Tatiana was a Roman whose parents were of great nobility. She was a Christian and a deaconess in the church. After the death of Emperor Heliogabalus, Emperor Alexander, whose mother Mammaea was a Christian, reigned in Rome. The emperor himself was wavering and indecisive in the Faith for he kept statues of Christ, Apollo, Abraham and Orpheus in his palace. His chief assistants persecuted the Christians without the emperor’s orders. When they brought out the virgin Tatiana for torture, she prayed to God for her torturers. And behold, their eyes were opened and they saw four angels around the martyr. Seeing this, eight of them believed in Christ for which they also were tortured and slain. The tormentors continued to torture St. Tatiana. They whipped her, cut off parts of her body; they scraped her with irons. So all disfigured and bloody, Tatiana was thrown into the dungeon that evening so that the next day, they could, again, begin anew with different tortures. But God sent His angels to the dungeon to encourage her and to heal her wounds so that, each morning, Tatiana appeared before the torturers completely healed. They threw her before a lion, but the lion endeared himself to her and did her no harm. They cut off her hair, thinking, according to their pagan reasoning, that some sorcery or some magical power was concealed in her hair. Finally, Tatiana along with her father were both beheaded. Thus, Tatiana ended her earthly life about the year 225 A.D., and this heroic virgin, who had the fragile body of a woman but a robust and valiant spirit, was crowned with the immortal wreath of glory. (Prologue of Ohrid)
GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 1
10. Accept our evening prayer, O holy Lord,
and grant us forgiveness of sins,
for You alone manifested the Resurrection to the world.
9. O you people, walk around Zion and encompass her.
And there give glory to Him Who is risen from the dead.
For He is our God
Who delivers us from our sins.
8. Come you people, praise and worship Christ.
Glorify His Resurrection from the dead;
for He is our God Who delivered the world
from the deceit of the enemy.
7. Rejoice, O you heavens;
sound the trumpets, you foundations of the earth;
cry out with joy, O you mountains.
For behold, Emmanuel has nailed our sins to the Cross;
the Giver of Life has put Death to death;
and the Lover of Mankind
has raised up Adam.
In Tone 8
6. O Lord and sinless One,
although You allowed Yourself to be baptized in the flesh
to free the world from sin,
nevertheless we glorify You, knowing that You are God;
for You were baptized and delivered our souls from slavery.
5. O Lord, when You became incarnate
and came into the currents of the Jordan
in order to sanctify the water by Your glorious baptism,
You condescended to bow your head to John,
and You were baptized by a servant
in order that You might save our souls.
4. O Lord, You desired to save from error
the whole world which You created,
and You deigned to become incarnate from an inviolate virgin.
As the Lover of Mankind, You saved Adam from corruption.
You were baptized and bestowed enlightenment on our souls.
In Tone 2
3. When you begin to glow richly with the light of the Spirit,
you left riches behind and loved only that which was heavenly.
You clothed yourself with the strength of a martyr,
and you endured pain beyond measure.
Thus you took away the power of the torturer,
and you wove a crown of victory,
O Martyr and most glorious sufferer of the passion.
2. When you extinguished the evils of the flesh
and the flames of sin, O precious one,
by means of the dew of the Divine Spirit acting in you,
you closed the mouths of the ferocious beasts in the arena.
You courageously handed your body over to suffering,
thus weaving for yourself a crown of victory.
O Tatiana, you are blessed by God.
1. Neither sword nor fire, nor tribulations, nor hunger,
nor any form of torture dulled your yearning for the Lord,
because you sought Him with your heart;
and you completely turned away from evil things, O Martyr.
You took up your abode inside the bridal chamber of God
and became the betrothed of the King of all.
In Tone 5, Glory…
Seeing You, the Creator, naked in the waters
and asking for baptism,
every creature on earth was seized with fear and wonder.
All were spellbound by the trembling of the Forerunner;
he did not dare to approach You.
Seeing You, the sea fled, and the streams of the Jordan turned back;
the mountains leaped, and the angelic powers were astonished and said:
O wonder! The Saviour is naked
and desires to clothe humanity with renewal and salvation.
In Tone 1, Now…
Let us sing a hymn of praise to the Virgin Mary,
glory of the whole world!
She was herself formed by human seed,
yet she became the Mother of the Master, the Gate of heaven,
the theme of the angels’ hymn and beauty of the faithful.
She was seen as being heavenly
and the Tabernacle of the Godhead.
She indeed tore down the wall of enmity between God and man,
and brought peace in its place, she opened up the kingdom of heaven.
Let us therefore cling fast to her for she is the anchor of faith,
and let us receive as our stronghold the Lord Who was born of her.
Be of good cheer, then, and have confidence, O people of God,
for He will fight our enemies for us, He is all-powerful!
Aposticha
In Tone 1
O Christ, by Your Passion we have been freed from suffering;
and by Your Resurrection we have been delivered from corruption.
O Lord, glory to You!
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
Let all creation rejoice, let the heavens be glad,
let the nations clap their hands with joy.
