Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
At Psalm 140
In Tone 8
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
O faithful, while fasting bodily,
let us also fast in spirit.
Let us loosen every bond of injustice;
let us tear apart the strong chains of violence;
let us rip up all unjust assertions;
let us give bread to the hungry
and welcome the poor and homeless to our houses,
that we may receive from Christ our God, His great mercy.
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O faithful, while fasting bodily,
let us also fast in spirit.
Let us loosen every bond of injustice;
let us tear apart the strong chains of violence;
let us rip up all unjust assertions;
let us give bread to the hungry
and welcome the poor and homeless to our houses,
that we may receive from Christ our God, His great mercy.
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
What honour and praise can fittingly be ascribed to the saints?
They bowed their necks under the sword for You,
the One who left the heavens and came down.
They shed their blood for You,
the One who took the form of a servant.
By emulating Your poverty
they humbled themselves unto death.
By their prayers, have mercy on us, O Lord,
according to Your compassion.
In Tone 2
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Jesus, the true spiritual Sun,
sent you as lightning through all the world,
to overcome the darkness of error
by the brightness of your divine teachings;
O holy apostles, who have seen the Lord,
beseech Him to send His light and His mercy on us.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Elijah ascended in the divine chariot of his virtues,
and by his fasting he was carried to the heights of heaven in glory.
Strive, O my humble soul, as he did,
fast and shed all evil, malice, envy, and corrupting luxury
so that you may be delivered from all eternal pain of death
and cry out to Christ:
O Lord, glory be to You!
In Tone 5
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O divine apostles,
fervent intercessors for the world and defenders of the faithful.
You received from Christ our God the boldness to intercede for us.
We beseech you that we may pass this solemn time of the Fast untroubled
and receive the grace of the consubstantial Trinity.
O great and glorious preachers, pray for our souls.
In Tone 1
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
The height of the virtues and foundation of the faithful,
the glory of bishops and boast of the martyrs,
summons all the faithful to his holy memorial with splendour
that they may sing to him as a victor who glorified God on earth!
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
The height of the virtues and foundation of the faithful,
the glory of bishops and boast of the martyrs,
summons all the faithful to his holy memorial with splendour
that they may sing to him as a victor who glorified God on earth!
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
You were moved by a vision of Christ,
the Angel of great counsel,
as you beheld the evil assembly, wise martyr.
You went at once to the tribunal.
You took the trophies of victory in your hand!
Now you dwell in the heavens, all-holy one.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
With the drops of your blood, martyr Blaise,
you wove a beautiful robe for the Church
embroidered by your well-anointed fingers
and dyed with your manifold sufferings.
She wears it as a beautiful bride
singing hymns to Christ the Bridegroom!
In Tone 4, Glory… Now…
O Mother of Christ our God,
you who gave birth to the Maker of all,
deliver us from every danger,
so that we may cry out to you with one accord:
Rejoice, O only intercessor for our souls!
Prokeimenon I, Tone 5
You, O Lord, will guard us, and will keep us,* from this generation, and forever!
verse: Save me, O Lord, for there is no longer left a just man.
Reading I
Genesis 1:24-2:3
God said, “Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds.” And so it happened: God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. God saw how good it was. Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.” God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” God also said: “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food.” And so it happened. God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed-the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.
Prokeimenon II, Tone 6
Look at me and answer me* O Lord my God!
verse: How long, O Lord, will You forget me? How long will You hide Your face from me?
Reading II
Proverbs 2:1-22
My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands, Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding; Yes, if you call to intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice; If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out: Then will you understand the fear of the Lord; the knowledge of God you will find; For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; He has counsel in store for the upright, he is the shield of those who walk honestly, Guarding the paths of justice, protecting the way of his pious ones. Then you will understand rectitude and justice, honesty, every good path; For wisdom will enter your heart, knowledge will please your soul, Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you; Saving you from the way of evil men, from men of perverse speech, Who leave the straight paths to walk in the way of darkness, Who delight in doing evil, rejoice in perversity; Whose ways are crooked, and devious their paths; Saving you from the wife of another, from the adulteress with her smooth words, Who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the pact with her God; For her path sinks down to death, and her footsteps lead to the shades; None who enter thereon come back again, or gain the paths of life. Thus you may walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the just. For the upright will dwell in the land, the honest will remain in it.