NINTH HOUR

The Lord is my enlightenment and my Saviour, \* whom shall I fear?

Prokeimenon of the Prophecy. Tone 3.

Verse: The Lord is the defender of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?

Thus says the Lord: In an acceptable time I heard you, in a day of salvation I helped you.  I fashioned you and I gave you and set you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion inheritances for the desolate s; saying to the prisoners, ‘Come forth’; to those who are in darkness, ‘Reveal yourselves.’  They shall feed along the ways, on all the paths shall be their pasture.  They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall smite them, but he who has mercy on them will comfort them, and will lead them through springs of waters.  And I will make every mountain a way, and every path a pasture for them.  See, some shall come from afar, some from the North and from the Sea, and others from the land of the Persians.  Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; let the mountains break out into joy and the hills into justice! For God has had mercy on his people, and has comforted the lowly of his people.  But Sion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me and the Lord has forgotten me.’  Will a woman forget her child, or have no mercy on the offspring of her womb?  Even though a woman may forget, yet I will not forget you, says the Lord Almighty.

10 . The Reading is from the Prophecy of Isaias

Child Titus, the grace of God, which brings salvation has appeared to all humankind, training us to renounce impiety and worldly desires, and in the present age to live temperately, justly, and devoutly, while we look for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself up for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own, who are zealous for good works.  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, not because of any works of justice that we had done, but according to his mercy,  he saved us, through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he has poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour,  so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

11. The Reading is from the Epistle of Paul to Titus.