Upcoming Days

Daily texts will return after June 20, 2024!

Event Information:

  • Sun
    25
    Oct
    2020

    Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 4; The Holy Martyrs and Notaries Marcian and Martyrius (351)

    GREAT VESPERS

    Kathisma Reading

    “Blessed is the man...” is sung.

    At Psalm 140

    In Tone 4

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

    We never cease to adore Your life-giving Cross, O Christ our God,* And we glorify Your resurrection on the third day.* For You, Almighty One, have thereby restored the corrupted nature of all* and reopened the way to heaven,* since You alone are gracious and You love mankind.

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

    O Saviour, You have absolved the penalty of disobedience,* committed through the tree of Eden,* by willingly being nailed to the tree of the Cross.* As Almighty God, You descended into Hades* and broke asunder the bonds of death.* We, therefore, venerate Your resurrection from the dead,* and joyfully cry out to You:* Almighty Lord, glory to You!

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

    O Lord, You have battered down the gates of Hades,* and by Your death You have dissolved the realm of death.* You have freed mankind from corruption,* bestowing life, incorruption, and Your great mercy upon the world.

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

    Come, all you people,* let us sing the praises of our Saviour’s resurrection on the third day.* For we have, thereby, been delivered from the invincible bonds of Hades,* and we have received incorruption, together with eternal life.* Therefore, we cry out to You* after Your crucifixion, burial, and resurrection:* Save us by Your resurrection, for You love mankind.

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

    O Saviour, with the angels we sing the praises of Your resurrection on the third day.* For the very ends of the universe have, thereby, been enlightened,* and we have been saved from the deceit of the enemy.* Therefore, we cry out to You,* Almighty Saviour, Giver of Life, and Lover of mankind:* Save us by Your resurrection.

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

    O Christ our God, You have demolished the brazen gates of Hades.* You have broken asunder the bonds of death,* and lifted up the fallen human race.* Therefore, we cry out with one accord:* O Lord, who arose from the dead, glory to You!

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

    O Lord, Your birth from the Father is timeless and eternal;* Your incarnation from the Virgin is beyond the understanding of all,* and beyond the expression of our words.* Your descent into Hades and victory over Death* caused Satan and his angels to tremble with fear.* Your resurrection on the third day* brought to mankind incorruption and great mercy.

    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.

    Having completed the course and kept the faith,* Marcian and Martyrius,* you have been wreathed with a crown of martyrdom!* You are unshakable pillars of the Church,* breasts flowing with wholesome milk,* beacons and shining pearls,* you have enlightened creation with the splendour of your piety!

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

    You were godly twins,* sharing a single heart and mind!* You destroyed the division of Arius,* by teaching worship of the unoriginate Son, co-eternal with the Father,* and worship of the Spirit:* the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity,* one Essence in three undivided Persons!

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

    You showed yourselves to be followers of Paul,* the preacher of holy truths:* You were like him in zeal; one with him in mind and heart:* You drowned the adversaries with your outpoured blood* drying up the torrent of wicked heresies!* You were revealed, Marcian and Martyrius,* to be rivers of true worship watering the Church of Christ!

    In Tone 1

    Glory…

    You were disciples and followers* of the one who preached and confessed the consubstantial Trinity.* You were persecuted with him, blessed ones,* for the sake of the Trinity.* You preferred death by the sword to blasphemous heresy.* Since God has adorned you with crowns of martyrdom* and you have received boldness before Him,* pray that those who honour your memory may be delivered from misfortunes!

    In Tone 4

    Now…

    O Mother of God, because of You* David the Prophet became an ancestor of God;* he foretold and sang a joyous hymn of praise* and cried out to Him who worked wonders in you:* “The Queen stood at your right hand.”* God revealed you as a life-giving mother,* when He chose to be incarnate of you without a father.* He renewed in man His image* which the passions had corrupted.* He found the lost sheep in the mountains,* carried it on His shoulders,* offered it to the Father,* generously numbered it among the powers of heaven,* and saved the whole world, since He is Christ of great and rich mercy.

    Aposticha

    In Tone 4

    In being lifted upon the Cross, O Lord,* You abolished the curse which we had inherited from our fathers.* By going down into Hades,* You freed from eternal captivity those imprisoned there,* and granted incorruption to mankind.* We, therefore, praise Your life-giving and redeeming resurrection.

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

    By hanging on the Cross, O Almighty One,* You shook the whole creation to its foundations.* When You Yourself were laid in the grave,* You raised to life those who had been lying in the graves,* and You granted life and incorruption to mankind.* We, therefore, praise and glorify Your resurrection on the third day.

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

    O Christ, the lawless people showed their ingratitude to You, their Benefactor,* by delivering You to Pilate who condemned you to be crucified.* But You willingly suffered death and burial;* and, as God, You rose by Your own power on the third day,* granting us everlasting life and great mercy.

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

    The women, shedding bitter tears, came to see You in Your tomb;* and not finding Your body, they lamented, saying:* O Saviour and King of All, how were You stolen?* What place holds Your life-bearing body?* An angel answered them, saying:* Do not weep, but go and proclaim that the Lord is risen,* filling our hearts with joy;* for He alone is most compassionate.

    Glory… Now…

    O most pure Virgin, hear the petitions of your servants.* Remove the burdens which oppress us,* and deliver us from our sorrows;* for you are the only firm and constant support on whom we rely.* O Mother of God, never permit us who call upon you* to be overwhelmed by our cares.* Hasten to fulfil the supplications of all who, in faith, cry out to you:* Rejoice, O Lady, helper of all mankind,* the joy, the refuge, and the salvation of our souls.

    Troparia

    In Tone 4

    When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,* granting to the world great mercy.”

    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.

    Now

    O Holy Tabernacle, when Gabriel called out to you:* Rejoice, O Virgin, full of grace,* the Lord of All became incarnate of you,* as the righteous David had foretold.* In bearing your Creator, you have shown yourself to surpass the vastness of the heavens.* We, therefore, cry out: Glory to Him who dwelt in you!* Glory to Him who came forth from you!* Glory to Him who has set us free* through your life-giving birth!

     

    DIVINE LITURGY

    Troparia and Kontakia

    Troparion, Tone 4: When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,* granting to the world great mercy.”

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

    Kontakion, Tone 4: My Saviour and Deliverer from the grave* as God raised out of bondage the children of the earth* and shattered the gates of Hades;* and as Master, He rose on the third day.

    Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

    Theotokion, Tone 4: By your birth, O immaculate one,* Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness,* and Adam and Eve* from the corruption of death.* And your people, redeemed from the guilt of their sins,* celebrate as they cry out to you:* “The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God* and nourisher of our life.”

    Prokeimenon, Tone 4

    How great are Your works, O Lord* You have made all things in wisdom.

    verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, You are exceedingly great. (Psalm 103:24,1)

    Epistle

    Galatians 2:16-20

    Alleluia, Tone 4

    verse: Poise yourself and advance in triumph and reign in the cause of truth, and meekness, and justice.

    verse: You have loved justice and hated iniquity. (Psalm 44:5,8)

    Gospel

    Luke 8:5-15

    Communion Hymn

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