Thomas was one of the Twelve Apostles. Through his doubt in the Resurrection of Christ the Lord, a new proof was given of that wonderful and saving event. The resurrected Lord appeared to His disciples a second time, in order to convince Thomas. The Lord said to Thomas: Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas replied: My Lord and my God (John 20:27-28). After the descent of the Holy Spirit, when the apostles cast lots to see where they would each go to preach, the lot fell to Thomas to go to India. He was a little saddened that he had to go so far away, but the Lord appeared to him and encouraged him. In India, St. Thomas converted many, both aristocrats and poor, to the Christian Faith, and established the Church there, appointing priests and bishops. Among others, Thomas converted two sisters to the Faith-Tertiana and Migdonia-both wives of Indian princes. Because of their faith, both sisters were ill-treated by their husbands, with whom they no longer wanted to live after their baptism. Eventually, they were allowed to go. Being freed of marriage, they lived God-pleasing lives until their repose. Dionysius and Pelagia were betrothed, but when they heard the apostolic preaching they did not marry, but devoted themselves to the ascetic life. Pelagia ended her life as a martyr for the Faith, and Dionysius was ordained a bishop by the apostle. Prince Mazdai, Tertiana’s husband, whose son, Azan, was also baptized by Thomas, condemned the apostle to death. Mazdai sent five soldiers to kill Thomas. They ran him through with their five spears, and thus the Holy Apostle Thomas rendered his soul into the hands of Christ. Before his death, he and the other apostles were miraculously brought to Jerusalem for the burial of the Most-holy Theotokos. Arriving too late, he wept bitterly, and the tomb of the Holy Most-pure One was opened at his request. The Theotokos’ body was not found in the tomb: the Lord had taken His Mother to His heavenly habitation. Thus, in his tardiness St. Thomas revealed to us the wondrous glorification of the Mother of God, just as he had once confirmed faith in the Resurrection of the Lord by his unbelief. (Prologue of Ohrid)
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GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 3
10. 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.
9. 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.
8. 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.
7. 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 4
6. Your hand probed the side of the Lord,
finding the perfection of all goodness and joy.
Like a sponge you have thirsted for the water of life,
the fount of blessing and everlasting gladness.
Now you wash away ignorance from the minds of men
giving us to drink of the knowledge of the Lord.
5. Your hand probed the side of the Lord,
finding the perfection of all goodness and joy.
Like a sponge you have thirsted for the water of life,
the fount of blessing and everlasting gladness.
Now you wash away ignorance from the minds of men
giving us to drink of the knowledge of the Lord.
4. By your doubt overcome by faith,
you have strengthened our faintheartedness.
You proclaim to all men: behold my Lord and my God!
He took flesh and came to earth for us, enduring crucifixion and death!
We take refuge in His side pierced with the lance
joyfully drawing the water of life from the spring of salvation.
3. By your doubt overcome by faith,
you have strengthened our faintheartedness.
You proclaim to all men: behold my Lord and my God!
He took flesh and came to earth for us, enduring crucifixion and death!
We take refuge in His side pierced with the lance
joyfully drawing the water of life from the spring of salvation.
2. Most blessed Thomas,
for the Godly-minded you are a fountain of divine knowledge:
you have touched the side of the Master of all:
an act of boldness taught you that He is two natures in one person.
You cried out: You are both my Master and my eternal God!
The Lord of glory who took flesh for my sake.
1. Most blessed Thomas,
for the Godly-minded you are a fountain of divine knowledge:
you have touched the side of the Master of all:
an act of boldness taught you that He is two natures in one person.
You cried out: You are both my Master and my eternal God!
The Lord of glory who took flesh for my sake.
In Tone 6, Glory…
Apostle Thomas, faithful servant of the Lord,
witness of His wondrous incarnation,
you have sounded the depths of divine wisdom
with the Cross as your staff and measure;
you have rescued us from the abyss of delusion.
The net of your teachings has captured many souls:
enlightening the inhabited earth with the knowledge of God
radiantly illumining the Indies.
Now you delight in the glory of Christ our God:
pray that He may have mercy on our souls!
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.
Readings
1 John 1:1-7; James 1:1-12; Jude 1-7, 17-25
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 6, Glory…
You gazed on the divine mysteries of Christ, Apostle Thomas,
and mystically you have been declared to be a spiritual mixing bowl,
in which the souls of believers rejoice;
for with the divine net of the Spirit
you drew peoples from the deep of ignorance;
therefore you came from Sion as a river of grace,
welling up with your inspired doctrines into the whole creation.
And so, imitating the passion of Christ,
you were pierced in the side and entered the darkness of incorruption;
implore Him to have mercy on our souls.
Now…
Christ the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer,
came forth from your womb, O most pure Virgin.
He clothed Himself in our human flesh
to set us free from the original curse of Adam.
Therefore, O Mary, we praise you, without ceasing,
as the true Virgin Mother of God,
and we sing with the angels:
Rejoice, O Lady, advocate, protector, and salvation of 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 2, Glory…
O disciple of Christ and member of the apostolic council,* your lack of faith proclaimed Christ’s resurrection,* and your touch confirmed His holy passion.* O Thomas, worthy of all praise,* pray even now that He grant us peace and great mercy.
Now…
O Mother of God, the mysteries which surround you are exceedingly glorious,* and beyond the power of understanding.* For you retained the seal of purity,* and your virginity remained inviolate;* yet you are acknowledged, without doubt,* to be the Mother who gave birth to the true God.* We beg you, therefore, to entreat Him to save our souls
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.
Troparion, Tone 2: O disciple of Christ and member of the apostolic council,* your lack of faith proclaimed Christ’s resurrection,* and your touch confirmed His holy passion.* O Thomas, worthy of all praise,* pray even now that He grant us peace and great mercy.
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.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 4: Filled with the grace of wisdom,* Your apostle and genuine servant, O Christ,* cried out to You in his change of heart:* You are my God and Lord.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone 4: By your birth, O immaculate one,* Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness,* and Adam and Eve* from the corruption of death.* And your people, redeemed from the guilt of their sins,* celebrate as they cry out to you:* “The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God* and nourisher of our life.”
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)
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
Galatians 1:11-19; 1 Corinthians 4:9-16
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)
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
Luke 7:11-16; John 20:19-31
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1)* Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their word unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 18:5)