March 30, 2014
Fourth Sunday of the Great Fast – St. John Climacus, Octoechos Tone 4

Saint John, Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Catherine, on Mount Sinai, who died in 603 AD, wrote an ascetic book called The Ladder of Divine Ascent. This book became one of the greatest classics of Christian spirituality. It has been translated into innumerable languages, both ancient and modern; one of the first books printed in the Western Hemisphere was a Spanish translation of the Ladder: For several centuries there has been a Church Slavonic translation which our monks and nuns made use of; unfortunately, there is as yet no translation into modem Ukrainian. Continue reading March 30, 2014 Fourth Sunday of the Great Fast – St. John Climacus, Octoechos Tone 4

March 28, 2014
Friday of the Fourth Week of the Great Fast

Venerable Father Hilarion the New

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 7

10. I have enslaved the dignity of my soul to the passions,
and have become like the beasts;
I can no longer raise my eyes to You, O God most high.
But, like the Publican I bow to the earth,
and I cry to You in supplication:
Forgive me, O Lord, and save me.

9. I have enslaved the dignity of my soul to the passions,
and have become like the beasts;
I can no longer raise my eyes to You, O God most high.
But, like the Publican I bow to the earth,
and I cry to You in supplication:
Forgive me, O Lord, and save me.

In Tone 3

8. Great is the power of Your martyrs, O Christ.
For, lying in their tombs, they drive out evil spirits
and fight in defence of godliness;
they subdued the power of the enemy by faith in the Trinity.

7. The prophets, apostles, and the martyrs of Christ
taught us to sing the praises of the consubstantial Trinity.
They enlighten the nations that had gone astray,
and made us companions of the angels.

6. Your martyrs, O Lord, have been confirmed by faith
and strengthened by hope.
By the love of Your Cross they have been spiritually fortified,
and so have overcome the anguish of suffering.
They have obtained the crowns,
and, together with the angels, they pray for our souls.

5. Great is the power of Your Cross, O Lord,
for though it was set in one place, it acts throughout the world.
It made apostles of fishermen,
and martyrs of Gentiles.
We beg them to intercede for our souls.

In Tone 4

4. Father, you lived as an angel on earth in the flesh.
You acquired a life of chastity,
with patience, meekness and impartial love;
great abstinence, watchfulness, divine compunction;
faith, true hope, and compassion,
blessed Hilarion, intercessor for our souls!

3. Father, you lived as an angel on earth in the flesh.
You acquired a life of chastity,
with patience, meekness and impartial love;
great abstinence, watchfulness, divine compunction;
faith, true hope, and compassion,
blessed Hilarion, intercessor for our souls!

2. Venerable one, you were an earthly angel and heavenly man,
a fountain of compunction, a stream of compassion, a deep well of miracles!
You are surety for sinners:
an olive tree of God with the fruit of your labours
fitting to anoint the head!
We praise you in faith, wondrous Hilarion!

1. Your mind was illumined with the knowledge of God,
overcoming the passions of the flesh.
You did not participate in the things of this earth;
you bore the true imprint of divine goodness;
you were known to all to be like God
through cooperation with the Holy Spirit,
our Father Hilarion, the adornment of the monastic life!

In Tone 3, Glory…

All human things are vain.
They do not remain after death.
Neither riches endure nor does glory survive;
for with the coming of death all these are destroyed.
Let us exclaim to Christ, the Immortal:
Grant rest to the departed servants
in the abode of those who rejoice in You.

Now…
O Lady most honourable,
how could we but be rapt in wonder at your giving birth
to the incarnate God who without a mother was born of a Father before all ages.
You gave Him birth in the flesh without a father,
without a man’s instrumentality.
He is God and man whose two natures are intact, neither one losing any of its properties.
Therefore, O Virgin Mother, intercede with Him to save the souls
of those who believe and profess in true faith that you are the Mother of God.

 

Prokeimenon I, Tone 6
O Shepherd of Israel, hear us,* You who lead Joseph’s flock.
verse: Shine forth from Your Cherubim throne.

Reading I
Genesis 12:1-7

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4
Ring out your joy to God, our strength,* shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.
verse: Raise a song and sound the timbrel, the sweet-sounding harp and lute.

