GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 8
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
O Christ, during this spiritual service,
we sing to You these evening prayers,
commemorating the mercy You have shown us
by Your resurrection.
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O Lord, O Lord, do not cast us away from Your face;
but in Your kindness have mercy on us
through Your resurrection.
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Rejoice, O holy Zion,
the Mother of Churches and the dwelling-place of God;
for you were the first to receive the forgiveness of sins
through the resurrection.
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Christ the Word was begotten by God the Father before all ages;
yet in these latter times,
He freely willed to take flesh from the Virgin who did not know man.
By His death on the cross and His resurrection,
He saved mankind from the ancient curse of death.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
O Christ, we glorify Your resurrection;
for by rising from the dead
You freed the race of Adam from the sufferings of Hades,
and as God You granted eternal life
and great mercy to the world.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Glory to You, O Christ our Saviour,
the only-begotten Son of God;
for You were nailed to the cross,
and then arose from the dead on the third day.
In Tone 6
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
O Word and lover of Mankind,
infinite and beyond description in Your taking flesh for our sake,
the nobles assembly of Fathers proclaimed that You are both perfect man and perfect God,
one person in two perfect natures with two perfect wills.
Therefore, we profess that You are one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
We sing a hymn of praise to the Fathers, and we adore You.
- 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 Fathers of the Councils,
you demonstrated that Pyrrhus, Sergius, and Onuphrius,
Dioscorus, and Nestorius were in error
concerning the doctrines of Christ.
You save the flock by teaching the true principle
that Christ is one divine person in two natures.
This Christ we adore as perfect man and perfect God,
one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
O holy Fathers, we honour you and sing to you a hymn of praise.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
The Fathers of the Councils, inspired by God,
declare and explain that in Christ
there is a divine act and a divine will,
uncreated and infinite:
the act and will of the Son of God.
There is also a human act and a human will:
those of the Son of Man.
Thus, they proclaim that Christ is one divine person having two natures,
the one is divine and the other is human.
Therefore, we the faithful honour these Fathers every year
and glorify Christ who glorified them.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
The Fathers of the Councils proclaim to us today
that the eternal Trinity is one God and one Lord.
They explain the Trinity is of one nature,
consubstantial, of one will and one act,
not divided nor shared but existing in the simplicity of God’s being.
They define that this will and act of God
had no beginning and will never have and end.
Therefore, we the faithful glorify these Fathers
as the equals of the Apostles,
for they taught all people the true doctrine of God.
In Tone 6, Glory…
Let us honour today those mystical trumpets of the Spirit,
namely the God-mantled Fathers,
who speaking of divine things,
sang in the midst of the Church a hymn in unison,
teaching that the Trinity is one,
not differing in substance or Godhead,
refuting Arius and defending the orthodox faith.
They always intercede with the Lord
to have mercy on our souls.
In Tone 8, Now…
Out of his love for mankind
the King of heaven appeared on earth and dwelt with men,
for He assumed a human body from the pure Virgin
and was seen in the flesh He received from her.
He is the One and only God having two natures but not two persons.
Wherefore we profess and declare the truth
that Christ our God is perfect God and perfect Man.
O Mother, who knew not carnal union,
intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.
Readings
(1) Genesis 14:14-20; (2) Deuteronomy 1:8-11, 15-17; (3) Deuteronomy 10:14-21
Aposticha
In Tone 8
O Jesus, You descended from heaven
so that You might ascend the cross.
O immortal Life, You came to die.
You are the true light to those who live in darkness,
and You are the resurrection of the fallen.
Therefore, O Saviour of all, we glorify You.
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. * Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
Let us glorify Christ, the Saviour of our Souls
Who arose from the dead.
For He took upon himself a soul and a body,
and during His passion He separated the one from the other.
His pure soul went down to conquer Hades,
while His holy body lay uncorrupted in the grave.
For He has made the world firm. * which shall not be moved.
O Christ, we glorify Your resurrection with psalms and hymns.
For by Your victory over death
You delivered us from the sufferings of Hades,
and as God You granted us eternal life and great mercy.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, * for length of days.
O Lord of all, Creator of heaven and earth,
You are above all understanding.
Through Your passion on the cross
You freed us from the sufferings of Hades.
And, after condescending to be buried, You arose in glory;
and with Your mighty arm You also raised up Adam.
O most merciful Lord, we glorify You;
for by Your resurrection on the third day
You granted us remission of sins and eternal life.
In Tone 4, Glory…
O holy Fathers of the Councils,
you are the faithful keepers of the Apostles’ traditions.
By proclaiming that the three persons of the Holy Trinity
are one and consubstantial,
you refuted the blasphemy of Arius.
By teaching that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person,
one with the Father and the Son,
you put Macedonius, Severus and other heretics to shame.
Therefore, we beseech you to intercede for us,
preserving us from heresy and error
and keeping our lives blameless in God’s sight.
Now…
O most pure Virgin, hear the petitions of your servants.
Remove the burdens which oppress us,
and deliver us from our sorrows;
for you are the only firm and constant support on whom we rely.
O Mother of God, never permit us who call upon you
to be overwhelmed by our cares.
Hasten to fulfil the supplications of all who, in faith, cry out to you:
Rejoice, O Lady, helper of all mankind,
the joy, the refuge, and the salvation of our souls.
Troparia
In Tone 8
You came down from on high, O Merciful One,* and accepted three days of burial* to free us from our sufferings.* O Lord, our life and our resurrection,* glory be to You.
In Tone 8, Glory…
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.
Now…
O gracious Lord, for the sake of mankind You were born of a virgin: * through Your death on the Cross You conquered Death; * and through Your resurrection You revealed Yourself as God. * O merciful Lord, do not disdain those whom You have created with Your own hands, * but show forth Your love for mankind. * Accept the intercession which the Mother, who bore You, makes in our behalf. ** O Saviour, save Your despairing people.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 8: You came down from oh high, O Merciful One,* and accepted three days of burial* to free us from our sufferings.* O Lord, our life and our resurrection,* glory be to You.
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.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 6: The Son who ineffably shone from the Father* was born two-fold of nature from a woman.* Beholding Him, we do not reject the image of His form;* but depicting it, we revere it faithfully.* Therefore, the Church, holing the true faith,* kisses the icon of Christ’s becoming man.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone 6: Undaunted patroness of Christians,* O steadfast intermediary with the Creator,* turn not away from the suppliant voices of sinners,* but in your kindness come to help us who cry out to you in faith.* Be quick to intercede, make haste to plead,* for you are ever the patroness of those who honour you, O Mother of God.
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. (Daniel 3:26-27)
Epistle
Hebrews 13:7-16
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: The God of gods, the Lord, spoke and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
verse: Gather to Him His devout ones, who with sacrifice make covenant with Him. (Psalm 49:1,5)
Gospel
John 17:1-17
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens,* praise Him in the highest.* Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalms 184:1; 32:1)