March 7, 2014
Friday of the First Week of the Great Fast

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 5

10. Come, O faithful, let us fulfil the works of God in the light;
and let us walk with dignity as in the light of day;
let us tear up every unjust contract,
and let us cast aside every object of scandal for our neighbour.
Let us turn away from the pleasures of the flesh,
so that we may grow in our spiritual gifts.
Let us give food to the poor;
let us draw near to Christ, and in repentance, let us say:
O our God, have mercy on us.

9. Come, O faithful, let us fulfill the works of God in the light;
and let us walk with dignity as in the light of day;
let us tear up every unjust contract,
and let us cast aside every object of scandal for our neighbour.
Let us turn away from the pleasures of the flesh,
so that we may grow in our spiritual gifts.
Let us give food to the poor;
let us draw near to Christ, and in repentance, let us say:
O our God, have mercy on us.

In Tone 8

8. O martyrs of the Lord,
you sanctify all places,
and you heal all diseases.
Therefore, we implore you:
Pray that our souls be delivered from the snares of the Enemy.

7. O martyrs of the Lord,
we entreat you to beseech our God
and ask great mercy for our souls
and forgiveness for our many offences.

6. Your martyrs, O Lord,
forgetting the things of this life
and despising torture for the sake of the life to come,
were shown to be inheritors of the eternal life.
Therefore, they rejoice exceedingly with the angels.
Through their supplications, bestow great mercy upon Your people.

5. What honour and praise can fittingly be ascribed to the saints?
They bowed their necks under the sword for You, who left the heavens and came down.
They shed their blood for You, who emptied Yourself taking the form of a servant.
By emulating Your poverty, they humbled themselves unto death.
By their prayers, have mercy on us, O Lord, according to Your great compassion.

In Tone 2

4. Come, all you friends of the martyrs,
let us celebrate this feast in the joy of the Spirit;
for, on this day, the holy martyr Theodore prepares a spiritual banquet for us,
the lovers of the feast;
he brings joy to our hearts,
and we cry out to him:
Rejoice, invincible warrior, who has vanquished powerful tyrants;
and for the love of Christ our God,
you gave given over your body of flesh to torments.
Rejoice, for in the midst of dangers,
you showed yourself to be a valiant soldier of the heavenly army.
Therefore, we pray to you, O glory of martyrs,
intercede for the salvation of our souls.

3. O holy martyr Theodore,
you generously grant the God-given grace of your miracles
to all the faithful who hasten to you.
We rejoice in this, and we sing:
You are the liberator of captives and healer of the sick,
the wealth of the poor and salvation of those who sail the seas,
the defender of those who cherish your holy memory;
now, for all of us who praise you,
beseech Christ for His great mercy.

2. O holy martyr Theodore,
you are truly the “gift of God,”
for, being alive even after your death,
you are attentive to the requests of those who come to you.
A son was once seized from his mother
and made a prisoner in the pagan army;
the widow bathed your sanctuary with her tears;
and you were moved with compassion.
You mounted a white horse and mysteriously returned her child;
and even now, you do not cease to work miracles.
Beseech Christ our God to save our souls.

1. O Theodore, thrice-blessed,
with your name, I praise the gift of God;
you are a shining torch of the divine brightness.
By your deeds you have illuminated the universe.
You have shown yourself to be stronger than fire,
and you crushed the head of the treacherous dragon.
Therefore, Christ has placed on your head the crown of victory.
And now that you enjoy the divine favour,
O holy and great martyr,
beseech God for the salvation of our souls.

In Tone 6, Glory… 

The enemy used the apostate emperor as his servant
against the Christian people who were purified by the Fast;
he tried to defile them with food polluted by the blood of sacrifices.
But, you more wisely foiled his plan,
by appearing in a dream to the bishop of that time
and warning him of the danger.
We also offer you our sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and we honour you with the title of protector
as we celebrate the annual memory of this event.
We beseech you to preserve us from the evil designs of the enemy
by interceding with God for us,
O holy martyr Theodore.

