Month: June 2014

GREAT VESPERS

 

Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

At Psalm 140

In Tone 5

10. With Your precious Cross, O Christ,
You have put the Devil to shame.
With Your Resurrection You have deadened the sting of Death.
We, therefore, glorify You, O only-begotten Son of God.

9. O Christ, Who granted resurrection to mankind,
You were led like a lamb to the slaughter.
Then the princes of Hades were struck with terror
as they saw the gates of their tearful domain being lifted up;
for Christ, the King of Glory, entered therein
and exclaimed to those in chains: Go forth from here!
And to those in darkness: Go forth into the light!

8. What a great wonder!
The Creator of invisible beings suffered in the flesh for mankind,
and rose from the dead as immortal.
Come, therefore, all you nations and adore Him;
for through His compassion we have been freed from the snares of the Devil,
and we have learned to praise the one God in three Persons.

7. We offer to You our evening worship,
O Light Whom the darkness of night can never extinguish.
For in these latter days Your radiance has appeared to the world,
shining in Your flesh as light reflected in a mirror.
Your brilliance has descended even to the depths of Hades and dissolved its gloom.
O Lord, Giver of Light, glory to You;
for You have shown the radiance of Your Resurrection to all the nations.

In Tone 1

6. O all-compassionate Word,
You carried Elias the Tishbite away from the earth in a chariot of fire.
Through his intercession
save us who faithfully glorify You
and who joyously commemorate his feast.

5. O blessed Elias,
you encountered God not in an earthquake but in the coolness of a gentle breeze.
O God-inspired one, you went up to heaven in a wondrous way,
on a chariot drawn by four horses.
Thus you became a marvel to all of us.

4. O all-wise Elias,
   in your burning zeal for God,
   you slew the shameful priests with a sword.
   With the word of your mouth you dried up the clouds
   so that it would not rain.
   You perfected Elisha by the gift of your mantle,
   filling him with heavenly graces.

In Tone 2

3. The two lampstands, Elias and Elisha,
   illuminated the whole world.
   One prevented raindrops from heaven,
   reproved the king, and rose into heaven on a fiery chariot.
   The other healed the barren waters,
   and having received the two-fold grace,
   divided the waters of the Jordan.
   Now they sing with the angels
   and pray for the salvation of our souls.

2. The fiery chariot took you up to heaven as in a whirlwind.
O Elias the Tishbite,
God graced you with a fiery zeal miracles.
You were created incorruptible,
so that you might not see death
until you knew beforehand the death of everyone.
Therefore, come and grant us a warning of your great accomplishments.

1. O Prophet Elias, O lampstand of the Church which has no evening,
having been inflamed with divine zeal,
you closed up the rain from heaven;
you were fed by a raven;
you reproved the king and put the priests to death;
you commanded fire from heaven and slew two captains;
you provided abundantly for the widow by means of a little oil
and a small handful of meal;
you resurrected her son by your prayer;
you ignited the fire in water;
you crossed over the currents of the Jordan on foot.
Indeed, you were raised up to heaven by a fiery chariot.
You gave a two-fold grace to Elisha.
Pray unceasingly to God for the salvation of our souls.

In Tone 6, Glory…

Come, let us assemble, all you people of God,
in this holy place where we are to honour the two God-inspired Prophets.
Let us sing a special hymn of praise
to the glory of Christ God who chose them.
Let us cry out in joy, saying:
Rejoice, O earthly angel and heavenly man, Elias the Great.
Rejoice, O precious Elisha whom God has filled with the graces of heaven.
Rejoice, O fervent intercessors and mediators,
healers of the souls and bodies of the faithful who love Christ.
Deliver from the attacks of the enemy and from every danger
all those who celebrate your memory with honour.

In Tone 5, Now…

A symbol of the undefiled Virgin and bride
was revealed in the Red Sea.
There, Moses divided the waters;
here, Gabriel is the messenger of the miracle.
There, the Israelites crossed the deep and their feet were not even wet;
here, the Virgin gives birth to Christ without human seed.
There, the sea remained uncrossed after the passing of Israel;
here, the immaculate remained incorrupt after giving birth to Emmanuel.
Therefore, O immortal God, who appeared in the flesh as true Man,
have mercy on us!

 

Readings
(1) I Kings 17:1-24; (2) I Kings 18:1-46; 19:1-16; (3) I Kings 19:19-21 & II Kings 2:1, 6-14

 

Lytia

In Tone 4

You are a partaker, O blessed Prophet,
of the incorruptible company of God my Saviour.
Having divided the Jordan by prayer,
you crossed over on dry ground.
After leaving a two-fold grace for Elisha,
you were taken up into heaven on a fiery chariot.
Therefore, we beseech you,
although you were taken up from us in the flesh,
do not separate yourself from us in spirit,
and always pray to Christ that our souls may be saved.

O heavenly Prophet, you appeared as a shining cloud,
raining a shower of an understanding of God to all the faithful.
Like a rich wine you filled with happiness
the faithful who were present in your most divine temple.
Therefore, we entreat you, O heavenly Prophet Elias who sees God,
grant our country victory over her enemies
and great mercy to our souls.

Having complete control of your mind,
you humbled your body, O heavenly Prophet Elias.
Thus you prepared for your divine ascension in your heart.
You reproved the unjust actions of the king;
you took away the curse of God’s anger;
and you destroyed the shameful priests with a sword.
You taught all to loudly cry out:
Truly Elias preaches the one true God.

In Tone 6, Glory…

The disgraceful king commanded fasting in order to commit murder;
for after the fasting, blood was shed and the law was broken.
Naboth the Jezreelite was killed.
Then, O Prophet, you revealed the message of the Lord:
Since you killed the Jezreelite man unjustly,
likewise your blood will also be spilled and harlots will bathe in your blood.
O Lover of mankind, by the prayers of Your prophet and preacher,
deliver our souls from such inhumanity.

Now..

O Mother of God, you are the true vine laden with the fruit of life.
There, we implore you, O Lady,
to intercede together with the Apostles and the Saints
so that we may obtain mercy for our souls.

 

Aposticha

In Tone 5

O Christ our Saviour,
we lift up our voices to glorify You.
For, in Your love for mankind,
You became incarnate without leaving heaven;
You accepted the Cross and death;
You cast down the gates of Hades;
and on the third day You arose from the dead
for the salvation of our souls.

The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.

O Giver of Life,
streams of forgiveness, life, and salvation
poured forth from Your pierced side upon us all.
By accepting physical death, You granted us immortality;
by lying in the tomb, You freed us from Hades,
and as God, by rising from the dead,
You raised us with Yourself in glory.
Therefore, we cry out to You:
O Lover of mankind, glory to You!

For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.

O Lover of mankind,
Your crucifixion and descent into Hades are most wondrous.
For, as God, You thereby conquered the power of Hades,
and raised up in glory, with Yourself, those who were long imprisoned there.
You reopened Paradise and enabled them to enter.
Grant forgiveness of sins to us
who glorify Your Resurrection on the third day,
for You alone are all-merciful.

Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.

O Lover of mankind,
You accepted suffering in the flesh
and rose from the dead on the third day.
Therefore, heal the passions of our flesh,
raise us from our dreadful iniquities, and save us.

In Tone 6, Glory…

O Prophet who foretold the coming of Christ,
you are forever in the presence of God’s glory,
and you intercede for those who are suffering.
Since you serve the Majesty on High,
you bless the whole world and are glorified everywhere.
Now obtain for us the forgiveness of our sins.

Now…

Christ the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer,
came forth from your womb, O most pure Virgin.
He clothed Himself in our human flesh
to set us free from the original curse of Adam.
Therefore, O Mary, we praise you, without ceasing,
as the true Virgin Mother of God,
and we sing with the angels:
Rejoice, O Lady, advocate, protector and salvation of our souls.

 

Troparia

In Tone 1
Rejoice Virgin Mary, Mother of God, full of grace* the Lord is with you!* Blessed are you among women,* And blessed is the Fruit of your womb.* For you have given birth to Christ* the Saviour and Deliverer of our souls. (2)

In Tone 4
The glorious Elias,* angelic in body, pillar of the prophets, second herald of Christ – * by sending grace upon Elisha from on high,* dispels disease, cleanses lepers, and overflows with healing for those who honour him.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 5: Let us the faithful acclaim and worship the Word,* co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit,* and born of the Virgin for our salvation.* For He willed to be lifted up on the cross in the flesh, to suffer death* and to raise the dead by His glorious resurrection.

Troparion, Tone 4: The glorious Elias* angelic in body, pillar of prophets, second herald of Christ,* by sending grace upon Eliseus from on high,* dispels disease, cleanses lepers, and overflows with healing* for those who honour him.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 5: You, my Saviour, descended to Hades,* and as the Almighty, You shattered its gates.* With Yourself You, as the Creator, raised the dead and shattered the sting of death,* and delivered Adam from the curse, O Lover of Mankind.* And so we cry out: “Save us, O Lord.”

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: O prophet and seer of the mighty works of our God,* Elias greatly renowned,* by your word, you stopped the rain clouds.* Pray for us to the only ne who loves mankind.

