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Event Information:
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Thu25Apr2019
Bright Thursday; Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark
GREAT VESPERS
The Paschal Troprion is sung three times: first by the clergy, then by the faithful, then half by the clergy, and half by the faithful. We continue to sing the Troparion with verses from Psalm 67:
Paschal Troparion
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Priest: Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee from before His face!
All: Christ is risen...
Priest: As smoke vanishes, let them vanish, as wax melts before the fire!
All: Christ is risen...
Priest: So let the sinners perish before the face of God, but let the righteous be glad!
All: Christ is risen...
Priest: This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
All: Christ is risen...
Priest: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
All: Christ is risen...
Priest: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death,
All: And to those in the tombs giving life.
Litany of Peace
At Psalm 140
In Tone 5
- 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.- 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!- 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.- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
We offer to You our evening worship,
O Light Whom the darkness of night can never extinguish.
For in these latter days Your radiance has appeared to the world,
shining in Your flesh as light reflected in a mirror.
Your brilliance has descended even to the depths of Hades and dissolved its gloom.
O Lord, Giver of Light, glory to You;
for You have shown the radiance of Your Resurrection to all the nations.In Tone 1
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Come, faithful, let us sing praises to Mark.
He is the wise writer of the Gospel!
The greatest of Egypt's cities heard his inspired words.
Apostle, by your prayers and teachings,
guide our lives in the way of peace!- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Come, faithful, let us sing praises to Mark.
He is the wise writer of the Gospel!
The greatest of Egypt's cities heard his inspired words.
Apostle, by your prayers and teachings,
guide our lives in the way of peace!- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
You became a fellow traveller of Paul, the chosen vessel.
you accompanied him through all Macedonia;
then you followed Peter to Rome.
You were welcomed as his secretary and interpreter.
But it was in Egypt, all-wise Mark,
that you finished your course in a manner well-pleasing to God!- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
You gave life to barren souls,
watering them with the radiant stream of your Gospel.
Because of you, holy Mark,
Alexandria rejoices with us today,
celebrating your blessed memory!- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Most blessed Mark,
you drank from the fountain of delight;
you became a river of peace, flowing from Eden,
surrounding us as a sea of protection.
The proclamation of your Gospel waters the face of the earth.
By your divinely-inspired teaching the Church is established!- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Most praised Apostle Mark,
Moses once drowned the Egyptians in the sea,
but you, wise one, have drawn them up from the depths of error!
You lived with them, and showed them power,
destroying their idols with your strong right arm!In Tone 6, Glory…
Grace is poured out upon your lips,
Apostle Mark.
you became a shepherd of Christ's Church.
You taught the sheep whom God endowed with reason
to believe in the consubstantial Trinity, one Godhead!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) James 1:1-12; (2) James 1:13-27; (3) James 2:1-13Aposticha
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.Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered.
Today a sacred Pascha is revealed to us: a new and holy Pascha; a mystical Pascha; a Pascha which is Christ the Redeemer; a blameless Pascha; a great Pascha; a Pascha of the faithful; a Pascha which has opened for us the gates of Paradise; a Pascha which sanctifies all the faithful.
As smoke vanishes, let them vanish!
Come from that scene O women bearers of glad tidings, and say to Zion: Receive from us the glad tidings of joy of Christ’s Resurrection: Exult and be glad, and rejoice, O Jerusalem, seeing Christ the King who comes forth from the tomb like a Bridegroom in procession!
So let sinners perish before the face of God, but let the righteous scatter rejoice!
The myrrh-bearing women at the break of dawn drew near to the tomb of the Life Giver. There they found an angel sitting upon a stone, he greeted the, with these words: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? Why do you mourn in the incorrupt amid corruption? Go, proclaim the glad tidings to His disciples.”
This is the day which the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Pascha of beauty! The Pascha of the Lord! Pascha! A Pascha worthy of all honour has dawned on us. Pascha! Let us embrace each other joyously! Pascha, ransom from affliction! For today as from a bridal chamber Christ has shown forth from the Tomb, and filled the women with joy saying: “Proclaim the glad tidings to the Apostles!”
In Tone 8, Glory…
Come, all you faithful,
let us praise Mark in psalms and hymns!
He is the herald of heavenly mysteries and interpreter of the Gospel.
He is a river of the spiritual paradise!
He waters the earth with living streams,
that it may bear fruit for Christ our God.
Through his intercession,
forgiveness and great mercy are granted to all!Now…
This is the day of Resurrection, let us be illumined by the Feast! Let us embrace each other! Let us call “brothers” even those that hate us and forgive all by the Resurrection, and so let us cry: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life.
At this time, all exchange the Paschal Kiss
Troparion
In Tone 3
Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all/ to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.Glory… Now…
We sing your praises, O Virgin;* for, as the Mother of God, you always intercede for the salvation of the human race.* It is from you that our God and Your Son took flesh. * Then, by suffering the passion on the Cross,* and out of love for mankind, He delivered us from corruption.
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.First Antiphon
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,* sing now to His name, give glory to His praise.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Say unto God, “How awesome are Your works!* Because of the greatness of Your strength Your enemies will flatter You.”
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Let all the earth worship You and sing to You,* let it sing to Your name, O Most High!
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Glory… Now… Only-begotten Son…Third Antiphon
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee from before His face.
Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
As smoke vanishes, let them vanish, as wax melts before the fire.
Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
So let sinners perish before the face of God, but let the righteous be glad.
Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.Entrance
In the churches bless God, the Lord from the fountains of Israel.Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.Troparion, Tone 3: Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark, divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 2: You received from on high the grace of the Spirit,* and destroyed the snares of the orators,* O Mark, most glorious apostle.* You caught the nations and brought them to the Master* by preaching to them the divine Good News.
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.
Instead of Holy God
All you who have been baptized into Christ, you have put on Christ! Alleluia! (3)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
You have put on Christ! Alleluia!
All you who have been baptized into Christ, you have put on Christ! Alleluia!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)Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their word unto the ends of the world. (Psalm 18:5)Epistle
Acts 2:38-43; 1 Peter 5:6-14Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: Poise yourself and advance in triumph and reign in the cause of truth, and meekness, and justice. (Psalm 44:5)
verse: You have loved justice and hated iniquity. (Psalm 44:8)
verse: The heavens shall confess our wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints. (Psalm 88:6)
verse: God is glorified in the assembly of the saints. (Psalm 88:8)Gospel
John 3:1-15; Mark 6:7-13Hymn 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.* Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their word unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.Instead of “Blessed is He Who comes…” we sing:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.Instead of “We have seen the true light…” we sing:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.Instead of “May our mouths be filled…” we sing three times:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.Instead of “Blessed be the name of the Lord…” we sing three times:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.At the dismissal, instead of “Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.” we chant:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.After the final Amen, the priest, with cross raised on high, exclaims “Christ is risen” thrice and we respond “Truly, He is risen” each time. Then, the Troparion “Christ is risen” is sung as at the beginning of the Liturgy, but with the addition:
And to us he has granted life eternal;* we bow down before his resurrection on the third day.