Isaiah 45.11-17 (6th Hour)

11For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, who has formed the things that are to come, Enquire of me concerning my sons, and concerning the works of my hands command me. 12I have made the earth, and man upon it: I with my hand have established the heaven; I have given commandment to all the stars. 13I have raised him up to be a king with righteousness, and all his ways are right: he shall build my city, and shall turn the captivity of my people, not for ransoms, nor for rewards, says the Lord of hosts. 14Thus says the Lord of hosts, Egypt has laboured for you; and the merchandise of the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall pass over to you, and shall be your servants; and they shall follow after you bound in fetters, and shall pass over to you, and shall do obeisance to you, and make supplication to you: because God is in you; and there is no God beside you, O Lord. 15For you are God, yet we knew it not, the God of Israel, the Saviour. 16All that are opposed to him shall be ashamed and confounded, and shall walk in shame: you⌃ isles, keep a feast to me. 17Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation: they shall not be ashamed nor confounded for evermore.

Genesis 22.1-18 (Vespers)

1And it came to pass after these things that God tempted Abraam, and said to him, Abraam, Abraam; and he said, Behold! I am here. 2And he said, Take your son, the beloved one, whom you have loved—Isaac, and go into the high land, and offer him there for a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of. 3And Abraam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass, and he took with him two servants, and Isaac his son, and having split wood for a whole burnt offering, he arose and departed, and came to the place of which God spoke to him, 4on the third day; and Abraam having lifted up his eyes, saw the place afar off. 5And Abraam said to his servants, Sit you⌃ here with the ass, and I and the lad will proceed thus far, and having worshipped we will return to you. 6And Abraam took the wood of the whole burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took into his hands both the fire and the knife, and the two went together. 7And Isaac said to Abraam his father, Father. And he said, What is it, son? And he said, Behold the fire and the wood, where is the sheep for a whole burnt offering? 8And Abraam said, God will provide himself a sheep for a whole burnt offering, my son. And both having gone together, 9came to the place which God spoke of to him; and there Abraam built the altar, and laid the wood on it, and having bound the feet of Isaac his son together, he laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10And Abraam stretched forth his hand to take the knife to kill his son. 11And an angel of the Lord called him out of heaven, and said, Abraam, Abraam. And he said, Behold, I am here. 12And he said, Lay not your hand upon the child, neither do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, and for my sake you have not spared your beloved son. 13And Abraam lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold! a ram caught by his horns in a plant of Sabec; and Abraam went and took the ram, and offered him up for a whole burnt offering in the place of Isaac his son. 14And Abraam called the name of that place, The Lord has seen; that they might say today, In the mount the Lord was seen. 15And an angel of the Lord called Abraam the second time out of heaven, saying, I have sworn by myself, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and on my account have not spared your beloved son, 16surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is by the shore of the sea, and your seed shall inherit the cities of their enemies. 17And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have listened to my voice. 18And Abraam returned to his servants, and they arose and went together to the well of the oath; and Abraam lived at the well of the oath.

Proverbs 17.17-18.5 (Vespers)

17Have you a friend for every time, and let brethren be useful in distress; for on this account are they born. 18A foolish man applauds and rejoices over himself, as he also that becomes surety would make himself responsible for his own friends. 19A lover of sin rejoices in strifes; 20and the hard-hearted man comes not in for good. A man of a changeful tongue will fall into mischiefs; 21and the heart of a fool is grief to its possessor. A father rejoices not over an uninstructed son; but a wise son gladdens his mother. 22A glad heart promotes health; but the bones of a sorrowful man dry up. 23The ways of a man who unjustly receives gifts in his bosom do not prosper; and an ungodly man perverts the ways of righteousness. 24The countenance of a wise man is sensible; but the eyes of a fool go to the ends of the earth. 25A foolish son is a cause of anger to his father, and grief to her that bore him. 26It is not right to punish a righteous man, nor is it holy to plot against righteous princes. 27He that forbears to utter a hard word is discreet, and a patient man is wise. 28Wisdom shall be imputed to a fool who asks after wisdom: and he who holds his peace shall seem to be sensible.

1A man who wishes to separate from friends seeks excuses; but at all times he will be liable to reproach. 2A senseless man feels no need of wisdom, for he is rather led by folly. 3When an ungodly man comes into a depth of evils, he despises them; but dishonor and reproach come upon him. 4A word in the heart of a man is a deep water, and a river and fountain of life spring forth. 5It is not good to accept the person of the ungodly, nor is it holy to pervert justice in judgment.

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)