GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma
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!
With Your pure hand, You created mankind;
You came to heal the sick, compassionate Christ!
You raised the paralytic at the sheep’s pool by Your word,
You cured the woman of her painful hemorrhage.
You had mercy on the Canaanite woman’s daughter.
You did not reject the centurion’s request.
Therefore we cry to You:
Glory to You, almighty Lord!
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
With Your pure hand, You created mankind;
You came to heal the sick, compassionate Christ!
You raised the paralytic at the sheep’s pool by Your word,
You cured the woman of her painful hemorrhage.
You had mercy on the Canaanite woman’s daughter.
You did not reject the centurion’s request.
Therefore we cry to You:
Glory to You, almighty Lord!
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
The paralytic was like an unburied corpse.
He saw You and shouted: Lord, have mercy on me!
My bed has become my grave! Why should I live?
What use is the sheep’s pool to me?
I have no one to put me into the pool when the angel stirs up the water.
I come to You, Fountain of healing!
Raise me up, that with all I may cry to You:
Glory to You, almighty Lord!
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.
In Tone 5, Now…
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He came to the sheep’s pool, called in Hebrew Bethsaida.
It had five porches, each filled with a multitude of the sick,
for at certain times an angel of the Lord stirred up the water,
and the first one who entered the pool in faith was healed.
There the Lord saw a man grievously afflicted.
He said: Do you want to be whole?
The sick man replied to the Lord:
I have no one to lower me into the pool when the water is stirred.
I have wasted my life waiting for healing,
but no one has ever seen fit to show me mercy!
The Physician of souls and bodies said to him:
Take up your mat and walk!
Proclaim my power and great mercy to the ends of the earth!
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 6, Glory…
O man of God, O faithful servant of the Lord,
you are a chosen vessel filled with desire for God.
You are a pillar and a foundation of the Church;
you are an heir of the kingdom.
O holy Father Nicholas, pray to the Lord for us.
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 8, Now…
Solomon’s porch was filled with the sick!
In the middle of the feast,
Christ found a man who had been paralyzed thirty-eight years.
He shouted to him in a commanding voice:
Do you want to be healed?
The sick man replied: Lord, I have no one to lower me into the pool!
When the water is stirred, another always gets in before me!
The Lord said to him: Pick up your mat;
now that you are healed, see that you sin no more!
Show to us Your great mercy, Lord,
through the prayers of the Theotokos!
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 3, Glory… Now…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 3: Lord, as of old You raised the Paralytic,* lift my soul by Your divine presence,* for by many sins and foolish actions,* I, too, am now afflicted and crippled.* Raise me, that being saved I may cry to You:* Glory to Your power, O merciful Christ.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8: Though You descended into a tomb, O Immortal One,* yet You destroyed the power of Hades;* and You rose as victor, O Christ God,* calling to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice!* and giving peace to Your Apostles:* You, who grant Resurrection to the fallen.
Prokeimenon, Tone 1
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in You.
verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; praise befits the righteous. (Psalm 32:22,1)
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
The venerable ones will exult in glory* and they shall be joyful in their beds. (Psalm 149:5)
Epistle
Acts 10:21-3; Hebrews 13:17-21
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: Of Your mercies, O Lord, I will sing forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Your truth from generation to generation.
verse: For You have said, “Mercy will be established forever.” (Psalm 32:22,1)
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. (Psalm 131:9,13)
Gospel
John 7:1-13; Luke 6:17-23
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
Receive the Body of Christ;* taste the fountain of immortality.* Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1)* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear*. Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)