GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 1
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
Accept our evening prayer, O holy Lord,
and grant us forgiveness of sins,
for You alone manifested the Resurrection to the world.
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
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.
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
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.
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
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
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
O wonder most glorious!
The Ineffable One is now prefigured.
She is known today in visible images
because the Divine Light shone forth for the world.
The betrothed is led into the holy temple.
Let us exalt her as the splendid and holy One,
the light-radiating Temple of Christ the Light-Giver.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
The wise Joachim and Anne
offered up a truly acceptable first fruit,
the heavenly fruit that God clearly desired to give to them,
the handmaiden of God, the Virgin Mary.
Her tribulations took away the debt.
Let us praise her and devoutly rejoice
because she is the mediatrix of joy for the whole world.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Come let us mystically gather together.
Adorned with the light of faith,
let us walk before the Virgin
who now gloriously enters the temple of God.
She is betrothed to Christ, the King of all.
We celebrate the beautiful feast of her entrance
which is a delight to everyone.
In Tone 2
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
O glorious Philemon,
as a branch of the Living Vine,
you have rained the joy of the knowledge of God
upon those who have anguish of soul.
You made happy the hearts that were ensnared
and possessed by the darkness of idol worship.
Therefore, we rejoice and celebrate your God-loving memory.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
O blessed one, the city of Gaza venerates you,
since It beheld the light of knowledge through you.
The Colossians hold onto your holy body as a rich possession
which overflows with the grace of healing.
Therefore, O glorious Philemon, we observe your memory
and are protected from dangers by your prayers.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
In faith let us praise the wise ones,
the hierarchs Archippus and the precious Apphias.
Let us honour the priestly preachers
and honourable teachers, Philemon and Onesimus.
They rooted out the cunning of idol worship by preaching
and planted the knowledge of truth
for all who devoutly honour them.
In Tone 1, Glory… Now…
Today let the heavens above greatly rejoice
and let the clouds pour down gladness
at the mighty and marvellous acts of our God.
For behold, the gate that looks towards the East,
born from a fruitless and barren womb according to the promise,
and consecrated to God as his dwelling,
is now being brought into the temple as a spotless offering.
Let David greatly rejoice and play on his harp, saying:
Virgins shall be brought to the King after her;
her companions shall be brought into the ark of the Lord
to be nourished with the life of the incorruptible One
who was begotten from eternity
for the salvation of our souls.
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 2, Glory… Now…
Today the all-Immaculate Virgin
is being escorted into the temple
to become the abode of God, the King of all.
Today, as a three year old child,
the most pure holy One is being led into the Holy of Holies.
With the angel, let us cry out to her:
Rejoice, for you alone are blessed among women.
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.
In Tone 4, Glory… Now…
Today is the prelude of the good pleasure of God,* and the proclamation of salvation for the human race.* In the Temple of God the Virgin is clearly revealed,* and beforehand announces Christ to all.* To her, then, let us cry aloud with a mighty voice:** Rejoice, fulfillment of the Creator’s plan.
DIVINE LITURGY
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 4: Today is the prelude of the good pleasure of God,* and the proclamation of salvation for the human race.* In the Temple of God* the Virgin is clearly revealed,* and beforehand announces Christ to all.* To her, then, let us cry aloud with a mighty voice:* Rejoice, fulfilment of the Creator’s plan.
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: The Saviour’s pure temple,* the precious bridal chamber and Virgin,* the sacred treasury of the glory of God,* is brought today into the house of the Lord;* and with her she brings the grace of the divine Spirit.* God’s angels sing in praise of her:* She is indeed the heavenly dwelling-place.
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 32:22, 1)
Epistle
Ephesians 5:9-19
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: God gives me vindication, and has subdued people under me.
verse: Making great the salvation of the king, and showing mercy to His anointed, to David, and to His posterity forever. (Psalm 17:48, 51)
Gospel
Luke 12:16-21
Hymn to the Mother of God
Seeing the entrance of the pure one, angels marvel in wonder how the Virgin could enter the holy of holies.
And the Irmos, Tone 4: Let no hand of the profane touch God’s living ark,* but instead let the lips of those who are believers* sing out ceaselessly in the words of the angel,* crying out with great joy to the Mother of God:* O pure Virgin,* you are truly higher than all.
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)