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Event Information:

  • Sun
    07
    Apr
    2019

    Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast: Our Venerable Mother, Mary of Egypt, Octoechos Tone 5. The Repose of Our Holy Father Methodius, Teacher of the Slavs (885)

    The feast of The Repose of Our Holy Father Methodius, Teacher of the Slavs is transferred to Sunday for this year.

    GREAT VESPERS

    Kathisma Reading
    “Blessed is the man...” is sung.

    At Psalm 140

    In Tone 5

    1. Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

    With Your precious Cross, O Christ,
    You have put the Devil to shame.
    With Your Resurrection You have deadened the sting of Death.
    We, therefore, glorify You, O only-begotten Son of God.

    1. The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

    O Christ, Who granted resurrection to mankind,
    You were led like a lamb to the slaughter.
    Then the princes of Hades were struck with terror
    as they saw the gates of their tearful domain being lifted up;
    for Christ, the King of Glory, entered therein
    and exclaimed to those in chains: Go forth from here!
    And to those in darkness: Go forth into the light!

    1. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

    What a great wonder!
    The Creator of invisible beings suffered in the flesh for mankind,
    and rose from the dead as immortal.
    Come, therefore, all you nations and adore Him;
    for through His compassion we have been freed from the snares of the Devil,
    and we have learned to praise the one God in three Persons.

    In Tone 6

    1. Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

    The pollution of past sins
    prevented you from entering the church
    to see the elevation of the Holy Cross;
    but then my conscience and the awareness of your actions
    turned you, O wise in God,
    to a better way of life.
    And, having looked upon the icon of the blessed Maid of God,
    You have condemned all your previous transgressions,
    O Mother worthy of all praise,
    and so have gone with boldness to venerate the precious Cross.

    1. If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

    The pollution of past sins
    prevented you from entering the church
    to see the elevation of the Holy Cross;
    but then my conscience and the awareness of your actions
    turned you, O wise in God,
    to a better way of life.
    And, having looked upon the icon of the blessed Maid of God,
    You have condemned all your previous transgressions,
    O Mother worthy of all praise,
    and so have gone with boldness to venerate the precious Cross.

    1. I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

    Having worshipped at the holy places with great joy,
    you have received saving grace for the journey of virtue,
    and with all haste you have set out upon the good path you have chosen.
    Crossing the stream of the Jordan,
    with eagerness you have gone to live
    in the dwelling place of the Baptist.
    you have tamed the savagery of the passions
    through your ascetic way of life,
    and boldly you have broken the rebelliousness of the flesh,
    O Mother ever-glorious.

    1. From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

    Having gone to dwell in the wilderness,
    you had blotted out from your soul the images of your sensual passions,
    and marked upon it the God-given imprint of holiness.
    You attained such glory, blessed Mother,
    as to walk upon the surface of the water,
    and in your prayers to God you were raised up from the earth.
    And now, all-glorious Mary,
    standing before Christ with boldness,
    entreat Him for our souls.

    In Tone 4

    1. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

    О holy Bishop Methodius,
    you took upon yourself task of teaching the law of grace.
    By holy letters you brought together and handed on these teachings to your people and your flock,
    that by them they could read and contemplate the holy Scriptures,
    and they blessed the Lord.
    We, therefore, bless you worthily.

    1. Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

    О blessed Methodius,
    you followed the words of the Lord,
    and truly blessed the Father,
    who gave birth to the Word in essence,
    and sent forth the all-holy Spirit.
    You continue to profess this, crying aloud,
    “Truly the Comforter proceeds from the Father and not from the Son.”
    Therefore, О divine preacher,
    you stand with the fathers of the First Council in their same profession,
    pray with them to the Saviour, that he may save us all.

    1. Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

    О father Methodius,
    you received apostolic grace from God in abundance.
    You were counted worthy of the wonder of prophecy,
    seeing the future as if it were present.
    Rejoice, О glorious father,
    sight of the blind, expeller of demons and healer of the sick.
    Grant us forgiveness of sins and great mercy.

    In Tone 4, Glory…

    The power of Your Cross, O Christ,
    has worked wonders,
    for even the woman who was once a harlot
    chose to follow the ascetic way.
    Casting aside her weakness,
    bravely she opposed the devil;
    and having gained the prize of victory,
    she intercedes for our souls.

    In Tone 5, Now…

    A symbol of the undefiled Virgin and bride
    was revealed in the Red Sea.
    There, Moses divided the waters;
    here, Gabriel is the messenger of the miracle.
    There, the Israelites crossed the deep and their feet were not even wet;
    here, the Virgin gives birth to Christ without human seed.
    There, the sea remained uncrossed after the passing of Israel;
    here, the immaculate remained incorrupt after giving birth to Emmanuel.
    Therefore, O immortal God, who appeared in the flesh as true Man,
    have mercy on us!

    Readings
    (1) Deuteronomy 1:8-17; (2) Deuteronomy 10:14-21; (3) Wisdom 3:1-9

    Aposticha

    In Tone 5

    O Christ our Saviour,
    we lift up our voices to glorify You.
    For, in Your love for mankind,
    You became incarnate without leaving heaven;
    You accepted the Cross and death;
    You cast down the gates of Hades;
    and on the third day You arose from the dead
    for the salvation of our souls.

