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Event Information:
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Sun21Mar2021
Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast: Our Venerable Mother, Mary of Egypt, Tone 1; our Venerable Father and Confessor James, Bishop of Catania (813-20)
GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man...” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 1
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
Accept our evening prayer, O holy Lord,* and grant us forgiveness of sins,* for You alone manifested the resurrection* to the world.
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O you people, walk around Sion and encompass her.* And there give glory to Him who is risen from the dead.* For He is our God* who delivers us from our sins.
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Come you people, praise and worship Christ.* Glorify His resurrection from the dead;* for He is our God who delivered the world* from the deceit of the enemy.
- Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Rejoice, O you heavens;* sound the trumpets, you foundations of the earth;* cry out with joy, O you mountains.* For behold, Emmanuel has nailed our sins to the Cross;* the Giver of Life has put Death to death;* and the Lover of mankind* has raised up Adam.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Let us praise the Lord* who for our sake was willingly crucified in the flesh.* He suffered, was buried, and rose from the dead.* Therefore, let us sing to Him:* O Christ, keep Your Church in the orthodox faith* and bring peace to our lives;* for You are gracious and love mankind.
- 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, as we stand unworthily before Your life-bearing grave,* we offer a hymn of praise to Your ineffable tenderness of heart.* For You, O Sinless One,* in Your loving-kindness have accepted the Cross and death* in order to grant* resurrection to the world.
In Tone 6
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
The pollution of past sins* prevented you from entering the church* to see the elevation of the Holy Cross;* but then your 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.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
The pollution of past sins* prevented you from entering the church* to see the elevation of the Holy Cross;* but then your 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.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
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.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
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
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 1
Now...
Let us sing a hymn of praise to the Virgin Mary,* glory of the whole world!* She was herself formed by human seed,* yet she became the Mother of the Master, the Gate of heaven,* the theme of the angels’ hymn and beauty of the faithful.* She was seen as being heavenly* and the Tabernacle of the Godhead.* She indeed tore down the wall of enmity between God and man,* and brought peace in its place.* She opened up the kingdom of heaven.* Let us therefore cling fast to her for she is the anchor of faith,* and let us receive as our stronghold the Lord Who was born of her.* Be of good cheer, then, and have confidence, O people of God,* for He will fight our enemies for us,* He is all-powerful!
Aposticha
In Tone 1
O Christ, by Your Passion we have been freed from suffering;* and by Your resurrection we have been delivered from corruption.* O Lord, glory to You!
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
Let all creation rejoice, let the heavens be glad,* let the nations clap their hands with joy.* For Christ our Saviour, in His love for mankind,* has nailed our sins to the Cross;* He has put Death to death,* and by raising our fallen forefather, Adam,* He has given life to all mankind.
For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.
O God, You are above all understanding;* You are King and Lord of heaven and earth.* Yet of Your own free will,* You allowed Yourself to be crucified because of Your love for mankind.* When You descended below,* Hades was filled with bitterness as You confronted it;* but the souls of the just received You with great joy.* Adam arose when he saw You, his Creator, down in the depths.* What a wonder this is!* You are the life of all and have tasted death* in order to dispel the darkness of the world with Your light.* O Lord, risen from the dead,* glory to You!
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.
The myrrh-bearing women were filled with grief* as they hastened with spices to Your tomb;* but they did not find Your most pure body.* Instead, they found an angel* who proclaimed Your unique and glorious resurrection,* and commanded them to announce to Your apostles:* The Lord is risen,* granting great mercy to the world.
Glory… Now…
O Mother of God, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled,* since you remained a virgin both before and after giving birth.* For it was God Who was born of you to restore our human nature.* Therefore, do not overlook your servants who supplicate you in your temple.* Since you have held the merciful Lord in your arms,* be compassionate toward your servants,* and beseech Him to save our souls.
Troparia
In Tone 1
Though the stone was sealed by the Judeans* and soldiers guarded Your most pure body,* You arose, O Saviour, on the third day* and gave life to the world.* And so the heavenly powers cried out to You, O Giver of Life:* Glory to Your Resurrection, O Christ!* Glory to Your Kingdom!* Glory to Your saving plan!* O only Lover of mankind.
Glory… Now…
O Holy Tabernacle, when Gabriel cried 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 1: Though the stone was sealed by the Judeans,* and soldiers guarded Your most pure body,* You arose, O Saviour, on the third day,* and gave life to the world.* And so the heavenly powers cried out to You, O Giver of Life:* Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ!* Glory to Your kingdom!* Glory to Your saving plan,* O only Lover of mankind.
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.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, 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 1
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in You.
verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; praise befits the righteous. (Psalm 32:22,1)
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
God is wonderful in His saints,* the God of Israel. (Psalm 67:36)
Epistle
Hebrews 9:11-14; Galatians 3:23-29
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: God gives me vindication, and has subdued peoples under me.
verse: Making great the salvation of the king, and showing mercy to His anointed, to David, and to His posterity forever. (Psalm 17:48,51)
Gospel
Mark 10:32-45; Luke 7:36-50
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)