Our Venerable Father Gerasimus of the Jordan.
Day 2 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
Sixth Hour – Isaiah 1:19-2:3; Vespers – Genesis 1:14-23; Proverbs 1:20-33.
Read Proverbs 1:20-33
In the streets, in the squares, and at the gates, Wisdom cries out—not in secret, but openly, for all to hear. She is not reserved for the few, not locked away in some hidden chamber, but speaks boldly in the public places of our lives. And yet, how often do we ignore her voice? How often do we let distractions, pride, and complacency drown out her call?
In our liturgical services, we hear the priests and deacons proclaim, “Wisdom! Let us be attentive!” This is no mere ritual formula—it is an urgent reminder. What is about to be spoken is not ordinary speech but the very word of God, meant to shape our hearts and guide our lives. Just as Wisdom in Proverbs calls to those who will listen, so too does the Church call us to wake up, to pay attention, to let divine wisdom take root in us.
But there is a warning in these verses as well. Wisdom tells us that those who reject her will one day seek her, but it will be too late. Not because God withholds mercy, but because hearts that refuse to listen become hardened. Those who “despise reproof” will reap the consequences of their own choices.
This Holy and Great Lent, let us be attentive to the voice of Wisdom. She calls us to repentance, to humility, to the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of true understanding. She calls us to turn away from sin and seek the path of righteousness. The time to listen is now. The time to follow is today. Let us not be counted among the foolish who reject her but among the faithful who embrace her words and walk in her light.