GREAT VESPERS
At Psalm 140
In Tone 6
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
You were begotten from the Father before the morning star,
but Arius taught wrongfully that You were created:
In his ignorance he designated You as a creature,
yet the fathers of the council proclaimed You as Son of God,
co-enthroned with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Who has torn Your spotless vesture, Savior?
Who has challenged the unity of the triune Godhead?
It is Arius, for he denied that You are equal to the Father.
Those who follow him do not believe that God took flesh for our sake,
but the fathers of the council proclaimed You as Son of God,
co-enthroned with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
The foolish Arius blasphemed the holy Trinity,
dividing the Persons into three different and unequal substances,
but the God-mantled fathers denounced his confusion:
They assembled with the zeal of Elijah,
destroying error with the sword of the Spirit,
directed by the inspiration of God!
In Tone 8
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
You have reached the heights of virtue, O blessed ambassador of Christ,
and have become the glorious wonder-worker of Myra.
While your body rests in Bari, receiving worthy veneration,
in spirit you visit the faithful everywhere,
delivering them from misfortune, O blessed one of the hierarchs.
Today, we call upon you with supplications and earnestly beseech you:
Pray, O bishop Nicholas, to the Saviour of all,
that He grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
You have reached the heights of virtue, O blessed ambassador of Christ,
and have become the glorious wonder-worker of Myra.
While your body rests in Bari, receiving worthy veneration,
in spirit you visit the faithful everywhere,
delivering them from misfortune, O blessed one of the hierarchs.
Today, we call upon you with supplications and earnestly beseech you:
Pray, O bishop Nicholas, to the Saviour of all,
that He grant peace to the world and great mercy to 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.
Let us the faithful honour with joy and hymns of praise
the translation of the precious relics of our intercessor,
who enlightens every nation with miracles,
consoles the sorrowing, and protects the poor.
For the sake of almsgiving, he fell into God’s debt;
for this he received a hundredfold reward.
To him we all cry out:
Pray, O bishop Nicholas, to the Saviour of all,
that He grant peace to the world and save our souls.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Let us the faithful honour with joy and hymns of praise
the translation of the precious relics of our intercessor,
who enlightens every nation with miracles,
consoles the sorrowing, and protects the poor.
For the sake of almsgiving, he fell into God’s debt;
for this he received a hundredfold reward.
To him we all cry out:
Pray, O bishop Nicholas, to the Saviour of all,
that He grant peace to the world and save our souls.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Because of your virtues you, O God-bearing Nicholas,
have entered the palaces of the angels and stand before your Master Christ,
Whose most humble servant you have become.
From your relics you exude myrrh;
you help the faithful by your miracles,
and lead the true believers to God.
Not from Bari do we call upon you, but from the heavenly Jerusalem,
where you are rejoicing with the apostles, prophets, and bishops.
Pray today to the Saviour of all,
that He grant peace to the world and save our souls.
In Tone 6, Glory…
Let us all together venerate with canticles of praise
the beauty of the hierarchs and the glory of the fathers,
the fountain of miracles and the great intercessor of the faithful,
crying out: Rejoice, O protector of the laity,
honourable archbishop and unshakeable pillar!
Rejoice, universal lamp that illumines all nations with miracles!
Rejoice, holy joy of the afflicted and sincere defender of the downtrodden!
Do not cease, O all-praised Nicholas,
even today to pray to Christ God for those who with faith and love
always honour your blessed and sacred memory.
Now…
We praise the radiance of Your countenance,
seeing Your Ascension upon the mount, O Christ,
the splendor of the Father’s glory.
We bow in worship before Your Passion!
We honor Your Resurrection!
We praise Your glorious Ascension!
Lord, have mercy on us!
Readings
(1) Proverbs 10:6-8; 8:6-21; (2) Proverbs 10:13-32; 11:1-10; (3) Wisdom 4:7-15
Aposticha
In Tone 5
Rejoice, O priestly leader, spotless vessel of virtue,
model of divine priesthood, great shepherd of your flock,
bearer of the torch of victory.
You hear the prayers of those who call upon you;
you grant petitions of the poor;
you rescue all who praise your name.
