Day: 24 December 2016

January 22, 2017
36th Sunday after Pentecost, Octoechos, Tone 3; The Holy Apostle Timothy; the Holy Venerable-Martyr Anastasius the Persian (628)

GREAT VESPERS

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

At Psalm 140

In Tone 3

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

By Your Cross, O Christ our Saviour,
the power of Death has been vanquished
and the deceit of the devil has been destroyed.
Therefore, mankind, saved by faith,
offers You hymns of praise forever.

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

O Lord, all creation has been enlightened by Your resurrection,
and Paradise has been reopened;
therefore, all creation extols You
and offers You hymns of praise forever.

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

I glorify the powers of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
and I praise the dominion of the undivided Divinity,
the consubstantial Trinity,
Who reigns forever and ever.

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

We adore Your precious Cross, O Christ,
and with hymns of praise we glorify Your Resurrection;
for by Your wounds we have all been healed.

In Tone 1

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

Manifestly illumined by the rays of the Spirit,
O divinely revealed Timothy,
you were shown to be a most radiant beacon,
passing over all the earth and enlightening it with grace.
Pray now, that our souls be granted peace
and great mercy.

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

O divinely wise Timothy,
you drank of the torrent of sweetness
and, emulating Christ, with godly wisdom have given drink
to those who fervently desire the understanding of God.
To Him have you now joyously departed,
contemplating the all-radiant glory of the Trinity
and infinitely powerful peace.

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

Placing yourself in submission to Paul,
conversing with the Spirit through writing,
you became wholly radiant with light,
a generous husbandman, and an earnest favorite of the Lord,
living in chastity and piety, O divinely wise Timothy;
and you have been vouchsafed crowns of victory
as a lawful athlete.

In Tone 1

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

O most blessed Anastasius, boast of the martyrs,
who achieved splendid victories over falsehood,
you bear in your name a standard of fame,
being borne aloft everywhere as a steadfast victor.
And now do you raise up from sinful falls
those who honor your memory with faith.

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

O martyr Anastasius,
achieving a splendid victory over falsehood,
you received a twofold crown for your ascetic struggle
and your steadfast contest, and your opposition, even unto death.
And Christ the Master has given you
the ability to work miracles, as is meet.

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

The ends of the world now hymn your miracles,
O wonder-worker Anastasius;
for Christ has adorned you,
rewarding with miracles you who endured tortures for His sake;
and after your death you were counted worthy
of immortal glory and blessedness.

In Tone 8, Glory…

Chosen by God before to be the disciple of the wise Paul,
you learned things divine;
and having lived in goodness and preserved the Faith unadulterated
even unto the shedding of your blood,
you were shown to be a faithful hierarch, O Apostle Timothy.
Therefore, you denounced the idolaters
and, wounded by staves and stones,
received the crown of martyrdom.
Wherefore, O most blessed one, pray for us who celebrate
your most honored memory with faith.

In Tone 3, Now…

O Lady most honourable,
how can we but be rapt in wonder
at you giving birth to the Incarnate God
who, without a mother, was born of the Father before all ages?
You gave Him birth in the flesh without a father,
without a man instrumentality.
He is God and man whose two natures are intact,
neither one losing any of its properties.
Therefore, O Virgin Mother,
intercede with Him to save the souls
of those who believe and confess in true faith
that you are the Mother of God.

Aposticha

In Tone 3

O Christ, Who darkened the sun by Your passion
and enlightened all creation by Your resurrection,
accept our evening prayer; for You love mankind.

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

O Lord, Your life-giving Resurrection has enlightened the entire universe
and has revived Your creation which lay in corruption.
Therefore, we, who have been released from the curse of Adam, cry out to You:
Almighty Lord, glory to You!

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

O God, although in Your divine nature You are unchangeable,
yet in Your human nature You underwent change by suffering in the flesh.
All creation was prostrate with fear
when it saw You hanging on the Cross,
and it groaned in sorrow as it sang the praises of Your long-suffering.
But You descended into Hades and arose on the third day,
granting life and great mercy to the world.

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

You suffered death, O Christ, to deliver mankind from death.
And when You arose from the dead on the third day,
You enlightened the world
and resurrected all who acknowledge You as God.

In Tone 2, Glory…

O Christ, You magnified the power of the precious Cross
in Judea and in Babylon,
for because of it they came to know
the feast of Your life-creating resurrection:
And now the right laudable and glorious athlete Anastasius,
a martyr of countless miracles,
has become for them a liberator
from the captivity of the madness of idolatry,
joining chorus with the angels and praying for our souls.