Prokeimenon, Tone 5
You, O Lord, will guard us and will keep us* from this generation and for ever.
verse: Save me, O Lord, for there is no longer left a just man. (Psalm 11:8,2)

Prokeimenon, Tone 4
You are a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 109:4)

Epistle
Romans 12:6-14; James 5:10-20

Alleluia, Tone 5
verse: Your mercies, O Lord, I will sing for ever; from generation to generation I will announce Your truth with my mouth.
verse: For You have said: Mercy shall be built up for ever; in the heavens Your truth shall be prepared. (Psalm 88:2,3)
verse: Moses and Aaron are among His priests and Samuel among those who call upon His name.
verse: Light is risen for the just and joy for the righteous of heart. (Psalm 96:11)

Gospel
Matthew 9:1-8; Luke 4:22-30

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1)* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)

GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the Man…” is sung.

 

At Palm 140

In Tone 4

6. You were a second Constantine in word and deed,
for he was born in a Christian age,
yet lived for many years among the pagans,
while you were born of heathen,
but loved Christ who loved you.
You have gone to Him rejoicing!
Pray ceaselessly to Him for those who honour your memory.

5. You were a second Constantine in word and deed,
for he was born in a Christian age,
yet lived for many years among the pagans,
while you were born of heathen,
but loved Christ who loved you.
You have gone to Him rejoicing!
Pray ceaselessly to Him for those who honour your memory.

4. Brightly shining Mount Sinai, rejoices eternally,
for it is sanctified by the law of Moses and has seen the invisible,
and your great city, Vladimir, also shines brightly and celebrates with joy,
beholding in the Spirit the Son glorified in you with the Father.
Pray to Him to save and enlighten our souls!

3. Brightly shining Mount Sinai, rejoices eternally,
for it is sanctified by the law of Moses and has seen the invisible,
and your great city, Vladimir, also shines brightly and celebrates with joy,
beholding in the Spirit the Son glorified in you with the Father.
Pray to Him to save and enlighten our souls!

2. For the people of Rus’, Vladimir, you were a father in spirit,
a king and true preacher;
an apostle of Christ, announcing the baptism of salvation.
And having thereby brightly illumined your people,
you sanctified them throughout all the lands of your kingdom, blessed one.

1. You were a root of the true faith, Vladimir,
watered by the Holy Spirit.
You put forth for us divinely planted branches with fragrant flowers:
the wondrous Boris, and Hlib, the zealot of godliness;
abundant sources of miracles for all the faithful.
Standing with them before Christ,
pray to Him to save and enlighten our souls.

In Tone 8, Glory…

Come, let us all hasten to celebrate the memory of Vladimir,
the father and guide of the people of Rus’.
He was born of heathens and came to love Christ who loved him,
he has gone to Christ, rejoicing with his grandmother Olga.
He taught all his people to believe and worship one God in Trinity;
he destroyed the idols, and trampled them underfoot.
He nurtured for us Boris and Hlib, his precious posterity.
We now honour their memory with joy and faith,
and keep the feast with love.
May they pray to the Lord
to grant victory to the orthodox Christians over their adversaries;
to grant peace to the whole world, and to save our souls!

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.

 

Readings
(1)1 Kings 8:22-30; (2) Isaiah 61:10-62:5; (3) Isaiah 60:1-14

 

Aposticha

In Tone 8

Most glorious wonder!
The wisdom of the proud perishes today, and all the forces of evil lament
at beholding Vladimir the great, our faithful ruler:
the wild branch that was divinely planted by the strength of God,
glorified and radiantly crowned by him.

I have exalted one chosen out of the people!

Marvellous depth of wonders!
Those who were hard-hearted in understanding and wandering in vain,
rejoice now in the holy Church, for this is the day of Vladimir.
Christ our God reigns, and has found another Paul,
setting him as faithful prince in his land,
for by holy baptism he has enlightened his people!

I have anointed him with my holy oil!

Rejoice, praise of Rus’!
Rejoice divine Vladimir, our ruler, and guide for the faithful!
Rejoice, bulwark of the faith, rejoice, miracle of miracles:
the calm haven for those who flee to you.
Rejoice, all-holy root of the faith;
the intercessor for those who sing your praises and faithfully magnify you!

Glory…

Assemblies of the orthodox faithful, let us praise Vladimir the great:
teacher of godliness, preacher of the faith, and first among the princes of Rus’.
Let us crown him as equal to the apostles, with praises and spiritual songs:
rejoice, most brave soldier of Christ!
For you wearied the enemy and caused him to perish
and having delivered us from his wiles, you led us to Christ, our King and God!
Now, most-blessed and praise-worthy prince,
pray that peace and health be granted to orthodox Christians,
and victory over their adversaries,
and for our souls, great mercy!

Now…

O Virgin, You have never known wedlock,
Yet You conceived God in the flesh
in a manner which words can never describe.
You thus became the Mother of God on high.
O Immaculate Lady, receive the supplication of your servants
and grant us the cleansing of our sins.
Accept now our prayers and beseech God to save all of us.

 

Troparia

In Tone 4
You resembled the merchant who sought the pearl of great price,* O Vladimir, glorious in might:* seated on the throne of Kiev, the divinely saved mother of the cities of Rus’,* as a seeker you sent envoys to the Imperial City* to know the orthodox faith,* and found Christ the pearl, who chose you as another Paul,* and removed your blindness both spiritual and bodily in the holy font.* Therefore, we your people feast your falling asleep.** Pray that the leaders of Rus’ be saved with those entrusted to them.

Glory… Now…
O Mother of God, the mystery hidden from all eternity* and unknown even to the angels,* was revealed through you to those on earth:* God took on our human nature* and united it to His divine nature in a perfect but unconfused union.* Then, He willingly accepted the cross for our sake* and thereby raised again the first created man,** and saved our souls from death.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: You resembled the merchant who sought the pearl of great price,* O Vladimir, glorious in might:* seated on the throne of Kiev, the divinely-saved mother of the cities of Rus’,* as a seeker you sent envoys to the Imperial City* to know the orthodox faith,* and found Christ the pearl, who chose you as another Paul,* and removed your blindness both spiritual and bodily in the holy font.* Therefore we, your people, feast your falling asleep.* Pray that the leaders of Rus’ be saved with those entrusted to them.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 8: You emulated Paul the great apostle,* O glorious Vladimir;* late in life you abandoned your zeal for idols as childish thinking,* and as a full-grown man you were adorned with divine baptism’s royal purple.* Standing with joy in the presence of Christ the Saviour,* pray that the leaders of Rus’ may be saved with those entrusted to them.

Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Sing to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing.
verse: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout unto God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 46:7,2)

Epistle
Galatians 1:11-19

Allleuia, Tone 6
verse: I have exalted one chosen from among My people.
verse: Indeed, My hand shall sustain him, and My arm shall make him strong. (Psalm 88:20,22)

Gospel
John 10:1-8

Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)

GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

10. We never cease to adore Your life-giving Cross, O Christ our God,
And we glorify Your resurrection on the third day.
For You, Almighty One, have thereby restored the corrupted nature of all
and reopened the way to heaven,
since You alone are gracious and You love mankind.

9. O Saviour, You have absolved the penalty of disobedience,
committed through the tree of Eden,
by willingly being nailed to the tree of the Cross.
As Almighty God, You descended into Hades
and broke asunder the bonds of death.
We, therefore, venerate Your resurrection from the dead,
and joyfully cry out to You:
Almighty Lord, glory to You!

8. O Lord, You have battered down the gates of Hades,
and by Your death You have dissolved the realm of death.
You have freed mankind from corruption,
bestowing life, incorruption, and Your great mercy upon the world.

7. Come, all you people,
let us sing the praises of our Saviour’s resurrection on the third day.
For we have, thereby, been delivered from the invincible bonds of Hades,
and we have received incorruption, together with eternal life.
Therefore, we cry out to You
after Your crucifixion, burial, and resurrection:
Save us by Your resurrection, for You love mankind.

6. O Saviour, with the angels we sing the praises of Your resurrection on the third day.
For the very ends of the universe have, thereby, been enlightened,
and we have been saved from the deceit of the enemy.
Therefore, we cry out to You,
Almighty Saviour, Giver of Life, and Lover of Mankind:
Save us by Your resurrection.

5. O Christ our God, You have demolished the brazen gates of Hades.
You have broken asunder the bonds of death,
and lifted up the fallen human race.
Therefore, we cry out with one accord:
O Lord, Who arose from the dead, glory to You!

In Tone 6

4. O Word and lover of Mankind,
infinite and beyond description in Your taking flesh for our sake,
the nobles assembly of Fathers proclaimed that You are both perfect man and perfect God,
one person in two perfect natures with two perfect wills.
Therefore, we profess that You are one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
We sing a hymn of praise to the Fathers, and we adore You.

3. O glorious Fathers of the Councils,
you demonstrated that Pyrrhus, Sergius, and Onuphrius,
Dioscorus, and Nestorius were in error
concerning the doctrines of Christ.
You save the flock by teaching the true principle
that Christ is one divine person in two natures.
This Christ we adore as perfect man and perfect God,
one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
O holy Fathers, we honour you and sing to you a hymn of praise.

2. The Fathers of the Councils, inspired by God,
declare and explain that in Christ
there is a divine act and a divine will,
uncreated and infinite:
the act and will of the Son of God.
There is also a human act and a human will:
those of the Son of Man.
Thus, they proclaim that Christ is one divine person having two natures,
the one is divine and the other is human.
Therefore, we the faithful honour these Fathers every year
and glorify Christ who glorified them.

1. The Fathers of the Councils proclaim to us today
that the eternal Trinity is one God and one Lord.
They explain the Trinity is of one nature,
consubstantial, of one will and one act,
not divided nor shared but existing in the simplicity of God’s being.
They define that this will and act of God
had no beginning and will never have and end.
Therefore, we the faithful glorify these Fathers
as the equals of the Apostles,
for they taught all people the true doctrine of God.

