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Event Information:

  • Sun
    05
    Jan
    2020

    Sunday before Theophany, Tone 5; Theophany Eve; The Holy Martyrs Theopemptus and Theonas (284-305); the Venerable Syncletica

    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 sin,* and have saved us from the gates 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.

    1. Let Your 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 4

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

    Let us hymn the wise Theonas and Theopemptus* for, submitting to the dogmas of Christ,* and having splendidly set at nought all ungodly worship,* they worshiped the one Lord and God* in holiness, honour and goodly hope,* confessing Him right boldly before the tyrants;** and they have been crowned from on high.

    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 forsaken as fleeting those things of life which drag men downwards,* delight in food and glory which fades like a flower, O most lauded ones,* you cleaved unto Christ, enkindled by His comely beauty,* and you offered yourselves to Him as sweet-smelling roses,** and have been divinely crowned with the diadem of the incorrupt kingdom.

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

    Having hated the world you have been shown to transcend the world,* and have joined the Church of the firstborn;* and with the angels you chant incorrupt hymnody, standing together before God.* And having rejected the vile falsehood of idolatry,** as martyrs you have put to shame the mindlessness of the tyrants.

    In Tone 1

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

    Having truly desired the glory of the fathers, you loved incorrupt glory;* wherefore, forsaking that which is sweet,* you gave your body over to all manner of pain.** And, reigning with Christ, you now receive the reward of your pangs.

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

    He Who permitted the devil when he asked to tempt Job,* desiring to try you like gold,* left thy body to the violence of the evil one;* but having put the tempter to shame by the patient endurance of infirmities,** you have been crowned with a wreath of victory.

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

    Yearning for the comely beauty of Christ the Bridegroom,* and desiring to wed yourself to Him by all manner of good works,* you adorned yourself with the pangs of abstinence;** wherefore, you now reign with Him in His bridal-chamber.

    In Tone 4, Glory…

    Make ready, O River Jordan!* For, lo! Christ God comes to be baptized by John,* that in your waters He might crush the heads of the invisible serpents by His divinity!* Rejoice, O desert of Jordan!* You mountains, leap up with gladness;* for our eternal Life comes to restore Adam!* O forerunner John, you are the voice of one crying in the wilderness:** “Prepare the ways of the Lord and make straight His paths!”

    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!

    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 6, Glory… Now…

    Let the desert of Jordan rejoice, and let it blossom like a lily;* for therein has been heard the voice of one crying in the wilderness:* “Prepare the way of the Lord!"* For He Who set forth the mountains with a measure* and the forested places with His scales,* Who as God fills all things, is baptized by a servant,* granting rich gifts at the beginning of His impoverishment.* Eve once heard: “In pain you shall give birth to children;”* but now the Virgin hash heard:* “Rejoice, O you who are full of grace! The Lord is with you,** Who has great mercy!”

    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 1, Glory…
    Be swayed by the pains that the saints have suffered for You, O Lord,* and heal all our pains,* O Lover of mankind, for this we pray.

    In Tone 4, Now…
    After Elijah had gone up to heaven,* Elisha threw his mantle in the Jordan River which parted,* opening a way, a dry path between two walls of water, where he could pass,* a true symbol of our baptism by which we pass through this fleeting life.* Christ has been seen at the Jordan River** to sanctify the waters.

     

    DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

    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 4: After Elijah had gone up to heaven,* Elisha threw his mantle in the Jordan River which parted,* opening a way, a dry path between two walls of water, where he could pass,* a true symbol of our baptism by which we pass through this fleeting life.* Christ has been seen at the Jordan River* to sanctify the waters.

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

    Kontakion, Tone 5: You, my Saviour, descended to Hades,* and as the Almighty, You shattered its gates.* With Yourself You, as the Creator, raised the dead and shattered the sting of death,* and delivered Adam from the curse, O Lover of Mankind.* And so we cry out: “Save us, O Lord.”

    Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

    Kontakion, Tone 4: O most compassionate Christ Who absolves our sins in the depth of your mercy,* you came to be baptized with the water of the Jordan.* You robed me in splendour* replacing my ancient garment of evil.

    Prokeimenon, Tone 6
    Save Your people, O Lord,* and bless Your inheritance.
    verse: Unto You I will cry, O Lord my God, lest You turn from me in silence. (Psalm 27:9,1)

    Epistle
    2 Timothy 4:5-8

    Alleluia, Tone 8
    verse: God, be merciful to us and bless us.
    verse: Make the light of Your face shine upon us and have mercy on us. (Psalm 66:2)

    Gospel
    Mark 1:1-8

    Communion Hymn
    Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)