Monday, 7 April 2025

Repose St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, Enlightener N. America

Monday of the Sixth Week of Lent

13 days before Pascha · Tone 8 · Red cross (polyeleos typikon symbol) · Lenten Fast (Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Calliopius of Pompeiopolis

304

The Holy Martyr Calliopius (Caliopius) was born in Perge in Pamphylia at the close of the third century. His mother Theoclia was the wife of a renowned senator. Long childless, she had with her husband besought God to grant her a son, vowing that she would dedicate him to His service. After the birth of Calliopius she was widowed. When her son was a youth and the great persecution of the emperor Maximian (305 to 311) reached Perge, Theoclia, learning that her son was about to be denounced as a Christian, sent him secretly to Cilicia in Asia Minor in care of three faithful servants. Arriving in the city of Pompeiopolis (also called Soli) the youth was met with festivities of the pagan gods. He refused to take part, declaring himself a Christian, and was reported to Maximus, the prefect of the city. Maximus tried first to persuade him with promises of advancement, even of his own daughter in marriage, and then sought to break him with torments. Calliopius confessed Christ throughout. He was scourged with rods, stretched on a wheel, scorched with iron and torn with hooks. When his mother arrived at Pompeiopolis to find her son condemned, she sold all that she had and gave it to the poor, and went down with the saint to the place of execution. Begging the soldiers that her son might be crucified head downwards, that he might not be made equal in the manner of his death to the Lord, she obtained her wish. Saint Calliopius hung upon the cross during the night and gave up his soul on Great and Holy Friday in the year 304. His mother, embracing his lifeless body, gave up her own spirit at his feet.

Holy Martyr Calliopius, with his mother Theoclea

304

Calliopius was the only son of a senator from Pamphylia and his wife Theoclea, who had long prayed to God for a child. The devout Theoclea reared her son in purity of life and love for God from infancy. When persecution of Christians broke out under Maximian, Theoclea put Calliopius aboard a ship bound for Pompeiopolis to save him from the persecutors. But Calliopius, as soon as he disembarked, encountered a pagan festival, where he was arrested when he refused to make sacrifice to the idols. Brought before the governor Maximus, he freely confessed that he was a Christian. For this he was cruelly tortured and thrown into prison. His mother, hearing of his torments, sold her goods and hurried to comfort him and encourage him in his martyrdom. Calliopius was sentenced to death by crucifixion, as it happened on Holy Thursday; but the holy Theoclea bribed the officials to postpone the execution by one day, so that her son might imitate the Lord’s Crucifixion on the day that He endured it; she also prevailed upon the torturers to crucify Calliopius upside-down (like St Peter) in humility toward the Lord. When her son’s lifeless body was taken down from the cross, Theoclea cast herself upon it and died.

Holy Martyr Rufinus the Deacon and companions

The Holy Martyrs Rufinus the Deacon, the virgin Aquilina (Akylina) and the two hundred soldiers with them suffered around the year 310 in the city of Sinope on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in the persecution of the emperor Maximian (305 to 311). Rufinus was the deacon of the local church and laboured among the faithful of Sinope. Seized for his confession of Christ, he was cast into prison. The pious virgin Aquilina, drawn by the courage of his witness, came secretly to the prison to bring him bread and to encourage him in the faith. For this she also was arrested. Both were brought before the judge, both fearlessly confessed Christ, and both were given over to fearful tortures. While they were undergoing these torments two hundred soldiers of the imperial guard, beholding their patience and the miracles which God wrought through them, were converted to Christ. The judge, infuriated, gave orders that all should be put to death. Saint Rufinus was beheaded with the sword; Saint Aquilina received the crown of martyrdom by fire (some accounts say also by the sword); and the two hundred soldiers were led out together and beheaded, receiving incorruptible crowns of glory from the Lord.

Saint George the Confessor, Bishop of Mytilene

Saint George the Confessor, Bishop of Mytilene, was born around the year 776 on the coast of Asia Minor, opposite the island of Lesbos, into a wealthy and pious family. After the death of his parents he distributed his inheritance to the poor and at the age of about eighteen received tonsure at a local monastery, where he laboured for two years before crossing to the island of Lesbos and giving himself to the strictest ascetic life.

Renowned for his piety, almsgiving and pastoral wisdom, on the death of the bishop of Mytilene the people of Lesbos chose him to be their archpastor by acclamation, and he was ordained Archbishop of Mytilene in 804, in the reign of the Empress Saint Irene and the Emperor Nikephoros I. As bishop he was called by the witnesses of his life "the father of orphans, comforter of widows, helper of the poor." Many sick were healed by his prayers, and the Lord granted him the gift of foresight.

