New Texts arriving in the evening of April 17, 2024!
Event Information:
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Sat27Jun2020
Bishop-Martyr Nykolai (Nicholas) Charnetsky and the Twenty-Seven Other New Blesseds of the Church of Rus’-Ukraine Beatified in 2001
GREAT VESPERS
Psalm Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 6
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Placing all your hope upon God,* you accepted the covenant of the Heavenly Teacher,* Who said: “Let not your hearts be troubled!”* Thus, having lived in the faith joyfully,* and strengthening your souls through daily ministry,* you accepted the ascetic labours of martyrdom and confessing faith in Christ,* passing through much suffering and many torments.* And, as heavenly citizens from the lands of Ukraine,* you now shine forth from the many rooms of the Father's house,* receiving the gift of efficacious boldness* to pray for our souls.
- Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Placing all your hope upon God,* you accepted the covenant of the Heavenly Teacher,* Who said: «Let not your hearts be troubled!»* Thus, having lived in the faith joyfully,* and strengthening your souls through daily ministry,* you accepted the ascetic labours of martyrdom and confessing faith in Christ,* passing through much suffering and many torments.* And, as heavenly citizens from the lands of Ukraine,* you now shine forth from the many rooms of the Father's house,* receiving the gift of efficacious boldness* to pray for our souls.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
The Creator made everything for the sake of joy and love.* All creation was brought about not for death, but for His own glory.* But, for the sake of delivering all,* He endured the sufferings of the Cross,* instead of the joy that was rightfully His.* Likewise You, O Blessed Ones, imitating your Teacher,* having come to know the joy of faith,* – you also experienced suffering,* you came to know the Father – seeing the Face of the Sufferer,* Who, Himself passed through the way of sorrows,* and prepared for you a place* in the House of the Father.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
The Creator made everything for the sake of joy and love.* All creation was brought about not for death, but for His own glory.* But, for the sake of delivering all,* He endured the sufferings of the Cross,* instead of the joy that was rightfully His.* Likewise You, O Blessed Ones, imitating your Teacher,* having come to know the joy of faith,* – you also experienced suffering,* you came to know the Father – seeing the Face of the Sufferer,* Who, Himself passed through the way of sorrows,* and prepared for you a place* in the House of the Father.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Because of your unwavering faith,* all were in awe of you, O holy ones:* as the fierce persecutor was bringing the visible Church down to ruin,* you were built up in strength on account of your faithfulness to the Invisible One;* around you was the destruction of life and human dignity* and yet, it was humility and Life Indestructible, Whom you made manifest to the world;* in the face of an endless cycle of death and hatred,* you preached the Truth, even to those who persecuted you;* and, prayed for those who tormented you,* as did the One, Who strengthened you in the midst of your torments* and gave you the grace to intercede* for our souls.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Because of your unwavering faith,* all were in awe of you, O holy ones:* as the fierce persecutor was bringing the visible Church down to ruin,* you were built up in strength on account of your faithfulness to the Invisible One;* around you was the destruction of life and human dignity* and yet, it was humility and Life Indestructible, Whom you made manifest to the world;* in the face of an endless cycle of death and hatred,* you preached the Truth, even to those who persecuted you;* and, prayed for those who tormented you,* as did the One, Who strengthened you in the midst of your torments* and gave you the grace to intercede* for our souls.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Although the image of the visible Church was destroyed,* and though many souls were terrified by the enemy* – yet you did not give in to despair* nor did you abandon your ministry,* which our Lord willed for His friends;* since, you believed, that in the image of His death and resurrection* after the time of night – there would radiate the dawn of regeneration* and a time of reconstruction would commence,* when others would inherit the fruit of your sufferings and torments.* For, you longed to fulfil the commands of the Master* and testified that the impossible can be achieved,* by those who are filled with the love of God.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Although the image of the visible Church was destroyed,* and though many souls were terrified by the enemy* – yet you did not give in to despair* nor did you abandon your ministry,* which our Lord willed for His friends;* since, you believed, that in the image of His death and resurrection* after the time of night – there would radiate the dawn of regeneration* and a time of reconstruction would commence,* when others would inherit the fruit of your sufferings and torments.* For, you longed to fulfil the commands of the Master* and testified that the impossible can be achieved,* by those who are filled with the love of God.
