March 2, 2014
Sunday of Forgiveness – Forgiveness Vespers (Sunday Evening)


VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING

 

Kathisma Reading
There is no Kathisma reading.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 8

10. The angels praise You without ceasing, O King and Master,
and I fall before You crying like the Publican:
God be merciful to me and save me.

9. Since you are immortal, O my soul,
be not overwhelmed by the waves of this life;
but return to soberness and cry to Your Benefactor:
God be merciful to me and save me.

8. Give me tears, O God, as once You gave them to the woman that had sinned,
and count me worthy to wash Your feet
that have delivered me from the way of error.
As sweet-smelling ointment let me offer You a pure life,
created in me by repentance;
and may I also hear those words for which I long:
‘Your faith has saved you, go in peace.’

7. When I call to mind the many evil I have done,
and I think upon the fearful day of judgment,
seized with trembling I flee to You for refuge, O God who loves mankind.
Turn not away from me, I beseech You, who alone are free from sin;
but before the end comes grant compunction
to my humbled soul and save me.

In Tone 2

6. Let us all make haste to humble the flesh by abstinence,
as we set out upon the God-given course of the holy Fast;
and with prayers and tears let us seek our Lord and Saviour.
Laying aside all memories of evil, let us cry aloud:
We have sinned against You, Christ our King;
save us as the men of Nineveh in days of old,
and in Your compassion
make us sharers in Your heavenly Kingdom.

5. When I think of my works, deserving every punishment,
I despair of myself, O Lord.
For see, I have despised Your precious commandments
and wasted my life as the Prodigal.
Therefore, I entreat You:
Cleanse me in the waters of repentance,
and through prayer and fasting make me shine with light,
for You alone are merciful;
abhor me not, O Benefactor of all, supreme in love.

4. Let us set out with joy upon the season of the Fast,
and prepare ourselves for spiritual combat.
Let us purify our soul and cleanse our flesh;
and as we fast from food,
let us abstain also from every passion.
Rejoicing in the virtues of the Spirit
may we persevere with love,
and so be counted worthy
to see the solemn Passion of Christ our God,
and with great spiritual gladness
to behold His holy Passover.

In Tone 1

3. Martyrs, three in number,
you contended mightily against those who cruelly condemned you!
You endured many cruel pains with faith
and received the kingdom on high.
Therefore, pray that God will grant our souls peace and great mercy!

2. Let us praise Eutropius with spiritual songs,
together with the steadfast Cleonicus and Basiliscus!
By the grace of piety,
they utterly consumed the tinder of ungodliness with fire.
Now they illumine the ends of the earth
like brilliant beacons with divine and fiery radiance,
casting all delusion into darkness.

1. When your heads were cut off, courageous athletes,
you crushed the head of the enemy beneath your beautiful feet.
You are unwavering stars and living sacrifices,
treasures of the temple of heaven.
Glorious Eutropius, Basiliscus and Cleonicus,
entreat for peace for us all!

In Tone 8, Glory… Now…

O how glorious is the miracle!
How did you enclose in your womb the God of All?
How did you carry the Creator of All as an infant?
Truly the mind and thought are confused;
your carrying of such a Child is beyond words.
O all-blessed and pure Theotokos,
pray to Him always to have mercy on our souls.

 

Great Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Do not turn Your face away from your son, for I am afflicted; hear me quickly. Be attentive to my soul and deliver it.
verse: Let Your salvation, Lord, help me.
verse: Let the poor see it and be glad.
verse: Seek God, and your souls shall live.

 

Aposticha

In Tone 4

Your grace has shone forth, O Lord,
it has shone forth and given light to our souls.
Behold, now is the accepted time:
behold, now is the season of repentance.
Let us caste off the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
that having sailed across the great sea of the Fast,
we may reach the third-day Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of our souls.

To You have I lifted up my eyes, O You that dwell in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hands of their master, as the eyes of the handmaiden look to the hands of their mistress, so do our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until He take pity on us.

Your grace has shone forth, O Lord,
it has shone forth and given light to our souls.
Behold, now is the accepted time:
behold, now is the season of repentance.
Let us caste off the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
that having sailed across the great sea of the Fast,
we may reach the third-day Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of our souls.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we are utterly humiliated. Let shame come upon them that prosper, and abatement on the proud.

You are glorified in the memorial of Your saints, O Christ our God:
at their intercessions
send down on us Your great mercy.

Glory… Now…

The ranks of angels glorify You, O Mother of God,
for you have given birth to Him that is God,
who dwells ever with the Father and the Spirit,
who created the angelic hosts out of nothing by an act of His will.
Entreat Him, all-pure Lady, to save and illumine the souls
of those who with true worship sing your praise.

 

After the Song of Simeon and the Trisagion Prayers, we follow the regular Lenten format for the end of Vespers.

On this night, we also follow the ceremony of mutual forgiveness (often a sermon is preached before the exchange of forgiveness). This ceremony of forgiveness may be celebrated every Sunday night up to the fifth week of the Great Fast.

 

Ceremony of Mutual Forgiveness

The clergy kneel facing the faithful and say:

Clergy: Bless me, brothers and sisters, and forgive me a sinner all the sins which I have committed this day, and every day of my life, in thought, word and deed.

All: May God forgive you, reverend Father!

The faithful kneel and say in turn:

All: Bless us, reverend Father, and forgives us sinners all the sins we have committed this day and every day of our lives in thought, word, and deed.

Clergy: May God forgive you and have mercy on you!

Now, all approach and venerate the icon, and then exchange forgiveness with everyone.

Forgive me!

God forgives! Forgive me and pray for me!