GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 1
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
The doors being shut and the disciples assembled,
You appeared to them as almighty, Jesus, our God.
You stood in their midst giving them peace;
You granted the Holy Spirit to them,
commanding them to wait in Jerusalem
until clothed with the power from on high.
Therefore we cry to You:
Our Illumination and Resurrection and peace, glory to You!
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
Eight days after Your Resurrection, Lord,
You came to Your apostles
proclaiming: Peace be with you all!
To the doubting disciple, You showed Your hands and side.
He believed and cried to You:
My Lord and my God, glory to You!
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Thomas, who is called the twin,
was not with the disciples, Christ,
when You came to them through closed doors.
Therefore he doubted their word.
You did not reject him for his faithlessness!
When he saw Your side and the wounds in Your hands and feet,
his faith was made certain!
Having desired to see You,
he confessed You to be truly God, not only man,
crying: My Lord and my God, glory to You!
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
The disciples were assembled on the eighth day,
and the Saviour appeared to them!
He gave them peace and said to Thomas:
Come, apostle! Feel my hands, which were pierced by the nails!
Most wonderful doubt of Thomas!
It brought the hearts of the faithful to knowledge!
My Lord and my God, glory to You!
In Tone 2
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
After Your rising, Lord,
though the doors were shut,
You came to Your assembled disciples.
You granted them peace.
Even Thomas believed, seeing Your hands and side!
He confessed You as Lord and God,
Who save those who hope in You, Lover of mankind!
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
When the doors were shut,
Jesus stood in the midst of His disciples.
He calmed their hearts and granted them peace.
Then He spoke to the apostle Thomas:
Do you not believe that I am risen from the dead?
Bring your hands here, and touch My side!
Be no longer an unbeliever!
Proclaim My passion and My Resurrection to all,
that everyone may join your cry:
My Lord and my God, glory to You!
In Tone 4
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Having gathered together today,
we praise you, O George, as a valiant martyr.
You kept the faith and completed the course
and received from God the crown of victory.
Entreat Him to deliver from tribulations and corruption
those who faithfully observe your precious memory.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Drawing hope from your firmness of mind, O glorious one,
you willingly persevered to martyrdom like a lion.
Scorning the body as something that would wither,
you were wisely concerned with your incorruptible soul.
Covered with wounds by various forms of torture, O George,
like gold you were purified sevenfold.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
You suffered martyrdom in behalf of the Saviour, O glorious one,
by a death similar to his voluntary death.
You reign gloriously with Him,
clothed with the resplendent purple robes of your blood,
and you are adorned with the sceptre of your sufferings.
O great-martyr George,
you are resplendent in your crown of victory
throughout all generations.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
With faith as your armour and with grace as your shield,
with the cross as your spear, you waged war.
You were invincible in facing the foes, O George.
Like a mighty warrior, you destroyed the camps of the demons.
Now you are dancing joyfully with the angels.
Indeed you defend, sanctify, and save the faithful who invoke you.
In Tone 6, Glory…
You were true to your name, O warrior George,
for you took the cross of Christ upon your shoulders.
You ploughed well the land made barren by the deceits of the devil;
you rooted out the weeds of idol worship
arid planted the vine of the true faith.
Therefore, your healing overflows to the faithful throughout the whole world,
and you have shown yourself to be the righteous gardener of the Trinity.
Pray for peace in the world and salvation for our souls.
In Tone 6, Now…
When the doors were shut,
Jesus came to his disciples.
The apostle Thomas was not with them,
so he spoke these words:
Unless I see the Master myself,
unless I see His side flowing with baptismal blood and water,
unless I see those wounds which have healed all mankind,
unless I see not a spirit, but flesh and bones,
I will not believe.
Glory to You, O Lord,
for You confirmed Thomas in faith,
and have trampled death by death!
Readings
(1) Isaiah 43:9-14; (2) Wisdom 3:1-9; (3) Wisdom 4:7-15
Litya
In Tone 4
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!
O 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!
In Tone 8
Touch my side with your hand, O Thomas.
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,
O compassionate one, glory to You!
In Tone 1
Because of his glorious suffering,
the brilliant warrior George rejoices with the powers above.
At this time we also rejoice with them.
He has inspired the faithful on earth
to observe the feast and to celebrate with them.
