Isaiah 48.17-49.4 (6th Hour)

17Thus says the Lord that delivered you, the Holy One of Israel; I am your God, I have shown you how you should find the way wherein you should walk. 18And if you had listened to my commandments, then would your peace have been like a river, and your righteousness as a wave of the sea. 19Your seed also would have been as the sand, and the offspring of your belly as the dust of the ground: neither now shall you by any means be utterly destroyed, neither shall your name perish before me. 20Go forth of Babylon, you that flee from the Chaldeans: utter aloud a voice of joy, and let this be made known, proclaim it to the end of the earth; say you⌃, The Lord has delivered his servant Jacob. 21And if they shall thirst, he shall lead them through the desert; he shall bring forth water to them out of the rock: the rock shall be cloven, and the water shall flow forth, and my people shall drink. 22There is no joy, says the Lord, to the ungodly.

1Listen to me, you⌃ islands; and attend, you⌃ Gentiles; after a long time it shall come to pass, says the Lord: from my mother's womb he has called my name: 2and he has made my mouth as a sharp sword, and he has hid me under the shadow of his hand; he has made me as a choice shaft, and he has hid me in his quiver; 3and said to me, You are my servant, O Israel, and in you I will be glorified. 4Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have given my strength for vanity and for nothing: therefore is my judgment with the Lord, and my labor before my God.

Genesis 27.1-41 (Vespers)

1And it came to pass after Isaac was old, that his eyes were dimmed so that he could not see; and he called Esau, his elder son, and said to him, My son; and he said, Behold, I am here. 2And he said, Behold, I am grown old, and know not the day of my death. 3Now then take the weapons, both your quiver and your bow, and go into the plain, and get me venison, 4and make me meats, as I like them, and bring them to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you, before I die. 5And Rebecca heard Isaac speaking to Esau his son; and Esau went to the plain to procure venison for his father. 6And Rebecca said to Jacob her younger son, Behold, I heard your father speaking to Esau your brother, saying, 7Bring me venison, and prepare me meats, that I may eat and bless you before the Lord before I die. 8Now then, my son, listen to me, as I command you. 9And go to the cattle and take for me thence two kids, tender and good, and I will make them meats for your father, as he likes. 10And you shall bring them in to your father, and he shall eat, that your father may bless you before he dies. 11And Jacob said to his mother Rebecca, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I a smooth man. 12Peradventure my father may feel me, and I shall be before him as one ill-intentioned, and I shall bring upon me a curse, and not a blessing. 13And his mother said to him, On me be your curse, son; only listen to my voice, and go and bring them me. 14So he went and took and brought them to his mother; and his mother made meats, as his father liked them. 15And Rebecca having taken the fine raiment of her elder son Esau which was with her in the house, put it on Jacob her younger son. 16And she put on his arms the skins of the kids, and on the bare parts of his neck. 17And she gave the meats, and the loaves which she had prepared, into the hands of Jacob her son. 18And he brought them to his father, and said, Father; and he said, Behold I am here; who are you, son? 19And Jacob said to his father, I, Esau your firstborn, have done as you told me; rise, sit, and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me. 20And Isaac said to his son, What is this which you have quickly found? And he said, That which the Lord your God presented before me. 21And Isaac said to Jacob, Draw near to me, and I will feel you, son, if you are my son Esau or not. 22And Jacob drew near to his father Isaac, and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. 23And he knew him not, for his hands were as the hands of his brother Esau, hairy; and he blessed him, 24and he said, Are you my son Esau? and he said, I am. 25And he said, Bring hither, and I will eat of your venison, son, that my soul may bless you; and he brought it near to him, and he ate, and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26And Isaac his father said to him, Draw near to me, and kiss me, son. 27And he drew near and kissed him, and smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him, and said, Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of an abundant field, which the Lord has blessed. 28And may God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and abundance of corn and wine. 29And let nations serve you, and princes bow down to you, and be you lord of your brother, and the sons of your father shall do you reverence; accursed is he that curses you, and blessed is he that blesses you. 30And it came to pass after Isaac had ceased blessing his son Jacob, it even came to pass, just when Jacob had gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31And he also had made meats and brought them to his father; and he said to his father, Let my father arise and eat of his son's venison, that your soul may bless me. 32And Isaac his father said to him, Who are you? And he said, I am your firstborn son Esau. 33And Isaac was amazed with very great amazement, and said, Who then is it that has procured venison for me and brought it to me? and I have eaten of all before you came, and I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed. 34And it came to pass when Esau heard the words of his father Isaac, he cried out with a great and very bitter cry, and said, Bless, I pray you, me also, father. 35And he said to him, Your brother has come with subtlety, and taken your blessing. 36And he said, Rightly was his name called Jacob, for behold! this second time has he supplanted me; he has both taken my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing; and Esau said to his father, Have you not left a blessing for me, father? 37And Isaac answered and said to Esau, If I have made him your lord, and have made all his brethren his servants, and have strengthened him with corn and wine, what then shall I do for you, son? 38And Esau said to his father, Have you only one blessing, father? Bless, I pray you, me also, father. And Isaac being troubled, Esau cried aloud and wept. 39And Isaac his father answered and said to him, Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. 40And you shall live by your sword, and shall serve your brother; and there shall be a time when you shall break and loosen his yoke from off your neck. 41And Esau was angry with Jacob because of the blessing, with which his father blessed him; and Esau said in his mind, Let the days of my father's mourning draw near, that I may kill my brother Jacob.