In Tone 8, Now…

Out of His love for mankind
the King of heaven appeared on earth and dwelt with men,
for He assumed a human body from the pure Virgin
and was seen in the flesh He received from her.
He is the One and only God having two natures but not two persons.
Wherefore we profess and declare the truth that Christ our God is perfect God and perfect Man.
O Mother, who knew not carnal union,
intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls

 

Prokeimenon I, Tone 5
May the Lord answer in time of trial;* may the name of Jacob’s God protect you!
verse: May He send you help from His shrine and give you support from Sion!

Reading I
Genesis 2:20-3:20

Prokeimenon II, Tone 6
O Lord, arise in Your strength;* we shall sing and praise Your power.
verse: O Lord, Your strength gives joy to the king; how Your saving help makes him glad!

Reading II
Proverbs 3:19-34

March 5, 2014
Wednesday of the First Week of the Great Fast

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 8

10. O faithful, while fasting bodily,
let us also fast in spirit.
Let us loosen every bond of injustice;
let us tear apart the strong chains of violence;
let us rip up all unjust assertions;
let us give bread to the hungry
and welcome the poor and homeless to our houses,
that we may receive from Christ our God, His great mercy.

9. O faithful, while fasting bodily,
let us also fast in spirit.
Let us loosen every bond of injustice;
let us tear apart the strong chains of violence;
let us rip up all unjust assertions;
let us give bread to the hungry
and welcome the poor and homeless to our houses,
that we may receive from Christ our God, His great mercy.

8. What honour and praise can fittingly be ascribed to the saints?
They bowed their necks under the sword for You,
the One who left the heavens and came down.
They shed their blood for You,
the One who took the form of a servant.
By emulating Your poverty
they humbled themselves unto death.
By their prayers, have mercy on us, O Lord,
according to Your compassion.

In Tone 2

7. Jesus, the true spiritual Sun,
sent you as lightning through all the world,
to overcome the darkness of error
by the brightness of your divine teachings;
O holy apostles, who have seen the Lord,
beseech Him to send His light and His mercy on us.

6. Elijah ascended in the divine chariot of his virtues,
and by his fasting he was carried to the heights of heaven in glory.
Strive, O my humble soul, as he did,
fast and shed all evil, malice, envy, and corrupting luxury
so that you may be delivered from all eternal pain of death
and cry out to Christ:
O Lord, glory be to You!

In Tone 5

5. O divine apostles,
fervent intercessors for the world and defenders of the faithful.
You received from Christ our God the boldness to intercede for us.
We beseech you that we may pass this solemn time of the Fast untroubled
and receive the grace of the consubstantial Trinity.
O great and glorious preachers, pray for our souls.

In Tone 4

4. Noble and victorious martyrs,
you were revealed in the final times
as unwaning stars in the Church’s honoured firmament.
You illumined all beneath the sun, all-praised ones,
with the splendour of your sufferings,
destroying the darkness of deception!
Therefore we celebrate your radiant and sacred suffering in faith,
enriched by your intercession.

3. Noble and victorious martyrs,
you were revealed in the final times
as unwaning stars in the Church’s honoured firmament.
You illumined all beneath the sun, all-praised ones,
with the splendour of your sufferings,
destroying the darkness of deception!
Therefore we celebrate your radiant and sacred suffering in faith,
enriched by your intercession.

2. Martyrs of Christ,
you were bound after a summary arrest
and shut up in prison for a lengthy time.
You were divine preservers of the faith,
who refused to submit to his evil commands.
Therefore the infamous beast was enraged and slew you with the sword.
Now you have joyfully inherited higher things,
joining yourselves to the Kingdom,
all-glorious two and forty!

1. Let us shout the praise of Constantine,
Basoes and Callistus,
Theodore and Theophilus,
and the rest of the divine company of athletes,
for they sacrificed themselves with joy,
electing to die for the Life of all.
Now they rest in the city of the living God,
entreating that on the day of judgment,
we may find remission of sins and complete deliverance.