In Tone 6, Glory…

Let us honour today those mystical trumpets of the Spirit,
namely the God-mantled Fathers,
who speaking of divine things,
sang in the midst of the Church a hymn in unison,
teaching that the Trinity is one,
not differing in substance or Godhead,
refuting Arius and defending the orthodox faith.
They always intercede with the Lord
to have mercy on our souls.

In Tone 4, Now…

O Mother of God, because of You David the Prophet
became an ancestor of God;
he foretold and sang a joyous hymn of praise
and cried out to Him who worked wonders in you:
“The Queen stood at your right hand.”
God revealed you as a life-giving mother,
when He chose to be incarnate of you without a father.
He renewed in man His image which the passions had corrupted.
He found the lost sheep in the mountains, carried it on His shoulders,
offered it to the Father, generously numbered it among the powers of heaven,
and saved the whole world, since He is Christ of great and rich mercy.

 

Readings
(1) Genesis 14:14-20; (2) Deuteronomy 1:8-11, 15-17; (3) Deuteronomy 10:14-21

 

Aposticha

In Tone 4

In being lifted upon the Cross, O Lord,
You abolished the curse which we had inherited from our ancestors.
By going down into Hades,
You freed from eternal captivity those imprisoned there,
and granted incorruption to the human race.
We, therefore, praise Your life-giving and redeeming resurrection.

The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.

By hanging on the Cross, O Almighty One,
You shook the whole creation to its foundations.
When You Yourself were laid in the grave,
You raised to life those who had been lying in the graves,
and You granted life and incorruption to mankind.
We, therefore, praise and glorify Your resurrection on the third day.

For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.

O Christ, the lawless people showed their ingratitude to You, their Benefactor,
by delivering You to Pilate who condemned you to be crucified.
But You willingly suffered death and burial;
and, as God, You rose by Your own power on the third day,
granting us everlasting life and great mercy.

Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.

The women, shedding bitter tears, came to see You in Your tomb;
and not finding Your body, they lamented, saying:
O Saviour and King of All, how were You stolen?
What place holds Your life-bearing body?
An angel answered them, saying:
Do not weep, but go and proclaim that the Lord is risen,
filling our hearts with joy;
for He alone is most compassionate.

In Tone 4, Glory…

O holy Fathers of the Councils,
you are the faithful keepers of the Apostles’ traditions.
By proclaiming that the three persons of the Holy Trinity
are one and consubstantial,
you refuted the blasphemy of Arius.
By teaching that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person,
one with the Father and the Son,
you put Macedonius, Severus and other heretics to shame.
Therefore, we beseech you to intercede for us,
preserving us from heresy and error
and keeping our lives blameless in God’s sight.

Now…

O most pure Virgin, hear the petitions of your servants.
Remove the burdens which oppress us,
and deliver us from our sorrows;
for you are the only firm and constant support on whom we rely.
O Mother of God, never permit us who call upon you
to be overwhelmed by our cares.
Hasten to fulfill the supplications of all who, in faith, cry out to you:
Rejoice, O Lady, helper of all mankind,
the joy, the refuge, and the salvation of our souls.

 

Troparia

In Tone 4
When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,*granting to the world great mercy.”

In Tone 8, Glory…
Christ our God, You are glorified above all,* You established our fathers as beacons on earth* and through them guided all of us to the true faith.** Glory to You, most compassionate Lord.

Now…
O gracious Lord, for the sake of mankind You were born of a virgin: * through Your death on the Cross You conquered Death; * and through Your resurrection You revealed Yourself as God. * O merciful Lord, do not disdain those whom You have created with Your own hands, * but show forth Your love for mankind. * Accept the intercession which the Mother, who bore You, makes in our behalf. ** O Saviour, save Your despairing people.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,* granting to the world great mercy.”

Troparion, Tone 8: Christ our God, You are glorified above all,* You established our fathers as beacons on earth* and through them guided all of us to the true faith.* Glory to You, most compassionate Lord.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 6: The Son who ineffably shone from the Father* was born two-fold of nature from a woman.* Beholding Him, we do not reject the image of His form;* but depicting it, we revere it faithfully.* Therefore, the Church, holing the true faith,* kisses the icon of Christ’s becoming man.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 6: Undaunted patroness of Christians,* O steadfast intermediary with the Creator,* turn not away from the suppliant voices of sinners,* but in your kindness come to help us who cry out to you in faith.* Be quick to intercede, make haste to plead,* for you are ever the patroness of those who honour you, O Mother of God.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4
Blessed are You, Lord God of our fathers,* and praised and glorified is Your Name forever.
verse: For You are righteous in everything that You have done to us. (Daniel 3:26-27)

Epistle
Hebrews 13:7-16

Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: The God of gods, the Lord, spoke and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
verse: Gather to Him His devout ones, who with sacrifice make covenant with Him. (Psalm 49:1,5)

Gospel
John 17:1-17

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens,* praise Him in the highest.* Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalms 184:1; 32:1)

GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 1

6. When the love of God took possession of you, venerable Anthony,
you began to look upon the enticements of the world as vain.
For this reason you left your homeland and settled on the Holy Mountain.
There, among the father, your virtues have shone forth like a light.
Pray to Christ, Whom you have served already from your youth,
for the enlightenment and salvation of our souls.

5. When you were enflamed with the love of Christ
you despised the world – its wisdom and passing glory –
and led an ascetic life, like an angel.
For this, God counted you worthy of the glory of the angels.
Now standing with them before Christ,
pray, Anthony, for the enlightenment and salvation of our souls.

4. When you, father, received into your heart the love of God,
you then entered a dark cave, as though it were a bridal chamber.
There you enriched yourself with knowledge, which is beyond all understanding:
To behold the future as though it were present,
and to openly preach it to all.
Pray to Christ, to Whom you have consecrated yourself, since your youth,
for enlightenment and salvation of our souls.

3. Your feastday has arrived, O God-bearer.
Brighter than the sun, your memory enlightens all who come to you in faith.
O Anthony, intercessor for our souls, your soul is fragrant with immortality
and you pour out healing for our souls.

2. O wonder-worker Anthony, you subdued the sensual and bodily passions
with the bridle of abstinence.
On earth you displayed angelic zeal
in subjecting bodily lusts to the spirit.
In the heavenly courts where you now dwell,
offer prayers for our souls.

1. O blessed Anthony, by discarding the old self and its urges,
and by truly clothing yourself with Christ,
you laid a foundation for virtue.
And so, after repelling many hostile attacks,
you became a guide for monks, O venerable one.
Offer your prayers for the salvation of our souls.

In Tone 6, Glory…

Having witnessed your austere life and ascetic endeavours,
the fathers of the Holy mountain, under the inspiration of God,
sent you back to your homeland, saying:
Go, son, so that, there, the blind may learn about God.
Having returned, venerable father Anthony,
you enlightened your entire homeland
and became the head of community of ascetics
whom you have drawn to Christ.
Beseech Christ for us, that He protect us from the enemies of our souls
and grant us all salvation.

Now…

Who would not call you blessed, O Virgin most holy?
Who would not sing a hymn of praise
to the glory of your giving birth without pain or travail?
The Only-begotten Son Himself,
begotten of the Father before all ages,
was made flesh out of you in a manner
that cannot be explained, O Woman most pure!
And for our sake, He Who is God by nature
assumed the nature of a man.
He is not divided into two persons;
He is understood to have two natures
without commixion or confusion.
O noble and blessed Woman,
intercede with Him that He may mercy on our souls.

 

Readings
(1) Proverbs 10:6-8; 8:6-21; (2) Wisdom 3:1-9; (3) Wisdom 5:15-6:3

 

Aposticha

In Tone 1

O venerable father, you followed in the footsteps of the great Anthony.
Seeking solitude, he dwelt in the desert,
so as to be counted worthy to converse with the angels,
while you shut yourself up in an underground cave,
in order to contemplate the unspeakable world.
Because you have imitated his life, you took his name.
Now that you stand before the Holy Trinity,
pray for the salvation of our souls.

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful.

Like a lampstand shining in a dark place,
you have shone forth, O father Anthony!
And like the prophetic palm tree you flourished in the house of God,
offering yourself, in an unbloody sacrifice,
as blessed fruit to the Master.
Therefore, having gathered together,
we always extol you as is fitting.

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commandments.

Because your life resembled that of the great ascetic Anthony,
in God’s plan you were called Anthony,
for, having gathered together many monks,
who observed your teachings, you led them to God.
Therefore, as a co-dweller of the monastics and righteous,
with whom you now stand before the Holy Trinity,
pray for all those who with hymns glorify your glorious departure.

In Tone 6, Glory…

By zealous prayer and great faith you became likened to the prophet Elijah.
For he drew from heaven fire to consume the sacrifices,
while you through prayers drew fire from heaven
to prepare and purify the site where you desired to build a glorious church
in honour of the Lady and Mother of God.
Therefore, we extol you as a fellow-monastic of the ascetics and heir of the prophet
and implore you: Pray to Christ for the salvation of our souls.

Now…

Christ the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer,
came forth from your womb, O most pure Virgin.
He clothed Himself in our human flesh
to set us free from the original curse of Adam.
Therefore, O Mary, we praise you, without ceasing,
as the true Virgin Mother of God,
and we sing with the angels:
Rejoice, O Lady, advocate, protector, and salvation of our souls.

