GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 6
Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
O Christ, You won the victory over Hades,
You ascended the Cross so that You might raise up with Yourself
all those who dwelt in the darkness of death.
Almighty Saviour, You are free from death
and bestow life by Your divine light.
We, therefore, beseech You to have mercy on us.
The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
Today Christ has conquered Death.
He has risen from the grave as He foretold,
bestowing great joy upon the world.
Therefore, let us all lift up our voices and sing:
O Fount of Life, O Light Whom no one can approach,
Almighty Saviour, have mercy on us.
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
O Lord, where can we sinners flee from You,
for You are present in all creation?
You are present in heaven, for it is Your dwelling place.
Your power prevails in Hades where You conquered Death.
O Master, Your sustaining hand touches even the depths of the sea.
Where, then, can we take refuge except in You?
We, therefore, prostrate ourselves before You and pray:
O Lord, risen from the dead, have mercy on us.
Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
We exult in Your Cross, O Christ,
and we sing the glory of Your Resurrection.
For You are our God, and we have no other Lord but You.
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Glory to Your might, O Lord,
for You have conquered the power of death.
You have renewed us through Your Cross,
granting us life and incorruption.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
We forever bless the Lord and praise His resurrection,
for by suffering crucifixion,
He has destroyed death by His death.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
By Your death and burial, O Lord,
You broke asunder the bonds of Hades;
and by Your resurrection from the dead,
You enlightened the whole world.
We, therefore, exclaim: Glory to You, O Lord!
In Tone 4
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Michael, the supreme commander,
you have been revealed as the bright messenger of the tri-luminary Godhead!
You cry out, rejoicing with the heavenly powers:
You are holy, O Father!
You are holy, co-eternal Word!
You are holy also, O Holy Spirit!
one Glory, one Kingdom, one Essence,
one Divinity, one Power!
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Michael the archangel,
your appearance is fiery and your beauty miraculous!
You traverse creation in your immaterial nature,
fulfilling the commandments of the Creator of all!
by your might you are known as all powerful:
you have made your Church a source of healing
honoured by your holy name!
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Make Your angels spirits, as it is written,
and Your ministers a flaming fire!
O Word, You have revealed Michael to be the leader of the archangels:
He submits to Your commands,
fearfully proclaiming the thrice-holy hymn to Your glory!
In Tone 6, Glory…
Rejoice with us, all the angelic hosts,
for the great supreme commander,
your superior and our intercessor,
appears most wondrously today in his honoured temple to make it holy.
Therefore, chanting fitting hymns let us cry aloud to him:
Michael, greatest of the archangels,
shelter us beneath your wings!
Now…
Who would not call you blessed, O Virgin most holy?
Who would not sing a hymn of praise
to the glory of your giving birth without pain or travail?
The Only-begotten Son Himself,
begotten of the Father before all ages,
was made flesh out of you in a manner
that cannot be explained, O Woman most pure!
And for our sake, He Who is God by nature
assumed the nature of a man.
He is not divided into two persons;
He is understood to have two natures
without commixion or confusion.
O noble and blessed Woman,
intercede with Him that He may mercy on our souls.
Aposticha
In Tone 6
O Christ our Saviour,
the angels in heaven sing the praises of Your Resurrection;
make us on earth also worthy
to extol You with a pure heart.
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
Almighty God, You destroyed the brazen gates and bars of Hades,
and raised up fallen mankind.
Therefore, with one accord, we cry out:
O Lord, risen from the dead, glory to You!
For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.
Christ willed to renew us from our corruption of old
by being nailed to a cross and placed in a tomb.
When the women came to anoint His body they tearfully cried out:
O, what sorrow afflicts us!
O Saviour of All, how could You consent to occupy a grave?
If you truly willed this, then why did You allow Your body to be stolen?
How were You removed?
What place now conceals Your life-bearing body?
O Lord, appear to us as You promised
and put an end to out tears.
As they were lamenting, an angel appeared and cried out to them:
Do not weep, but tell the Apostles that the Lord is risen,
granting sanctification and great mercy to the world.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.
O Christ, You were crucified of Your free will,
and by Your burial You imprisoned Death.
As God, You rose in glory on the third day,
granting life and great mercy to the world.
In Tone 8, Glory… Now…
Since you, leader of hosts, are first in rank and an archangel,
deliver from every oppression, sorrow, sickness and sin
those who humbly praise you and implore you.
Since you are bodiless, you behold the bodiless One!
You shine with the unapproachable light of the glory of the Lord
Who in His love took flesh for our sakes from a Virgin,
when He willed to save mankind!
In Tone 8, Now…
O Virgin, You have never known wedlock,
Yet You conceived God in the flesh
in a manner which words can never describe.
You thus became the Mother of God on high.
O Immaculate Lady, receive the supplication of your servants
and grant us the cleansing of our sins.
Accept now our prayers and beseech God to save all of us.
Troparia
In Tone 6
Angelic powers were upon Your tomb
and the guards became like dead men;
Mary stood before Your tomb
seeking Your most pure body.
You captured Hades without being overcome by it.
You met the Virgin and granted life.
O Lord, risen from the dead,
glory to You!
In Tone 4, Glory…
Princes of the heavenly hosts,
we, though unworthy, beg you to encircle us through your prayers
under the shelter of the wings of your spiritual glory.
Guard us as we come to you and sincerely cry:
“Deliver us from dangers,
O princes of the powers on high!”
Now…
O Mother of God, the mystery hidden from all eternity
and unknown even to the angels,
was revealed through you to those on earth:
God took on our human nature
and united it to His divine nature in a perfect but unconfused union.
Then, He willingly accepted the cross for our sake
and thereby raised again the first created man,
and saved our souls from death.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 6: Angelic powers were upon Your tomb* and the guards became like dead men;* Mary stood before Your tomb* seeking Your most pure body.* You captured Hades without being overcome by it.* You met the Virgin and granted life.* O Lord, risen from the dead,* glory be to You!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 6: With His life-giving hand* Christ our God, the Giver of life,* raised all the dead from the murky abyss* and bestowed resurrection upon humanity.* He is for all the Saviour,* the resurrection and the life, and the God of all.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone 6: Undaunted patroness of Christians,* O steadfast intermediary with the Creator,* turn not away from the suppliant voices of sinners,* but in your kindness come to help us who cry out to you in faith.* Be quick to intercede, make haste to plead,* for you are ever the patroness of those who honour you, O Mother of God.
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. (Psalm27:9, 1)
Epistle
2 Corinthians 4:6-15
Alleluia, Tone 6
verse: He who lives in the aid of the Most High, shall dwell under the protection of the God of heaven.
verse: He says to the Lord: You are my protector and my refuge, my God, in Whom I hope. (Psalm 90:1, 2)
Gospel
Matthew 22:35-46
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)