Now we ask you to Implore Christ
that He may shower abundant mercy on the world.
Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful.
Rejoice, O saintly Father, temple of the Trinity;
pillar of the Church, protector of the faithful,
helper of all in trouble.
You are a star whose rays of prayer dispel the darkest trouble.
You are a quiet harbour for the storm-tossed,
for all adrift in the sea of life.
Pray to Christ to save our souls with his great mercy.
Your priests shall be clothed with holiness; your faithful shall ring out their joy.
Rejoice, O zealous man of God.
You appeared in a dream,
and you saved from death the ones unjustly sentenced.
You are a fountain in Myra, overflowing with scented myrrh.
You inspire us to keep from sin.
You are a sword that cuts the woods of error
you proved Arius to be a false teacher.
Pray to Christ to save our souls with His great mercy.
In Tone 4, Glory…
O bishop Nicholas, by sea,
You made your journey from Myra in Lycia to the city of Bari.
Your coffin was removed from the tomb
and transferred from the East to the far off West, O most glorious Nicholas.
It was followed by pious monks
who, by the will of God, performed services at your tomb.
In Tone 6, Now…
God has gone up with a shout;
the Lord, with the sound of a trumpet,
in order to save the fallen image of Adam,
and to send the comforting Spirit,
Who will sanctify our souls!
Troparia
In Tone 4
The day of radiant feasting is here,* the city of Bari rejoices, and the world exults with hymns and spiritual songs.* For today is the sacred feast* of the transfer of the precious and healing relics of the bishop and wonder-worker Nicholas.* Like a never-setting sun* he shines with radiant beams of light* dispelling the gloom of temptations and grief* from those who cry with faith:* Save us, great Nicholas, for you intercede for us.
In Tone 4, Glory… Now…
You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through your blessing* that You are the Son of God,* the Redeemer of the world.
DIVINE LITURGY
Antiphon 1
Clap your hands, all you nations;* shout to God with the voice of joy.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.
For the Lord most high is awesome,* a great king of all the earth.
Through the prayers…
He has subdued peoples to us,* and nations under our feet.
Through the prayers…
God ascended amid shouts of joy;* the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.
Through the prayers…
Glory… Now… Only-Begotten Son…
Antiphon 3
Son of God, who ascended in glory, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
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 to You!
Troparion, Tone 4: You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through your blessing* that You are the Son of God,* the Redeemer of the world.
Troparion, Tone 8: Christ our God, You are glorified above all, You established our fathers as beacons on earth and through them guided all of us to the true faith. Glory to You, most compassionate Lord.
Troparion, Tone 4: The day of radiant feasting is here,* the city of Bari rejoices, and the world exults with hymns and spiritual songs.* For today is the sacred feast* of the transfer of the precious and healing relics of the bishop and wonder-worker Nicholas.* Like a never-setting sun* he shines with radiant beams of light* dispelling the gloom of temptations and grief* from those who cry with faith:* Save us, great Nicholas, for you intercede for us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 3: Like a star your relics have moved from east to west,* and the sea is hallowed by your passage;* holy bishop Nicholas, the city of Bari receives grace through you,* for you are revealed as one who works wonders:* illustrious, awesome, and merciful.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8: The apostles’ preaching and the Fathers’ doctrine confirmed the Church’s one faith, and wearing the garment of truth woven from theology that descends from on high, she rightly imparts the mystery of godliness and sings its glory.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
Blessed are You, Lord God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your Name forever.
verse: For You are righteous in everything that You have done to us.
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
The venerable ones will exult in glory* and they shall be joyful in their beds.
Epistle
Acts 21:8-14; Hebrews 13:17-21
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: The God of gods, the Lord, spoke and summoned the earth from the rising of sun to its setting.
verse: Gather to Him His devout ones, who with sacrifice make covenant with Him
verse: Your priests shall clothe themselves with justice, and Your venerable ones shall rejoice.
verse: For the Lord has chosen Sion; He has chosen it for His dwelling.
Gospel
John 14:27-15:7; Luke 6:17-23
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him the highest.* Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; praise befits the righteous.* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear*. Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.