Reading II
Proverbs 14:15-26

March 26, 2014
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of the Great Fast

Holy Mother Matrona of Thessalonica

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

10. The Fast that brings integrity has now run half its course.
These past days have proved acceptable,
and now we see the need of the days to come.
Our perception of their value will make them yield more abundant fruit.
Therefore, let us beseech Christ our Benefactor
who fasted and endured the Cross for us:
Grant that we might share in Your divine Pascha without condemnation
and pass our lives in peace,
worthily glorifying You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In Tone 5

9. Those who do good deeds in secret
and receive a spiritual reward,
do not boast in public about their deeds,
but they carry them in their hearts;
and He who sees the secret deeds of all
grants us the reward of self-control.
Let us then complete this Great Fast without putting on a gloomy face;
but while praying in the secrecy of our souls,
let us cry out unceasingly:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
lead us not into temptation, we pray,
but deliver us from evil.

8. With your souls filled with unquenchable love, O holy martyrs,
you endured the most terrible sufferings without ever denying Christ;
and you laid low the impudence of the torturers.
You kept the faith unwavering and unharmed
and have gone to dwell in heaven.
Therefore, having the boldness to approach the Lord,
beg Him to grant us His great mercy.

In Tone 1

7. Let us all wash our souls in the water of the Fast
and approach the precious and all-praiseworthy Cross of the Lord.
Let us faithfully bow to it,
drawing divine illumination from it
and reaping the fruit of eternal salvation,
which is peace and great mercy.

6. O precious Cross, the boldness of the apostles,
You are revered by the Archangels, Powers and Principalities.
Save from all evil those who bow before You,
and make us worthy to pass through the course of the Fast in a holy way,
that we may see Your salvation and holy Resurrection.

In Tone 7

5. Bowing before the Cross of the Lord on this day, let us sing:
Rejoice, O Tree of Life;
You are the joy of the world who destroy Hades and Death;
Your strength puts the demons to flight.
You are the invincible weapon and support of believers;
preserve and sanctify those who bow before You.

In Tone 4

4. You opposed with reason
the harsh threats and naked savagery of unbelievers,
for you were both divinely and humanly wise!
You foresaw the delight of things to come
which remain unchanged throughout the ages.
You received this unchanging delight
as you departed from earth to the mansions of heaven;
to the choir of unending voices, glorious one!

3. You opposed with reason
the harsh threats and naked savagery of unbelievers,
for you were both divinely and humanly wise!
You foresaw the delight of things to come
which remain unchanged throughout the ages.
You received this unchanging delight
as you departed from earth to the mansions of heaven;
to the choir of unending voices, glorious one!

2. You were adorned with the wounds of your patient suffering;
it was given you to behold the splendour of the kingdom
and the fair beauty of your Bridegroom!
You drew near to the Source of good things,
from where, as is fitting,
you richly received the fruit of divine gladness and unending glory!

1. The yoke of slavery did not prevent you, most glorious one,
from following the patience of the martyrs,
nor did feminine weakness, starvation, or beatings!
You endured torture with fervent strength of soul!
Therefore you have received a heavenly dwelling place:
Standing before your Creator, you are adorned with the crown of grace.

In Tone 8, Glory… Now…

Today the inaccessible Lord draws me close to Him.
He endures His Passion to free me from my passions.
He who gives light to the blind, receives spitting from impure lips
and permits Himself to be scourged to save the captives.
When His Mother, the Virgin, saw Him on the Cross, she sighed and said:
Alas, O my beloved Child!
You surpass every mortal in beauty; yet You are now without charm or attraction,
having neither grace, nor form, nor life.
Alas! O Light of my eyes,
a sword pierces my hear, and I suffer inwardly to see You so.
I sing and praise Your Passion,
I venerate Your infinite mercy,
O long-suffering Lord, glory to You.

 

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,* who alone does wondrous things.
verse: O God, give Your judgment to the king, and to the king’s son Your justice.

Reading I
Genesis 9:18-10:1

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4
To be near God is my happiness.* I have made the Lord God my refuge.
verse: How good God is to Israel, to those who are pure of heart.

