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Event Information:
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Sun26Sep2021
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 1; The Passing of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
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.
In Tone 1
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
As witness of revelations beyond words* and interpreter of the sublime mysteries of God,* O son of Zebedee,* you have written the gospel of Christ for us.* You taught us to glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
As witness of revelations beyond words* and interpreter of the sublime mysteries of God,* O son of Zebedee,* you have written the gospel of Christ for us.* You taught us to glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Divinely moved lyre of heavenly canticles,* you are the mystical writer* and the God-inspired voice melodiously singing the divine hymns.* Pray for the salvation of 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.
Divinely moved lyre of heavenly canticles,* you are the mystical writer* and the God-inspired voice melodiously singing the divine hymns.* Pray for the salvation of our souls.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
O beloved of God, with your thundering voice* you declared the wisdom of God.* You constantly proclaimed aloud the hidden word by frequently saying:* In the beginning was the Word.* You have illumined all with the knowledge of God.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
O beloved of God, with your thundering voice* you declared the wisdom of God.* You constantly proclaimed aloud the hidden word by frequently saying:* In the beginning was the Word.* You have illumined all with the knowledge of God.
In Tone 2
Glory…
Let all the human race give the praise that is due to John, the son of thunder,* the virgin apostle and the bearer of God's message,* the chief theologian and the first to proclaim the truths* which are contained in the teachings of divine Wisdom.* For always being filled with that which is divine, he said:* In the beginning was the Word, not separated from the Father* but equal to the Father according to His nature,* thereby showing us the right worship of the Holy Trinity.* He has also shown us that the Word was with the Father, the Creator of all,* and that He bears life and has shown us the true light.* O awesome marvel! O Wisdom!* John was filled with love for God;* he was also filled with glory, honour, and faith;* he was the preacher of our pure faith.* Because of this, we shall obtain eternal blessing on the day of judgment.
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!
Readings
(1) I John 3:21- 4:6; (2) I John 4:11-16; (3) I John 4:20-5:5
At the Lytia
In Tone 1
O Apostle, rivers of theology poured out from your precious mouth.* The Church of God has drunk from them* and in true faith adores the consubstantial Trinity.* O John the Divine, pray to the Holy Trinity* to strengthen the Church and to save our souls.* The garden of purity, the fragrant myrrh,* has again come upon us in the present feast* so that we may cry aloud:* O John, the apostle who reclined on the bosom of the Master,* and made the word fall on the world like rain,* you have guarded the Virgin as the most cherished one.* Ask Christ to grant us his great mercy.
As an eye-witness of the ineffable mysteries,* you cried out that the eternal Word was in God and that He is God.* O Apostle John, you reclined upon the breast of Christ.* O delight of the Trinity,* O unshakable fortitude of Ephesus and Patmos, help us!* O blessed Theologian, pray that those who honour you faithfully* will be delivered from the wicked enemies* of both body and spirit.
O Disciple of the Saviour, O celibate and theologian,* Christ our God entrusted the Virgin Theotokos to you.* You protected her as the most cherished one.* Therefore, intercede that our souls may be saved.
In Tone 4
Glory…
O beloved Disciple, at the Lord's supper* you reclined on the breast of Christ the Master.* From that place you understood things ineffable,* and your heavenly voice thundered to all:* In the beginning was the Word;* the Word was in God's presence, and the Word was God.* The true light which gives light to everyone was coming into the world.* Christ is God and the Saviour of our souls.
Now…
The Son, glorified on high with the Father and the Spirit by the Cherubim,* desired to restore Adam.* He completely and ineffably emptied himself in your womb, O ever-praised Theotokos;* and having shone forth from you,* He has enlightened the world with his divinity.* Christ the Lord and Saviour of our souls,* having divinized the human race,* led us back to heaven.
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.
In Tone 6
Glory…
O apostle of Christ, O evangelist, O theologian,* you were the mystic of the ineffable mysteries.* You proclaimed to us the untold teachings of Wisdom.* You clarified for the faithful* that the Word was present to God in the beginning.* You cast aside the words of the heretics* and rejected their false teachings.* You appeared as the favourite and beloved friend of Christ,* even as the thundering Isaiah and Moses who saw God.* Having boldness before Him, earnestly pray for our souls.
Now…
Christ the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer,* came forth from your womb, O most pure Virgin.* He clothed himself in our human flesh* to set us free from the original curse of Adam.* Therefore, O Mary, we praise you, without ceasing,* as the true Virgin Mother of God,* and we sing with the angels:* Rejoice, O Lady, advocate, protector, and salvation of our souls.
Troparia
In Tone 1
Rejoice, Mother of God, Virgin Mary full of grace!* The Lord is with you.* Blessed are you among women,* and blessed is the fruit of your womb.* For you have borne Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of our souls. (2)
In Tone 2
O beloved apostle of Christ our God,* hasten, deliver a people without defense.* He who received you when you leaned upon His breast accepts you as you bow in prayer.* Implore Him, O Theologian, to scatter the cloud of nations that besets us,* asking peace and great mercy for us.
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 2: O beloved apostle of Christ our God,* hasten, deliver a people without defense.* He who received you when you leaned upon His breast accepts you as you bow in prayer.* Implore Him, O Theologian, to scatter the cloud of nations that besets us,* asking peace and great mercy.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 1: You arose in glory from the tomb* and with Yourself You raise the world.* All humanity acclaims You as God.* and death has vanished.* Adam exults, O Master,* and Eve, redeemed from bondage now, cries out for joy:* “You are the One, O Christ, Who offer resurrection to all.”
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2: O virgin apostle, who can recount your mighty works?* For you pour out wonders and healings* and you pray for our souls as Theologian and friend of Christ.
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 8
verse: Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Epistle
2 Corinthians 9:6-11; 1 John 4:12-19
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: God gives me vindication, and has subdued people 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)
verse: The heavens shall confess our wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints. (Psalm 88:6)
Gospel
Luke 5:1-11; John 19:25-27; 21:24-25
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1)* Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their word unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 18:5)