GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 8
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
After following in the steps of Christ,
serving Him with devotion, Myrrhbearers,
you did not forsake Him even after His death.
Moved by compassion, you went, bearing myrrh with tears.
Therefore we celebrate your sacred memory!
Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
The divine company of women
desiring to see the Life, slain, in the tomb,
came in the night and heard from the angels:
Christ is risen, as He said!
Go with haste and tell the disciples:
Drive away the sorrow from your souls!
Instead of tears, accept ineffable joy!
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Myrrhbearers, today we faithful rejoice in your memory,
glorifying the most gracious Lord Who glorified you!
Entreat Him to grant us eternal glory, the joy of the saints:
For you always have boldness before Him, blessed ones!
In Tone 1
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Come, faithful, let us sing praises to Mark.
He is the wise writer of the Gospel!
The greatest of Egypt’s cities heard his inspired words.
Apostle, by your prayers and teachings,
guide our lives in the way of peace!
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
You became a fellow traveller of Paul, the chosen vessel.
you accompanied him through all Macedonia;
then you followed Peter to Rome.
You were welcomed as his secretary and interpreter.
But it was in Egypt, all-wise Mark,
that you finished your course in a manner well-pleasing to God!
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
You gave life to barren souls,
watering them with the radiant stream of your Gospel.
Because of you, holy Mark,
Alexandria rejoices with us today,
celebrating your blessed memory!
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Most blessed Mark,
you drank from the fountain of delight;
you became a river of peace, flowing from Eden,
surrounding us as a sea of protection.
The proclamation of your Gospel waters the face of the earth.
By your divinely-inspired teaching the Church is established!
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Most praised Apostle Mark,
Moses once drowned the Egyptians in the sea,
but you, wise one, have drawn them up from the depths of error!
You lived with them, and showed them power,
destroying their idols with your strong right arm!
In Tone 6, Glory…
Grace is poured out upon your lips,
Apostle Mark.
you became a shepherd of Christ’s Church.
You taught the sheep whom God endowed with reason
to believe in the consubstantial Trinity, one Godhead!
In Tone 2, Now…
The Myrrhbearers came early to Your tomb, O Christ,
seeking You, to anoint Your most pure body,
enlightened by the angel’s words,
they proclaimed joyous things to the apostles:
The Leader of our salvation is risen!
He has captured death!
Granting to the world eternal life and great mercy!
Readings
(1) James 1:1-12; (2) James 1:13-27; (3) James 2:1-13
Aposticha
In Tone 1
Mark, learned in divine wisdom,
you became the pen of a skilful scribe,
writing of Christ’s life with inspired words.
You clearly proclaim the good news of unending life!
We beseech you: inscribe in the book of life
the names of all those who glorify and praise your memory!
Their proclamation has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the universe!
Mark, you are worthy of highest praise!
You traversed the earth, preaching the Gospel of Christ!
Like the sun, you enlightened men with the rays of faith,
driving away the darkness of idolatry.
Entreat Christ to grant peace and great mercy to our souls!
The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork!
Most blessed Apostle Mark,
you preached to people bound by the madness of idolatry.
Egypt’s darkness was dispelled by the light of your words!
Entreat Christ, whose Gospel you preached,
to grant peace and great mercy to our souls!
In Tone 8, Glory…
Come, all you faithful,
let us praise Mark in psalms and hymns!
He is the herald of heavenly mysteries and interpreter of the Gospel.
He is a river of the spiritual paradise!
He waters the earth with living streams,
that it may bear fruit for Christ our God.
Through his intercession,
forgiveness and great mercy are granted to all!
In Tone 6, Now…
Joseph begged the body of Jesus.
He placed it in his own new tomb.
It is fitting for Him to come forth from it as from a wedding chamber!
You destroyed the dominion of death
and opened the gates of paradise to mankind:
Glory to You!
Troparia
In Tone 3
Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all/ to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
In Tone 2, Glory… Now…
When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* “O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory be to You!”
DIVINE LITURGY
After the priest has exclaimed, “Blessed be the Kingdom…” and the people have responded, “Amen,” the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then, the clergy sing the first half, and the people conclude it.
Paschal Troparion
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 2: When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* “O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory be to You!”
Troparion, Tone 2: The noble Joseph took down Your most pure body from the tree.* He wrapped it with a clean shroud and aromatic spices* and placed it in a new tomb.* But on the third day You arose, O Lord,* granting the world Your great mercy.
Troparion, Tone 3: Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark, divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Kontakion, Tone 2: You commanded the myrrh-bearers to rejoice, O Christ God,* and ended the grief of our mother Eve by Your Resurrection.* You ordered the apostles to proclaim to all:* “The Saviour is risen from the tomb.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
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 myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice!* and giving peace to Your Apostles:* You, who grant Resurrection to the fallen.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2: You received from on high the grace of the Spirit,* and destroyed the snares of the orators,* O Mark, most glorious apostle.* You caught the nations and brought them to the Master* by preaching to them the divine Good News.
Prokeimenon, Tone 6
Save Your people, O Lord, * and bless Your inheritance.
verse: Unto You I will cry, O Lord, my God, lest You turn from me in silence. (Psalm 27:9,1)
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
Acts 9:20-31; 1 Peter 5:6-14
Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: You have shown favour to Your land, O Lord; You brought back the captives of Jacob.
verse: Mercy and truth have met; righteousness and peace have embraced. (Psalm 84:2,11)
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
John 15:17-16:2; Mark 6:7-13
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.* Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their word unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 18:5)