Reading II
Proverbs 12:23-13:9

March 25, 2014
Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary

When the All-Holy Virgin completed the fourteenth year after her birth and was entering her fifteenth year, after having spent eleven years of living and serving in the Temple of Jerusalem, the priests informed her that, according to the Law, she could not remain in the Temple but was required to be betrothed and enter into marriage. What a great surprise to the priests was the answer of the All-Holy Virgin that she had dedicated her life to God and that she desired to remain a Virgin until death, not wanting to enter into marriage with anyone! Then, according to Divine Providence, Zacharias, the high priest and father of the Forerunner, under the inspiration of God, and in agreement with the other priests, gathered twelve unwed men from the Tribe of David to betroth the Virgin Mary to one of them to preserve her virginity and to care for her. She was betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth who was her kinsman. In the house of Joseph, the All-Holy Virgin continued to live as she did in the Temple of Solomon, occupying her time in the reading of Sacred Scripture, in prayer, in Godly-thoughts, in fasting and in handiwork. She rarely went anywhere outside the house nor was she interested in worldly things and events. She spoke very little to anyone, if at all, and never without special need. More frequently she communicated with both of Joseph’s daughters. When the fullness of time had come, as prophesied by Daniel the Prophet, and when God was pleased to fulfill His promise to the banished Adam and to the Prophets, the great Archangel Gabriel appeared in the chamber of the All-Holy Virgin and, as some priestly writers wrote, precisely at that same moment when she held open the book of the Prophet Isaiah and was contemplating his great prophecy: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son!” (Isaiah 7:13). Gabriel appeared in all of his angelic brightness and saluted her: “Rejoice, highly favored one! The Lord is with you” (St. Luke 1:28), and the rest in order as it is written in the Gospel of the saintly Luke. With this angelic annunciation and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Virgin, the salvation of mankind and restoration of all creation began. The history of the New Testament was opened by the words of the Archangel Gabriel: “Rejoice, highly favored one” This is to imply that the New Testament was to signify joy to mankind and to all created things. It is from this that the Annunciation is considered not only a great feast, but a joyful feast as well. (Prologue of Ohrid) Continue reading March 25, 2014 Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary

March 23, 2014
Third Sunday of the Great Fast – The Adoration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross
Octoechos 3

Not only the Third Sunday of Great Lent, but the week that follows, are devoted to welcoming the Precious Cross of Christ. This adoration of the Cross does not have a penitential character, but rather the opposite: “through the Cross joy has come to the whole world.” Having reached the midpoint of Lent we take refreshment, as though at a spiritual oasis, in the shade of the Cross, which is the banner and emblem of Christ’s victory. The Cross is a sign of our joy in Christ’s triumph. The liturgical texts express this joy; all the hymns in praise of the Cross have a victorious note to them. The Canon of Sunday Matins resembles the Paschal Canon of Saint John of Damascus. Continue reading March 23, 2014 Third Sunday of the Great Fast – The Adoration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross Octoechos 3

March 21, 2014
Friday of the Third Week of the Great Fast

Holy Priest-Martyr Basil, Presbyter of Ancyra

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 7

10. Like the prodigal, I have turned away from Your grace;
I have wasted the riches of Your goodness, O Lord.
I now run to You and cry out:
I have sinned , O Lord, have mercy on me.

9. Like the prodigal, I have turned away from Your grace;
I have wasted the riches of Your goodness, O Lord.
I now run to You and cry out:
I have sinned , O Lord, have mercy on me.

In Tone 2

8. Since You did not love earthly delights, O martyrs,
you were worthy of the blessings of heaven,
and now you abide with the angels.
O Lord, through their prayers, have mercy on us and save us.

7. Through the prayers of the holy martyrs
and their songs of praise to Christ,
all error has come to an end,
and all people are saved by faith.

6. As they withstood the tortures,
the company of martyrs said:
We serve in the forces of the King.
Though you deliver us to fire and torment,
we shall not deny the power of the Trinity.

5. Great is the glory you obtained by faith, O saints;
for not only did you triumph over the Enemy in your sufferings,
but after death you healed the infirm and drove out evil spirits,
O physicians of souls and bodies.
Intercede before the Lord,
entreating Him to have mercy on our souls.

In Tone 4

4. Adorned with the garment of the priesthood,
you served God like an angel, Basil of great renown,
offering sacrifice to Him
Who for our sakes appeared in the substance of flesh.
Therefore you were sacrificed like a perfect lamb,
becoming a pure offering.
Now you have offered yourself upon the altar of heaven.
Therefore, with voices of joy,
we ever call you blessed, crying out to you:
Pray without ceasing that our souls may be saved!

3. Adorned with the garment of the priesthood,
you served God like an angel, Basil of great renown,
offering sacrifice to Him
Who for our sakes appeared in the substance of flesh.
Therefore you were sacrificed like a perfect lamb,
becoming a pure offering.
Now you have offered yourself upon the altar of heaven.
Therefore, with voices of joy,
we ever call you blessed, crying out to you:
Pray without ceasing that our souls may be saved!