In Tone 6
Glory…
The fierce and inhuman enemy* cunningly devised to destroy the Church which was not under his authority through a false reunion* with the Church which he had already profaned and enslaved.* And so with honours, benefits and temporal abundance* did he entice arch-pastors, priests and the faithful,* threatening with dire penalties and even death, those who would refuse him.* But the hierarchs proved their steadfastness* and spoke thus to their tormenters:* “We glorify God in truth and it is in righteousness that we teach the word of His truth.* We will not betray the Church by worshiping tyranny,* nor will we renounce our Chief-Apostolic Unity:* we suffer for it* and in so doing, we remain faithful!”
Now…
Who would not call you blessed, O Virgin most-Holy?* Who would not sing a hymn of praise to the glory of your giving birth without pain or travail? The Only-begotten Son Himself, begotten of the Father before all ages, was made flesh out of you in a manner that cannot be explained, O Woman most-Pure! And for our sake He Who Is God by nature assumed the nature of man. He is not divided into two persons; He is understood to have two natures without commixion or confusion. O noble and blessed woman, intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.
Readings
(1) Isaiah 43:9b-14a; (2) Wisdom 3:1-9; (3) Wisdom 5:15-23; 6:1-3b
Lytia
In Tone 1
“I will not leave you orphans”, said the Lord to his friends before His Passion.* Upon you was this word fulfilled,* O all-blessed martyrs of the land of Rus’-Ukraine!* Having known the sweetness of the Church* you experienced the bitterness of persecution;* having lived in the beauty and splendour of worshiping in a temple* you became naked, orphaned, and bereft of glory.* But the Lord did not leave you, O wise martyrs;* for, the Man of Sorrows, who endured abuse, bequeathed the saying: «I will come to you»,** and you saw the One, Whom the world was unable to see.
You reached the heights of ecclesiastical and public life, O hierarchs,* and in but one moment you fell into the darkness of imprisonment.* Yesterday, you were surrounded by numerous clergy and a great gathering of people* today you are in the company of despairing and frightened prisoners.* Once, you were clothed in vestments of grace* today, stripped of all rights, you wear the garments of poverty.* But your light did not set in the darkness;* for, it is in your humiliation that the priceless worth of the treasure of Christ's virtues was revealed.* At no time did you abandon your ministry:* neither in your becoming great, nor in your self-emptying.* O faithful and unbroken pastors,* pray for our souls.
In Tone 2
As the Lord is living,* so are you alive in His tents above the heavens,* in ineffable closeness to Him,* in the joy of contemplating His Face.* As you did not spare your earthly and temporal lives,* so now you reside in the fullness of life,* and pray that your co-citizens on earth may inherit the Light of Heaven.
In Tone 4
O Confessors of Faith in Christ, you did not abandon your ministry!* You neglected neither love for one's neighbour nor the Church's Rule of Prayer:* underground and in the forests, in faraway houses and in small city rooms* the Sacrifice of the Eucharist was offered by you.* О great wonder! In taking away the church buildings the enemy did not destroy the Church;* although some were slain – others were revealed as Confessors of Faith.* For the Church is alive not in church buildings alone,* since the Spirit and Truth build everywhere a temple for themselves!* Behold how the inconspicuous home of a fireman or labourer* becomes an effulgent and magnificent temple and Heaven on earth;* the man, unsightly and worn out* the priest, worthy and majestic!* The gates of Hades cannot overcome the Church* the harvest of her passion brings but greater fruit.
In Tone 5
Glory…
They did sing, to the God in the highest,* did the blessed martyrs sing!* And in prisons, dungeons and while in exile* they glorified His Name.* Becoming perfected in lives cut short,* they fulfilled longevity,* since they endured in the truth, even in the midst of evil.* And now by their prayers these holy ones obtain* for their countrymen, grace and mercy, and the care of God.