Because of that he was considered a servant of Christ.
Let us, therefore, worthily venerate him
who prays unceasingly to the God of all to grant us great mercy.
You produced the best by valiant sufferings
and offered up your fruitful toils, O blessed martyr George.
Strengthening your yearning by faith and scorning fear by hope,
you revealed your love for heaven.
You showed courage to us.
By your fervent prayers ask for peace for our souls,
the cleansing of our sins,
and great mercy for us.
In Tone 4
Come, O assembly of the faithful.
Come, let us celebrate the feast.
Today is manifested the glorious memory of George the martyr.
Sparkling with virtues, he is invisibly illuminating our hearts.
Therefore, let us cry out with one mind:
Rejoice, O warrior of Christ the great king!
Rejoice, O most splendid and rich one!
O most blessed one, in our behalf, implore Christ our God, the Master of all,
that we may be preserved from temptations of the Evil One
and that our souls may be saved.
In Tone 5, Glory…
Come, let us be filled with delight.
Spring has come and brought forth the Resurrection of Christ.
Come, let us be joyful.
The commemoration of the martyr has arrived and illumines the faithful.
Therefore, come, O lovers of feasts;
let us celebrate that mystery.
For, as a good soldier, he courageously overcame and confounded the torturers.
He was an imitator of the passion of Christ the Saviour.
He did not spare his earthen vessel,
but exposed it naked, allowing it to suffer tortures.
Let us cry out to him:
O Martyr, pray that our souls may be saved.
In Tone 4, Now…
The disciples were assembled and the doors were closed.
Jesus appeared in the midst and said to Thomas:
Come, see and feel the marks of the nails,
stretch out your hand and touch My wounds.
Do not disbelieve,
but in faith proclaim my Resurrection from the dead!
Aposticha
In Tone 4
Glorious wonder!
Doubt bore certain faith!
Thomas said: unless I see, I shall not believe!
By touching His side, he blessed the incarnate Son of God
Who suffered in the flesh,
and he proclaimed the resurrected God,
crying out with joy: My Lord and my God, glory to You!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God!
Glorious wonder!
Thomas placed his hand on the fiery side of Jesus Christ, God!
He was not scorched by this,
his doubt changed to certain faith and he cried fervently:
You are my Master and God,
resurrected from the dead.
O Lord, glory to You!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your sons within you.
Glorious wonder!
John the apostle leaned on the Saviour’s breast,
and Thomas was made worthy to touch his side.
The one thus understood the depths of theology;
the other was privileged to announce the mystery of the Resurrection to us,
crying: My Lord and my God, glory to You!
In Tone 4, Glory…
Let us spiritually praise the great-martyr George,
the living steel of endurance.
He was tried by fire and branding irons
and sharp instruments of torture for the sake of Christ.
These various tortures ravaged the body which is perishable by nature;
but love conquered nature,
persuading the beloved to make his way through death to Christ our God,
the Saviour of our souls.
In Tone 5, Now…
How great is the multitude of your compassion, Lover of mankind!
Because of Your long-suffering You were struck by the Jews,
You were examined by an apostle and touched by those who denied You!
How are You incarnate?
How are You crucified?
You have not known sin!
Make us understand like Thomas that we may call out to You:
My Lord and my God, glory to You!
Troparia
In Tone 7
When the tomb was sealed, O Christ God,* You dawned as life from the sepulchre,* 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. (2)
In Tone 4
O victorious great-martyr George,* as a liberator of captives and helper of the poor,* physician of the sick* and champion of kings,* entreat Christ our God to save 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.
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 victorious great-martyr George,* as a liberator of captives and helper of the poor,* physician of the sick* and champion of kings,* entreat Christ our God to save our souls.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 4: You showed yourself a most honourable harvester of godliness,* for it was God who cultivated you.* You gathered the sheaves of virtues;* for, sowing in tears, you reaped in gladness;* and in shedding your blood, you received Christ.* By your prayers, O holy one, you grant pardon of transgressions of all.
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 7
The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him. (Psalm 63:11)
Epistle
Acts 5:12-20; Acts 12:1-11
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 just man shall flourish like the palm tree; and he shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon.
verse: They who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish the courts of our God. (Psalm 91:13,14)
Gospel
John 20:19-31; John 15:17-16:2
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.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)
