GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 8
Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
O Christ, during this spiritual service,
we sing to You these evening prayers,
commemorating the mercy You have shown us
by Your resurrection.
The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O Lord, O Lord, do not cast us away from Your face;
but in Your kindness have mercy on us
through Your resurrection.
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Rejoice, O holy Zion,
the Mother of Churches and the dwelling-place of God;
for you were the first to receive the forgiveness of sins
through the resurrection.
Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Christ the Word was begotten by God the Father before all ages;
yet in these latter times,
He freely willed to take flesh from the Virgin who did not know man.
By His death on the cross and His resurrection,
He saved mankind from the ancient curse of death.
In Tone 4
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Today Your precious Cross, Saviour Christ,
shone forth radiantly like the sun,
set up and elevated on the all-glorious place of the skull:
on Your holy mountain,
openly revealing that by it, all-powerful One,
You have raised our nature to the heavens,
for You are the Lover of mankind!
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Today, unapproachable One,
the heavens declare Your glory to men!
The image of the Cross, shining forth in radiance,
with unapproachable light,
has denounced the evil nature of God’s enemies.
Therefore we glorify Your loving dispensation,
almighty Jesus, the Saviour of our souls!
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Stretching forth his hands, Moses vanquished Amalek,
prefiguring the image of the Cross!
Now we, bowing down before the tree of the Cross,
trample the cunning plots of the enemy underfoot!
We have Christ as our champion!
He was lifted up on it in the flesh, slaying the serpent!
He is the Saviour of mankind!
In Tone 8
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
O praiseworthy Martyrs of Christ,
you considered attacks by persecutors and violent death to be as nothing.
Boldly you armed yourselves with courage for battle,
and robed yourselves in glorious victory.
You were numbered with all the Just
with whom we bless you in constant praise.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
O most blessed Martyrs of Christ,
you gave yourselves up freely to be sacrificed.
With your blood you sanctified the earth,
you brightened the air by your departure from this life.
Now you live in heaven, in a never-setting light.
O Martyrs, who see God, always pray for us.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
O invincible Martyrs of Christ,
with the dew of divine grace
you pass through the pain of fire without harm.
You are considered worthy to live by the waters of peace,
since you received a crown of victory.
With joy we celebrate your holy feast,
and we give glory to Christ.
In Tone 8, Glory…
O how glorious is the miracle!
How did you enclose in your womb the God of All?
How did you carry the Creator of All as an infant?
Truly the mind and thought are confused;
your carrying of such a Child is beyond words.
O all-blessed and pure Theotokos,
pray to Him always to have mercy on our souls.
Now…
Out of his love for mankind
the King of heaven appeared on earth and dwelt with men,
for He assumed a human body from the pure Virgin
and was seen in the flesh He received from her.
He is the One and only God having two natures but not two persons.
Wherefore we profess and declare the truth
that Christ our God is perfect God and perfect Man.
O Mother, who knew not carnal union,
intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.
Aposticha
In Tone 8
O Jesus, You descended from heaven
so that You might ascend the cross.
O immortal Life, You came to die.
You are the true light to those who live in darkness,
and You are the resurrection of the fallen.
Therefore, O Saviour of all, we glorify You.
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. * Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
Let us glorify Christ, the Saviour of our Souls
Who arose from the dead.
For He took upon himself a soul and a body,
and during His passion He separated the one from the other.
His pure soul went down to conquer Hades,
while His holy body lay uncorrupted in the grave.
For He has made the world firm. * which shall not be moved.
O Christ, we glorify Your resurrection with psalms and hymns.
For by Your victory over death
You delivered us from the sufferings of Hades,
and as God You granted us eternal life and great mercy.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, * for length of days.
O Lord of all, Creator of heaven and earth,
You are above all understanding.
Through Your passion on the cross
You freed us from the sufferings of Hades.
And, after condescending to be buried, You arose in glory;
and with Your mighty arm You also raised up Adam.
O most merciful Lord, we glorify You;
for by Your resurrection on the third day
You granted us remission of sins and eternal life.
In Tone 6, Glory… Now…
Cross of Christ, hope of Christians,
guide for the lost,
haven of the storm-tossed, victory in battles,
strength and confirmation for the world,
physician of the sick, Resurrection of the dead:
Have mercy on us!
Troparia
In Tone 8
You came down from on high, O Merciful One,
and accepted three days of burial
to free us from our sufferings.
O Lord, our life and our resurrection,
glory be to You.
In Tone 1, Glory…
Be swayed by the pains that the saints have suffered for You, O Lord,
and heal all our pains,
O Lover of mankind, for this we pray.
In Tone 1, Now…
Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance.
Grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies,
and protect Your community by Your cross.
At the end of Vespers we sing:
To Your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection. (3)
DIVINE LITURGY
Antiphon 1
O God, my God, hear me; why have You forsaken me? The words of my transgressions put salvation far from me.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
O God, I will call to You by day but You will not listen; and by night, yet it will not be foolish of me.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
But You, the praise of Israel, dwell in the holy place.
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, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.
Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
For God is the great Lord, and the great king over all the earth.
Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Entrance
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ.
Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 8: You came down from oh high, O Merciful One,* and accepted three days of burial* to free us from our sufferings.* O Lord, our life and our resurrection,* glory be to You.
Troparion, Tone 1: Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance.* Grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies,* and protect Your community by Your cross.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 8: When You rose from the tomb,* You also raised the dead and resurrected Adam.* Eve exults in Your resurrection,* and the ends of the world celebrate Your rising from the dead,* O most merciful One.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: By Your own choice, O Christ our God,* You were lifted on the cross.* Grant Your mercies to Your new community* that bears Your Name.* By Your power gladden the faithful people,* and grant them victory against enemies.* May they have the help of Your instrument of peace,* the invincible sign of victory.
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Exalt the Lord our God,* and bow in worship at the footstool of his feet, for it is holy.
verse: The Lord reigns, let the people tremble. (Psalm 98:5, 1)
Epistle
Galatians 2:16-20
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: Remember Your congregation which You acquired from the beginning.
verse: But God is our king before the ages; He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. (Psalm 73:2, 12)
Gospel
Mark 8:34-9:1
Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify the most precious cross of the Lord.
And the Irmos, Tone 8: You are a mystical Paradise, O Mother of God, who though untilled, have brought forth Christ. He has planted upon earth the life-giving Tree of the Cross. Therefore today as we raise it on high we bow low and we magnify you.
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1)* Let the light of Your countenance, O Lord,* shine upon us.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 4:7)
At the end of Liturgy we sing:
To Your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection. (3)