When the iconoclast Leo V the Armenian (813 to 820) seized the throne and renewed the persecution of the holy icons, Saint George was one of the first hierarchs to refuse to communicate with the iconoclasts. In 815 he was deposed from his see and banished to Cherson on the Black Sea, where he endured many sufferings and trials with patience. He reposed there in exile shortly after the year 820 (the synaxaria record his repose on 7 April 821). At the hour of his death a star is said to have appeared above his cell. He is commemorated as a confessor, and his memory is also kept on 16 May (uncovering of his relics).

Saint Tikhon of Luchov

Saint Tikhon of Luchov (Lukhov), wonderworker of Kostroma, was born in the Lithuanian principality and in his youth served as a soldier in the Lithuanian army. In 1482, when the union with Rome (Uniatism) was being pressed in Lithuania, he refused to abandon the Orthodox faith and crossed into Russia. Coming to Moscow he received tonsure, and afterwards withdrew with one or two companions into the wilderness of Kostroma, settling on the river Lukh, near the village of Lukhov, in the diocese of Suzdal. Out of deep humility he refused ordination to the priesthood, remaining a simple monk all his life. He laboured at hard physical work, copying books and weaving liturgical vestments to support himself, and gathered around himself a small brotherhood. The hermitage in time grew into the Saint Nicholas Monastery on the Lukh. He reposed in great poverty on 16 June 1503; his disciples, Saints Theodore and Ararius, did not at first know how they would bury him, until the Archbishop of Suzdal sent a monastic mantle in which he might be wrapped. After his repose the monastery he had founded continued and grew. In 1569 healings began at his tomb. When the relics were uncovered, the abbot Constantine, who had begun the inspection without due reverence, was struck blind, but recovered his sight after repenting and replacing the holy relics in the earth. The veneration of Saint Tikhon dates from this time. His Life, with seventy posthumous miracles, was compiled in 1649. His chief commemorations are 16 June (repose) and 26 June (translation of relics, 1569). His memory is also kept on 7 April in the synaxaria of the OCA among the Russian saints of this day.

St Nilus, abbot of Sora

1508

St Nilus established the monastic skete (a community of monks living separately like hermits, but sharing some common life) in Russia. He took one side of a religious controversy that troubled the Russian Church’s life for many years. St Nilus and his disciples claimed that prayer and ascetic struggle are the whole purpose of monastic life, and opposed monastic ownership of property, or involvement in works such as almshouses, hospitals, and orphanages. Joseph, abbot of Volokalamsk, took up the argument on the other side, insisting that the Church and its monks should be involved in good works (and have the means to do those works) as well as in prayer. The two groups became known as the “Possessors” (Joseph’s side) and the “Non-Possessors” (Nilus’ side). Each group had reason to be troubled by the other’s extremes: Monasteries owned huge amounts of land, kept serfs, and were subject to corruption by involvement in finance; at the same time, the Church formed most of the ‘welfare’ system of Russia, and the Non-possessors did not suggest how the poor were to be tended, or orphans cared for, without the monasteries’ charity. Many of the Non-possessors tended toward a non-Russian and almost un-Orthodox puritanism, condemning beautiful churches and icons as diversions from true spirituality. The Possessors (not surprisingly) were favored by the Tsarist government, and eventually won out. The artificial division of the Church into mystical and practical ‘parties,’ and the victory of one of the parties, led to a period of stagnation in the Russian church that was only corrected two hundred years later, when a great renewal of religious life, characterized by such holy Fathers as St Paisios Velichkovsky and St Seraphim of Sarov, restored the fullness and balance of Orthodox life to the Russian church. An indication of the fullness of Orthodoxy: the Church has glorified not only St Nilus but his opponent St Joseph of Volokalamsk, who is commemorated on Sept. 9.

Saint Savvas the New of Kalymnos

1948

He was born in Thrace to a poor family. Early in life he desired to become a monk and, failing to get his parents’ consent, left secretly for Mt Athos. After several years there, he traveled to Palestine, where he entered the Monastery of St George the Chozebite. In 1903 he was ordained to the priesthood. From 1907–1916 he lived in severe asceticism as a hermit on the banks of the Jordan. After living in several monasteries in Greece, he served with St Nektarios of Aegina for the last year of the Saint’s life (he reposed in 1920). After six more years on Aegina, Fr Savvas moved to the island of Kalymnos, where he spent the remainder of his life. He lived in quietness and asceticism, acquiring a reputation throughout the island as a confessor and spiritual father. He slept only a few hours each night, and gave away any money that came to him the same day, since he believed that it was wrong for a monk to have money in his cell after nightfall. Saint Savvas reposed on the Old Calendar feast of the Annunciation in 1948. Innumerable miracles and healings have been wrought through his intercession. A striking example occurred in 1957: A group of young islanders were talking about the Saint, and one of them, who doubted his sanctity, said ‘If this lamp breaks I’ll believe.’ At that moment the lamp shattered spontaneously. The following account is from Mother Nectaria McLees’ Evlogeite! A pilgrim’s guide to Greece: ‘His last words of counsel to his nuns were, “…love… is the bond of perfection,” and to the abbess he said, “Love, love, love (Agapa, agapa, agapa).” Then he clapped his hands six times, saying “The Lord, the Lord, the Lord…” ‘In 1957 his relics were uncovered in the presence of Metropolitan Isidoros of Kalymnos, who described them as “the bones being perfectly joined, and the vestments intact.” When the sepulchre was opened a divine and otherworldly fragrance covered the area, even to the outskirts of town far below. In 1961, an iconographer of the Skete of Kapsokalyvia on Mount Athos painted an icon of St. Savvas at Abbess Philothei’s request. The icon arrived by ferry, and as it was being transferred from the post office to the customs house where the nuns would pick it up, the convent bell began ringing by itself and continued until the icon was brought to the monastery.’

