Composite 2 - Proverbs 10, 3, 8
(Vespers)
1The memory of a just man is praised, and the Lord’s blessing is upon his head. Blessed is one who has found wisdom; a mortal who knows understanding. To import her is better than treasures of gold and silver. She is more valuable than precious stones; nothing of value equals her worth. Justice proceeds from her mouth; she bears law and mercy on her tongue. Therefore, my children, listen to me, for I speak weighty things. And blessed is the one who keeps my ways. For my goings out are the goings out of life, and favour is prepared from the Lord. Therefore I exhort you, and utter my voice to the children of humankind. Because I, Wisdom, have prepared counsel, knowledge and understanding. I have called on them. Counsel and sureness are mine; prudence is mine, strength is mine. I love those who are my friends, while those who seek me will find grace. You innocent, then, understand cunning; you untaught, take it to heart. Listen to me, for I will speak weighty things, and I will open right things from my lips. Because my throat will meditate truth; lying lips are abominable before me. All the words of my mouth are with justice, there is nothing crooked in them nor twisted. They are all straight for those who understand, and right for those who find knowledge. For I teach you what is true, that your hope may be in the Lord and that you may be filled with spirit.
Proverbs 10.31-11.12
(Vespers)
31The mouth of the righteous drops wisdom: but the tongue of the unjust shall perish.
32The lips of just men drop grace: but the mouth of the ungodly is perverse.
1False balances are an abomination before the Lord: but a just weight is acceptable to him.
2Wherever pride enters, there will be also disgrace: but the mouth of the lowly meditates wisdom.
3When a just man dies he leaves regret: but the destruction of the ungodly is speedy, and causes joy.
4Possessions will not profit in a day of wrath, but righteousness will deliver from death.
5Righteousness traces out blameless paths: but ungodliness encounters unjust dealing.
6The righteousness of upright men delivers them: but transgressors are caught in their own destruction.
7At the death of a just man his hope does not perish: but the boast of the ungodly perishes.
8A righteous man escapes from a snare, and the ungodly man is delivered up in his place.
9In the mouth of ungodly men is a snare to citizens: but the understanding of righteous men is prosperous.
10In the prosperity of righteous men a city prospers: but by the mouth of ungodly men it is overthrown.
11At the blessing of the upright a city shall be exalted.
12A man void of understanding sneers at his fellow citizens: but a sensible man is quiet.
Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15
(Vespers)
7But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest.
8For honorable age is not that which stands in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.
9But wisdom is the gray hair to men, and an unspotted life is old age.
10He pleased God, and was beloved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated.
11Yes speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit decieve his soul.
12For the bewitching of naughtiness does obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence does undermine the simple mind.
13He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:
14For his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked.
15This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he has respect to his chosen.
John 10.1-9
(Matins Gospel)
1“Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber.
2But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.”
6Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.
7Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door.
8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.
9I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out and will find pasture.
Acts 3.1-8
(Epistle)
1Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
2A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple.
3Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy.
4Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.”
5He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them.
6But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”
7He took him by the right hand and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength.
8Leaping up, he stood and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God.
Philippians 2.5-11
(Epistle, Theotokos)
5Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
8And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.
9Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Hebrews 7.26-8.2
(Epistle, Saints)
26For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.
28For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.
1Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2a servant of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man.
John 2.12-22
(Gospel)
12After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.
13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting.
15He made a whip of cords and drove all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables.
16To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!”
17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”
18The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”
19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?”
21But he spoke of the temple of his body.
22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
Luke 10.38-42, 11.27-28
(Gospel, Theotokos)
38As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word.
40But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.”
41Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
42but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
27It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!”
28But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”
Matthew 5.14-19
(Gospel, Saints)
14“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.
15Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.
16Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
17“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.
18For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.
19Therefore, whoever shall break one of these least commandments and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.