 

Troparia

In Tone 4
Leaving behind worldly tumult,* O venerable Father Anthony,* in keeping with the gospel you turned your back on the world,* and leading a life equal to that of angels you attained to the calm haven of Mount Athos* from whence you came to the Mount of Kiev* with the Fathers’ blessing* and living there an arduous life you enlightened your fatherland,* pointing the way into the Kingdom on high to a multitude of monks and nuns* and thus lead your homeland to Christ.** Pay to Him that He save our souls.

Glory… Now…
O Mother of God, the mystery hidden from all eternity* and unknown even to the angels,* was revealed through you to those on earth:* God took on our human nature* and united it to His divine nature in a perfect but unconfused union.* Then, He willingly accepted the cross for our sake* and thereby raised again the first created man,** and saved our souls from death.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: Leaving behind worldly tumult,* O Venerable Father Anthony,* in keeping with the gospel you turned your back on the world,* and leading a life equal to that of angels you attained to the calm haven of Mount Athos* from whence you came to the Mount of Kiev* with the Fathers’ blessing* and living there an arduous life you enlightened your fatherland,* pointing the way into the Kingdom on high to a multitude of monks and nuns* and thus you lead your homeland to Christ.* Pray to Him that He save our souls.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 8: Cleaving to God,* whom you loved from your childhood above all else,* you followed Him lovingly with your whole heart,* O Father Anthony.* Scorning this passing world as a trifle* you made your dwelling a cave in the earth.* There you fought well against the unseen enemy’s snares* and shone like the sun to the ends of the earth.* From whence you passed joyfully to heaven’s mansions* and stand now with angels at the Master’s throne.* There we ask you to remember those who feast your memory* that we may cry to you: Rejoice, O Anthony, our Father.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones.
verse: What shall I render to the Lord for all the things He has rendered to me? (Psalm 115:15,12)

Epistle
Galatians 5:22-6:2

Alleluia, Tone 6
verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.
verse: His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth. (Psalm 111:1,2)

Gospel
Luke 6:17-23

Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)

Athanasius was born in Trebizond of God-fearing parents. He became orphaned at an early age but, by the Providence of God, a commander took him under his care and brought him to Constantinople to be educated. Because of his meekness and humbleness, he was the favorite of his peers. During the children’s games, the children chose one to be an emperor, one a commander and Athanasius as abbot as though it was some kind of foretelling! Having completed his education, Athanasius (who before tonsuring was called Abraham) withdrew into the desert of Maleinos near Athos, the Holy Mountain, where he lived the life of an ascetic as a disciple of the then renowned Michael Maleinos. Desiring a more difficult life of mortification, Athanasius settled on Holy Mt. Athos to live in silence (the life of a silentary). But many who were desirous of a life of asceticism began to gather around him and, therefore, he was compelled to build his famous Lavra [monastery]. In that, he was assisted by the Byzantine emperors: at first, Nicephorus Phocas, who himself thought to withdraw and to become a monk and, after him, John Tzimiskes. Countless temptations befell Athanasius both from demons and from men but he, as a brave soldier of Christ, resisted and conquered all by his immeasurable meekness and continual prayer to the Living God. Filled with the Grace of God, Athanasius was made worthy to see the All-holy Birth-giver of God who miraculously brought forth water from a rock and promised that she would also be the abbess [Ikonomisa, the one in charge of the provisions of the monastery]. In work and in prayer, Athanasius surpassed his brethren and loved all with the love a spiritual father and shepherd. Death came to Athanasius unexpectedly. At one time, he with six other monks, climbed upon a newly built vestibule of the church to inspect the wall which was being constructed and the wall caved in on them and buried them. Thus, this great beacon of monasticism died in the year 980 A.D. Many times following his death Athanasius appeared to his brethren either to comfort them or to reprimand them. (Prologue of Ohrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 2

8. What praises are worthy of you, O Athanasius?
Your virtues are your true adornment,
and you were filled with grace by the light flowing from God.
You are a sword cutting down the rebellious passions,
a radiant pillar of divine contemplation,
a flame of abstinence enkindling on the lampstand of your soul
the divine precepts of the One who gives life to all mankind!

7. What praises are worthy of you, O Athanasius?
Your virtues are your true adornment,
and you were filled with grace by the light flowing from God.
You are a sword cutting down the rebellious passions,
a radiant pillar of divine contemplation,
a flame of abstinence enkindling on the lampstand of your soul
the divine precepts of the One who gives life to all mankind!

6. What praises are worthy of you, O Athanasius?
Your virtues are your true adornment,
and you were filled with grace by the light flowing from God.
You are a sword cutting down the rebellious passions,
a radiant pillar of divine contemplation,
a flame of abstinence enkindling on the lampstand of your soul
the divine precepts of the One who gives life to all mankind!

5. What praises can we worthily crown you, O Athanasius?
You are an eagle soaring on the wind,
carried like a heavenly being on the wings of divine contemplation.
You are a stronghold of humility,
and unshakable rampart of discernment,
truly majestic in your nobility of soul,
am intercessor before Christ our God
that He protect your spiritual children in His compassion.

4. What praises can we worthily crown you, O Athanasius?
You are an eagle soaring on the wind,
carried like a heavenly being on the wings of divine contemplation.
You are a stronghold of humility,
and unshakable rampart of discernment,
truly majestic in your nobility of soul,
am intercessor before Christ our God
that He protect your spiritual children in His compassion.

3. What praises can we worthily crown you, O Athanasius?
You are an eagle soaring on the wind,
carried like a heavenly being on the wings of divine contemplation.
You are a stronghold of humility,
and unshakable rampart of discernment,
truly majestic in your nobility of soul,
am intercessor before Christ our God
that He protect your spiritual children in His compassion.

2. By the radiance of your gifts, you are like a morning star,
guiding those who are blinded by the passions
toward the never setting Light, O father Athanasius, wise in God.
Since you increased the talent entrusted to you,
Christ made you a physician of souls:
able to lance festering wounds with the scalpel of your words,
you restore health to the faithful who have recourse to you.

1. By the radiance of your gifts, you are like a morning star,
guiding those who are blinded by the passions
toward the never setting Light, O father Athanasius, wise in God.
Since you increased the talent entrusted to you,
Christ made you a physician of souls:
able to lance festering wounds with the scalpel of your words,
you restore health to the faithful who have recourse to you.

In Tone 6, Glory…

Your life was filled with the grace of God, O father Athanasius,
and your passing was truly holy.
Today, the whole community of the Holy Mountain assembles.
Seeing you lifeless upon your bed, it cries aloud in tears:
Grant one last word to your servants.
Tell us: how can you leave your sons,
whom you have loved as a compassionate father?
Although the tomb will cover you on earth,
we who wholeheartedly venerate you will have you in heaven
as a protector and intercessor before Christ our God!

Now…

Who would not call you blessed, O Virgin most holy?
Who would not sing a hymn of praise to the glory of your giving birth without pain or travail?
The Only-begotten Son Himself, begotten of the Father before all ages,
was made flesh out of you in a manner that cannot be explained, O Woman most pure!
And for our sake, He Who is God by nature assumed the nature of a man.
He is not divided into two persons;
He is understood to have two natures without commixion or confusion.
O noble and blessed Woman, intercede with Him that He may mercy on our souls.

 

Readings
(1) Wisdom 3:1-9; (20 Wisdom 5:15-6:3; (3) Wisdom 4:7-15

 

Aposticha

In Tone 5

Hail, O venerable father Athanasius,
who exult with the angels in their choirs,
for you lived their life on earth as you practiced the virtues,
showing the purity of an unblemished mirror
which receives the radiant lights of the Holy Spirit.
Thus you had the gift of prophecy,
foreseeing all in the divine light of Christ;
entreat Him to grant our souls great mercy.

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful.

Hail, O leader of ascetics, their invincible protector!
Cutting down the passions at their roots:
and valiantly withstanding the attacks of the demons, O Athanasius,
you triumphed over their deadly conduct.
You clearly showed the might and invincible power of the Cross of the Saviour.
With this as your armour, you conquered all the adversaries
opposing the divine manifestation of Christ in the flesh;
entreat Him to grant our souls great mercy.

Happy the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in all His commands.

Pillar of fire supported by the virtues, cloud overshadowing those in the desert,
you led the monks of Athos from earth to heaven.
You split the sea of the passions with the staff of the Cross.
You put the devil to flight, like another Amalek, O blessed father.
Without hindrance, you found the heavenly mount and a never-failing inheritance,
where you rejoice with the angels before the throne of Christ;
entreat Him to grant our souls great mercy.

In Tone 6, Glory…

He is the jewel of the holy fathers, the glory of Christian ascetics,
the fountain of divine miracles, our fervent intercessor before God.
Come, O feast-lovers, let us sing him our praises and say:
Hail, emblem and rule of monastic life,
and its most precise model!
Hail, O flaming torch, illumining the earth with your virtues!
Hail, consolation of the afflicted and fervent protector of the wretched!
You never cease to intercede before Christ our God, O Athanasius,
on behalf of your fold and for all the faithful
who venerate your sacred dormition.

Now…

Christ the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer,
came forth from your womb, O most pure Virgin.
He clothed Himself in our human flesh
to set us free from the original curse of Adam.
Therefore, O Mary, we praise you, without ceasing,
as the true Virgin Mother of God,
and we sing with the angels:
Rejoice, O Lady, advocate, protector, and salvation of our souls.