2. You were flayed by the unjust judge,
enduring bodily pains, glorious one,
looking forward to a painless end
and to the honours prepared for those who suffer.
Tempered like steel in the fire,
you became a well-forged sword of heaven,
cutting down the hosts of the enemy, blessed one.
Therefore, every nation of believers rejoices and honours you today,
courageous-minded athlete, truly glorious Basil!

1. You were bound and adorned with wounds,
going from city to city,
binding the tyrant and rightly guiding the steps of your feet.
When you had just entered the city of Caesarea
you received there your blessed end.
You were crowned and ascended at once to the city of heaven.
Now you stand before God the King.
Entreat Him to save and enlighten our souls!

In Tone 2, Glory…

O what an ordeal must the soul endure
when it parts from the body!
O how profusely that soul weeps,
and there is no one to show it pity.
It turns its eyes to the angels and its prayer is in vain.
It extends its hands to people and finds no one to help.
Therefore, O beloved faithful,
considering the brevity of our life,
let us beseech from Christ mercy for our souls.

Now…

O Virgin, the shadow of the law passed away
with the realization of grace.
For as the bush had burned without being consumed,
so you gave birth while a virgin
and you remained a virgin.
Instead of the pillar of fire there rose the Sun of Justice;
instead of Moses Christ God came forth,
the Saviour of our souls.

 

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4
Give us Your help against the foe,* for human help is vain.
verse: O God, You have rejected us and broken us. You have been angry; come back to us.

Reading I
Genesis 8:4-21

Prokeimenon II, Tone 6
O God, hear my cry!* Listen to my prayer!
verse: So I will always praise Your name; day after day I will fulfil my vows.

Reading II
Proverbs 10:31-11:12

March 19, 2014
Wednesday of the Third Week of the Great Fast

Venerable Fathers Martyred by the Saracens at the Monastery of St. Sabbas

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

10. Like the prodigal I squandered my paternal inheritance,
and now I am in desolation.
I dwell in the land of the wicked.
In my folly, I became like the unreasoning beasts,
stripped of all divine grace.
So I return and cry out to You:
O merciful and compassionate Father,
I have sinned, O God.
Receive me as a penitent and have mercy on me.

9. Like the prodigal I squandered my paternal inheritance,
and now I am in desolation.
I dwell in the land of the wicked.
In my folly, I became like the unreasoning beasts,
stripped of all divine grace.
So I return and cry out to You:
O merciful and compassionate Father,
I have sinned, O God.
Receive me as a penitent and have mercy on me.

8. O martyrs of the Lord,
you are living sacrifices and spiritual offerings
and perfect incense burnt to God.
You are sheep that know God and are known to Him,
and wolves cannot break into His fold.
Pray that we may be led with you
to pasture beside the still waters.

In Tone 6

7. O apostles who have seen God,
and who reflect the light of the spiritual Sun for us,
pray for the illumination of our souls
and deliver us from the gloomy darkness of suffering.
Intercede that we may behold the day of salvation.
Through your prayers and intercessions
cleanse our heart which the Evil One has wounded,
so that, saved by faith, we may ever honour you
who brought the world salvation through your all-wise preaching.

6. Into an evil land I have wandered,
prodigal that I am;
the wealth You gave to me, O compassionate Father,
I have squandered in a life filled with vice.
And now in hunger I long for the good I lost;
I am clothed with the shame of my transgression.
I have been stripped of righteous deeds and of divine grace.
Now I cry out that I have sinned.
But I know Your righteousness, O Christ;
in Your kindness receive me as Your hired servant,
through the prayers of Your apostles who love You.

5. Apostles of the Lord and bright lights of the universe,
you made us the recipients of salvation,
and like the heavens you proclaim the glory of God;
you are adorned with wonders and bright miracles.
Intercede for us unceasingly before the Lord,
that He may receive our prayers as a pleasing aroma,
and grant that with love we may contemplate and kiss His life-giving Cross.
In Your love for humankind,
grant mercy to us who bow low before Your Cross, O Saviour.

In Tone 4

4. Completely loving the highest of all desires,
you counted the beauties of life to be refuse, venerable Fathers.
Through vigil and prayer, through rain and burning heat,
you acquired those things which alone abide.
You lived together as one soul
and by grace were shown to be companions of the angels!

3. Completely loving the highest of all desires,
you counted the beauties of life to be refuse, venerable Fathers.
Through vigil and prayer, through rain and burning heat,
you acquired those things which alone abide.
You lived together as one soul
and by grace were shown to be companions of the angels!