St Justin of Chelije in Serbia

1979

He was born on the Feast of the Annunciation 1894, in Vranje, South Serbia, to a family whose seven previous generations had been headed by priests (Popovich means ‘family or son of a priest’ in Serbian). He began reading the scriptures at a young age, and as an adult carried a New Testament with him, reading three chapters every day. He studied at the Seminary of St Sava in Belgrade while St Nikolai Velimirovic (March 18) was on the faculty. In 1914, Blagoje (as he was called before his tonsure) completed the nine-year seminary program. He desired to become a monk, but postponed entry into the monastic ranks due to the outbreak of war and the poor health of his parents. He spent the war caring for his parents and serving as a student nurse. In 1915 he was tonsured a monk under the name Justin, after St Justin the Philosopher. Shortly thereafter he traveled to Petrograd to study at the seminary; there he acquired a deep, first-hand knowledge of the Russian ascetical tradition and a lifelong love of Russian spirituality, especially that of the common people. He then attended Oxford University from 1916 to 1919, writing a doctoral dissertation which was rejected. After a brief return to Belgrade, he entered the Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Athens. As in Russia, he used his time there not merely to study but to drink in the Orthodox spirituality of the Greek people. He was ordained to the diaconate while in Greece, then to the priesthood after returning to Belgrade in 1922. He wept ‘as a newborn babe’ throughout his ordination service. One of his first labors as a priest was to translate the Divine Liturgy into modern Serbian. During this period he came to know Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky (later first hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad) and St John Maximovich, both of whom were living in Serbia as exiles from the Russian Revolution. Father Justin’s preaching, writing and spiritual counsel became known throughout his country. In 1931 he was sent to Czechoslovakia to help in reorganizing the Church there (then under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Church), which was greatly tried and weakened by Uniatism. Realizing the people’s crying need a clear exposition of the Faith in their own language, he began in 1932 his three-volume Dogmas of the Orthodox Church. The first volume was so well-received that Fr Justin was made Professor of Dogmatics at the Seminary of St Sava, where he remained, completing the Dogmas and several other books, until the end of World War II. The new atheistic Communist regime then banned him from the university system, and Fr Justin lived from that time on in various Serbian monasteries. In 1948 he entered Chelije Monastery, where he remained until his repose in 1979. He became Archimandrite and spiritual head of the Monastery. It was during this period that he emerged as a great light of Orthodoxy: pious believers from all parts of Yugoslavia, from Greece, and from all over the world traveled to Chelije to hear the holy Justin’s preaching and seek his counsel. Saint Justin reposed in peace in 1979 at the age of 85, on the Feast of the Annunciation — the date of his birth. Since his repose, many miracles have been witnessed at his grave: healings, flashes of unearthly light from his tomb, and conversions of unbelievers by his prayers. His many writings are increasingly recognized as a fount of pure Orthodox teaching in the midst of our dark time. Note: St Justin is commemorated on the anniversary of his repose, so his commemoration only coincides with the Feast of the Annunciation on the Old Calendar.

Daily readings

Matins Gospel

— St Tikhon

John — John 10.1-9

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ⁴And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁴When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

⁷Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁷Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁸All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. ⁹I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture.

6th Hour

Isaiah — Isaiah 48.17-49.4

¹⁷Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

¹⁷Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. ¹⁸O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: ¹⁸Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: ¹⁹Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me. ¹⁹thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the grains thereof: his name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.

²⁰Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

²⁰Go ye forth from Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth: say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob. ²¹And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out. ²¹And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out. ²²There is no peace, saith Jehovah, to the wicked. ²²There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

¹Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: Jehovah hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name:

¹Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. ²And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; ²and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me: and he hath made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he kept me close: ³And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. ³and he said unto me, Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified. ⁴Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. ⁴But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God.

Vespers

Genesis — Genesis 27.1-41

¹And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Here am I.