Glory… Now…

Attend to the groaning of my broken heart, O bride of God.
Accept the lifting up of my hands.
Do not reject me, O Mary, spotless Virgin, full of love,
so that I may praise and magnify
Him, who in you magnified the human race.

 

Prokeimenon I, Tone 5
You, O Lord, will guard us, and will keep us,* from this generation, and forever!
verse: Save me, O Lord, for there is no longer left a just man.

Reading I
Genesis 1:24-2:3

Prokeimenon II, Tone 6
Look at me and answer me* O Lord my God!
verse: How long, O Lord, will You forget me? How long will You hide Your face from me?

Reading II
Proverbs 2:1-22

March 2, 2014
Sunday of Forgiveness (Cheesefare), Octoechos Tone 8
Holy Priest-Martyr Theodotus, Bishop of Cyrenia

Because of his wisdom and kindness, Theodotus was elected to the episcopacy and governed the Church of God with love and zeal. When the persecution of Christians began during the reign of the wicked Emperor Licinius, this godly man was brought to trial and put through many tortures. When the torturer Sabinus advised him to deny Christ and to bow down before pagan idols and to worship them, Theodotus replied, “If you knew the goodness of my God in Whom I hope, that because of these temporary sufferings, will make me worthy of eternal life, you also would wish to suffer in the same manner as I.” The torturers began to strike his body with nails, and he prayed to God with gratitude. Thinking his end was near, Theodotus counseled and taught the Christians who were assembled around him. By the Providence of God, the Emperor Constantine at that time proclaimed freedom to Christians and ordered that all who were sentenced be released for the sake of Christ. And so, this saint was freed and returned to his prior position in Kyrenia. Astortured as he was, Theodotus lived for several more years. After that, he found repose in the Lord, Whom he faithfully served and for Whom he suffered. In the year 302 A.D. his earthly life ended and was translated to the mansions of our Lord. (Prologue of Ohrid)

On the final day before Great Lent, the Gospel teaches us the importance of reconciliation with one another, of mutual forgiveness. Vespers and Matins for this Sunday sing about the Garden of Paradise, which we lost through the Fall of Adam and Eve. Again this reminds us that in this world we are exiles, that our true home is in the Eternal Paradise, the Heavenly Kingdom, and that the Paschal Pilgrimage leads us toward our eternal homeland. This Sunday is also called Cheese-Fare Sunday because according to the traditional rules of fasting, this is the last day when dairy products may be eaten. Some parishes have a meatless dinner on this day, to consume any remaining dairy products. Great Lent begins with Vespers on the evening of Forgiveness Sunday. The service is dramatic: it begins with the priest and deacon in bright vestments as though for a feast. At “Lord, I have cried,” we sing “Let us abstain from passions as we abstain from food, and persevere, to be worthy to see the Holy Passion of Christ our God, and the joy of His Holy Resurrection.” The Royal Doors are opened, and there is an Entrance. Suddenly, everything changes. We sing the great Prokeimenon: “Turn not Your Face away from Your servant, for I am in trouble, pay attention to me, draw near to my soul and redeem me!” Lent has arrived. The priest removes his bright vestments and puts on a dark epitrakhil, the Royal Doors are closed, and the rest of Vespers follows the Lenten pattern. The responses are sung according to the unique Lenten chant. “Behold, this is the favourable time, the season of conversion. Let us turn away from the works of darkness, and clothe ourselves with the armour of light, so that crossing the ocean of the Fast, we may come to the harbour of the Resurrection….” Just before the end of Vespers, the priest offers the Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian. This is the first time this typical prayer of Lent appears in our worship. After Vespers, as we begin Lent, we offer one another mutual forgiveness. In our Lenten repentance, we are asking God to forgive us; God requires us to forgive one another as well. Mutual forgiveness is not easy; it requires the grace and help of God. (Bishop Basil Losten, Our Paschal Pilgrimage)

Continue reading March 2, 2014 Sunday of Forgiveness (Cheesefare), Octoechos Tone 8 Holy Priest-Martyr Theodotus, Bishop of Cyrenia