Now…

We now behold a new wonder,
greater than the wonders of old.
For who has ever known a mother to bear a child without the help of man?
Who has known a mother to hold in her arms the Source of all Creation?
It was God’s own will to be born in this manner;
and you, O most pure Virgin, carried Him as an infant in your arms.
Because of this, you can approach God with the boldness of a mother.
Therefore, we venerate you, and ask you to always beseech Him
to have mercy on us and save our souls.

Troparia

In Tone 3
Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice,* for the Lord has done a mighty deed with His arm.* He trampled death by death. He became the first-born of the dead;* He saved us from the abyss of Hades* and granted great mercy to the world.

In Tone 4
Having learned goodness and maintaining continence in all things,* you were divinely arrayed with a good conscience as befits a priest* and you drew ineffable truths from the chosen vessel.* You have kept the faith* and completed a course equal to his, bishop and martyr Timothy.** Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved!

In Tone 4, Glory…
Your holy martyr Anastasius, O Lord,* through his sufferings has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God!* For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries,* and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.** Through his intercessions, save 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.

 

DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 3: Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice,* for the Lord has done a mighty deed with His arm.* He trampled death by death. He became the first-born of the dead;* He saved us from the abyss of Hades* and granted great mercy to the world.

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

Kontakion, Tone 3: You rose from the tomb, O compassionate Lord,* and led us out from the gates of death.* Today Adam exults and Eve rejoices,* and the prophets together with the patriarchs* unceasingly acclaim the divine might of Your power.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 3: Today the Virgin stands before us in the church* and together with the choirs of saints invisibly prays to God for us.* Angels are worshipping with hierarchs,* Apostles exult with prophets,* for the Mother of God prays in our behalf to the eternal God.

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
1 Timothy 1:15-17

Alleluia, Tone 3
verse: In You, O Lord, have I hoped that I may not be put to shame for ever.
verse: Be a protector unto me, O God, and a house of refuge to save me. (Psalm 30:2,3)

Gospel
Luke 18:35-43

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

January 20, 2017
Venerable and God-bearing Father Euthymius

GREAT VESPERS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 1

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

A heavenly angel was sent beforehand to announce your birth, father Euthymius.
Like John, you came from the womb of a barren woman
and you showed yourself to be his follower.
You were a homeless one who spurned possessions,
sharing his way of life.
Like the Baptist, you sustained yourself in the mountains,
shining forth with boundless miracles!

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

A heavenly angel was sent beforehand to announce your birth, father Euthymius.
Like John, you came from the womb of a barren woman
and you showed yourself to be his follower.
You were a homeless one who spurned possessions,
sharing his way of life.
Like the Baptist, you sustained yourself in the mountains,
shining forth with boundless miracles!

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

You brought forth fruit from barrenness, father Euthymius.
You were shown to have many children indeed,
for the desert that once was trackless was filled with monastics,
your spiritual offspring.
Pray now that our souls may be granted peace and great mercy!

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

You excelled in your life, father Euthymius,
and your faith was truly orthodox.
Through activity you reached the highest vision
and became a dwelling of wisdom.
You worshipped Christ in two natures as one of the Trinity.
Pray to Him on our behalf!

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

You shared in the sufferings of Him
who was stretched upon the cross, father Euthymius.
Through asceticism you conformed yourself indeed to His resurrection and glory!
Entreat Him now that he may grant our souls
peace and great mercy!

In Tone 4

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

You were sanctified from your mother’s womb
when the eye of Him who sees all things perceived
your purpose and desire ever leading towards higher things.
Most blessed one, He declared you to be a gift of God,
the namesake of good courage.
He loosed the sorrow of your parents.
You advanced from infancy pleasing God, our Benefactor.
Beseech Him that He may save and enlighten our souls!

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

Christ found you to be a clear mirror of divine revelations.
He enlightened you with the radiant splendour of His light.
He filled you with divine gifts, father.
You were revealed to be a source flowing with healings,
a feeder of the hungry,watering with rains the desire of those who thirst.
Looking upon souls as pledges, wise one,
by your teaching, you helped them towards God.
Entreat Him that He may save and enlighten our souls!

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

Your angelic life shone with vision and activity
as a standard and excellent model of virtue
for those who desire to worship God in perfection!
Your divinely-wise teaching, Euthymius,
taught all to worship the Trinity,
that Christ is known to be one in two natures
and that the councils were equal in number to Christ’s four gospels.
Entreat Him that He may save and enlighten our souls!

In Tone 3, Glory…

As another Samuel, father Euthymius,
you were dedicated to God from your mother’s womb.
Indeed, you were fittingly called by your name,
for you are good courage to all believers,
a foundation and pillar of the monastic way,
a sanctified temple of the Holy Spirit.
Pray for us who honour you,
that we may be granted great mercy!