 

Troparia

In Tone 3
O Athanasius ever glorious,* the ranks of angels marvelled at your life in the flesh* for you with your body engaged the unseen foe,* and wounded the legions of demons.* For this Christ rewarded you with lavish gifts.** Therefore, pray, O Father, that our souls be saved.

Glory… Now…
We sing your praises, O Virgin;* for, as the Mother of God, you always intercede for the salvation of the human race.* It is from you that our God and Your Son took flesh. * Then, by suffering the passion on the Cross,** and out of love for mankind, He delivered us from corruption.

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 3: O Athanasius ever glorious,* the ranks of angels marvelled at your life in the flesh* for you with your body engaged the unseen foe,* and wounded the legions of demons.* For this Christ rewarded you with lavish gifts.* Therefore, pray, O Father, that our souls be saved.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 8: Your flock invokes you, O God-inspired Father,* as one graced with special insight into things unseen* and as a true herald* putting into practice the word that you taught.* Yield not in praying for your servants* that God would free them from every harm and attack.* For they cry out to you:* Rejoice, O Father Athanasius.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones.
verse: What shall I render to the Lord for all the things He has rendered to me? (Psalm 115:15,12)

Epistle
Galatians 5:22-6:2

Alleluia, Tone 6
verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.
verse: His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth. (Psalm 111:1,2)

Gospel
Luke 6:17-23

Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)

During the reign of Emperor Leo the Great (458-471 A.D.), Empress Verina and Patriarch Gennadius, two noblemen from Constantinople, Galibus and Candidus, traveled throughout the Holy Land to venerate and to worship before the holy shrines. In Nazareth, they stopped for a while at the home of a Jewish maiden who kept the girdle of the All-Holy Mother of God in a secret room. Many who were ill and in need received healing from their sufferings through prayer and by touching the vesture. Galibus and Candidus took this sacred article and brought it to Constantinople and reported it to the emperor and patriarch. This brought about great joy in the imperial city. The vesture was solemnly translated and placed in the Church of Blachernae. This church was built by Emperor Marcian and Empress Pulcheria on the shore of an inlet and was called Blachernae after the name of a Scetis commander who was slain there. And in remembrance of the placing of this vesture of the All-Holy Birth giver of God in this Blacheran church, this feast day was instituted. (Prologue of Ohrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

6. You are compassionate, Lover of mankind,
giving Your Mother to Your servants as an aid.
Through her You have worked Your ineffable and awesome dispensation,
restoring our first and divine life.
Therefore, as we honour her all-holy feast, we hymn Your might,
almighty Jesus, the Saviour of our souls!

5. You are compassionate, Lover of mankind,
giving Your Mother to Your servants as an aid.
Through her You have worked Your ineffable and awesome dispensation,
restoring our first and divine life.
Therefore, as we honour her all-holy feast, we hymn Your might,
almighty Jesus, the Saviour of our souls!

4. Protect with your precious robe, all praised one,
the people who honour and fittingly glorify you.
Preserve them from godless enemies, immaculate one;
from famine, earthquake and civil war.
Therefore we all glorify you, unwedded Virgin and holy Bride of God,
the helper of all mankind!

3. Protect with your precious robe, all praised one,
the people who honour and fittingly glorify you.
Preserve them from godless enemies, immaculate one;
from famine, earthquake and civil war.
Therefore we all glorify you, unwedded Virgin and holy Bride of God,
the helper of all mankind!

2. Lady full of divine grace,
you have given your city your precious robe:
a wealth that cannot be diminished;
a shelter, glory and impregnable wall;
a treasure of healings and ever-flowing fountain of wonders;
a constant haven and salvation for those tossed by storms.
Therefore, we hymn you, all-praised and pure Lady!

1. Lady full of divine grace,
you have given your city your precious robe:
a wealth that cannot be diminished;
a shelter, glory and impregnable wall;
a treasure of healings and ever-flowing fountain of wonders;
a constant haven and salvation for those tossed by storms.
Therefore, we hymn you, all-praised and pure Lady!

In Tone 2, Glory… Now…

Cleansed in heart and mind,
let us keep the feast together with the angels,
joyfully addressing the song of David
to the Maiden Bride of Christ our God, the King of all!
Let us say: Arise, Lord, into Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your holiness,
for You have adorned her as a palace of delight.
You have given her, Master, as an inheritance to Your people,
to preserve and shelter them by Your mighty power from their enemies
through her supplications!

 

Readings
(1) Genesis 28:10-17; (2) Ezekiel 43:27-44; (3) Proverbs 9:1-11

 

Aposticha

In Tone 3

Come, all you faithful from the ends of the earth,
let us glorify the honourable feast of the Mother of God.
Lifting up her hands to her Son, she prays for us,
and through her holy feast the world is given life.
Therefore, with psalms and hymns and spiritual odes,
let us joyfully celebrate with all the saints.

She is led to the king with her maiden companions. They are escorted amid gladness and joy.

Greatly has God adorned you with beauty,
for in the midst of all, He placed the Light in your arms.
You alone are in His light and are the hope of Christians;
you are the help for those afflicted with needs and sorrows;
you are the haven for those who labour and toil.
Now entreat Him to deliver from all afflictions
those who lovingly honour your holy feast.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

Your honoured feast, pure and holy Virgin,
is glorified by angels in heaven and by mankind on earth;
for you are the Mother of Christ our God, the Creator of all.
Do not cease to entreat Him for us, we beg you;
for next to God, we have placed our trust in you,
O Theotokos, most highly praised and pure of all stain.

In Tone 2, Glory… Now…

Today the church of God adorns itself, all-pure Theotokos,
putting on your precious robe as a most splendid crown.
It rejoices and dances in spirit,
crying out to you, Mistress:
Rejoice, precious diadem and crown of divine glory!
Rejoice, only perfection of glory and eternal gladness!
Rejoice, haven and deliverance of those who run to you
and our salvation!

 

Troparia

In Tone 8
Protection of humans, ever-Virgin Mother of God* as a mighty bulwark for your city* you gave your pure body’s robe and sash.* They remained incorrupt by your giving birth without seed.* For in you are nature and time made new.* Therefore, we pray you, give peace to your city,* and to our souls great mercy.

Glory… Now…
O gracious Lord, for the sake of mankind You were born of a virgin;* through Your death on the cross You conquered death;* and through Your resurrection You revealed yourself as God.* O merciful Lord, do not disdain those whom You have created with Your own hands,* but show forth Your love for mankind.* Accept the intercession which the Mother, who bore You, makes in our behalf.** O Saviour, save Your despairing people!

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 8: Protection of humans, ever-Virgin Mother of God* as a mighty bulwark for your city* and you gave your pure body’s robe and sash.* They remained incorrupt by your giving birth without seed.* For in you are nature and time made new.* Therefore, we pray you, give peace to your city,* and – to our souls – great mercy.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4: O pure one, full of the grace of God,* you have given your sacred robe as a garb on incorruption to all who believe.* It covered your sacred body,* O protection of all mankind.* We feast its deposition with love, and in awe we cry:* Rejoice, O Virgin, boast of Christians.

Prokeimenon, Tone 3
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
verse: Because he has regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, all generations shall call me blessed. (Luke 1:46-48)

Epistle
Hebrew 9:1-7

Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: Rise up, O Lord, to the place of Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness.
verse: The Lord swore an oath to David, and will not go back on His word. (Psalm 131:8,11)

Gospel
Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28

Communion Hymn
I will take the cup of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 115:13)

Peter was the son of Jonah and the brother of Andrew, the First-called. He was of the Tribe of Simeon from the town of Bethsaida. He was a fisherman and, at first, was called Simon but the Lord was pleased to call him Cephas or Peter: “And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, He said, You are Simon the son of Jonah: you shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a rock” (St. John 1:42). He was the first of the disciples to clearly express faith in the Lord Jesus saying: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (St. Matthew 16:16). His love for the Lord was great and his faith in the Lord gradually strengthened. When the Lord was brought to trial, Peter denied Him three times but after only one glance into the face of the Lord, Peter’s soul was filled with shame and repentance. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter appears as a fearless and powerful preacher of the Gospel. Following one of his sermons in Jerusalem, three-thousand souls converted to the Faith. He preached the Gospel throughout Palestine and Asia Minor, throughout Illyria and Italy. Peter worked many powerful miracles; he healed the sick, resurrected the dead; the sick were healed even from his shadow. He had a great struggle with Simon the Magician who proclaimed himself as god but in reality Simon was a servant of Satan. Finally, Peter shamed and defeated him. By order of the evil Emperor Nero, Simon’s friend, Peter was condemned to death. Installing Linus as Bishop of Rome, counseling and comforting the flock of Christ, Peter proceeded joyfully to his death. Seeing the cross before him, he begged his executioners to crucify him upside down for he considered himself unworthy to die as did his Lord. Thus the great servant of the Great Lord reposed and received the wreath of eternal glory.

Paul was born in Tarsus of the tribe of Benjamin. At first, he was called Saul, studied under Gamaliel, was a Pharisee and a persecutor of Christianity. He was miraculously converted to the Christian Faith by the Lord Himself Who appeared to him on the road to Damascus. He was baptized by the Apostle Ananias, was called Paul and numbered in the service of the great apostles. With a fiery zeal, Paul preached the Gospel everywhere from the borders of Arabia to Spain, among the Jews and among the Gentiles. He received the title “Apostle to the Gentiles.” As horrible as his sufferings were, so much more was his super human patience. Throughout all the years of his preaching Paul, from day to day, hung as one on a weak thread between life and death. Since he fulfilled all days and nights with labor and suffering for Christ, since he organized the Church in many places and since he attained such a degree of perfection he was able to say: “It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Paul was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero at the same time as the Apostle Peter. (Prologue from Ochrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 2

10. Come, let us adore God the Word,
Who was born of the Father before all ages,
and was incarnate of the Virgin Mary;
for of His own free will He suffered the Cross
and submitted Himself to burial,
and arose from the dead to save me, a sinful one.

