GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 5
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Today is the radiant and beautiful day
which marks the middle of the Saviour’s feast of Resurrection!
The feast which fills the world with grace has now reached high noon!
The miracle of Christ’s rising shines on us,
revealing to us the first-fruits of incorruption,
sealed by His Ascension on high,
and manifesting the gracious coming of the Spirit:
The most joyful celebration of Pentecost!
All this grants our souls peace and great mercy!
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
As a river of divine glory
the Lord cries to all in the midst of the feast:
Let him who thirsts come to Me and drink his fill!
He is the Fount of compassion, the Well of mercy,
pouring out forgiveness on the world,
washing away transgressions and cleansing impurities!
He saves those who celebrate His Resurrection,
He covers with love those who honour His Ascension in glory,
and He grants to our souls peace and great mercy!
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Who is this standing in the middle of the Temple?
Our Lord and God, Whom the heavens cannot contain!
He is God by nature, yet for us He humbled himself
to be seen contained in mortal flesh.
The Word of life gushes forth from Him to all:
Cleanse your hearts! Quench the flames of passion!
Do not refuse the Water of life, children of mankind!
I offer you divine grace, the Kingdom of immortality!
Abide in Me, your Creator, and be glorified!
In Tone 1
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Come, faithful, let us sing praises to Mark.
He is the wise writer of the Gospel!
The greatest of Egypt’s cities heard his inspired words.
Apostle, by your prayers and teachings,
guide our lives in the way of peace!
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
You became a fellow traveller of Paul, the chosen vessel.
you accompanied him through all Macedonia;
then you followed Peter to Rome.
You were welcomed as his secretary and interpreter.
But it was in Egypt, all-wise Mark,
that you finished your course in a manner well-pleasing to God!
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
You gave life to barren souls,
watering them with the radiant stream of your Gospel.
Because of you, holy Mark,
Alexandria rejoices with us today,
celebrating your blessed memory!
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Most blessed Mark,
you drank from the fountain of delight;
you became a river of peace, flowing from Eden,
surrounding us as a sea of protection.
The proclamation of your Gospel waters the face of the earth.
By your divinely-inspired teaching the Church is established!
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Most praised Apostle Mark,
Moses once drowned the Egyptians in the sea,
but you, wise one, have drawn them up from the depths of error!
You lived with them, and showed them power,
destroying their idols with your strong right arm!
In Tone 6, Glory…
Grace is poured out upon your lips,
Apostle Mark.
you became a shepherd of Christ’s Church.
You taught the sheep whom God endowed with reason
to believe in the consubstantial Trinity, one Godhead!
In Tone 8, Now…
In the middle of the feast,
before Your passion and glorious Resurrection,
You taught the unbelieving Jews in the Temple, gracious Lord,
You cried out to the scribes and Pharisees:
Let him who thirsts come to Me and drink!
From the heart of him who believes in Me,
rivers of living water – the Spirit of God – shall flow!
Your wisdom and understanding are far beyond our words!
Glory to You, our God, for You perfect all things!
Readings
(1) James 1:1-12; (2) James 1:13-27; (3) James 2:1-13
Aposticha
In Tone 1
Mark, learned in divine wisdom,
you became the pen of a skilful scribe,
writing of Christ’s life with inspired words.
You clearly proclaim the good news of unending life!
We beseech you: inscribe in the book of life
the names of all those who glorify and praise your memory!
Their proclamation has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the universe!
Mark, you are worthy of highest praise!
You traversed the earth, preaching the Gospel of Christ!
Like the sun, you enlightened men with the rays of faith,
driving away the darkness of idolatry.
Entreat Christ to grant peace and great mercy to our souls!
The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork!
Most blessed Apostle Mark,
you preached to people bound by the madness of idolatry.
Egypt’s darkness was dispelled by the light of your words!
Entreat Christ, whose Gospel you preached,
to grant peace and great mercy to our souls!
In Tone 8, Glory…
Come, all you faithful,
let us praise Mark in psalms and hymns!
He is the herald of heavenly mysteries and interpreter of the Gospel.
He is a river of the spiritual paradise!
He waters the earth with living streams,
that it may bear fruit for Christ our God.
Through his intercession,
forgiveness and great mercy are granted to all!
In Tone 6, Now…
We have assembled, O Christ,
to praise the miracle of Your mysteries:
the mid-feast of Your Resurrection and the coming of Your Holy Spirit.
Send down on us great mercy!
Troparion
In Tone 3
Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all/ to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
In Tone 8, Glory… Now…
At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* O Source of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!
DIVINE LITURGY
After the priest has exclaimed, “Blessed be the Kingdom…” and the people have responded, “Amen,” the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then, the clergy sing the first half, and the people conclude it.
Paschal Troparion
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
First Antiphon
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,* sing now to His name, give glory to His praise.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Say unto God, “How awesome are Your works!* Because of the greatness of Your strength Your enemies will flatter You.”
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Let all the earth worship You and sing to You,* let it sing to Your name, O Most High!
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Glory… Now… Only-begotten Son…
Third Antiphon
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Saviour.
Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.
Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth.
Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 8: At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* O Source of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!
Troparion, Tone 3: Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark, divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 2: You received from on high the grace of the Spirit,* and destroyed the snares of the orators,* O Mark, most glorious apostle.* You caught the nations and brought them to the Master* by preaching to them the divine Good News.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: At the mid-point of the Feast according to the Law,* Maker of all things and Master,* You said to those present, O Christ God:* Come, and draw the water of immortality.* And so we fall before You crying out with faith: Grant us Your mercies , for You are the source of our life.
Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Great is our Lord, and great is His strength;* and of His knowledge there is no end.
verse: Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good; may praise be sweet to Him. (Psalm 146:5,1)
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
Acts 12:12-17; 1 Peter 5:6-14
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: Remember Your congregation which You acquired from the beginning.
verse: But God is our king before the ages; He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. (Psalm 73:2,12)
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
John 8:42-51; Mark 6:7-13
Hymn to the Mother of God
Virginity is alien to mothers and child-bearing is foreign to virgins; yet in you, O Mother of God, both of them came together. Therefore, we and all the nations of the earth without ceasing magnify you.
Communion Hymn
Those who eat My flesh and drink My blood* abide in Me and I in them, says the Lord. (John 6:56)* Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their word unto the ends of the world. (Psalm 18:5)* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.