Now…

O Lady most honourable,
how can we but be rapt in wonder
at you giving birth to the Incarnate God
who, without a mother, was born of the Father before all ages?
You gave Him birth in the flesh without a father,
without a man instrumentality.
He is God and man whose two natures are intact,
neither one losing any of its properties.
Therefore, O Virgin Mother,
intercede with Him to save the souls
of  those who believe and confess in true faith
that you are the Mother of God.

Readings
(1) Wisdom 3:1-9; (2) Wisdom 5:15-6:3; (3) Wisdom 4:7-15

Aposticha

In Tone 5

Rejoice, venerable father,
for you are the cause of good courage for the Church!
By your birth all the assaults of heretics were repelled by the providence of God!
Therefore he named you Euthymius, or good courage.
You filled the ranks of heavenly beings with joy by the brilliance of your life!
Now as you make your dwelling with them, filled with light,
and enjoy the most blessed and divine radiance,
entreat Christ that He may grant great mercy to our souls.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints!

Made firm by the staff of the cross,
you dried up the sea of iniquity.
Spiritually watered by the stream of divine sweetness and the rivers of paradise,
you revealed springs of salvation in the desert!
You were watered like a palm tree with streams of the divine Spirit.
You hastened to the heights of heaven, venerable one,
showing yourself a fiery pillar of light-bearing radiance.
Therefore, divinely wise one,
entreat Christ that He may grant great mercy to our souls!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; who greatly delights in is commandments!

You have passed over indeed with joy and gladness of soul
to the wonderful tabernacle, the house of God.
There, most blessed father, you listen to the beautiful voices,
the sweet hymns and ineffable delight of those who keep the feast.
You share in their beauty, Euthymius.
This alone you desired as you crucified your flesh and you reached it,
adorned with the righteousness of God.
Entreat Christ that He may grant the world great mercy!

Glory…
You gave your eyes no sleep, righteous father,
nor your eyelids slumber, until you freed your soul and body of passions.
You prepared yourself to be the dwelling of the Holy Spirit,
for you became the companion of the consubstantial Trinity,
for Christ who alone shows us the Father,
came to live in you, all-praised Euthymius.
Pray to Him that our souls may be saved!

Now…

We faithful bless you, Theotokos;
we fittingly glorify you, the unshaken city, the fortified wall,
the fervent intercessor and protector of our souls!

Troparia

In Tone 4
Be glad, O barren desert;* take heart, you who have never known labor.* For a man of the desires of the Spirit* has multiplied your children.* He planted them in godliness* and reared them with self-mastery to perfection in virtues.* By his prayers, Christ God, grant peace to our lives.

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.

 

DIVINE LITURGY

Troparion and Kontakion
Troparion, Tone 4 Be glad, O barren desert;* take heart, you who have never known labour.* For a man of the desires of the Spirit* has multiplied your children.* He planted them in godliness* and reared them with self-mastery to perfection in virtues.* By his prayers, Christ God, grant peace to our lives.

Glory… Now…

Kontakion, Tone 8 Creation found joy in your precious birth* and in your divine memorial it takes courage from your many miracles.* Grant a rich share of your wonders to our souls, O Venerable Father,* and cleanse the stains of sin that we may sing: Alleluia.

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?

Epistle
Hebrews: 13:17-21

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.

Gospel
Luke 6:17-23

Communion Verse
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear. Alleluia (3).

January 17, 2017
Venerable and God-Bearing Father Anthony the Great

GREAT VESPERS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

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

Burning with divine love and radiant with the Spirit,
your soul rose to desire truly infinite love!
You despised flesh and blood, and lived apart from the world,
yet you were united to it by great silence and abstinence.
Therefore you were fulfilled as you desired,
and as a star radiant with blessings, Anthony, you illumine our souls!

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

Burning with divine love and radiant with the Spirit,
your soul rose to desire truly infinite love!
You despised flesh and blood, and lived apart from the world,
yet you were united to it by great silence and abstinence.
Therefore you were fulfilled as you desired,
and as a star radiant with blessings, Anthony, you illumine our souls!

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

Burning with divine love and radiant with the Spirit,
your soul rose to desire truly infinite love!
You despised flesh and blood, and lived apart from the world,
yet you were united to it by great silence and abstinence.
Therefore you were fulfilled as you desired,
and as a star radiant with blessings, Anthony, you illumine our souls!