9. Christ our Saviour cancelled the decree that was written against us,
by nailing it to the Cross;
and He abolished the dominion of Death.
Let us glorify His Resurrection on the third day.

8. Let us, together with the archangels, sing of Christ’s resurrection;
for He is the Redeemer and Saviour of our souls.
He will come again in awesome glory and mighty power
to judge the world which He has fashioned.

7. Although You died and were buried,
the angel yet declared You as Master.
He said to the women: Come and see where the Lord was placed;
for He is risen as He foretold,
because He is almighty.
Therefore, we worship You, the only Immortal One,
and we beseech You to have mercy on us, O Giver of Life.

6. What crowns of praise shall we weave for Peter and Paul?
They were separated in the body but united in spirit,
and outstanding as the preachers of God.
The one indeed led the apostles,
while the other laboured more than all the rest.
Christ our God, showing great mercy,
fittingly crowns them with immortal glory.

5. What crowns of praise shall we weave for Peter and Paul?
They were separated in the body but united in spirit,
and outstanding as the preachers of God.
The one indeed led the apostles,
while the other laboured more than all the rest.
Christ our God, showing great mercy,
fittingly crowns them with immortal glory.

4. With what beautiful hymns shall we praise Peter and Paul?
They are wings of divine knowledge,
spreading out to the far ends of the earth
and soaring aloft to heaven.
They are two heads of the Gospel of grace,
two feet of the preaching of the truth,
two rivers of wisdom and two arms of the Cross,
through which the merciful Christ casts down the pride of demons.

3. With what beautiful hymns shall we praise Peter and Paul?
They are wings of divine knowledge,
spreading out to the far ends of the earth
and soaring aloft to heaven.
They are two heads of the Gospel of grace,
two feet of the preaching of the truth,
two rivers of wisdom and two arms of the Cross,
through which the merciful Christ casts down the pride of demons.

2. With what spiritual songs shall we praise Peter and Paul?
They slew the godless tongues of idolaters.
They are fearful swords of the Spirit and notable ornaments of Rome,
nourishers of the whole world
and the God-inspired tablets of the new covenant.
Christ, in His great mercy, has proclaimed their honour in Sion.

1. With what spiritual songs shall we praise Peter and Paul?
They slew the godless tongues of idolaters.
They are fearful swords of the Spirit and notable ornaments of Rome,
nourishers of the whole world
and the God-inspired tablets of the new covenant.
Christ, in His great mercy, has proclaimed their honour in Sion.

In Tone 4, Glory…

Christ asked three times: Peter, do you love Me?
Thereby He satisfied the three-fold denial;
and Simon, understanding the mystery, cried to the Lord:
You know all things; You know that I love You.
After this, Christ said to him:
Feed my sheep, feed my lambs;
feed those sheep which I have fashioned for salvation with my own blood.
Therefore, O blessed Apostle of God,
beseech Him to grant us great mercy.

In Tone 2, 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.

 

Readings
(1) 1 Peter 1: 3-9; (2) 1 Peter 1: 13 – 19; (3) 1 Peter 2: 11-24

 

Lytia

In Tone 2

Come today, O assemblies of the faithful,
O choirs full of praise, O beautiful gathering,
O chosen craftsmen of grace,
we are crowning Peter and Paul with worthy praises.
They sowed the Word in its fullness;
through them the grace of the Spirit was poured out abundantly.
And being the vine of the true vineyard,
they divided up for us a ripe cluster, making our hearts joyful.
Let us sing to them with clear expression,
and with a clean conscience let us say:
Rejoice, O destroyers of the unwise
and the servants of the spiritual ones.
Rejoice, O intermediaries for the good who banish evil.
Let us beseech them to always pray to the Creator and Teacher
to grant an enduring peace to the world
and great mercy to our souls.

Let us praise as intercessors for the world,
the teachers and foundations of the Church of Christ,
its true pillars and walls,
trumpets of the divine teachings and sufferings of Christ,
the prime apostles Peter and Paul.
They travelled throughout the earth,
as though with a plough, sowing the faith,
and planted a knowledge of God in all,
revealing the Word of the Trinity.
O Peter, rock of foundation, and Paul, O chosen vessel,
you were harnessed together to the will of Christ.
You raised up all creation to a knowledge of God:
the nations, the cities, and the islands.
Indeed, you lifted up anew the Hebrews into the Church,
and now you pray that our souls be saved.

O Peter, the first of the glorious apostles and rock of faith!
wondrous Paul, orator and lamp stand of the holy churches,
standing before the divine throne,
pray to Christ for us.

O Paul, spokesman of the Lord and foundation of doctrine!
Once you were a persecutor of Jesus the Saviour,
and then indeed you were among the first of the apostles, O blessed one.
You saw the ineffable One, O wise Apostle.
You were transported up to the third heaven, and you exclaimed:
Come with me and do not be deprived of the good things.

In Tone 3

O citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem,
behold the rock of faith and the orator of the Church of Christ,
the two men of the Trinity and fishers of the world,
today are departing from the earth.
Suffering the passion, they ascend to God,
and they pray to Him with confidence to save our souls.

In Tone 5, Glory…

The wisdom of God and the Word who is co-eternal with the Father
has truly foretold in the Gospel, O all-praiseworthy Apostles,
that you are the two most fruitful vines;
for you bore in your branches the ripe and beautiful cluster
from which we believers are now nourished
and whose taste brings us both sweetness and delight.
Therefore, O Peter, rock of faith, and Paul, pride of the universe,
strengthen the flock that became yours through your teachings.

Now…

We bless you, O Theotokos and Virgin;
and we faithful ones glorify you always.
You are the ineffable city, the mighty wall,
the powerful mediatrix, and the haven of our souls.

 

Aposticha

In Tone 2

Your Resurrection, O Christ our Saviour,
has enlightened the whole universe;
and, through it, You call back to Yourself all Creation.
Almighty God, glory to You!

The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.

By the wood of Your Cross, O Saviour,
You have abolished the curse of the tree;
by Your burial You have destroyed the power of death;
and by Your Resurrection You enlightened the human race.
We, therefore, cry out to You:
O Christ our God, Giver of Life, glory to You!

For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.

O Christ, when You were nailed to the Cross,
the distorted nature of creation was made manifest.
The soldiers showed their inhumanity by piercing Your side with a lance,
and the people showed their ignorance of Your power
by asking that Your tomb be sealed.
But, in Your mercy, You accepted burial
and then arose on the third day.
O Lord, glory to You!

Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.

O Christ, Giver of Life,
You freely endured the Passion for the sake of mortals.
In Your power You descended into Hades;
and snatching, as from a mighty monster, the souls of those who awaited Your coming,
You placed them in Paradise.
Therefore, show Your great mercy to us who glorify Your Resurrection,
and cleanse our souls.

In Tone 6, Glory…

Today a delightful feast has shone forth to the ends of the earth,
the all-solemn memorial of the most wise and first apostles, Peter and Paul.
Therefore, let Rome receive the glad tidings, rejoicing;
and let us feast on this solemn day, crying out to them:
Rejoice, O Peter, apostle and special friend of the Teacher, Christ our God.
Rejoice, O truly beloved Paul,
preacher of the faith and teacher of the universe.
Because of your privilege, O holy ones,
beseech Christ our God to save our souls.

Now…

Christ the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer,
came forth from your womb, O most pure Virgin.
He clothed himself in our human flesh
to set us free from the original curse of Adam.
Therefore, O Mary, we praise you, without ceasing,
as the true Virgin Mother of God,
and we sing with the angels:
Rejoice, O Lady, advocate, protector, and salvation of our souls.

 

Troparia

In Tone 1
Rejoice, Virgin Mary, Mother of God, full of grace,* The Lord is with you.* Blessed are you among women,* and blessed is the fruit of your womb.* For you have given birth to Christ, the Saviour and Deliverer of our souls. (2)

In Tone 4
As the leaders of the apostles* and teachers of the whole world,* intercede with the Master of all* to grant peace to the world* and to our souls great mercy. (1)

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 2: When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* “O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory be to You!”

Troparion, Tone 4: As the leaders of the apostles* and teachers of the whole world,* intercede with the Master of all* to grant peace to the world* and to our souls great mercy.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 2: You rose from the tomb, O almighty Saviour;* and Hades, seeing this wonder, was stricken with fear; and the dead arose.* Creation saw and rejoices with You, and Adam exults.* And the world, my Saviour, sings Your praises for ever.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: You received Your inspired and steadfast preachers, Your chief disciples,* into the enjoyment of Your good things and into repose.* You, Who alone know the heart, accept their labours and death* more gladly than any holocaust.