    The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.

    O Giver of Life,
    streams of forgiveness, life, and salvation
    poured forth from Your pierced side upon us all.
    By accepting physical death, You granted us immortality;
    by lying in the tomb, You freed us from Hades,
    and as God, by rising from the dead,
    You raised us with Yourself in glory.
    Therefore, we cry out to You:
    O Lover of mankind, glory to You!

    For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.

    O Lover of mankind,
    Your crucifixion and descent into Hades are most wondrous.
    For, as God, You thereby conquered the power of Hades,
    and raised up in glory, with Yourself, those who were long imprisoned there.
    You reopened Paradise and enabled them to enter.
    Grant forgiveness of sins to us
    who glorify Your Resurrection on the third day,
    for You alone are all-merciful.

    Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.

    O Lover of mankind,
    You accepted suffering in the flesh
    and rose from the dead on the third day.
    Therefore, heal the passions of our flesh,
    raise us from our dreadful iniquities, and save us.

    In Tone 2, Glory …

    The desire of your soul and the passions of your flesh
    you have cut down with the sword of abstinence;
    your sinful thoughts you have choked with the silence of the ascetic life.
    With the streams of your tears you have watered all the wilderness,
    and caused the fruits of repentance to spring up for us:
    therefore, O saint, we celebrate your memory.

    In Tone 8, Now…

    Come, О feast-lovers,
    let us rejoice and exult with holy hymns,
    the falling asleep of the bishop Methodius, the enlightener of Moravia,
    the equal-to-the apostles of the Slavic peoples.
    Behold, he rejected the pleasures of the world,
    and took the apostolate of the cross on his shoulders,
    together with his brother, enlightening the Slavic nations.
    After his falling asleep, he received from God the reward of righteousness,
    and prays without ceasing,
    that our souls may be delivered from all troubles and dangers.

    Troparia

    In Tone 5
    Let us, the faithful, acclaim and worship the Word* co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit,* and born of the Virgin for our salvation.* For He willed to be lifted up on the cross in the flesh,* to suffer death and to raise the dead,* by His glorious Resurrection.

    In Tone 4, Glory… Now…
    O Christ, bestow from above Your mercies* to those who radiantly feast Your bishop’s falling asleep.* Through the intercession of our father Methodius,* Your holy disciple,* open to us the doors of the Kingdom* and loose the chains of our many sins.

     


    DIVINE LITURGY

    The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated today

    Troparia and Kontakia
    Troparion, Tone 5: Let us the faithful acclaim and worship the Word,* co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit,* and born of the Virgin for our salvation.* For He willed to be lifted up on the cross in the flesh, to suffer death* and to raise the dead by His glorious resurrection.

    Troparion, Tone 8: The divine image was faithfully preserved in you, O mother,* for taking up the Cross, you followed Christ.* By your deeds you have taught us to see beyond the flesh, which passes,* and care for the soul, a thing immortal.* And so, O venerable Mary,* your spirit rejoices with the angels.

    Troparion, Tone 4: O Christ, bestow from above Your mercies* to those who radiantly feast Your bishop’s falling asleep.* Through the intercession of our father Methodius,* Your holy disciple,* open to us the doors of the Kingdom* and loose the chains of our many sins.

    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

    Kontakion, Tone 2: Let us hymn the godly and faithful Methodius,* and lovingly call him blessed;* the pastor of the Slavs and the precious servant of the Trinity,* the one who banished heresy,* for he prays on behalf of all of us.

    Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

    Kontakion, Tone 3: Once you were filled with every impurity,* now through repentance you have been revealed as a bride of Christ,* following the angelic life, you crushed demons with the weapon of the Cross.* Therefore, O glorious Mary, you have been shown to be a bride of the kingdom.

    Prokeimenon, Tone 5
    You, O Lord, will guard us and will keep us* from this generation and for ever.
    verse: Save me, O Lord, for there is no longer left a just man. (Psalm 11:8,2)

    Prokeimenon, Tone 1
    My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart understanding. (Psalm 28:4)

    Epistle
    Hebrews 9:11-14; Hebrews 7:26-8:2

    Alleluia, Tone 5
    verse: Your mercies, O Lord, I will sing for ever; from generation to generation I will announce Your truth with my mouth.
    verse: For You have said: Mercy shall be built up for ever; in the heavens Your truth shall be prepared. (Psalm 88:2,3)
    verse: The mouth of the just man shall meditate wisdom and his tongue shall speak judgment.
    verse: The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps will not falter. (Psalm 36:30,31)

    Gospel
    Mark 10:32-45; John 10:9-16

    Hymn to the Mother of God
    In you, O Full of Grace, all creation rejoices: the angelic ranks and all the human race. Sanctified temple and spiritual paradise, virgins’ pride and boast, from whom God is made flesh and became a little Child; and He who is our God before all ages, He made your womb a throne, and He made it wider that all the heavens. In you, O Full of Grace, all creation rejoices. Glory be to you.

    Communion Hymn
    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)