Isaiah 25.1-9 (6th Hour)

1O Lord God, I will glorify you, I will sing to your name; for you have done wonderful things, even an ancient and faithful counsel. So be it. 2For you have made cities a heap, even cities made strong that their foundations should not fall: the city of ungodly men shall not be built for ever. 3Therefore shall the poor people bless you, and cities of injured men shall bless you. 4For you have been a helper to every lowly city, and a shelter to them that were disheartened by reason of poverty: you shall deliver them from wicked men: you have been a shelter of them that thirst, and a refreshing air to injured men. 5We were as faint-hearted men thirsting in Sion, by reason of ungodly men to whom you did deliver us. 6And the Lord of hosts shall make a feast for all the nations: on this mount they shall drink gladness, they shall drink wine: 7they shall anoint themselves with ointment in this mountain. Impart you all these things to the nations; for this is God's counsel upon all the nations. 8Death has prevailed and swallowed men up; but again the Lord God has taken away every tear from every face. He has taken away the reproach of his people from all the earth: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. 9And in that day they shall say, behold our God in whom we have trusted, and he shall save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, and we have exulted, and will rejoice in our salvation.

Genesis 9.8-17 (Vespers)

8And God spoke to Noe, and to his sons with him, saying, 9And behold I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you, 10and with every living creature with you, of birds and of beasts, and with all the wild beasts of the earth, as many as are with you, of all that come out of the ark. 11And I will establish my covenant with you and all flesh shall not any more die by the water of the flood, and there shall no more be a flood of water to destroy all the earth. 12And the Lord God said to Noe, This is the sign of the covenant which I set between me and you, and between every living creature which is with you for perpetual generations. 13I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of covenant between me and the earth. 14And it shall be when I gather clouds upon the earth, that my bow shall be seen in the cloud. 15And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and between every living soul in all flesh, and there shall no longer be water for a deluge, so as to blot out all flesh. 16And my bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look to remember the everlasting covenant between me and the earth, and between every living soul in all flesh, which is upon the earth. 17And God said to Noe, This is the sign of the covenant, which I have made between me and all flesh, which is upon the earth.

Proverbs 12.8-22 (Vespers)

8The mouth of an understanding man is praised by a man; but he that is dull of heart is had in derision. 9Better is a man in dishonor serving himself, than one honouring himself and lacking bread. 10A righteous man has pity for the lives of his cattle; but the bowels of the ungodly are unmerciful. 11He that tills his own land shall be satisfied with bread; but they that pursue vanities are void of understanding. He that enjoys himself in banquets of wine, shall leave dishonor in his own strong holds. 12The desires of the ungodly are evil; but the roots of the godly are firmly set. 13For the sin of his lips a sinner falls into snare; but a righteous man escapes from them. He whose looks are gentle shall be pitied, but he that contends in the gates will afflict souls. 14The soul of a man shall be filled with good from the fruits of his mouth; and the recompence of his lips shall be given to him. 15The ways of fools are right in their own eyes; but a wise man hearkens to counsels. 16A fool declares his wrath the same day; but a prudent man hides his own disgrace. 17A righteous man declares the open truth; but an unjust witness is deceitful. 18Some wound as they speak, like swords; but the tongues of the wise heal. 19True lips establish testimony; but a hasty witness has an unjust tongue. 20There is deceit in the heart of him that imagines evil; but they that love peace shall rejoice. 21No injustice will please a just man; but the ungodly will be filled with mischief. 22Lying lips are a abomination to the Lord; but he that deals faithfully is accepted with him.

St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem

He was born in Damascus to an eminent family, and was well educated in his youth. Discontented with the wisdom of the world, he entered monastic life in the monastery of St Theodosius, where he became the lifelong friend and disciple of John Moschos. Together they visited the monasteries and hermitages of Egypt; they later wrote down their discoveries among the holy monks in the classic Spiritual Meadow. After the death of his teacher, St Sophronius traveled to Jerusalem, which had just been liberated from the Persians. He was there to see the Precious Cross returned from Persia by the Emperor Heraclius, who carried it into Jerusalem on his back. A few years later, in 634, St Sophronius was elected Patriarch of Jerusalem, where he served his flock wisely for three years and three months. He was zealous in the defense of Orthodoxy against the Monothelite heresy: He convoked a Council in Jerusalem which condemned it before it was condemned at the Sixth Ecumenical Council. The holy Patriarch even traveled to Constantinople to rebuke the Patriarch Sergius and Emperor Heraclius, who had embraced the Monothelite error.

The years of peace were few for the Holy Land; for just as the Persian Empire was decisively defeated by Heraclius, the followers of Islam erupted out of Arabia, conquering most of North Africa and the Middle East in a few years. The Saint was so grieved by the capture of Jerusalem in 637 by the Caliph Omar that begged God to take him, so that he might not live to see the desecration of the holy places. His prayer was granted, and he reposed in peace less than a year later.

St Sophronios is the author of the Life of Saint Mary of Egypt, appointed to be read in the churches during every Great Lent. He also wrote the service of the Great Blessing of the Waters. Some have attributed the Vesperal hymn “Gladsome Light” to him, but we know that it dates from before the time of St Basil the Great, who mentions it in his writings. It seems though, that St Sophronios supplemented the hymn, and that its present form is due to him.

St John Moschos, author of the Spiritual Meadow (622)

He is commemorated today along with his disciple and friend St Sophronius (see above).

Holy Martyr Pionius (250)

“A priest of Smyrna, he suffered there in the time of Decius’ persecution. They condemned him to be crucified, which was a great joy to him. And as soon as the soldiers assembled the cross and laid it on the ground, Pionius laid himself on it and stretched out his arms, calling to the soldiers to put the nails into his hands. The cross was inserted into the ground upside down, and a fire lit under the martyr’s head. There were many bystanders. Pionius closed his eyes and prayed to God within himself. The flames could not succeed in igniting even his hair, and when the fire had at last gone out and everyone thought that he was dead, Pionius opened his eyes and cried out joyfully: ‘O Lord, receive my spirit!’, and breathed his last. This saint wrote the life of St Polycarp of Smyrna, together with whom he now makes merry in the Kingdom of Christ. He suffered and was glorified in 250.” (Prologue)