GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 1
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
The Lover of mankind, Who rose from the dead on the third day
said to Thomas: See and feel the wounds in My hands and feet.
Know Me as the changeless God
Who accepted the earthly image and suffered in it!
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Thomas the twin was amazed
seeing the wounds on the hands and feet.
He marvelled at the miracle, and touched His side.
Then he proclaimed to the pagans
the rising from the tomb on the third day!
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
I receive great joy, my Saviour,
seeing Your Resurrection confirmed by positive facts
which Thomas had a chance to touch!
So I preach You as truly God and truly Man!
In Tone 4
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
О holy Bishop Methodius,
you took upon yourself task of teaching the law of grace.
By holy letters you brought together and handed on these teachings to your people and your flock,
that by them they could read and contemplate the holy Scriptures,
and they blessed the Lord.
We, therefore, bless you worthily.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
О holy Bishop Methodius,
you took upon yourself task of teaching the law of grace.
By holy letters you brought together and handed on these teachings to your people and your flock,
that by them they could read and contemplate the holy Scriptures,
and they blessed the Lord.
We, therefore, bless you worthily.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
О blessed Methodius,
you followed the words of the Lord,
and truly blessed the Father,
who gave birth to the Word in essence,
and sent forth the all-holy Spirit.
You continue to profess this, crying aloud,
“Truly the Comforter proceeds from the Father and not from the Son.”
Therefore, О divine preacher,
you stand with the fathers of the First Council in their same profession,
pray with them to the Saviour, that he may save us all.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
О blessed Methodius,
you followed the words of the Lord,
and truly blessed the Father,
who gave birth to the Word in essence,
and sent forth the all-holy Spirit.
You continue to profess this, crying aloud,
“Truly the Comforter proceeds from the Father and not from the Son.”
Therefore, О divine preacher,
you stand with the fathers of the First Council in their same profession,
pray with them to the Saviour, that he may save us all.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
О father Methodius,
you received apostolic grace from God in abundance.
You were counted worthy of the wonder of prophecy,
seeing the future as if it were present.
Rejoice, О glorious father,
sight of the blind, expeller of demons and healer of the sick.
Grant us forgiveness of sins and great mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О bishop Methodius, renowned citizen of the land of Moravia,
glory and boast of the northern countries,
your lofty preaching calls us together.
Come, О feast-lovers, let us rejoice in faith and exult with him
on the feast of his glorious falling asleep.
May he offer unceasing prayer to Christ our God,
that our souls may be delivered from all troubles and dangers.
In Tone 4
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord, shining with the splendour of Your divinity,
You came through closed doors to Your disciples,
showing Your pierced side, the wounds from the nails,
dispelling all sadness and sorrow!
Friends, see that I am not a spirit, but truly Man!
The disciple who did not believe, You commanded to see,
saying: Prove to yourself, then come and believe!
He touched Your side with his own hand and cried in faith and fear:
My Lord and my God, glory to You!
Readings
(1) Deuteronomy 1:8-17; (2) Deuteronomy 10:14-21; (3) Wisdom 3:1-9
Aposticha
In Tone 8
O hierarch Methodius, aurora of the intellectual light, light of the church,
ornament of hierarchs and of the monks’ life of fasting the true rule,
you have appeared to us a defender
delivering our souls from the destructive enemy.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
O hierarch Methodius, you have received from God a great power,
you have driven off with your prayer
a multitude of the evil demons with their attacks
from all those that in faith have recourse to you.
What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?
How can we worthily hymn the great hierarch Methodius,
the venerable mind,
the light God-illumined that enlighten us
and grants the divine understanding,
the confessor of the profound mysteries.
Let us harmoniously say: Hail, O Methodius, the father of fathers.
Glory…
Come, О feast-lovers,
let us rejoice and exult with holy hymns,
the falling asleep of the bishop Methodius, the enlightener of Moravia,
the equal-to-the apostles of the Slavic peoples.
Behold, he rejected the pleasures of the world,
and took the apostolate of the cross on his shoulders,
together with his brother, enlightening the Slavic nations.
After his falling asleep, he received from God the reward of righteousness,
and prays without ceasing,
that our souls may be delivered from all troubles and dangers.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Thomas, touch My side with your hand.
Come and feel the scars of the nails.
Know in faith and do not be faithless, but believing!
Thomas, when he touched the Master, cried:
You are my God and Lord, compassionate One, glory to You!
Troparia
In Tone 4
O Christ, bestow from above Your mercies* to those who radiantly feast Your bishop’s falling asleep.* Through the intercession of our father Methodius,* Your holy disciple,* open to us the doors of the Kingdom* and loose the chains of our many sins. (2)
Troparion, Tone 1: Hail, Mother of God, Virgin Mary full of grace!* The Lord is with you.* Blessed are you among women,* and blessed is the fruit of your womb.* For you have borne Christ, the Saviour* and Deliverer of our souls. (1)
DIVINE LITURGY
After the priest has exclaimed, “Blessed be the Kingdom…” and the people have responded, “Amen,” the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then, the clergy sing the first half, and the people conclude it.
Paschal Troparion
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
First Antiphon
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,* sing now to His name, give glory to His praise.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Say unto God, “How awesome are Your works!* Because of the greatness of Your strength Your enemies will flatter You.”
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Let all the earth worship You and sing to You,* let it sing to Your name, O Most High!
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Glory… Now… Only-begotten Son…
Third Antiphon
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Saviour.
Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.
Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth.
Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 7: While the tomb was sealed, O Christ God, You dawned as life from the sepulcher, and while the doors were shut, You came to Your disciples, the Resurrection of all, renewing a right spirit in us through them, according to Your great mercy.
Troparion, Tone 4: O Christ, bestow from above Your mercies* to those who radiantly feast Your bishop’s falling asleep.* Through the intercession of our father Methodius,* Your holy disciple,* open to us the doors of the Kingdom* and loose the chains of our many sins.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 2: Let us hymn the godly and faithful Methodius,* and lovingly call him blessed;* the pastor of the Slavs and the precious servant of the Trinity,* the one who banished heresy,* for he prays on behalf of all of us.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8: With his searching hand, Thomas explored Your life-giving side, O Christ God. For when You entered while the doors were shut, he called out to You with the rest of the Apostles: You are my Lord and my God!
Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Great is our Lord and great is His strength;* and of His knowledge there is no end.
verse: Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good; may praise be sweet to our God. (Psalm 146:5,1)
Prokeimenon, Tone 1
My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart understanding. (Psalm 28:4)
Epistle
Acts 4:13-22; Hebrews 7:26-8:2
Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God our Saviour.
verse: For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth. (Psalm 94:1,3)
verse: The mouth of the just man shall meditate wisdom and his tongue shall speak judgment.
verse: The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps will not falter. (Psalm 36:30,31)
Gospel
John 5:17-24; John 10:9-16
Hymn to the Mother of God
The Angel cried out to the One full of Grace: O chaste Virgin, rejoice! And again I say, Rejoice! Your Son has risen from the tomb on the third day, and raised the dead. Let all people rejoice! Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Exult now and be glad, O Sion! And you, O chaste Mother of God, take delight in the resurrection of your Son.
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem.* Praise your God, O Sion. (Psalm147:1)* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear. (Psalm 111:6)* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.