Proverbs 19.16-25 (Vespers)

16He that keeps the commandment keeps his own soul; but he that despises his ways shall perish. 17He that has pity on the poor lends to the Lord; and he will recompense to him according to his gift. 18Chasten your son, for so he shall be hopeful; and be not exalted in your soul to haughtiness. 19A malicious man shall be severely punished, and if he commit injury, he shall also lose his life. 20Hear, son, the instruction of your father, that you may be wise at your latter end. 21There are many thoughts in a man's heart; but the counsel of the Lord abides for ever. 22Mercy is a fruit to a man: and a poor man is better than a rich liar. 23The fear of the Lord is life to a man: and he shall lodge without fear in places where knowledge is not seen. 24He that unjustly hides his hands in his bosom, will not even bring them up to his mouth. 25When a pestilent character is scourged, a simple man is made wiser: and if you reprove a wise man, he will understand discretion.

Composite 2 - Proverbs 10, 3, 8 (Vespers, St Innocent)

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.

Composite 3 - Wisdom of Solomon 4, 5 (Vespers, St Innocent)

1A just man if he comes to his end will be at rest. A just man who dies will condemn the ungodly who are alive; for they will see the end of a just man and will not understand what they counselled concerning him. For the Lord will break the ungodly, render them voiceless and cast them headlong, and he will shake them from the foundations and they will be utterly worsted in sorrow, and their memory shall perish. They shall come with fear at the accounting of their sins, and their iniquities will convict them to their face. Then the just will stand with much boldness in the face of those who afflicted him and made his toils of no account. When they see this they will be troubled with great fear and will be amazed at the wonder of his salvation. For they will say as they repent and with anguish they will groan and say: Is this he whom we fools once made a laughing stock and a byword of reproach? We reckoned his life folly and his end dishonour. How has he been numbered among the children of God and his lot with the Saints? Therefore we have erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousness has not shone on us and the sun has not dawned on us. We have been filled with paths of lawlessness and destruction and journeyed through trackless paths, but have not known the way of the Lord.

