds in harvest. 6The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the just: but untimely grief shall cover the mouth of the ungodly. 7The memory of the just is praised; but the name of the ungodly man is extinguished. 8A wise man in heart will receive commandments; but he that is unguarded in his lips shall be overthrown in his perverseness. 9He that walks simply, walks confidently; but he that perverts his ways shall be known. 10He that winks with his eyes deceitfully, procures griefs for men; but he that reproves boldly is a peacemaker. 11There is a fountain of life in the hand of a righteous man; but destruction shall cover the mouth of the ungodly. 12Hatred stirs up strife; but affection covers all that do not love strife. 13He that brings forth wisdom from his lips smites the fool with a rod. 14The wise will hide discretion; but the mouth of the hasty draws near to ruin. 15The wealth of rich men is a strong city; but poverty is the ruin of the ungodly. 16The works of the righteous produce life; but the fruits of the ungodly produce sins. 17Instruction keeps the right ways of life; but instruction unchastened goes astray. 18Righteous lips cover enmity; but they that utter railings are most foolish. 19By a multitude of words you shall not escape sin; but if you refrain your lips you will be prudent. 20The tongue of the just is tried silver; but the heart of the ungodly shall fail. 21The lips of the righteous know sublime truths: but the foolish die in lack. 22The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the righteous; it enriches him, and grief of heart shall not be added to it.

Hieromartyr Mark, Bishop of Arethusa

“Saint Mark was Bishop of Arethusa in Syria. In the days of Saint Constantine the Great, Saint Mark, moved with divine zeal, destroyed a temple of the idols and raised up a church in its stead. When Julian the Apostate reigned, in 361, as the pagans were now able to avenge the destruction of their temple, Saint Mark, giving way to wrath, hid himself; but when he saw that others were being taken on his account, he gave himself up. Having no regard to his old age, they stripped him and beat his whole body, cast him into filthy sewers, and pulling him out, had children prick him with their iron writing-pens. Then they put him into a basket, smeared him with honey and a kind of relish of pickled fish, and hung him up under the burning sun to be devoured by bees and wasps. But because he bore this so nobly, his enemies repented, and unloosed him.

“Saint Cyril was a deacon from Heliopolis in Phoenecia. During the reign of the Emperor Constantius, son of Saint Constantine, he had also broken the idols in pieces. When Julian came to power, Saint Cyril was seized by the idolators and his belly was ripped open. The other holy Martyrs celebrated today, martyred in Gaza and Ascalon during the reign of Julian, were men of priestly rank and consecrated virgins; they were disemboweled, filled with barley, and set before swine to be eaten. The account of all the above Saints is given in Book III, ch. 3, of Theodoret of Cyrrhus’ Ecclesiastical History. (Great Horologion)

Our Holy Father John the Hermit (4th c.)

“He was the son of Juliana, a Christian woman of Armenia. While still a child, he left his mother and ran off to the desert. He was utterly aflame with love for Christ the Lord. In the beginning he entrusted himself to the guidance of a spiritual father, Pharmutius, who was so pleasing to God that an angel brought him bread every day. John later left him and withdrew into solitude. He let himself down into a dry well and lived there for a full ten years in fasting, prayer and vigils. St Pharmutius used to bring him some of the angel’s bread, for the angel of God did not wish to bring bread to the young John in person, lest he grow proud through this, so sent it through Pharmutius his spiritual father. After ten years of arduous asceticism in his well, St John went to the Lord and his relics revealed wonderworking power. He lived and was glorified by God and men in the 4th century.” (Prologue)