Prokeimenon, Tone 2
The Lord is my strength and my song of praise, and He has become my salvation.
verse: The Lord has indeed chastised me, but He has not delivered me to death. (Psalm 117:14,18)

Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their word unto the ends of the world. (Psalm 18:5)

Epistle
Romans 5:1-10; 2 Corinthians 11:21-12:9

Alleluia, Tone 2
verse: The Lord will hear you in the day of tribulation; the name of the God of Jacob will shield you.
verse: Lord, grant victory to the king and hear us in the day that we shall call upon You. (Psalm 19:2,10)
verse: The heavens shall confess our wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints.
verse: God is glorified in the assembly of the saints. (Psalm 88:6,8)

Gospel
Matthew 6:22-33; Matthew 16:13-19

Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify Peter the solid rock of Christ’s Church and Paul her chosen vessel.
You, most glorious Bride and all holy Mother of God,* in song do we magnify;* for the Maker of all things seen and unseen* was born of you.

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1)* Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their word unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 18:5)

Six months before his appearance in Nazareth to the All-holy Virgin Mary, the great archangel of God, Gabriel appeared to Zacharias the high priest in the Temple at Jerusalem. Before he announced the miraculous conception to the unwed virgin [Mary], the archangel announced the miraculous conception to the childless old woman [Elizabeth]. Zacharias did not immediately believe the words of the herald of God and this is why his tongue was tied with dumbness and remained as such until eight days after the birth of John. On that day, the relatives of Zacharias and Elizabeth gathered for the young child’s circumcision and for the sake of giving him a name. When they asked the father what name he wishes to give to his son and being dumb, he wrote on a tablet: “John.” At that moment his tongue became loosed and he began to speak. The home of Zacharias was on the heights between Bethlehem and Hebron. The news of the appearance of the angel of God to Zacharias was spread throughout all of Israel, as well as of his dumbness and the loosening of his tongue at thee moment when he wrote the name “John.” The news concerning this even reached Herod. Therefore, when Herod sent soldiers to slay the children throughout Bethlehem, he directed men to the hilly dwelling place of the family of Zacharias to kill John also. However, Elizabeth promptly hid the child. Enraged, at this King Herod sent his executioners to Zacharias in the Temple to slay him (for it happened that it was Zacharias’ turn again to serve in the Temple of Jerusalem). Zacharias was slain between the court and the temple and his blood coagulated and petrified on the stone pavers and remained a perpetual witness against Herod. Elizabeth hid with the child in a cave where she died soon after. The young child John remained in the wilderness alone under the care of God and God’s angels. (Prologue from Ochrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

8. When John was born, the silence of Zechariah was broken.
For when the Voice appeared, it was not proper that his father remain silent.
Just as disbelief bound the tongue of the father,
so now the appearance of John frees him.
Having revealed himself, he preaches good tidings to all.
The Forerunner of Light and the Voice of the Word is born,
and he prays for the salvation of our souls.

7. When John was born, the silence of Zechariah was broken.
For when the Voice appeared, it was not proper that his father remain silent.
Just as disbelief bound the tongue of the father,
so now the appearance of John frees him.
Having revealed himself, he preaches good tidings to all.
The Forerunner of Light and the Voice of the Word is born,
and he prays for the salvation of our souls.

6. Today the Voice of the Word frees his father’s voice
which was lost through disbelief,
and he reveals the blessed posterity of the Church
by loosing his mother’s bond of barrenness.
The Lamp preceding the Light appears;
the star proclaims the coming of the Sun of Justice
who is the restoration of all
and the salvation of our souls.

5. When the time approached for the Word of God to be born from a Virgin,
a messenger came forth from a barren womb.
He is the greatest born of woman
and the greatest of the prophets.
Behold, the beginnings of God’s actions are beyond our understanding.
You were begotten eternally and conceived without seed;
you work wonders for our salvation. Glory to you!

4. Today the great Forerunner appears,
born from the barren womb of Elizabeth.
He is a prophet greater than all prophets;
there is no other like him, nor has there ever been.
For the most wondrous Light followed the lamp of the Forerunner;
the Word followed the Voice,
and the Bridegroom followed the bridegroom’s friend.
He prepares a special people for the Lord,
cleansing them with water until the coming of the Spirit.
He is the offspring of Zechariah and the noble dweller of the desert,
the preacher of repentance, and the purification of sins.
He announced the good news
of the Resurrection from the dead to those in Hades,
and he prays for our souls.

3. O John, the Baptizer of Christ,
you manifested yourself to be a prophet and forerunner
from the time you were in the womb.
When you saw the queen coming to her servant,
you leaped for joy in the womb of your mother,
you, the one conceived of a barren woman,
according to the promise made to the elder Zechariah.
You knew she was bearing the eternal One
who was from the Father without a mother.
Now implore God to have mercy on our souls.

2. Zechariah did not believe the word of the angel
who told that Elizabeth would conceive and bear a son.
Instead he replied: How can she give birth,
for we are both advanced in years.
He was made silent by your decree because of his disbelief.
Today he sees the promised birth,
and his silence is ended to give way to joy.
O, what a glorious marvel!
He shouts aloud: Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,
for He has turned to his people and brought them salvation.
He grants great mercy to the world.

1. O most praiseworthy John and universal apostle,
good news of Gabriel and flower of the barren woman,
noble child of the desert,
true friend of the bridegroom Christ,
pray to Him to have mercy on our souls.

In Tone 6, Glory…

Today, like a shining star,
the Lamp prepares the way for the coming of the Word of God.
Today Zechariah speaks clearly, ending the silence imposed by the angel,
for it was not right that the father of the Voice be kept silent
once John was born from a barren womb.
He comes to announce with great boldness
the good news of salvation for all the world.

Now…

Elizabeth carried the Forerunner of grace,
and the Virgin carried the Lord of glory.
When the mothers greeted each other, the infant leaped for joy,
for even within the womb, the servant praised the Master.
The mother of the Forerunner was amazed and sang out:
How have I deserved that the mother of my Lord has come to me?
Glory to Him who with great mercy saves a despairing people.

 

Readings
(1) Genesis 17:15-19; 18:11-14; 21:1-8; (2) Judges 13:2-19; (3) Isaiah 40:1-3, 9; 41:17-18

 

Litya

In Tone 1

O mountains, give forth your sweetness;
O hills, skip about like lambs;
for today the Lord’s forerunner, desiring to abide with us, is born of Elizabeth.
At his birth he loosed his father’s silence.
Therefore, let us cry out to him:
O Baptizer of Christ, implore Him to save our souls.

The God-named Voice and Lamp of the Light, the Forerunner of the Lord,
was attested to by Christ as the foremost of the prophets.
Please remember your flock in order to preserve it intact,
and we also ask that you pray for the world.

O prophet and forerunner John,
you were the preacher of the Lamb who is the Word of God.
You prophesied the future;
you spoke beforehand to the ends of the earth:
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world
and grants great mercy to all.

In Tone 5, Glory…

Today Elizabeth rejoices as she gives birth
to the end of the prophets and the beginning of the apostles,
the earthly angel and the heavenly man,
the voice of the Word, the soldier and forerunner of Christ,
who leaped for joy beforehand because of the Promised One
and who preached before the birth of the Sun of Justice.
In his old age Zechariah is amazed,
having cast aside the muteness imposed as a punishment.
As the father of the Voice, he prophesies most splendidly:
And you, O child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
and you shall go before Him to prepare the way.
Therefore, O angel, prophet, apostle, and soldier,
forerunner, baptizer, preacher of penance, and guide,
as the voice of the light of the Word,
pray unceasingly for us who faithfully keep your memory.

Now…

O most pure Virgin ,
you are the temple, the gate, the palace, and the throne of the King.
Christ, our Redeemer and Lord,
appeared through you to those who slumbered in darkness.
For He, as the Sun of Righteousness,
wished to enlighten those whom He created with his own hands
according to his own image.
Therefore, O Lady, whom we always praise in song,
we beseech you to intercede with Christ for the salvation of our souls;
for, as his mother, you can approach Him with the greatest of confidence.

 

Aposticha

In Tone 2

With psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
let us praise the glorious desert-dweller John,
since he is the prophet of prophets
and the fruit of a barren womb,
greater than all born of women.
Let us cry out to him:
O Baptist and Forerunner of the Saviour,
by your holy birth you may implore Christ with confidence
to grant peace to the world
and great mercy to our souls.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and ransomed his people.

According to the promise,
John the Forerunner and the Voice of the grace of the Word has appeared.
He was born today of the childless, barren woman.
Rejoice, O people,
for he has come to prepare for us the way of the Saviour
to whom he bowed down and leaped for joy
while still in the womb of his mother.
He is the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world
and grants great mercy to us.

And you, O child, shall be called prophet of the Most High.

John, who was sanctified in the womb of his mother
and received the fullness of prophecy,
is born today from a barren woman.
Clearly he announces the coming of the Lord:
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

In Tone 8, Glory…

Today the voice of the prophet Isaiah is fulfilled
in the birth of the greatest of the prophets, John.
He had said: Behold, I will prepare the way of the Lord.
He will be a soldier of the kingdom of heaven,
running before the path of our God.
By nature he was a man,
yet in the present life he became an angel,
for he welcomed moderation in complete purity.
He had a human nature but fled what was according to nature
and struggled beyond the natural.
Therefore, let all the faithful imitate his virtues
and beg him to pray for the salvation of our souls.

Now…

Elizabeth said to the Virgin Mary:
How is it that the Mother of my God has come to me?
You bear the King, and I, a soldier.
You bear the Lawgiver, and I, a preacher of the law.
You bear the Word, and I, the voice who announces the kingdom of heaven.

