GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 7
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
Come, let us rejoice in the Lord,
Who destroyed the power of death
and enlightened the human race;
and let us cry out with the angels:
Glory to You, our Creator and Saviour!
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O Saviour, for our sake You suffered crucifixion and burial;
and, as God, You destroyed death by Your death.
Therefore, we adore Your resurrection on the third day
and we sing: Glory to You, O Lord!
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
On seeing the resurrection of the Creator,
the Apostles were amazed,
and they sang an angelic hymn of praise:
This is the glory of the Church,
this is the richness of the Kingdom!
O Lord, Who suffered for our sake, glory to You!
In Tone 6
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
The feast of Christ’s birth has passed.
It shone more brightly than the sun!
The day of His manifestation is on its way.
That day will be even more radiant.
There the shepherds gave glory with the angels,
worshipping God made Man;
here John’s right hand will touch the Master,
as he cries out in fear:
Sanctify both me and the waters, only merciful One!
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Make ready, river Jordan!
Behold, Christ God approaches to be baptized by John.
He will crush the heads of invisible dragons in your waters.
Rejoice, wilderness of Jordan!
Dance with gladness, mountains!
The eternal Life has come to recall Adam!
Voice crying in the wilderness,
John the forerunner, cry:
Prepare the way of the Lord;
make His paths straight!
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Desert of Jordan, rejoice exceedingly!
Blossom as the lily!
A voice is heard within you:
Prepare the way of the Lord!
He who weighs the mountains in scales
and the wooded valleys in a balance,
Who fills all things in His divinity,
approaches to be baptized by a servant.
The Giver of riches has become poor!
Eve was told in days of old:
You shall bring forth children in pain,
but now the Virgin hears:
Rejoice, full of grace,
the Lord Who has great mercy is with you!!
In Tone 8
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Seeing that the words of your tongue are now fully realized,
I admire their truth and bless you, O Prophet.
You are truly to be admired;
for you enlightened the world by your splendorous voice,
announcing beforehand the redemptive coming of the Lord.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
You lived on earth as if you were an angel.
Likewise, you were enriched with a name signifying an angel.
You joined spiritual goodness to physical goodness,
O all-blessed Prophet, Malachi.
In Tone 8
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
When you saw the darkness of error, O Gordius,
you hastened to flee from it in the hope of seeing God.
You were tempted by many pains and tortured by hunger;
but being aware of your own strength,
you offered yourself as a volunteer against the enemy.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
O all-praiseworthy Gordius,
you had great confidence and confronted a host of adversaries.
You were not concerned with the spectacle of the impious,
but you stood in their midst freely as a preacher.
In a very loud voice you proclaimed Christ the Creator and Lord,
who is consubstantial with the Father and with the Spirit,
equal in honour and coeternal.
In Tone 8, Glory…
Most strange wonder!
He who baptizes by the Holy Spirit and by fire
comes to be baptized by John in the Jordan.
God is stripped naked as a Man:
In both His natures, He is one only-begotten Son.
In His humanity, He asks a servant to baptize Him;
in His divinity, He takes away the sins of the world
granting great mercy to all.
In Tone 7, Now…
Immaculate Mother of God,
you became a mother outside the laws of nature,
remaining a virgin in a way that exceeds all description
and human understanding.
The wonder of your birth-giving could not be told in human language,
for your conception of Christ blinded intelligence,
and your birth-giving exceeded understanding:
for whenever God so desires, the laws of nature are broken.
Wherefore, we all firmly believe that you are the Mother of God,
and we eagerly beseech you to intercede for the salvation of our souls.
Aposticha
In Tone 7
O Saviour of the world, You arose from the grave,
and together with Your own flesh You raised up mankind.
O Lord, glory to You!
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
Come, let us worship Christ Who arose from the dead
and enlightened all creation.
For by His resurrection on the third day,
He set us free from the oppression of Hades,
granting us life and His great mercy.
For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.
O Christ, Lover of mankind,
You descended into Hades and destroyed death.
Then You arose on the third day;
and, together with Yourself You lifted up all of us
who glorify Your mighty resurrection.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.
O Lord, what a fearful sight it was to see You lying in the tomb as if asleep.
Yet on the third day You arose in great power,
and at the same time You raised up Adam who joyfully cried out:
Glory to Your resurrection, O Lover of mankind!
In Tone 6, Glory… Now…
Christ our God comes to the river Jordan.
He will be baptized, wishing to cleanse us from our sins.
He is made manifest as the only good Lover of mankind.
Troparia
In Tone 7
By Your cross You destroyed death;* You opened Paradise to the thief;* You changed the lamentation of the myrrh-bearers to joy,* and charged the apostles to proclaim* that You are risen, O Christ our God,* offering great mercy to the world.
In Tone 4, Glory…
O Lord our God, your holy martyr Gordius,* has deserved the crown of immortality* on account of his good fight.* Armed with your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors* and crushed Satan’s dreadful might.** Through his supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.
In Tone 4, Now…
Make ready, O Zabulon,* and prepare yourself, O Nephtali;* O River Jordan, stop and receive with joy* the Master coming to be baptized.* O Adam, rejoice with the first mother, Eve,* and do not hide yourselves as before in Paradise.* For, having seen you unclothed,* Christ has appeared to clothe you with the first robe;* He has appeared to renew all creation.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 7: By Your cross You destroyed death;* You opened Paradise to the thief;* You changed the lamentation of the myrrh-bearers to joy,* and charged the apostles to proclaim* that You are risen, O Christ our God,* offering great mercy to the world.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 7: No longer shall the dominion of death be able to hold humanity,* for Christ went down shattering and destroying it s powers.* Hades is bound.* The prophets exult with one voice.* The Saviour has come for those with faith, saying:* “Come forth, O faithful, to the resurrection!”
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone 7: O all-praised treasury of our resurrection, we hope in you,* bring us up from the pit and depth of sin,* for you have saved those subject to sin* by giving birth to our Salvation,* O Virgin before childbirth, and Virgin in childbirth,* and still a Virgin after childbirth.
Prokeimenon, Tone 6
Save Your people, O Lord,* and bless Your inheritance.
verse: Unto You I will cry, O Lord my God, lest You turn from me in silence. (Psalm 27:9,1)
Epistle
2 Timothy 4:5-8
Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: God, be merciful to us and bless us.
verse: make the light of Your face shine upon us and have mercy on us. (Psalm 66:2)
Gospel
Mark 1:1-8
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)