2. You were beaten with clubs, stoned with rocks,
and cut down by swords.
Yet, martyrs, you did not break the unity of your mind
bound together by love and fraternal desire!
Together you were put to death and cut limb from limb.
You placed yourselves upon the altar of God
as unblemished sacrifices, passion-bearers!

1. Suffocated and consumed by fire,
you committed your souls into the hands of the King of all
as unblemished sacrifices, glorious martyrs!
You have joined yourselves to the choirs of the bodiless powers
and inherited the everlasting glory.
Ever pray that those who sing praises to you
may also share in that glory!

In Tone 2, Glory… Now…

The Word of God, equal in honour to the Father and the Holy Spirit,
has shone forth from the Virgin in these latter days as a mighty sun,
illuminating heaven and earth from end to end.
He has sent you, O glorious apostles, as light
to illumine with the light of faith all nations living in the darkness of ignorance,
and by divine teachings to lead them to the true faith.

 

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4
I trust in the goodness of God* forever and ever.
verse: I will thank You forevermore; for this is Your doing.

Reading I
Genesis 7:6-9

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4
When God delivers His people from bondage,* then Jacob will be glad and Israel rejoice.
verse: Fools have said in their hearts: There is no God above.

Reading II
Proverbs 9:12-18

March 16, 2014 Holy Martyrs Sabinus and Papas

The Second Sunday of Lent is kept as a feast of Saint Gregory Palamas, the Archbishop of Thessaloniki in the fourteenth century. Like the restoration of the holy icons, this memorial of Saint Gregory has to do with historical events, but also relates to our understanding of the Christian vocation, and the possibility for every Christian to achieve genuine holiness. Saint Gregory taught that all Christians are called to union with God, which is the object of the Christian life. Saint Gregory was a great ascetic, and a great master of the monastic life, but he taught that this invitation to union with God is open to every Christian. This is the challenge of Lent, but that challenge faces us all year round. Likewise this is the challenge of monasticism, but not just for the monks and nuns. The Holy Father has expressed it very well: “…in the East, monasticism was not seen merely as a separate condition, proper to a precise category of Christians, but rather as a reference point for all the baptized, according to the gifts offered to each by the Lord; it was presented as a symbolic synthesis of Christianity.” (Pope John Paul II, Orientale Lumen, 9) Continue reading March 16, 2014

March 14, 2014
Friday of the Second Week of the Great Fast

Holy Martyr Agapius and His Six Companions

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

10. Behold, this is the acceptable time,
this is the day of salvation.
Visit my soul in the abundance of Your love,
and in Your unique goodness, lighten the load of my sins.

9. Behold, this is the acceptable time,
this is the day of salvation.
Visit my soul in the abundance of Your love,
and in Your unique goodness, lighten the load of my sins.

In Tone 1

8. Through the supplication of all the saints and of the Theotokos,
grant us Your peace, O Lord, and save us,
since You alone are compassionate.

7. O saints, your confession of faith in the arena
destroyed the strength of devils and set us free from delusion.
When you were beheaded, you cried out:
O Lord, may the sacrifice of our souls be acceptable in Your sight;
for in our love for You, the Lover of humankind,
we have despised this temporal life.

6. How beautiful is the manner of your exchange, O saints;
for you have given your blood and received heaven.
Truly, you have done well!
You have obtained immortality by forsaking corruptible things.
Making a single choir with the angels,
you sing unceasingly the praises of the consubstantial Trinity.

5. O martyrs, worthy of praise,
though the earth may not have covered you, heaven received you,
opening to you the gates of Paradise, where you dwell,
delighting in the Tree of Life.
Beseech Christ to grant our souls
peace and great mercy.

In Tone 8

4. You seven martyrs of Christ
counted the assaults of the torturers and violent death to be nothing!
You hastened to battle with readiness and courage,
covering yourselves with the glory of victory!
You are numbered among all the righteous;
we call you blessed, glorifying you with them forever!

3. You seven martyrs of Christ
counted the assaults of the torturers and violent death to be nothing!
You hastened to battle with readiness and courage,
covering yourselves with the glory of victory!
You are numbered among all the righteous;
we call you blessed, glorifying you with them forever!

2. Martyred athlete Agapius,
you loved the well-spring of good things and the summit of desires!
You hastened to drain the cup of martyrdom,
calling on the divine name of the living God.
What courage was yours; what endurance,
by which you were openly given the gift of glory and splendor!

1. All-blessed martyrs,
you gave yourselves to voluntary slaughter;
you sanctified the earth with your blood
and illumined the air with your passage.
Now in the image of God you live in the heavens
ever praying for us to the never-fading Light!

