GREAT VESPERS
At Psalm 140
In Tone 5
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
The man who had once been blind,
confessed in his soul and mind, and proclaimed with his words
that his eyes had been opened, through spittle and dust
by the Lord and Sustainer of the universe;
that he had been given his bodily sight
by none other than almighty God,
Who in His exceeding benevolence
had become a Man, through His own creature.
The man who had never been able to see
argued boldly with the scribes.
They cast him out of the synagogue;
they themselves were more blind in their souls
than he who beforehand was blind in his bodily eyes!
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Behold a monument of valour!
a man once blind examines those who see, as their judge!
When he obtained his sight by means of spittle and dust
he perceived the Creator and Fashioner of all.
He recognized Him, Who is Giver of light
the Son of God, and Master of the universe.
His accusers could see Him with earthly eyes,
but were blinded by their wicked jealousy,
though He multiplied miracles for all to see,
by His words alone, which are great in power!
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
When he who was blind had been given his sight,
he perceived that the scribes had become blind.
You see no truth, but only falsehood, He said.
You accuse the Saviour, and blind yourselves!
Christ, the most sweet Sun,
has risen for those held in the darkness of the law.
He who made the Sabbath also refashioned my eyes.
He has lifted the veil that darkened me.
He has opened the eyes of the blind.
They proclaim him to the world as the Fountain of light!
In Tone 5
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O venerable father, God-bearing Theodosius!
You laboured greatly during this earthly life:
with hymns, fasting, and persistent prayer
you became a model for your disciples.
Today you celebrate with the bodiless ones the angels,
unceasingly glorifying Christ, the Word of God, the Redeemer,
Who died on the cross and delivered the human race from deceit.
Pray to Him, venerable father,
that He grant peace and great mercy to the world.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
O venerable father, God-bearing Theodosius!
You laboured greatly during this earthly life:
with hymns, fasting, and persistent prayer
you became a model for your disciples.
Today you celebrate with the bodiless ones the angels,
unceasingly glorifying Christ, the Word of God, the Redeemer,
Who died on the cross and delivered the human race from deceit.
Pray to Him, venerable father,
that He grant peace and great mercy to the world.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
O venerable father, God-bearing Theodosius!
You truly merited the divine life,
having obtained it through purity and fasting;
for while still alive you renounced everything,
and passed over to the true life.
You now are glorifying with the heavenly hosts Him,
Who mystically took flesh from the Virgin and overthrew Hades
and raised those who had fallen asleep from time beyond memory.
Intercede with Him, O venerable father,
that He may grant peace and great mercy to the world.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
O venerable father, God-bearing Theodosius!
You truly merited the divine life,
having obtained it through purity and fasting;
for while still alive you renounced everything,
and passed over to the true life.
You now are glorifying with the heavenly hosts Him,
Who mystically took flesh from the Virgin and overthrew Hades
and raised those who had fallen asleep from time beyond memory.
Intercede with Him, O venerable father,
that He may grant peace and great mercy to the world.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
O venerable father, God-bearing Theodosius!
You found life because you loved purity,
and the grace of the Holy Spirit dwelled in within you,
like a most pure light shining upon you.
You now are unceasingly glorifying Christ, Who is one God in two natures,
Who suffered on the cross in the flesh,
but as God was incapable of suffering.
Pray to Him, O venerable father,
that He may grant peace and great mercy to the world.
In Tone 8, Glory…
Come, let us all gather together and extol our father, Theodosius!
For already in his youth he received a calling from above,
and was given the name Theodosius which means, “God’s gift.”
To Christ-loving princes He was a teacher of the true faith,
to the nobles an unwavering intercessor,
to orphans a merciful father,
to widows an unwearied defender,
to the afflicted a consolation,
to the poor a treasure,
to the monastics a ladder leading to the heavenly heights;
and to those who directly go to him a sprig of ever-flowing water.
He prays unceasingly for the salvation of our souls.
In Tone 5, Now…
Passing by the way, Lord,
You met a man blind from birth.
Your disciples were puzzled and asked:
Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?
Jesus answered: It was not that this man sinned, or his parents,
but that the works of God might be revealed in him!
