Texts for Great Vespers and Divine Liturgy for October 1, 2017.
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.
In Tone 1
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
O most pure Mother of God,
you are a mighty defender for those in sorrow.
You are a ready help to those in trouble.
You are the salvation and confirmation of the world.
You are the depth of mercy, the fount of God’s wisdom
and the protectress of the world.
O faithful, let us sing and praise her glorious protection, saying:
Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you,
and through you He grants 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.
The wondrous prophet Isaiah foretold:
The mountain of the Lord will be revealed in the last days,
and the house of the Lord will be upon the mountain.
O Queen and Lady, we have seen this prophecy truly fulfilled in you,
because the mountains and hills have been adorned
by the many churches named after your feasts.
Therefore, we joyfully sing out to you:
Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you,
and through you He grants great mercy to the world.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
O awesome beauty,
you are the true prophetic fulfilment for all the faithful.
You are the glory of the apostles and the joy of the martyrs,
the pride of virgins and a wondrous protection for the whole world.
O Lady, with the mantle of your mercy,
protect our Church and all the people who sing out to you:
Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you,
and through you He grants great mercy to the world.
In Tone 4
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
O Theotokos, you cooperated with the invitation offered by the Holy Spirit.
You were like a paradise planted by God
and the site of the living Tree.
We acknowledge you as having brought forth the Creator of all
who feeds the faithful with the Bread of Life.
We ask you to pray for us with the Forerunner.
With your mantle protect all people from every danger.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Heaven and earth are sanctified.
The Church is radiant and all the people are rejoicing.
Behold, the Mother of God,
together with the angelic hosts, the Forerunner, and the Theologian,
with the prophets and the apostles has invisibly entered.
She prays to Christ in behalf of all Christians
that He may have mercy on our city and all people
who glorify the feast of her Protection.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
O Theotokos, you are the beauty of Jacob;
you are the heavenly ladder
by which Christ came down to earth.
Indeed, those images signify your honour and glory.
The angels in heaven and all people on earth praise you,
for you have given birth to the God of all.
We honour you as you pray for the whole world
and cover with your mantle
all those who observe your holy feast.
In Tone 8, Glory…
All the leaders of the heavenly armies
form a spiritual choir and rejoice with all of us
when they see the Lady and Queen of all praised by the faithful.
The spirits of the just also rejoice
as they witness the vision of the Queen praying with outstretched arms.
She asks for peace in the world,
power and strength for our Church,
and salvation for 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 28:10-17; (2) Ezekiel 43:27-44:4; (3) Proverbs 9:1-11
Lytia
In Tone 3
The glorious feast of your Holy Protection has come, O most pure Virgin.
Illuminate more brightly than the sun all your people
who with faith and with a pure heart
proclaim you to be truly the Mother of God.
They likewise sing out to your Son:
O Christ our God, through the prayers of the ever-Virgin,
who immaculately gave You birth in the flesh,
let not your inheritance be vanquished by the enemy;
but because You are the merciful One,
save our souls in peace.
In Tone 4
The people desire to sing to you, most pure Lady,
but they cannot sing praises worthy of your Son.
For you always intercede for all the faithful
and embrace them with your holy protection.
You pray that all will be saved,
all who honour you with faith,
O most pure Mother of God.
In Tone 2
Let us assemble today, O faithful,
and praise the immaculate Queen of all,
the most pure Virgin, the Mother of Christ our God;
for she always mercifully extends her hands to her Son.
In amazement, Andrew saw her in a cloud,
protecting the faithful with her mantle.
Let us fervently sing to her:
Rejoice, O protection, defence, and salvation of our souls.
Glory… Now…
Having purified our minds and souls,
we also rejoice with the angels,
joyously singing the hymn of David
to the virgin bride of Christ our God, the King of all:
Arise, O Lord, in the place of your dwelling,
You and the ark of your majesty.
Because You have adorned her as a beautiful palace,
receive her into your city
that through her prayers, O Lord, and with your almighty power,
she will order our lives and protect our Church from its enemies.
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 2, Glory… Now…
O all-pure Mother of God,
the Church is clothed with your honourable protection
as with a most glorious wreath.
It radiantly rejoices today.
It mystically dances with joy and sings to you, O Lady:
Rejoice, honourable raiment and crown of God’s glory.
Rejoice, unique perfection of glory and eternal joy;
rejoice, refuge of all who hasten to you;
rejoice, our salvation and deliverance.
Troparia
In Tone 4
Today we believers radiantly celebrate,* flooded in light by your coming to us, O Mother of God;* beholding your pure image,* we say with contrition:* shelter us with your precious protection* and deliver us from every evil,* entreating Your Son, Christ our God, to save our souls. (3)
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 4: Today we believers radiantly celebrate,* flooded in light by your coming to us, O Mother of God;* beholding your pure image,* we say with contrition:* shelter us with your precious protection* and deliver us from every evil,* entreating Your Son, Christ our God, to save our souls.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, 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.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8: When You rose from the tomb,* You also raised the dead and resurrected Adam.* Eve exults in Your resurrection,* and the ends of the world celebrate Your rising from the dead,* O most merciful One.
Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Pray and give thanks to the Lord our God.
verse: In Judea God is known; His name is great in Israel. (Psalm 75:12,2)
Prokeimenon, Tone 3
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. (Luke 1:46)
Epistle
2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1; Hebrew 9:1-7
Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: Come, let us rejoice in the Lord; let us acclaim God our Saviour.
verse: Let us come before His countenance with praise and acclaim Him with psalms. (Psalm 94:1,2)
verse: Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear.
verse: The rich among the people shall entreat your countenance. (Psalm 44:11,13)
Gospel
Matthew 15:21-28; Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1)* I will take the cup of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 115:13)