Composite 4 - Proverbs 10; Wisdom of Solomon 6, 7, 8, 9 (Vespers, St Innocent)

1The mouth of a just man distils wisdom; the lips of men know graces. The mouth of the wise meditates wisdom; justice delivers them from death. When a just man dies hope is not lost; for a just son is born for life, and among his good things he will pluck the fruit of justice. There is light at all times for the just, and they will find grace and glory from the Lord. The tongue of the wise knows what is good, and wisdom will take its rest in their hearts. The Lord loves holy hearts; while all who are blameless in the way are acceptable to him. The wisdom of the Lord will enlighten the face of the understanding; for she anticipates those who desire her before they know it, and is easily contemplated by those who love her. One who rises for her at dawn will not toil, and one who keeps vigil because of her will be without care. For she goes about seeking those who are worthy of her, and shows herself favourably to those on her paths. Wickedness will never prevail against wisdom. Because of this I too became a lover of her beauty and became her friend, and I sought her out from my youth, and I sought to take her as my bride, because the Master of all things loved her, for she is an initiate of the knowledge of God and one who chooses his works. Her toils are virtues; she herself teaches sobriety and prudence; justice and courage, than which things nothing is more useful in human life. If anyone longs for much experience, she knows how to compare things of old and those that are to come. She knows the twists of words and the explanations of riddles. She foresees signs and wonders and the outcomes of seasons and times. And to all she is a good counsellor. Because immortality is in her, and fame in the fellowship of her words. Therefore I appealed to the Lord and besought him and said from my whole heart, ‘God of my Fathers and Lord of mercy, who made all things by your Word, and established humanity by your Wisdom to be sovereign over the creatures that had come into being by you, and to order the world in holiness and justice, give me Wisdom who sits by your throne, and do not reject me from among your children, for I am your servant and the son of your maid servant. Send her out from your holy dwelling and from the throne of your glory, that she may be present with me and teach me what is well pleasing before you. And she will guide me with knowledge and guard me with her glory. For all the thoughts of mortals are wretched and their ideas are unstable.’

Ven. John Climacus

He is best known as the author of the Ladder of Divine Ascent, a treasury of spiritual wisdom which is read in its entirety in monasteries during every Lenten season. He is also commemorated on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent.

Nothing is known of his life before he entered the monastery at Mount Sinai (now St Katherine’s Monastery) at the age of sixteen; he remained there until his death at the age of eighty. After he first arrived, he spent nineteen years in strict obedience to his spiritual father, Martyrios. When Martyrios died, John retired to a nearby cave, where he lived in the strictest asceticism for twenty years. (It was during these years that he wrote the Ladder.) He reluctantly returned to the monastery when he was made abbot by the brethren, and spent the rest of his days guiding his spiritual children in the way of salvation.

Once he heard a monk criticize him for speaking too much; rather than reproach the monk, he himself kept silence for a full year, never uttering a word until the brethren begged him to speak again. At another time a large company of pilgrims came to Mt Sinai. At supper they all saw a young man, dressed as a Jew, serving at table and giving orders to the other servants, then suddenly disappearing. When they wondered among themselves what this could mean, John said ‘Do not try to look for him; that was the prophet Moses serving you in his own home.’

When the holy abbot knew that his death was approaching, he appointed his own brother, George, as his successor. George grieved the approaching death of his beloved brother, but St John told him that, if he was found worthy to stand close to God after his death, he would pray that George be taken up to heaven in the same year. So it happened: ten months after St John’s death, George reposed in the Lord.

Commemoration of an Uncondemning Monk

“This monk died joyfully because he had never in his life condemned anyone. He was lazy, careless, disinclined to prayer, but throughout his entire life he had never judged anyone. And when he lay dying, he was full of joy. The brethren asked him how he could die so joyfully with all his sins, and he replied: ‘I have just seen the angels, and they showed me a page with all my many sins. I said to them: “The Lord said: ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’ I have never judged anyone and I hope in the mercy of God, that He will not judge me.” And the angels tore up the sheet of paper.’ Hearing this, the monks wondered at it and learned from it.” (From the Prologue)