GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 3
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
By Your Cross, O Christ our Saviour,
the power of Death has been vanquished
and the deceit of the devil has been destroyed.
Therefore, mankind, saved by faith,
offers You hymns of praise forever.
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O Lord, all creation has been enlightened by Your resurrection,
and Paradise has been reopened;
therefore, all creation extols You
and offers You hymns of praise forever.
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
I glorify the powers of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
and I praise the dominion of the undivided Divinity,
the consubstantial Trinity,
Who reigns forever and ever.
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
We adore Your precious Cross, O Christ,
and with hymns of praise we glorify Your Resurrection;
for by Your wounds we have all been healed.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Let us sing the praises of the Saviour,
Who was incarnate of the Virgin;
for He was crucified for our sake,
and on the third day He arose from the dead,
granting us His great mercy.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Christ descended into Hades and announced to those confined there:
Take courage, for today I have conquered death.
I am the Resurrection, the One Who will set you free.
I shattered the gates of the realm of death.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
O Christ our God, we unworthily stand in Your most pure temple,
and offer to You our evening hymns.
From the depths of our souls we cry out to You:
O Lover of Mankind, Who has enlightened the world
by Your Resurrection on the third day,
deliver Your people from the hands of Your enemies.
In Tone 2
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Having forsaken the beauties of the world,
the splendour of your birthright, wealth and honour,
you cast aside all sensuality, breaking your body through the taming of the passions.
You rejoiced, James, as you followed after Christ,
for through your suffering you have become a partaker of glory indeed,
and are an inheritor of the Kingdom!
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
When the members of your flesh were cut off
you endured unbearable pain and wounds, truly glorious James!
You manfully trampled the savagery of the tormentors underfoot,
receiving a priceless crown of victory!
Now adorned with it, O blessed one,
you stand with those who suffered with you,
before the throne of the Master!
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Possessing boldness before Christ, ever-memorable martyr,
you fervently intercede for all who celebrate your honoured festival with faith,
delivering them from misfortunes and freeing them from the passions,
rescuing them from the evils that surround them,
granting their souls salvation by your divine prayers,
that we may glorify your splendid struggles!
In Tone 5, Glory…
Steadfast in struggles, martyr James,
you delivered up your body on behalf of Christ our God!
Your hands and legs were severed,
your fingers, arms, shoulders, and at the last, your head.
You ascended to heaven to reign with the King of all.
Therefore, since you have struggled mightily,
do not cease to intercede that our souls may be saved
from all harm by the alien.
In Tone 3, Now…
O Lady most honourable,
how can we but be rapt in wonder
at you giving birth to the Incarnate God
who, without a mother, was born of the Father before all ages?
You gave Him birth in the flesh without a father,
without a man instrumentality.
He is God and man whose two natures are intact,
neither one losing any of its properties.
Therefore, O Virgin Mother,
intercede with Him to save the souls
of those who believe and confess in true faith
that you are the Mother of God.
Aposticha
In Tone 3
O Christ, Who darkened the sun by Your passion
and enlightened all creation by Your resurrection,
accept our evening prayer; for You love mankind.
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
O Lord, Your life-giving Resurrection has enlightened the entire universe
and has revived Your creation which lay in corruption.
Therefore, we, who have been released from the curse of Adam, cry out to You:
Almighty Lord, glory to You!
For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.
O God, although in Your divine nature You are unchangeable,
yet in Your human nature You underwent change by suffering in the flesh.
All creation was prostrate with fear
when it saw You hanging on the Cross,
and it groaned in sorrow as it sang the praises of Your long-suffering.
But You descended into Hades and arose on the third day,
granting life and great mercy to the world.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.
You suffered death, O Christ, to deliver mankind from death.
And when You arose from the dead on the third day,
You enlightened the world
and resurrected all who acknowledge You as God.
In Tone 8, Glory…
Today as you assemble with faith, all who like to look upon the things of God,
behold the spiritual and awesome contest of James of Persia,
who has shone on us like the star appearing to the Magi, guiding us to true knowledge!
That valiant one, when he fell, destroyed those who fought against him,
and when his members were severed,
he brought to nothing those who tortured him,
for he was strengthened by the providence of the Most High,
crying out: even though you cut my material limbs, yet I have Christ,
who has spiritually become all things to me!
Therefore, foreseeing the life to come, lying before all through death,
he hastened to pass over to it!
Dwelling there, he entreats God, the Bestower of crowns,
that He may grant to us who celebrate his memory,
cleansing, enlightenment and great mercy!
Now…
O Virgin, You have never known wedlock,
Yet You conceived God in the flesh
in a manner which words can never describe.
You thus became the Mother of God on high.
O Immaculate Lady, receive the supplication of your servants
and grant us the cleansing of our sins.
Accept now our prayers and beseech God to save all of us.
Troparia
In Tone 3
Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice,* for the Lord has done a mighty deed with His arm.* He trampled death by death. He became the first-born of the dead;* He saved us from the abyss of Hades* and granted great mercy to the world.
In Tone 4, Glory…
You astounded all, long-suffering James,* by enduring horrible tortures with great patience.* As the evil assembly performed the slaughter,* you uttered prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord!* Through your sufferings you received your crown,* and came to the throne of the heavenly King, Christ God:** entreat Him to save our souls!
Now…
O Mother of God, the mystery hidden from all eternity* and unknown even to the angels,* was revealed through you to those on earth:* God took on our human nature* and united it to His divine nature in a perfect but unconfused union.* Then, He willingly accepted the cross for our sake* and thereby raised again the first created man,*and saved our souls from death.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 3: Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice,* for the Lord has done a mighty deed with His arm.* He trampled death by death. He became the first-born of the dead;* He saved us from the abyss of Hades* and granted great mercy to the world.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 3: You rose from the tomb, O compassionate Lord,* and led us out from the gates of death.* Today Adam exults and Eve rejoices,* and the prophets together with the patriarchs* unceasingly acclaim the divine might of Your power.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone 3: Today the Virgin stands before us in the church* and together with the choirs of saints invisibly prays to God for us.* Angels are worshipping with hierarchs,* Apostles exult with prophets,* for the Mother of God prays in our behalf to the eternal God.
Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Sing to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing.
verse: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout unto God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 46:7,2)
Epistle
Colossians 3:12-16
Alleluia, Tone 3
verse: In You, O Lord, have I hoped that I may not be put to shame for ever.
verse: Be a protector unto me, O God, and a house of refuge to save me. (Psalm 30:2,3)
Gospel
Luke 18:18-27
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)