For Christ our Saviour, in His love for mankind,
has nailed our sins to the Cross;
He has put Death to death,
and by raising our fallen forefather, Adam,
He has given life to all mankind.
For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.
O God, You are above all understanding;
You are King and Lord of heaven and earth.
Yet of Your own free will,
You allowed Yourself to be crucified because of Your love for mankind.
When You descended below,
Hades was filled with bitterness as You confronted it;
but the souls of the just received You with great joy.
Adam arose when he saw You, his Creator, down in the depths.
What a wonder this is!
You are the life of all and have tasted death
in order to dispel the darkness of the world with Your light.
O Lord, risen from the dead, glory to You!
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.
The myrrh-bearing women were filled with grief
as they hastened with spices to Your tomb;
but they did not find Your most pure body.
Instead, they found an angel
who proclaimed Your unique and glorious Resurrection,
and commanded them to announce to Your Apostles:
The Lord is risen, granting great mercy to the world.
In Tone 6, Glory… Now…
O faithful, let us praise the great plans of God who works in our behalf,
for the only pure and spotless One
became Incarnate on account of our fall
and purifies us in the Jordan River.
He sanctifies us together with the waters
and crushes the heads of serpents in this water.
O believers, let us therefore draw water with joy,
for those who draw it in faith
shall be invisibly endowed with the grace of the Spirit
through the presence of Christ our God, the Saviour of our souls.
Troparia
In Tone 1
Though the stone was sealed by the Judeans* and soldiers guarded Your most pure body,* You arose, O Saviour, on the third day* and gave life to the world.* And so the heavenly powers cried out You, O Giver of Life:* Glory to Your Resurrection, O Christ!* Glory to Your Kingdom!* Glory to Your saving plan!* O only Lover of Mankind.
Glory… Now…
At Your Baptism in the Jordan river, O Christ,* the worship due to the Holy Trinity was made manifest,* for the voice of the Father bore You witness by calling You “Beloved Son”* and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove,* confirmed the immutability of this declaration.* O Christ God, who came forth and filled the world with light: * Glory to You!
DIVINE LITURGY
Antiphon 1
When Israel came forth from Egypt, the house of Jacob from an alien people.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
The sea beheld this and fled,* the Jordan turned back on its course.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Why was it, O sea, that you fled,* that you, O Jordan, turned back on your course?
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Glory… Now… Only-Begotten Son…
Antiphon 3
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Saviour.
Son of God, baptized by John in the Jordan, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.
Son of God, baptized by John in the Jordan, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
For God is the great Lord, and the great king over all the earth.
Son of God, baptized by John in the Jordan, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Entrance
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ.
Son of God, baptized by John in the Jordan, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 1: Though the stone was sealed by the Judeans,* and soldiers guarded Your most pure body,* You arose, O Saviour, on the third day,* and gave life to the world.* And so the heavenly powers cried out to You, O Giver of Life:* Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ!* Glory to Your kingdom!* Glory to Your saving plan,* O only Lover of mankind.
Troparion, Tone 1: At Your Baptism in the Jordan river, O Christ,* the worship due to the Holy Trinity was made manifest,* for the voice of the Father bore You witness by calling You “Beloved Son”* and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove,* confirmed the immutability of this declaration.* O Christ God, who came forth and filled the world with light: * Glory to You!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 1: You arose in glory from the tomb* and with Yourself You raise the world.* All humanity acclaims You as God.* and death has vanished.* Adam exults, O Master,* and Eve, redeemed from bondage now, cries out for joy:* “You are the One, O Christ, Who offer resurrection to all.”
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: Today, You have appeared to the world* and Your light, O Lord, has been signed on us,* who with knowledge sing Your praises.* You have come, You have appeared, O unapproachable Light.
Prokeimenon, Tone 1
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us* as we have hoped in you.
verse: rejoice in the Lord, O you just; praise befits the righteous. (Psalm 32:2,1)
Epistle
Ephesians 4:7-13
Alleluia, Tone 5
verse: Your mercies, O Lord, I will sing for ever; from generation to generation I will announce Your truth with my mouth.
verse: For You have said: Mercy shall be built up for ever; in the heavens Your truth shall be prepared. (Psalm 88:2,3)
Gospel
Matthew 4:12-17
Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify Christ the King, baptized in the Jordan.
and the Irmos: Every tongue is at a loss to praise you as is your due, O Mother of God. Even a spirit from above is filled with dizziness when seeking to sing your praises. But since you are good accept our faith, for you know well our love inspired by God. For it is you who protect all Christians; therefore, we magnify you.
Communion Hymn
The grace of God has appeared* bringing salvation to all. (Titus 2:11)* Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)
Instead of “Blessed is He who comes…” we sing:
All creation is filled with rejoicing today, for Christ is baptized in the Jordan.
Instead of “We have seen the true light…” we sing:
All creation is filled with rejoicing today, for Christ is baptized in the Jordan.