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

Anthony, you were radiant with divine light
by the grace of the Holy Spirit;
you shattered the flying weapons of the demons;
by your godly teachings you exposed their evil snares.
You were a radiant light for monks: the first to adorn the desert;
a prayerful and skilled physician of the sick,
and the first clear example of the ascetic life.

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

Anthony, you were radiant with divine light
by the grace of the Holy Spirit;
you shattered the flying weapons of the demons;
by your godly teachings you exposed their evil snares.
You were a radiant light for monks: the first to adorn the desert;
a prayerful and skilled physician of the sick,
and the first clear example of the ascetic life.

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

Anthony, you were radiant with divine light
by the grace of the Holy Spirit;
you shattered the flying weapons of the demons;
by your godly teachings you exposed their evil snares.
You were a radiant light for monks: the first to adorn the desert;
a prayerful and skilled physician of the sick,
and the first clear example of the ascetic life.

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

Anthony, pure in heart and soul;
an earthly angel, a heavenly man!
A teacher of chastity, a clear measure of abstinence!
Now you live with your Master, blessed saint.
As you offer Him unceasing praise with the angels, all holy monastics and martyrs,
set free from sin and danger those who ever keep your holy memory.

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

Anthony, pure in heart and soul;
an earthly angel, a heavenly man!
A teacher of chastity, a clear measure of abstinence!
Now you live with your Master, blessed saint.
As you offer Him unceasing praise with the angels, all holy monastics and martyrs,
set free from sin and danger those who ever keep your holy memory.

In Tone 6, Glory…

You set your mind as master over the disturbing passions,
keeping the image unharmed through the ascetic life.
Thus you rose into the perfect likeness,
for bravely curbing nature,
you hastened to subject what is lower to that which is above:
you made the body servant to the Spirit.
Therefore you were revealed as the chief of those living the monastic life,
a citizen of the desert,
a master teaching those who hasten to you,
a perfect example of virtue.
Now the image has been broken, Anthony,
and in heaven you behold in purity the holy Trinity,
as you pray with boldness for those who honour you with faith and love!

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 3:13-16, 8, 6; (2) Proverbs 10:31-32; 11:1-10; (3) Wisdom 3:1-9

Aposticha

In Tone 5

Rejoice, Anthony, as you dwell on high with the angelic choirs!
For you truly learned their virtue, blessed saint.
You lived on earth, and appeared as a clear, undefiled image;
as a glass which received the brilliant lights of the Holy Spirit.
Thus enlightened, you saw what was to come,
foretelling all things taught by the divine manifestations of the light of Christ.
entreat Him to grant our souls great mercy.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints!

Rejoice, leader of ascetics and their unconquered champion!
For cutting down passions to the root and opposing the attempts of devils,
you bravely laid bare their weakness and soul-destroying error.
You made plain the invincible power and might of the Saviour’s cross.
Girded with it, you defeated all who reject
the divine appearance of Christ in the flesh.
Entreat Him to grant our souls great mercy.

Blessed is the man who fears the lord.  He has great delight in His commandments.

You were an overshadowing cloud,
strengthened as a shining pillar of virtues,
leading those in the desert from earth to heaven.
Thus you were a seer of God!
With the staff of the cross you destroyed the sea of the passions,
and having defeated the reasoning of Amalek,
you easily found the way into heaven, blessed one of God,
and an incorruptible inheritance.
Rejoicing, you stand with the angels beside the throne of Christ.
Entreat Him to grant our souls great mercy.

In Tone 8, Glory…

We honour you, Anthony our father, the instructor of a multitude of monks!
We have indeed learned to walk rightly in your footsteps!
You are blest, for having laboured for Christ,
you denounced the power of the enemy!
Conversor with the angels, companion of Paul of Thebes!
Together with them, entreat the Lord that He may grant mercy to our souls!

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
By your zeal you equalled Elijah, father Anthony,* you imitated the life of John the Baptist;* you founded a city in the wilderness;* you established the Church on the firm foundation of your prayers.* Pray to Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Glory… Now…
The mystery hidden from eternity* and unknown to the angels* is manifested to those on earth through you, O Theotokos!* God being incarnate of you by union without confusion,* and of His own will freely enduring the cross for us* and raising the first-formed man,* has saved our souls from death!

 

DIVINE LITURGY

Troparion and Kontakion
Troparion, Tone 4: By your life you imitated the zealous Elias* and by following straight paths you emulated the Baptist, John.* O Father Anthony,* you peopled the desert and strengthened the world by your prayers;* intercede with Christ God to 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 2: You rejected earthly worries* and finished your life in silence imitating the Baptist in every way* and so with him we honour you,* O Anthony, most venerable, first of the Fathers.

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 115:6,3)

Epistle
Hebrews 13: 17-21

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)