I must work the works of Him Who sent me,
which no one else can do.
As He said this, He spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle,
and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay and said to him:
Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.
He went and washed, and was made whole, crying: Lord, I believe!
He worshipped You, and we cry: Have mercy on us!
Readings
(1) Wisdom 4:7-15; (2) Wisdom 3:1-9; (3) Wisdom 5:15-6:3
Aposticha
In Tone 8
O God-wise Theodosius!
From childhood you have been drawn to God
and have completely dedicated yourself to the almighty King.
You brought to Him the fruits of your ascetical labours
crowned with the garlands of virtue.
For this, O glorious one, you have gained a reward
for your good deeds.
Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful.
You are a teacher of ascetics a most radiant star of the land of Rus’
which illuminates the whole nation with miracles.
from your youth God chose you as a pastor of spiritual sheep.
For this reason, the assembly of venerable ascetics accepted you.
We beseech you: pray with them,
that the sins of your flock may be forgiven.
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in all His commandments.
Rejoice, O ever-praised Virgin,
who by means of a pillar of fire pointed out the pasture,
where the spiritual flock was to graze.
There, Theodosius erected in your honour a beautifully adorned church
where the faithful, standing before the relics of your ambassador,
honour your falling-asleep, O most pure Mother of God.
In Tone 8, Glory…
Countless monks honour you, father Theodosius, as their teacher,
following in your footsteps,
we have truly learned to live righteously.
Blessed are you who have toiled for Christ and have brought low the power of the enemy,
O friend of the angels and companion of the venerable ascetics.
pray with them to the Lord,
that He may have mercy on our souls.
Now…
Christ God, the Sun of righteousness,
by Your pure touch You enlightened him
who lived in darkness from his mother’s womb.
Now enlighten our spiritual eyes.
Show us to be sons of the day,
that in faith we may cry out to You:
Great is Your compassion toward us – beyond all words!
Glory to You, Lover of mankind!
Troparia
In Tone 8
Raised in virtue, O father Theodosius,* from childhood you loved the monastic life* and attained your desire courageously.* You lived in a cave adorning your life with fasting and radiance* and abided in prayer like the bodiless powers.* You shone like a beacon in the land of Rus’.** Entreat Christ God to save our souls.
In Tone 5, Glory… Now…
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 inn the flesh,* to suffer death and to raise the dead* by His glorious Resurrection.
DIVINE LITURGY
After Blessed is the kingdom we sing Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs, giving life, thrice.
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 8: Raised in virtue, O father Theodosius,* from childhood you loved the monastic life* and attained your desire courageously.* You lived in a cave adorning your life with fasting and radiance* and abided in prayer like the bodiless powers.* You shone like a beacon in the land of Rus’.* Entreat Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion, Tone 3: Today we revere the star of Rus’, blessed Theodosius,* who shone from the east and came to the west;* for he enriched this whole land and all of us* with gentleness and miraculous wonders* by the practice and the grace of the monastic rule.
Glory be to the Father and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 4: Blinded in the eyes of my soul, I come to You, O Christ, like the man who was blind from birth, and I cry in repentance: You are the brilliant light of those in darkness.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8: Though You descended into a tomb, O Immortal One,* yet You destroyed the power of Hades;* and You rose as victor, O Christ God,* calling to the myrrhbearing women: Rejoice!* and giving peace to Your Apostles:* You, who grant resurrection to the fallen.
Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Pray and give praise to the Lord our God; pray and give praise to the Lord our God
verse: In Judea God is known; His name is great in Israel.
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones.
Epistle
Acts 16:16-34; Hebrews 13:7-16
Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: Look upon me and have mercy.
verse: Direct my steps according to Your Word.
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.
Gospel
John 9:1-38; Matthew 11:27-30
Hymn to the Mother of God
The Angel cried out to the One full of Grace: O chaste Virgin, rejoice! And again I say, Rejoice! Your Son has risen from the tomb on the third day, and raised the dead. Let all people rejoice! Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem! For the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Exult now and be glad, O Sion! And you, O chaste Mother of God, take delight in the resurrection of your Son.
Communion Hymn
Receive the Body of Christ;* taste the fountain of immortality.* Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.