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Event Information:

  • Sun
    03
    Oct
    2021

    Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 2; The Holy Priest-Martyr Dionysius the Areopagite

    GREAT VESPERS

    Kathisma Reading

    “Blessed is the man...” is sung.

    At Psalm 140

    In Tone 2

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

    Come, let us adore God the Word,* who was born of the Father before all ages,* and was incarnate of the Virgin Mary;* for of His own free will He suffered the Cross* and submitted Himself to burial,* and arose from the dead to save me, a sinful one.

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

    Christ our Saviour cancelled the decree that was written against us,* by nailing it to the Cross;* and He abolished the dominion of Death.* Let us glorify His resurrection on the third day.

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

    Let us, together with the archangels, sing of Christ’s resurrection;* for He is the Redeemer and Saviour of our souls.* He will come again in awesome glory and mighty power* to judge the world which He has fashioned.

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

    Although You died and were buried,* the angel yet declared You as Master.* He said to the women: Come and see where the Lord was placed;* for He is risen as He foretold,* because He is almighty.* Therefore, we worship You, the only Immortal One,* and we beseech You to have mercy on us, O Giver of Life.

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

    O Christ, You have abolished the curse of the tree by Your Cross;* You have destroyed the power of death by Your burial,* and You enlightened the human race by Your resurrection.* Therefore, we cry out to You:* O God and Benefactor, glory to You!

    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 Lord, the gates of death opened before You in fear,* and the gatekeepers of Hades were filled with dread at the sight of You.* You smashed the gates of brass and crushed the posts of iron.* Then You burst our chains asunder,* and led us out from the darkness, away from the shadow of death.

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

    Let us all come and prostrate ourselves in the house of the Lord,* singing this hymn of salvation:* O Christ, You were crucified on the tree and rose from the dead;* and You now abide in the bosom of the Father.* Please cleanse us of our sins.

    In Tone 1

    1. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

    The divine Paul, speaking out in public,* fished for you with the hook of grace, wise one!* Seeing in you a chosen vessel,* he made you a teacher of the sacred mysteries;* a beholder of ineffable things!* Pray together with him, truly eloquent Dionysius,* that those who hymn you with love may be saved!

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

    For the sake of virtue, most wise Father Dionysius,* you made your mind equal to the angels!* You wrote a sacred account of the heavenly order of their hierarchies,* aligning the Church's ranks with theirs,* likening them to the hosts of heaven!

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

    Making yourself, as far as you were able, like God through meditation,* blessed Dionysius,* you mystically wrote your godly treatise on divine names with piety.* Achieving unity through a higher union,* you learned things that pass man's understanding,* teaching to the ends of the earth!

    In Tone 2

    Glory…

    Come, let us the faithful* praise the annual celebration of the hierarch Dionysius, with Cyprian!* When Dionysius had rejected the stoic philosophers,* he became an initiate of the gnostic hidden mysteries.* But enlightened by the holy virgin Justina,* he fled the treachery of demons!* After destroying books of sorcery,* he became a herald of the Gospel!* Therefore, as we sinners celebrate their glory,* we give glory to the Saviour:* Christ God, You crowned your victors with glory:* Through their supplications, save our souls!

    In Tone 2

    Now…

    O Virgin, the shadow of the Law passed away* with the realization of grace.* For as the bush had burned without being consumed,* so you gave birth while a virgin* and you remained a virgin.* Instead of the pillar of fire there rose the Sun of Justice.* Instead of Moses, Christ God came forth,* the Saviour of our souls.

    Aposticha

    In Tone 2

    Your Resurrection, O Christ our Saviour,* has enlightened the whole universe;* and, through it, You call back to Yourself all Creation.* Almighty God, glory to You!

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

    By the wood of Your Cross, O Saviour,* You have abolished the curse of the tree;* by Your burial You have destroyed the power of death;* and by Your resurrection You enlightened the human race.* We, therefore, cry out to You:* O Christ our God, Giver of Life, glory to You!

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

    O Christ, when You were nailed to the Cross,* the distorted nature of creation was made manifest.* The soldiers showed their inhumanity by piercing Your side with a lance,* and the people showed their ignorance of Your power* by asking that Your tomb be sealed.* But, in Your mercy, You accepted burial* and then arose on the third day.* O Lord, glory to You!

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

    O Christ, Giver of Life,* You freely endured the Passion for the sake of mortals.* In Your power You descended into Hades;* and snatching, as from a mighty monster, the souls of those who awaited Your coming,* You placed them in Paradise.* Therefore, show Your great mercy to us who glorify Your resurrection,* and cleanse our souls.

    Glory… Now…

    We now behold a new wonder,* greater than the wonders of old.* For who has ever known a mother to bear a child without the help of man?* Who has known a mother to hold in her arms the Source of all Creation?* It was God’s own will to be born in this manner;* and you, O most pure Virgin, carried Him as an infant in your arms.* Because of this, you can approach God with the boldness of a mother.* Therefore, we venerate you, and ask you to always beseech Him* to have mercy on us and save our souls.

    Troparia

    In Tone 2

    When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* “O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory be to You!”

    In Tone 4

    Glory…

    Having shared the way of life of the apostles,* and having become a successor to their thrones,* labouring you found the divinely inspired way to contemplation.* Therefore, forthrightly ministering the word of truth,* you shed your blood for the faith, O hieromartyr, Dionysius.* Intercede with Christ our God for the salvation of our souls.

    Now…

    O Mother of God, the mystery hidden from all eternity* and unknown even to the angels,* was revealed through you to those on earth:* God took on our human nature* and united it to His divine nature in a perfect but unconfused union.* Then, He willingly accepted the cross for our sake* and thereby raised again the first created man,*and saved our souls from death.

     

    DIVINE LITURGY

    Troparia and Kontakia

    Troparion, Tone 2: When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* “O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory be to You!”

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

    Kontakion, Tone 2: You rose from the tomb, O almighty Saviour;* and Hades, seeing this wonder, was stricken with fear; and the dead arose.* Creation saw and rejoices with You, and Adam exults.* And the world, my Saviour, sings Your praises for ever.

    Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

    Theotokion, Tone 2: The tomb and death could not hold the Mother of God,* unceasing in her intercession and an unfailing hope of patronage,* for as the Mother of Life she was transferred to life* by Him Who had dwelt in her ever-virgin womb.

    Prokeimenon, Tone 2

    The Lord is my strength and my song of praise, and He has become my salvation.

    verse: The Lord has indeed chastised me, but He has not delivered me to death. (Psalm 117:14,18)

    Epistle

    2 Corinthians 11:31-12:9

    Alleluia, Tone 2

    verse: The Lord will hear you in the day of tribulation; the name of the God of Jacob will shield you.

    verse: Lord, grant victory to the king and hear us in the day that we shall call upon You. (Psalm 19:2,10)

    Gospel

    Luke 6:31-36

    Communion Hymn

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