March 16, 2016
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of the Great Fast

Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

At Psalm 140

In Tone 5

  1. Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

I am rich in all sorts of passions,
and I am clothed in a garment of hypocrisy,
as I revel in the intemperance of sin.
My lack of mercy is beyond measure,
and I disregard my spirit lying before the gates of repentance.
Starved of every good thing, I suffer from illness.
But You, O Lord, make me like Lazarus who was poor in sin,
so that I will not have to beg for a drop of water
for my tongue suffering from thirst in the eternal fire.
Make me dwell in the bosom of the patriarch Abraham, O Lover of humankind.

  1. The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

I am rich in all sorts of passions,
and I am clothed in a garment of hypocrisy,
as I revel in the intemperance of sin.
My lack of mercy is beyond measure,
and I disregard my spirit lying before the gates of repentance.
Starved of every good thing, I suffer from illness.
But You, O Lord, make me like Lazarus who was poor in sin,
so that I will not have to beg for a drop of water
for my tongue suffering from thirst in the eternal fire.
Make me dwell in the bosom of the patriarch Abraham, O Lover of humankind.

  1. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

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

  1. Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

As You walked in the flesh, O Jesus,
in the land beyond the Jordan,
You said to those who were with You:
Our friend Lazarus has died and has been placed in the tomb.
But I rejoice for you, my friends,
for you will learn that I know all things,
and that with God, I am one,
even though by nature I appear in human form.
Therefore, let us go and give life to Lazarus
so that Death may recognize this victory,
and the perfect consummation I shall bring about
by granting great mercy to the world.

  1. If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

O faithful, let us imitate Martha and Mary,
and offer virtuous deeds as ambassadors before the Lord,
that when He comes, He may uplift our minds full of misery which now lie dead in the tomb.
Without life, they have no sense of what they are neglecting,
and they are unaware of the awesomeness of God.
Behold, O Lord, now give life to all and grant us Your great mercy,
as once You had pity on Your friend Lazarus,
and by Your awesome power, You raised him from the dead.

In Tone 6

  1. I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

Now Lazarus has been in the tomb for two days,
and he sees all generations of the dead.
He beholds such strange and awesome things
and a countless number held within the power of death.
His relatives weep bitterly before his tomb;
but Christ is on His way to give life to His friend,
that He may stir up the same joy in the hearts of all.
Blessed are You, O Saviour; have mercy on us.

In Tone 1

  1. From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

In you we recognize “the man of God”
both by your name and by your deeds,
for you were outstanding in your virtues,
as you sought both hardship and profound poverty on earth.
Your miracles have strengthened believers in the Faith.
Intercede that our souls be granted peace and great mercy.

  1. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

In you we recognize “the man of God”
both by your name and by your deeds,
for you were outstanding in your virtues,
as you sought both hardship and profound poverty on earth.
Your miracles have strengthened believers in the Faith.
Intercede that our souls be granted peace and great mercy.

  1. Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

With the dew of divine love, O Alexis,
you extinguished the burning lusts of the flesh.
For you exchanged your marriage bed for the dwelling of the Bridegroom,
and bodily pleasures for the resemblance to the bodiless angels of God.
Together with them, intercede that our souls
be granted peace and great mercy.

  1. Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

You lived unknown at the threshold of your noble parents’ home, O blessed father,
long oppressed and mistreated by your own servants.
You were recognized, when you died, by your miracles,
banishing the destructive spirits and healing maladies.

In Tone 1, Glory… Now…

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

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4
I walk in the presence of the Lord* in the land of the living.
verse: I love the Lord, for He has heard the cry of my appeal.

Reading I
Genesis 43:26-31 and 45:1-16
When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which they had with them, and bowed down to him to the ground. And he inquired about their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” They said, “Your servant our father is well, he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and made obeisance. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” Then Joseph made haste, for his heart yearned for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said, “Let food be served.” Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, “Make every one go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, I pray you.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Make haste and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry; you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have; and there I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come; lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty.’ And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Make haste and bring my father down here.” Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him. When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4
I will pay my vows to the Lord,* in the presence of all His people.
verse: I trusted, even when I said: I am sorely afflicted.

Reading II
Proverbs 21:23-22:4
He who keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. “Scoffer” is the name of the proud, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. The desire of the sluggard kills him for his hands refuse to labour. All day long the wicked covets, but the righteous gives and does not hold back. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent. A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears will endure. A wicked man puts on a bold face, but an upright man considers his ways. No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel, can avail against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favour is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all. A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple go on, and suffer for it. The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honour and life.