Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
At Psalm 140
In Tone 5
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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 4
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
О holy Bishop Methodius,
you took upon yourself task of teaching the law of grace.
By holy letters you brought together and handed on these teachings
to your people and your flock,
that by them they could read and contemplate the holy Scriptures,
and they blessed the Lord.
We, therefore, bless you worthily.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
О holy Bishop Methodius,
you took upon yourself task of teaching the law of grace.
By holy letters you brought together and handed on these teachings
to your people and your flock,
that by them they could read and contemplate the holy Scriptures,
and they blessed the Lord.
We, therefore, bless you worthily.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
О blessed Methodius,
you followed the words of the Lord,
and truly blessed the Father,
who gave birth to the Word in essence,
and sent forth the all-holy Spirit.
You continue to profess this, crying aloud,
“Truly the Comforter proceeds from the Father and not from the Son.”
Therefore, О divine preacher,
you stand with the fathers of the First Council in their same profession,
pray with them to the Saviour, that he may save us all.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
О father Methodius,
you received apostolic grace from God in abundance.
You were counted worthy of the wonder of prophecy,
seeing the future as if it were present.
Rejoice, О glorious father,
sight of the blind, expeller of demons and healer of the sick.
Grant us forgiveness of sins and great mercy.
In Tone 1, Glory…
О bishop Methodius, renowned citizen of the land of Moravia,
glory and boast of the northern countries,
your lofty preaching calls us together.
Come, О feast-lovers, let us rejoice in faith and exult with him
on the feast of his glorious falling asleep.
May he offer unceasing prayer to Christ our God,
that our souls may be delivered from all troubles and dangers.
In Tone 4, Now…
O Mother of Christ our God,
you who gave birth to the Maker of all,
deliver us from every danger,
so that we may cry out to you with one accord:
Rejoice, O only intercessor for our souls!
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
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
Reading III
Deuteronomy 1:8-17
Reading IV
Deuteronomy 10:14-21
Reading V
Wisdom 3:1-9