Instead of “May our mouths…” and “Blessed be the Name…” we sing:
All creation is filled with rejoicing today, for Christ is baptized in the Jordan. (3)
DIVINE LITURGY (UKRAINIAN)
Неділя пiсля Богоявлення;
Антифон 1
Стих 1: Во ізході Ізраїлевім із Єгипту, дому Якова із людей варварів;* Стала Юдея святиня його, Ізраїль – володіння його (Пс 113,1-2).
Приспів: Молитвами Богородиці, Спасе, спаси нас.
Стих 2: Море виділо і побігло, Йордан повернувся назад (Пс 113,3).
Приспів: Молитвами Богородиці, Спасе, спаси нас.
Стих 3: Що з тобою, море, що ти побігло, і з тобою, Йордане, що ти повернувся назад? (Пс 113,5)
Приспів: Молитвами Богородиці, Спасе, спаси нас.
+Слава Отцю, і Сину, і Святому Духові. І нині, і повсякчас, і на віки вічні. Амінь.
Якщо cпіваємо 2ий aнтифон: Приспів: Молитвами Богородиці, Спасе, спаси нас. Як ні то співаємо: Єдинородний Сину
Антифон 3
Співаємо звичайні третій антифон, але зі приспівom: Спаси нас, Сину Божий, що хрестився в Йордані від Івана, співаємо Тобі: Алилуя.
Тропар (глас 1): Хоч запечатали камінь юдеї* і воїни стерегли пречисте тіло Твоє,* воскрес Ти, Спасе, на третій день,* даруючи життя світові.* Тому сили небесні взивали до Тебе, Життєдавче:* Слава воскресінню Твоєму, Христе,* слава царству Твоєму,* слава провидінню Твоєму,* єдиний Чоловіколюбче!
Тропар (глас 1): Коли в Йордані хрестився ти, Господи,* Троїчне явилося поклоніння:* бо Родителя голос свідчив тобі,* возлюбленим Сином тебе називаючи;* і Дух у виді голубинім засвідчив твердість слова.* Явився ти, Христе Боже,* і світ просвітив, слава тобі.
+Слава Отцю, і Сину, і Святому Духові. І нині, і повсякчас, і на віки вічні. Амінь.
Кондак (глас 4): Явився єси днесь вселенній* і світло твоє, Господи, знаменувалося на нас,* що зі зрозумінням оспівуємо тебе:* Прийшов єси і явився єси – Світло неприступне.
Прокімен (глас 1): Будь, Господи, милість твоя на нас,* бо уповали ми на тебе (Пс 32,22).
Стих: Радуйтеся, праведні, у Господі, правим належить похвала (Пс 32,1).
Апостол: (Еф 4,7-13): Браття, кожному з нас дана благодать за мірою Христових дарів. Тому й сказано: “Вийшов на висоту, забрав у полон бранців, дав дари людям.” А те “вийшов” що означає, як не те, що він був зійшов і в найнижчі частини землі? Той же, хто був зійшов на низ, це той самий, що вийшов найвище всіх небес, щоб усе наповнити. І він сам настановив одних апостолами, інших – пророками, ще інших – євангелистами і пастирями, і вчителями, для вдосконалення святих на діло служби, на будування Христового тіла, аж поки ми всі не дійдемо до єдности в вірі й до повного спізнання Божого Сина, до звершености мужа, до міри повного зросту повноти Христа.
Алилуя (глас 5): Алилуя, aлилуя, aлилуя!
Стих: Милості твої, Господи, повік оспівуватиму, сповіщу з роду в рід істину твою устами моїми (Пс 88,2).
Стих: Бо сказав т и: Повік милість збудується, на небесах приготовиться істина твоя (Пс 88,3)
Євангеліє: (Мт 4,12-17): В томи часі почувши, що Йоана ув’язнено, Ісус повернувся в Галилею і, покинувши Назарет, пішов і оселився в Капернаумі, що при морі, на границях Завулона та Нафталі, щоб збулося те, що сказав був пророк Ісая: “О земле Завулона та земле Нафталі, приморський шляху, країно за Йорданом, поганська Галилеє! Народ, який сидів у темноті побачив велике світло; тим, що сиділи в країні й тіні смерти, – зійшло їм світло.” З того часу Ісус почав проповідувати й говорити: “Покайтесь, бо Небесне Царство близько.”
Замість Достойно: Величай, душе моя, Царя Христа, що хрестився в Йордані.
Ірмос (глас 2): Не зуміє ніякий язик достойно благохвалити, тривожиться й ум, і то надсвітній, коли оспівує тебе, Богородице; одначе ти, благая, прийми віру, бо любов нашу божественну знаєш, бо ти є християн заступниця, тебе величаємо.
Причасний: Явилася благодать Божа спасительна всім людям (Тит 2,11).
Дригий: Хваліте Господа з небес, хваліте Його на висотах (Пс 148,1). Алилуя (х3).
Згідно Галицької традиції, ми співаємо:
Всесвіт днесь радістю сповняється, Христос хрестився в Йордані.
Замість “Ми бачили світло істинне…” (x1) “Нехай сповняться уста…” (x3) і “Нехай буде ім’я…” (x3).