Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
At Psalm 140
In Tone 7
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
I have enslaved the dignity of my soul to the passions,
and have become like the beasts;
I can no longer raise my eyes to You, O God most high.
But, like the Publican I bow to the earth,
and I cry to You in supplication:
Forgive me, O Lord, and save me.
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
I have enslaved the dignity of my soul to the passions,
and have become like the beasts;
I can no longer raise my eyes to You, O God most high.
But, like the Publican I bow to the earth,
and I cry to You in supplication:
Forgive me, O Lord, and save me.
In Tone 7
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Glory to You, O Christ our God.
You are the praise of the apostles,
and the delight of the martyrs,
who preached the consubstantial Trinity.
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
O holy martyrs who fought the good fight
and have received your crowns,
entreat the Lord to have mercy on our souls.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Not caring for any earthly things, O holy martyrs,
you boldly preached Christ during your trials,
and received your due reward from Him.
But since you possess confidence before Him,
we beseech you to entreat Him, as the Almighty God, to save our souls.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O martyrs, lofty praise is due to you,
for you are lambs of the Spirit and spiritual offerings.
You are pleasing sacrifices that have found favour with God;
and though the earth may not have covered you, the heavens received you.
We entreat you; for you have become partakers with the angels,
to join with them in beseeching our God
to give the world peace and to save our souls.
In Tone 8
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Unfading and divine radiance,
light-bearing brilliance of the commandments of God,
ever-memorable athlete,
most excellent of martyrs!
You have dispelled the gloom of darkness like a brilliant star!
You are a good offering, blessed one;
an unblemished sacrifice.
Therefore, ever entreat Christ that He may save our souls!
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Unfading and divine radiance,
light-bearing brilliance of the commandments of God,
ever-memorable athlete,
most excellent of martyrs!
You have dispelled the gloom of darkness like a brilliant star!
You are a good offering, blessed one;
an unblemished sacrifice.
Therefore, ever entreat Christ that He may save our souls!
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Proclaimer of the truth:
You revealed yourself to be a sword-wielding enemy of ungodliness.
You cut off the head of the enemy with your suffering, all-wise one.
You clearly proclaimed the commandment of God,
saying good things to the untaught people.
Co-dweller with the martyrs, Conon,
entreat the Saviour that He may deliver from the passions
Your servants who honour You with hymns!
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
What a good change the Lord of our fathers made in you
by the right hand of the Most High!
Most glorious athlete,
you were revealed to be a fruit blossoming from the root of unbelief.
Most blessed and all-praised Conon,
you had Christ as your most excellent Commander,
as you mightily overthrew the hordes of demons!
In Tone 7, Glory…
Grant repose, O God our Saviour,
to our departed loved ones who cry out to You:
O Lord and Giver of life, glory to You.
Now…
Immaculate Mother of God,
you became a mother outside the laws of nature,
remaining a virgin in a way that exceeds all description and human understanding.
The wonder of your birth-giving could not be told in human language,
for your conception of Christ blinded intelligence,
and your birth-giving exceeded understanding:
for whenever God so desires, the laws of nature are broken.
Wherefore we all firmly believe that you are the Mother of God,
and we eagerly beseech you to intercede for the salvation of our souls.
Prokeimenon I, Tone 6
O Shepherd of Israel, hear us,* You who lead Joseph’s flock.
verse: Shine forth from Your Cherubim throne.
Reading I
Genesis 12:1-7
The Lord said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.” Abram went as the Lord directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, all the possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land as far as the sacred place at Shechem, by the terebinth of Moreh. (The Canaanites were then in the land.) The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So Abram built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.
Prokeimenon II, Tone 4
Ring out your joy to God, our strength,* shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.
verse: Raise a song and sound the timbrel, the sweet-sounding harp and lute.
Reading II
Proverbs 14:15-26
The scoundrel suffers the consequences of his ways, and the good man reaps the fruit of his paths. The simpleton believes everything, but the shrewd man measures his steps. The wise man is cautious and shuns evil; the fool is reckless and sure of himself. The quick-tempered man makes a fool of himself, but the prudent man is at peace. The adornment of simpletons is folly, but shrewd men gain the crown of knowledge. Evil men must bow down before the good, and the wicked, at the gates of the just. Even by his neighbour the poor man is hated, but the friends of the rich are many. He sins who despises the hungry; but happy is he who is kind to the poor! Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those intent on good gain kindness and constancy. In all labour there is profit, but mere talk tends only to penury. The crown of the wise is resourcefulness; the diadem of fools is folly. The truthful witness saves lives, but he who utters lies is a betrayer. In the fear of the Lord is a strong defence; even for one’s children he will be a refuge.