In Tone 1, Glory…

What earthly delight endures unmingled with grief?
What earthly glory remains immutable?
All things are less than a shadow, more deluding than a dream.
In a single moment all these are effaced by death.
But in the light of Your countenance, O Christ, and in the enjoyment of Your beauty,
grant rest to those whom You have chosen;
for You love humankind.

Now…

Let us sing a hymn of praise to the Virgin Mary,
glory of the whole world!
She was herself formed by human seed,
yet she became the Mother of the Master,
the Gate of heaven, the theme of the angels’ hymn and the beauty of the faithful.
She was seen as being heavenly and the Tabernacle of the Godhead.
She indeed tore down the wall of enmity between God and man, and brought peace in its place.
She opened the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let us therefore cling fast to her for she is the anchor of faith,
and let us receive as our stronghold the Lord who was born of her.
Be of good cheer, then, and have confidence, O people of God,
for He will fight our enemies for us;
He is all-powerful!

 

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4
Your merciful love and Your truth* will guard me forever.
verse: I waited, I waited for the Lord and He stooped down to me; He heard my cry.

Reading I
Genesis 5:32–6:8

Prokeimenon II, Tone 6
As for me, I said: Lord, have mercy on me;* heal my soul for I have sinned against You.
verse: Blessed are those who consider the poor and the weak. The Lord will save them in the evil day.

Reading II
Proverbs 6:20–7:1

 

March 12, 2014
Wednesday of the Second Week of the Great Fast

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

At Psalm 140

 

In Tone 1

10. O faithful, to undertake a spiritual fast,
we must speak no deceit with our tongues
nor place obstacles in the path of each other.
But by repentance let us brighten the lamp of our souls,
that with tears we may call out to Christ:
Forgive our trespasses, for You love humankind.

9. O faithful, to undertake a spiritual fast,
we must speak no deceit with our tongues
nor place obstacles in the path of each other.
But by repentance let us brighten the lamp of our souls,
that with tears we may call out to Christ:
Forgive our trespasses, for You love humankind.

8. O martyrs, worthy of praise,
though the earth may not have covered you, heaven received you,
opening to you the gates of Paradise, where you dwell,
delighting in the Tree of Life.
Beseech Christ to grant our souls peace and great mercy.

In Tone 3

7. Through the prayers of the divine apostles, O righteous Lord,
grant that this time of the Fast may be well spent.
In Your kindness grant repentance to our hearts,
that we all may be saved and give glory to You.

6. Your coming will be great and fearful, O Lord,
when You shall sit in just judgment.
Do not pass sentence on me,
for I am already condemned;
but show Your divine favour toward me,
through the intercession of Your apostles.

In Tone 6

5. O apostles of Christ who shine your light on all mortals,
you are the treasuries of the holy knowledge of God.
Through your prayers deliver from temptation those who praise you.
Guide us successfully through the course of this Fast;
direct our lives in peace,
so that with our eyes lifted up to the Passion of Christ,
we may with courage give praise to our God.

In Tone 1

4. The streams of your wisdom
were drawn from the spiritual clouds,
pouring forth a fountain of Orthodoxy upon the world.
We the faithful draw forth the sweetness from there
and we turn from the outpourings of heresy
as from the bitter waters of Marah!

3. The streams of your wisdom
were drawn from the spiritual clouds,
pouring forth a fountain of Orthodoxy upon the world.
We the faithful draw forth the sweetness from there
and we turn from the outpourings of heresy
as from the bitter waters of Marah!

2. As your most pure body lay in the tomb,
it did not in any way decay.
It was found to be whole, most blessed Nicephorus!
We bear it forth with zeal.
we rejoice, fed by the Orthodox faith,
and we bless you, divinely-wise one!

1. The Church which is honored by the name of the apostles,
received you, most blessed one,
for through your godly deeds,
you became a temple of God.
After your burial you are again buried in a holy manner
and you have buried the foolish talk of the heretics!

In Tone 1, Glory… Now…

We are caught in the stormy sea of temptations and sins,
striving in the tempest to reach your tranquil haven.
O Mother of God, we beg you, hear our cry;
stretch out your steady hand to your servants,
and rescue us from the raging of the enemy.

 

Prokeimenon I, Tone 8
Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord,* exult, O you just!
verse: Blessed are those whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is remitted.

Reading I
Genesis 4:16-26

Prokeimenon II, Tone 1
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us* as we have hoped in You.
verse: Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.

Reading II
Proverbs 5:15-6:3