 

Troparia

In Tone 4
O Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ,* in spite of our honoru and devotion,* we are unable to give you worthy praise.* Through your glorious and noble birth* your mother’s childlessness was ended,* your father’s tongue was freed,* and the Incarnation of the Son of God** was proclaimed to the world. 2x

In Tone 1
Rejoice, Virgin Mary, Mother of God, full of grace,* The Lord is with you.* Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.* For you have borne Christ,* the Saviour and Deliverer of our souls.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: O Prophet and forerunner of the coming of Christ,* we, who lovingly honour you are at a loss to praise you worthily;* for your mother’s barrenness and your father’s silence* were both ended by your honoured and glorious birth,* and the incarnation of the Son of God* is preached to the whole world.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 3: She who once was barren gives birth today to the Forerunner of Christ,* who will fulfil every prophecy.* In the Jordan he placed his hand upon the One Whom the prophets foretold* and thus was shown to be the prophet, the herald,* and the Forerunner of the Word of God.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him.
verse: Hear, O God, my voice when I make my petition to You. (Psalm 63:11,2)

Epistle
Romans 13:11b-14:4

Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited His people and redeemed them.
verse: And you, O child, will be called the prophet of the Most High (Luke 1:68,72)

Gospel
Luke 1:1-15, 57-68, 76, 80

Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify the precious birth of Christ’s Baptist and forerunner, John.
Words cannot express the hidden, divine, ineffable mystery* that is clearly fulfilled in you, Virgin immaculate,* for because of His loving mercy God became flesh of you.* And, therefore, as Mother of God, we magnify you.

Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)

Eusebius was a great exposer of Arianism. When the throne of Antioch became vacant, Meletius was elected patriarch at the insistence of Eusebius. Meletius was a great beacon of the Church who, after his death, was found worthy of great praise by St. John Chrysostom. However, the Arians quickly banished Meletius from Antioch. When Constantine’s pernicious son Constantius died another much worse than he was crowned, Julian the Apostate. During the time of Julian’s persecution of Christians, St. Eusebius removed his clerical attire and donned a soldier’s uniform so that, under the guise of a soldier, he visited the persecuted Church throughout Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine strengthening the Orthodox Faith everywhere and installing the necessary priests and deacons and other clergy and, in some places, bishops. Following the stormy death of Julian, St. Eusebius counseled Meletius to convene a Council in Antioch in 361 A.D. at which twenty-seven hierarchs were present and the Arian heresy was condemned once more and the Faith of Orthodoxy was proclaimed in the same manner as it was expressed at the First Ecumenical Council [Nicea 325 A.D]. Along with Meletius and Eusebius, St. Pelagius of Laodicea the famous ascetic and chaste one, made a great impact at the Council of Antioch. This Council was held during the reign of the pious Emperor Jovian. However, Emperor Jovian soon died and the wicked Valens was crowned and again the persecution of Orthodoxy ensued. St. Meletius was exiled to Armenia, Eusebius exiled to Thrace and Pelagius exiled to Arabia. After Valens, Gratian was crowned emperor and it was he who granted freedom to the Church and recalled the exiled hierarchs to their former sees. Thus, they returned: Meletius to Antioch, Eusebius to Samosata and Pelagius to Laodicea. At this time, many dioceses and many parishes were widowed and Eusebius zealously hurried to find and to give to the people canonical shepherds. When he came to the town of Doliche to enthrone the newly elected bishop Marinus and to denounce the heresy of Arius, which was strong in this town, a fanatical heretic hurled a ceramic tile at Eusebius’ head and mortally wounded him. This great zealot, saint and martyr of Orthodoxy died to live eternally in the blessedness of Paradise. He suffered in the year 379 A.D. (Prologue from Ochrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 1

10. Accept our evening prayer, O holy Lord,
and grant us forgiveness of sins,
for You alone manifested the Resurrection to the world.

9. O you people, walk around Zion and encompass her.
And there give glory to Him Who is risen from the dead.
For He is our God
Who delivers us from our sins.

8. Come you people, praise and worship Christ.
Glorify His Resurrection from the dead;
for He is our God Who delivered the world
from the deceit of the enemy.

7. Rejoice, O you heavens;
sound the trumpets, you foundations of the earth;
cry out with joy, O you mountains.
For behold, Emmanuel has nailed our sins to the Cross;
the Giver of Life has put Death to death;
and the Lover of Mankind
has raised up Adam.

6. Let us praise the Lord
Who for our sake was willingly crucified in the flesh.
He suffered, was buried, and rose from the dead.
Therefore, let us sing to Him:
O Christ, keep Your Church in the orthodox faith
and bring peace to our lives;
for You are gracious and love mankind.

5. O Christ our God, as we stand unworthily before Your life-bearing grave,
we offer a hymn of praise to Your ineffable tenderness of heart.
For You, O Sinless One,
in Your loving-kindness have accepted the Cross and death
in order to grant
resurrection to the world.

4. Let us praise the Word
Who is without beginning and co-eternal with the Father.
For our sake He was born of the Virgin;
He freely accepted the Cross and death, and rose in glory.
Therefore, let sing to Him:
Glory to You, O Lord,
the Giver of Life and Saviour of souls.

In Tone 8

3. What shall we call you, glorious one?
Faithful bishop and holy teacher;
support of the orthodox and eye of the Church;
beacon shining forth the light of understanding;
glorious among martyrs, champion of truth;
a great denouncer of falsehood!
Pray that our souls may be saved!

2. What shall we call you, holy hierarch?
River flowing from the spiritual Eden,
watering the earth with mystical streams;
cup filled with a divine draught drowning the ranks of Arius,
pillar of fire going before the new people by the grace of God!
Pray that our souls may be saved!

1. What shall I name you, Eusebius?
Bestower of piety and destroyer of blasphemy;
adornment of passion-bearers and joy of priests;
sickle cutting down tares and gathering in the heavenly wheat,
ever-flowing fountain of miracles,
quenching the fever of infirmities!
Pray that our souls may be saved!

In Tone 1, Glory… 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 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 up 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!

 

Aposticha

In Tone 1

O Christ, by Your Passion we have been freed from suffering;
and by Your Resurrection we have been delivered from corruption.
O Lord, glory to You!

The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.

Let all creation rejoice, let the heavens be glad,
let the nations clap their hands with joy.
For Christ our Saviour, in His love for mankind,
has nailed our sins to the Cross;
He has put Death to death,
and by raising our fallen forefather, Adam,
He has given life to all mankind.

For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.

O God, You are above all understanding;
You are King and Lord of heaven and earth.
Yet of Your own free will,
You allowed Yourself to be crucified because of Your love for mankind.
When You descended below,
Hades was filled with bitterness as You confronted it;
but the souls of the just received You with great joy.
Adam arose when he saw You, his Creator, down in the depths.
What a wonder this is!
You are the life of all and have tasted death
in order to dispel the darkness of the world with Your light.
O Lord, risen from the dead, glory to You!

Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.

The myrrh-bearing women were filled with grief
as they hastened with spices to Your tomb;
but they did not find Your most pure body.
Instead, they found an angel
who proclaimed Your unique and glorious Resurrection,
and commanded them to announce to Your Apostles:
The Lord is risen, granting great mercy to the world.

Glory… Now…

O Mother of God, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled,
since you remained a virgin both before and after giving birth.
For it was God Who was born of you to restore our human nature.
Therefore, do not overlook your servants who supplicate you in your temple.
Since you have held the merciful Lord in your arms,
be compassionate toward your servants,
and beseech Him to save our souls.

 

Troparia

In Tone 1
Though the stone was sealed by the Judeans* and soldiers guarded Your most pure body,* You arose, O Saviour, on the third day* and gave life to the world.* And so the heavenly powers cried out You, O Giver of Life:* Glory to Your Resurrection, O Christ!* Glory to Your Kingdom!* Glory to Your saving plan!** O only Lover of Mankind.

In Tone 4, Glory…
Having shared the way of life of the apostles,* and having become a successor to their thrones,* labouring you found the divinely inspired way to contemplation.* Therefore, forthrightly ministering the word of truth,* you shed your blood for the faith, O hieromartyr, Eusebius.* Intercede with Christ our God for the salvation of our souls.

Now…
O Mother of God, the mystery hidden from all eternity* and unknown even to the angels,* was revealed through you to those on earth:* God took on our human nature* and united it to His divine nature in a perfect but unconfused union.* Then, He willingly accepted the cross for our sake* and thereby raised again the first created man,*and saved our souls from death.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 1: Though the stone was sealed by the Judeans,* and soldiers guarded Your most pure body,* You arose, O Saviour, on the third day,* and gave life to the world.* And so the heavenly powers cried out to You, O Giver of Life:* Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ!* Glory to Your kingdom!* Glory to Your saving plan,* O only Lover of mankind.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 1: You arose in glory from the tomb* and with Yourself You raise the world.* All humanity acclaims You as God.* and death has vanished.* Adam exults, O Master,* and Eve, redeemed from bondage now, cries out for joy:* “You are the One, O Christ, Who offer resurrection to all.”

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 1: When Gabriel uttered to you, O Virgin, his ‘Rejoice!’* at that sound the Master of all became flesh in you, the Holy Ark.* As the just David said,* you have become wider than the heavens carrying your Creator.* Glory to Him Who dwelt in you!* Glory to Him Who came forth from you!* Glory to Him Who freed us through birth from you!

Prokeimenon, Tone 1
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in You.
verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; praise befits the righteous. (Psalm 32:22,1)

Epistle
Romans 2:10-16

Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: God gives me vindication, and has subdued people under me.
verse: Making great the salvation of the king, and showing mercy to His anointed, to David, and to His posterity forever. (Psalm 17:48,51)

Gospel
Matthew 4:18-23

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)