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Event Information:
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Thu03Jun2021
Most Holy Eucharist
Feast of our Lord. A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy.
GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 6
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
O Lover of mankind,* when You were at supper with Your faithful disciples* You revealed the great mystery of Your incarnation, saying:* Eat the life-giving bread which is My Body,* and drink the Blood of eternal life.
- Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
O Lover of mankind,* when You were at supper with Your faithful disciples* You revealed the great mystery of Your incarnation, saying:* Eat the life-giving bread which is My Body,* and drink the Blood of eternal life.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
The room, where Christ celebrated the Passover,* became a heavenly tabernacle,* an unbloody supper and a spiritual service,* and the table, on which these mysteries were celebrated,* a spiritual altar.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
The room, where Christ celebrated the Passover,* became a heavenly tabernacle,* an unbloody supper and a spiritual service,* and the table, on which these mysteries were celebrated,* a spiritual altar.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
O Bread of heaven, You blessed the bread* and offered thanks to the Father and Begetter.* You also took the chalice and gave it to Your disciples, saying:* Take, eat - this is My Body,* and drink the Blood of incorruptible life.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
The Lord fed His disciples with heavenly food.* Before His passion He gave them the Bread of Angels,* more wonderful than the manna.* “Your fathers,” said the Lord, “ate manna in the desert and died.* This is the bread that comes down from heaven;* whoever eats this bread shall not die, but shall live forever.”* Grant today that we may also partake of this bread,* through the prayers of the Mother
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
After the disciples had eaten the Mystical Supper,* Christ took bread into His hands, raised His eyes to heaven,* blessed and broke it, gave it to His disciples, saying:* Take eat; this is My Body, which is broken for you* for the remission of sins and life everlasting.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
You alone possess immortality and dwell in light inaccessible.* How then can You, have fellowship with the idol of sinful darkness?* Therefore, You, Who are that light which enlightens every man,* do not judge or cast our dark and sinful souls into the outer darkness,* but illumine us with Your grace, we beseech You,* O Ocean of mercy, O transubstantial Bread!
In Tone 4
Glory… Now…
Come, you lovers of feasts,* let us today joyfully celebrate the saving feast of the life-giving Bread* and the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.* Let us celebrate today, not with the leaven of our sinful past,* but with sweetness of purity and truth.* And, having purified ourselves, let us become His worthy partakers,* in order to obtain the everlasting kingdom of Christ.
Readings
(1) Exodus 16:1-3,11-15; 1 Samuel 21:2-7; 1 Kings 17:2-16
Lytia
In Tone 6
David, the forefather of Christ,* played and danced before the overshadowed Ark.* Today, we also worship God in the tabernacle,* Whose human nature the Ark prefigured.* For, here, instead of the manna,* we mysteriously behold the incarnate Divinity,* and instead of the tablets of the Law,* the Lawgiver Christ our God,* Who saves our souls.
In the Old Testament the Ark was overlaid inside and outside with gold.* When the heathens seized it,* the Lord could not suffer to dwell with the idol in the temple,* but dashed it to the ground, smashing its head and both palms of its hands.* Yet, You, O Lover of mankind, Christ our God,* willed to enter the defiled temple of our wretched souls?* Therefore, purify and sanctify our souls, O Lord.
O pure Lamb, Who takes away the sins of the whole world!* for the salvation of mankind You changed bread into Your Body,* and under the form of bread You mysteriously hid Yourself,* body, soul, and divinity.* Today, we, the faithful,* solemnly and fervently worship this Bread with faith.
In Tone 2
Glory… Now…
We, the faithful, with trembling,* approach Your Mystical Supper and divine table,* desiring to drink of the fountain of immortality;* but fear and trembling seize us because of our numerous sins.* Through You we wish to be cleansed of them,* by the supplications of our Lady, the Mother of God.
Aposticha
In Tone 1
Let us praise the living and heavenly Bread* which, in an unspeakable manner, continually comes down from heaven,* and with one mind let us say:* Rejoice! 0 Body of Christ,* through which we all have been saved.* Rejoice! 0 divine and sacred Blood,* through which we have been redeemed.
By the Bread of the Angels man is fed; He sent them food in abundance.
O marvellous wonder!* You gave Your very self to Your disciples and friends as food, saying:* Eat this bread - it is My Body.* And taking the chalice, You said:* All of you, drink My Blood!
And, as though rain He sent them manna as food, and He gave them bread from heaven.
O divine, most holy, most precious Body of the God-Man and Word!* Save Your servants from all anxiety, temptation, and every kind of assault,* and grant the heavenly kingdom and life,* for the sake of Your mercy.
In Tone 8
Glory… Now…
O glorious wonder!* Christ, having taken bread and blessed it,* gave it to His disciples, saying: Take and eat - this is My Body;* take also the chalice.* Then the living and divine Bread came down from heaven at that mystical supper,* and of His own free will gave Himself as food.* Therefore, let everyone examine himself,* and then let him eat and drink for the salvation of soul and life everlasting.
Troparion
In Tone 4
Your memorial, O Christ our God,* has shone forth upon the world as a festal day,* for the fishermen learned from You to offer unbloody sacrifice with bread and wine.* And so, we celebrate Your divine memorial,* and doing so cry out, O Lord, glory be to You! (3)
DIVINE LITURGY
Antiphon 1
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for You are with me.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
Glory… Now… Only-Begotten Son…
Antiphon 3
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
Troparion, Tone 4: Your memorial, O Christ our God,* has shone forth upon the world as a festal day,* for the fishermen learned from You to offer unbloody sacrifice with bread and wine.* And so, we celebrate Your divine memorial,* and doing so cry out, O Lord, glory be to You!
Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
Troparion, Tone 4: Your memorial, O Christ our God,* has shone forth upon the world as a festal day,* for the fishermen learned from You to offer unbloody sacrifice with bread and wine.* And so, we celebrate Your divine memorial,* and doing so cry out, O Lord, glory be to You!
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
Troparion, Tone 4: Your memorial, O Christ our God,* has shone forth upon the world as a festal day,* for the fishermen learned from You to offer unbloody sacrifice with bread and wine.* And so, we celebrate Your divine memorial,* and doing so cry out, O Lord, glory be to You!
Entrance
I will offer You a sacrifice of praise; I will call upon the name of the Lord.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: Your memorial, O Christ our God,* has shone forth upon the world as a festal day,* for the fishermen learned from You to offer unbloody sacrifice with bread and wine.* And so, we celebrate Your divine memorial,* and doing so cry out, O Lord, glory be to You!
Glory… Now…
Kontakion, Tone 4: Behold Christ is present as food for all.* Come, let us fall down and worship Christ our God* hidden under these Mysteries and humbly cry out:* Consume us not by fire through communion, O Master, unworthy as we are,* but be the One who consumes our sins by fire* and purifies our souls.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
He would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.
verse: Exalt in God, our helper! (Ps 81:16,2)
Epistle
1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season.
verse: You open Your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing. (Ps 144: 15,16)
Gospel
John 6:48-54
Communion Hymn
Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood abides in me, and I in him (John 6:56).* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.