¹And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. ²And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death. ²And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: ³Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; ³Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison; ⁴And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. ⁴and make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. ⁵And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

⁵And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. ⁶And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

⁶And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, ⁷Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. ⁷Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless thee before Jehovah before my death. ⁸Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. ⁸Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. ⁹Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savory food for thy father, such as he loveth: ⁹Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: ¹⁰and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, so that he may bless thee before his death. ¹⁰And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. ¹¹And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: ¹¹And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. ¹²My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. ¹²My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. ¹³And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. ¹³And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son; only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. ¹⁴And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savory food, such as his father loved. ¹⁴And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. ¹⁵And Rebekah took the goodly garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son; ¹⁵And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: ¹⁶And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: ¹⁶and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: ¹⁷and she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. ¹⁷And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

¹⁸And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

¹⁸And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? ¹⁹And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. ¹⁹And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first-born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. ²⁰And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me. ²⁰And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because Jehovah thy God sent me good speed. ²¹And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. ²¹And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. ²²And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. ²²And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. ²³And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him. ²³And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him. ²⁴And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. ²⁴And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. ²⁵And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank. ²⁵And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank. ²⁶And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. ²⁶And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. ²⁷And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son Is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed: ²⁷And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: ²⁸Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: ²⁸And God give thee of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and new wine: ²⁹Let peoples serve thee, And nations bow down to thee: Be lord over thy brethren, And let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: Cursed be every one that curseth thee, And blessed be every one that blesseth thee. ²⁹Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

³⁰And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

³⁰And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. ³¹And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. ³¹And he also made savory food, and brought it unto his father; and he said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. ³²And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. ³²And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy first-born, Esau. ³³And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who then is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. ³³And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. ³⁴When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. ³⁴And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. ³⁵And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. ³⁵And he said, Thy brother came with guile, and hath taken away thy blessing. ³⁶And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? ³⁶And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? ³⁷And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with grain and new wine have I sustained him: and what then shall I do for thee, my son? ³⁷And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? ³⁸And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. ³⁸And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. ³⁹And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling, And of the dew of heaven from above; ³⁹And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; ⁴⁰And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. ⁴⁰And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother; And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt break loose, That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck.

⁴¹And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

⁴¹And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

Vespers

Proverbs — Proverbs 19.16-25

¹⁶He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die. ¹⁶He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul; But he that is careless of his ways shall die. ¹⁷He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. ¹⁷He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto Jehovah, And his good deed will he pay him again. ¹⁸Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. ¹⁸Chasten thy son, seeing there is hope; And set not thy heart on his destruction. ¹⁹A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. ¹⁹A man of great wrath shall bear the penalty; For if thou deliver him, thou must do it yet again. ²⁰Hear counsel, and receive instruction, That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. ²⁰Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. ²¹There are many devices in a man’s heart; But the counsel of Jehovah, that shall stand. ²¹There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. ²²That which maketh a man to be desired is his kindness; And a poor man is better than a liar. ²²The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. ²³The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. ²³The fear of Jehovah tendeth to life; And he that hath it shall abide satisfied; He shall not be visited with evil. ²⁴A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. ²⁴The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. ²⁵Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. ²⁵Smite a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; And reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.

Vespers

— St Tikhon

Wisdom of Solomon — Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9

¹But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.

²In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery,

³And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.

⁴For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.

⁵And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.

⁶As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering.

⁷And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble.

⁸They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.

⁹They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.

Vespers

— St Tikhon

Wisdom of Solomon — Wisdom of Solomon 5.15-6.3

¹⁵But the righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High.

¹⁶Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them.

¹⁷He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armour, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies.

¹⁸He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet.

¹⁹He shall take holiness for an invincible shield.

²⁰His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise.

²¹Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark.

²²And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them.

²³Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty.

¹Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth.

²Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations.

³For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.

Vespers

— St Tikhon

Wisdom of Solomon — Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15

⁷But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest.

⁸For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.

⁹But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age.

¹⁰He pleased God, and was beloved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated.

¹¹Yea speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul.

¹²For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind.

¹³He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:

¹⁴For his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked.

¹⁵This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he hath respect unto his chosen.

Epistle

— St Tikhon weekly cycle

Hebrews — Hebrews 7.26-8.2

²⁶For such a high priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ²⁶For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ²⁷who needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people: for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself. ²⁷Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. ²⁸For the law appointeth men high priests, having infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, appointeth a Son, perfected for evermore. ²⁸For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

¹Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

¹Now in the things which we are saying the chief point is this: We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ²a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. ²A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Gospel

— St Tikhon weekly cycle

John — John 10.9-16

⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. ⁹I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. ¹⁰The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. ¹⁰The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. ¹¹I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ¹¹I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. ¹²But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. ¹²He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them: ¹³The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. ¹³he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, ¹⁵even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁵As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. ¹⁶And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.