Great Lent, day 29 · 20 days until Pascha
Saints commemorated
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Saint of the day
Ven. Joseph the Hymnographer
Joseph the Hymnographer (c. 816–886) was the most prolific poet of the Byzantine Church — the author of many hundreds of liturgical canons that fill the service-books to this day, above all the great cycle of the Paraklitiki (the Octoechos of the weekday saints) and canons to the Theotokos, the angels, the apostles, and a vast company of the saints. A Sicilian by birth, a monk of Thessalonica and then of Constantinople, a confessor exiled and enslaved for the veneration of the holy icons, he received (the tradition says) the gift of hymnography from the Apostle Bartholomew himself. His name closes hundreds of the last troparia (the akrostichis) of the canons he composed.
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St Zosimas, monk, of Palestine (523)
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George of Maleon
George was an ascetic and wonderworker of Mount Maleon (Malea), the great monastic promontory at the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese, who from his youth gave himself to the solitary life of prayer and fasting and attained to purity of heart. He is honoured among the venerable fathers on the day of Joseph the Hymnographer.
British Isles and Ireland
- St. Tigernach, abbot of Clones (549)
- St. Gwerir, hermit of Liskeard
Troparia & kontakia
Kontakion — Tone 4
Thou didst enrich the whole Church with divine songs of praise, O all-blessed father, unfolding the treasures of the Spirit; for the Apostle Bartholomew gave thee the grace of song, and thou dost gladden them that keep thy memory.
Troparion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable ascetic)
By a flood of tears thou didst make the barren desert fruitful, and thy longing for God brought forth fruit a hundredfold; thou becamest a shining lamp, illumining the whole world by thy miracles, O George our father. Intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Troparion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable)
In thee, O Father, was preserved unimpaired that which is according to God's image; for taking up the Cross thou didst follow after Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to despise the flesh, for it passeth away, but to care for the soul, a thing immortal. Wherefore, O venerable Joseph, thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels.
Readings
6th Hour
Isaiah 37.33-38.6
33Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. 34By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. 35For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. 36Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 37So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 38And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead. 1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. 2Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, 3And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 4Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, 5Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. 6And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
Vespers
Genesis 13.12-18
12Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. 14And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
Proverbs 14.27-15.4
27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. 28In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince. 29He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. 30A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones. 31He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor. 32The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death. 33Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known. 34Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. 35The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame. 1A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. 2The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. 3The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. 4A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.