2And in that day God shall shine gloriously in counsel on the earth, to exalt and glorify the remnant of Israel.
3And it shall be, that the remnant left in Sion, and the remnant left in Jerusalem, even all that are appointed to life in Jerusalem, shall be called holy.
4For the Lord shall wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Sion, and shall purge out the blood from the midst of them, with the spirit of judgment, and the spirit of burning.
5And he shall come, and it shall be with regard to every place of mount Sion, yes, all the region round about it shall a cloud overshadow by day, and there shall be as it were the smoke and light of fire burning by night: and upon all the glory shall be a defence.
6And it shall be for a shadow from the heat, and as a shelter and a hiding place from inclemency of weather and from rain.
1Now I will sing to my beloved a song of my beloved concerning my vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a high hill in a fertile place.
2And I made a hedge round it, and dug a trench, and planted a choice vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and dug a place for the wine-vat in it: and I waited for it to bring forth grapes, and it brought forth thorns.
3And now, you⌃ dwellers in Jerusalem, and every man of Juda, judge between me and my vineyard.
4What shall I do any more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? Whereas I expected it to bring forth grapes, but it has brought forth thorns.
5And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be for a spoil; and I will pull down its walls, and it shall be left to be trodden down.
6And I will forsake my vineyard; and it shall not be pruned, nor dug, and thorns shall come up upon it as on barren land; and I will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it.
7For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Juda his beloved plant: I expected it to bring forth judgment, and it brought forth iniquity; and not righteousness, but a cry.
Genesis 3.21-4.7 (Vespers)
21And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin, and clothed them.
22And God said, Behold, Adam is become as one of us, to know good and evil, and now lest at any time he stretch forth his hand, and take of the tree of life and eat, and so he shall live forever—
23So the Lord God sent him forth out of the garden of Delight to cultivate the ground out of which he was taken.
24And he cast out Adam and caused him to dwell over against the garden of Delight, and stationed the cherubs and the fiery sword that turns about to keep the way of the tree of life.
1And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and brought forth Cain and said, I have gained a man through God.
2And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3And it was so after some time that Cain brought of the fruits of the earth a sacrifice to the Lord.
4And Abel also brought of the first born of his sheep and of his fatlings, and God looked upon Abel and his gifts,
5but Cain and his sacrifices he regarded not, and Cain was exceedingly sorrowful and his countenance fell.
6And the Lord God said to Cain, Why are you become very sorrowful and why is your countenance fallen?
7Have you not sinned if you have brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to you shall be his submission, and you shall rule over him.
Proverbs 3.34-4.22 (Vespers)
34The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble.
35The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted their own dishonor.
1Hear, you⌃ children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2For I give you a good gift; forsake you⌃ not my law.
3For I also was a son obedient to my father, and loved in the sight of my mother:
4who spoke and instructed me, saying, Let our speech be fixed in your heart, keep our commandments, forget them not:
5and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
6And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to you: love it, and it shall keep you.
8Secure it, and it shall exalt you: honor it, that it may embrace you;
9that it may give to your head a crown of graces, and may cover you with a crown of delight.
10Hear, my son, and receive my words; and the years of your life shall be increased, that the resources of your life may be many.
11For I teach you the ways of wisdom; and I cause you to go in right paths.
12For when you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not be distressed.
13Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for yourself for your life.
14Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
15In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not there; but turn from them, and pass away.
16For they can’t sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
17For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.
18But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.
19But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
20My son, attend to my speech; and apply your ear to my words:
21that your fountains may not fail you; keep them in your heart.
22For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Commemorations
St Cyril, Teacher of the Slavs
See the joint commemoration of Sts Cyril and Methodius on May 11.
Our Holy Father Auxentius (470)
He was of Persian origin, born in Syria. As a young man, he distinguished himself as a member of the court of the Emperor Theodosius the Younger. Seeing the vanity of the world’s honors and pleasures, he became a monk in Constantinople; but when the people began to praise his holiness, he fled to Mount Oxeia near Chalcedon, which later became known as Auxentius’ Mountain. There he built a small hut and lived in reclusion; but in time he was discovered by some shepherds, and the faithful began to come in increasing numbers for his teaching, blessing, prayers and healing. He performed countless miracles, but such was his humility that he always sought to avoid their being attributed to him. When he was asked to pray for someone’s healing, he would try to refuse, saying “I too am a sinful man.” But, when he was prevailed on by the pleas of the people, he would call on all of them to pray together for the healing; or he would remind them that God would give according to their faith; or he would say to the sick person “The Lord Jesus Christ heals you.” When the Emperor Marcian summoned the Fourth Ecumenical Council to Chalcedon, he ordered that the hermit join the assembly of holy Fathers. Auxentius refused, saying that doctrinal teaching was the province of bishops, not monks. The Emperor’s envoys took him by force. He was greeted with honor by the Emperor, and affirmed all the decisions of the Council.
He never returned to Mount Oxeia, but settled in an even wilder and more remote spot on Mount Skopa, which later came to be called Mount St Auxentius. His disciples built him a tiny wooden hut with one small window through which he could converse with his steady stream of visitors. He reposed in peace in 470. A great crowd gathered for his funeral, and his holy relics were taken into the care of a women’s monastery whose spiritual Father he had been.
Mount St Auxentius soon became a center of hesychastic life, with seven monasteries.
What Happened to Valentine's Day?
On February 14 the Roman church commemorates two Saints named Valentinus, both martyred in Rome at different times (one was a bishop in Italy). Both are also saints of the Orthodox Church, but are commemorated on July 30 and October 24. As for chocolates, flowers, cards, etc., the Encyclopedia Britannica says: “St Valentine’s day as a lovers’ festival… has no relation to the saint or to any incident in his life. These customs seem rather to be connected either with the pagan Roman festival of the Lupercalia which took place in the middle of February, or with the spring season in general.”
Venerable Maron the Hermit of Syria (ca. 423)
This ascetic and wonderworker was a friend of St John Chrysostom. Read his life here.