Now…
Let us sing!* To the Mother of our God, let us sing, O faithful,* and let us glorify with the liturgy of routine daily living* that Life, Whom she bore for us!* Let us nurture, as did she, the perfection of a simple heart,* that we may fulfil the first and most important commandment:* that we love God and our neighbour without guile.* Through the prayers of the Theotokos upon the children of her Son* there descends grace and mercy and the care of God.
Aposticha
In Tone 2
The Son of God, together with His Father, came and made His dwelling,* in you, who were cast out into exile,* bereft of dwellings, and thrown into prisons.* The tormenter imprisoned the shepherds, devising thereby to scatter the fold,* but the incarcerated fearlessly called out:* “You will not pull the root of the Church from our lands,* for her root is in the Heavens!”
The just cried out and the Lord heard them,* and delivered them out of all their afflictions.
Living in the temporal, by the power of the One-Beyond-Time* and in the ordinary, by the feast of ceaseless Praise of God,* you were not afraid, when you lost everything,* and you were not tempted by the apparently good things with which the tyrant enticed you,* and thus you were able to cry out to the crucifiers:* “You will not pull the root of the Church from our lands,* for her root is in the Heavens!”
The afflictions of the just are many,* and out of them all will the Lord deliver them.
You lived in the peace of the Lord,* the peace, which He left for His disciples,* and so you did not receive a false peace from the world:* you did not agree to enslave the Church.* That is why your crucifiers cried out in horror:* “We will not pull the root of the Church from this land,* for her hierarchs are rooted in the Heavens!”
In Tone 4
Glory…
In recent times, the land of Rus’-Ukraine produced a multitude of martyrs* and many of their names are known to us,* and many – only to God;* we glorify all of them, known and unknown,* even when we commemorate but a small number of their community:* hierarchs, priest-martyrs, the venerable and righteous,* who did not squelch the Spirit and were well-pleasing to the Master.
Now…
A multitude of petitions do we send up before the Theotokos,* and many the human sorrows of which the Virgin is aware.* But let us look closely at her icon, known and unknown:* for, we are called to become partakers of divine nature* and together with all the saints we are to make God manifest to the entire world,* even as did she, providing a dwelling in her womb for the One, Whom nothing can contain.
Troparion
In Tone 7
Blessed Ukrainian Martyrs,* you did not break the integrity of the Body of Christ,* in giving your bodies to tribulations:* you did not give way to the flattery of the enemy nor deny the Petrine unity.* Your earthly homeland Ukraine beseeches you* together with the whole Universal Church, singing with ancient song:* Holy Martyrs, you gloriously suffered and were crowned;* So pray to the Lord to have mercy on our souls. (3)
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 7: Blessed Ukrainian Martyrs,* you did not break the integrity of the Body of Christ,* in giving your bodies to tribulations:* you did not give way to the flattery of the enemy nor deny the Petrine unity.* Your earthly homeland Ukraine beseeches you* together with the whole Universal Church, singing with ancient song:* Holy Martyrs, you gloriously suffered and were crowned;* So pray to the Lord to have mercy on our souls.
Glory…
Kontakion, Tone 8: Invincible martyrs crowed with victory,* we in the Church you saved* sing songs of thanksgiving to you,* written on the scrolls of our hearts.* And you whose names are written in the Book of the living God,* protect our Church with Life,* that we may cry out: Rejoice you who belong to Heaven!
Now…
Theotokion, Tone 8: Invincible Queen, in honour of victory,* we who are saved from evil, with songs of thanksgiving,* sing to you, O God-Bearer.* And whose power is unfailing,* protect us from all evils,* so that we may sing to you:* Rejoice, O Bride unwed!
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
To the saints who are in His land, the Lord has made wonderful all His desires in them.
verse: I foresaw the Lord in my sight, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. (Psalm 15:3,8)
Epistle
Ephesians 6:10-17
Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: The just cried out and the Lord heard them, and delivered them out of their afflictions.
verse: The afflictions of the just are many, and out of them all will the Lord deliver them. (Psalm 33:18,20)
Gospel
Matthew 10:16-22 or Luke 21:12-19
Communion Hymn
Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)