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Event Information:

  • Sun
    05
    Dec
    2021

    Twenty-Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 3; Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Sabbas the Sanctified (532)

    Polyeleos Feast

    GREAT VESPERS

    Kathisma Reading

    “Blessed is the man...” is sung.

    At Psalm 140

    In Tone 3

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

    By Your cross, O Christ our Saviour,* the power of Death has been vanquished* and the deceit of the devil has been destroyed.* Therefore, mankind, saved by faith,* offers You hymns of praise forever.

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

    O Lord, all creation has been enlightened by Your resurrection,* and paradise has been reopened;* therefore, all creation extols You* and offers You hymns of praise forever.

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

    I glorify the power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;* and I praise the dominion of the undivided Divinity,* the consubstantial Trinity,* who reigns forever and ever.

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

    We adore Your precious cross, O Christ,* and with hymns of praise we glorify Your resurrection;* for by Your wounds we have all been healed.

    In Tone 5

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

    O divinely wise Sabbas,* you stand together with the Angels and dwell with the holy monks;* you converse with the Prophets* and are co-heir of the Kingdom with the Martyrs and Apostles.* You dwell in the Light that knows no evening* and shine with His divine light and intense desire.* You stand before Him with boldness and unceasing enlightenment,* delighting in His beauties.* Entreat Christ, O holy Father,* and implore Him to grant to the Church unity, peace and great mercy!

    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 divinely wise Sabbas,* you stand together with the Angels and dwell with the holy monks;* you converse with the Prophets* and are co-heir of the Kingdom with the Martyrs and Apostles.* You dwell in the Light that knows no evening* and shine with His divine light and intense desire.* You stand before Him with boldness and unceasing enlightenment,* delighting in His beauties.* Entreat Christ, O holy Father,* and implore Him to grant to the Church unity, peace and great mercy!

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

    O divinely wise Sabbas,* you are an unquenchable lamp of abstinence,* a radiant beacon for monastics, illumined with rays of love.* You are an unshaken tower of patient endurance,* the support and strength of those who honour you with faith,* a treasury of healings and true dweller in the desert,* which you showed to be the Paradise of God bearing the divine fruit of salvation.* Entreat Christ, O holy Father,* and implore Him to grant to the Church unity, peace and great mercy!

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

    O divinely wise Sabbas,* you are an unquenchable lamp of abstinence,* a radiant beacon for monastics, illumined with rays of love.* You are an unshaken tower of patient endurance,* the support and strength of those who honour you with faith,* a treasury of healings and true dweller in the desert,* which you showed to be the Paradise of God bearing the divine fruit of salvation.* Entreat Christ, O holy Father,* and implore Him to grant to the Church unity, peace and great mercy!

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

    O divinely wise Sabbas,* you are a fiery pillar of the virtues,* a beacon guiding men from the sea of life to the harbour of God.* As a pure dwelling of the Holy Spirit, you cast down the spirits of deception.* You are an instructor of monastics,* a sure measure of abstinence,* a height of humility visible to all,* and a fountain pouring forth a depth of healing.* Entreat Christ, O venerable one,* and implore Him to grant to the Church unity, peace and great mercy!

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

    O divinely wise Sabbas,* you are a fiery pillar of the virtues,* a beacon guiding men from the sea of life to the harbour of God.* As a pure dwelling of the Holy Spirit, you cast down the spirits of deception.* You are an instructor of monastics,* a sure measure of abstinence,* a height of humility visible to all,* and a fountain pouring forth a depth of healing.* Entreat Christ, O venerable one,* and implore Him to grant to the Church unity, peace and great mercy!

    In Tone 6

    Glory…

    You set your mind as master over the deadly passions,* keeping the image unharmed through the ascetic life.* Thus you rose into the perfect likeness, for bravely curbing nature, * you hastened to subject to that which is better:* and made the body servant to the spirit.* Therefore you were revealed as the chief of those living the monastic life,* a citizen of the desert,* a master teaching those who come to you,* a perfect example of virtue.* Now the shadows have been set aside, O Sabbas,* and in heaven you behold in purity the Holy Trinity,* as you pray with boldness for those who honour you with faith and love.

    In Tone 3

    Now…

    O Lady most honourable,* how could we but be rapt in wonder* at your giving birth to the Incarnate God* who, without a mother, was born of a Father before all ages?* You gave Him birth in the flesh without a father,* without a man’s instrumentality.* He is God and man whose two natures are intact,* neither one losing any of its properties.* Therefore, O Virgin Mother,* intercede with Him to save the souls* of those who believe and profess in true faith* that you are the Mother of God.

    Readings

    (1) Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9; (2) Wisdom of Solomon 5:15-6:3; (3) Wisdom of Solomon 4:7-15

    Aposticha

    In Tone 3

    O Christ, who darkened the sun by Your passion* and enlightened all creation by Your resurrection,* accept our evening prayer; for You love mankind.

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

    O Lord, Your life-giving resurrection has enlightened the entire universe* and has revived Your creation which lay in corruption.* Therefore, we, who have been released from the curse of Adam, cry out to You:* Almighty Lord, glory to You!

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

    O God, although in Your divine nature You are unchangeable,* yet in Your human nature You underwent change by suffering in the flesh.* All creation was prostrate with fear* when it saw You hanging on the cross,* and it groaned in sorrow as it sang the praises of Your long-suffering.* But You descended into Hades and arose on the third day,* granting life and great mercy to the world.

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

    You suffered death, O Christ, to deliver mankind from death.* And when You arose from the dead on the third day,* You enlightened the world* and resurrected all who acknowledge You as God.

    In Tone 8

    Glory…

    We honour you, O Sabbas our Father,* the instructor of a multitude of monks.* We have indeed learned to walk rightly in your footsteps.* You are blessed, for having laboured for Christ,* you denounced the  power of the Enemy.* You were a converser with the Angels* and a companion of the venerable and righteous ones.* Together with them, entreat the Lord that He may grant mercy to our souls!

    Now…

    Unwedded Virgin,* you ineffably conceived God in the flesh.* O Mother of God most high,* accept the cries of your servants, O blameless one!* Grant cleansing of transgressions to all!* Receive our prayers and pray to save our souls!

    Troparia

    In Tone 3

    Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice,* for the Lord has done a mighty deed with His arm.* He trampled death by death. He became the first-born of the dead;* He saved us from the abyss of Hades* and granted great mercy to the world.

    In Tone 8

    Glory…

    With the streams of your tears you cultivated the barren desert,* with deep sighs your toils bore fruit a hundredfold.* You became a beacon, shining throughout the world by your wonders,* our venerable Father, Sabbas.* Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.

    Now...

    O gracious Lord, for the sake of mankind You were born of a virgin;* through Your death on the cross You conquered death;* and through Your resurrection You revealed yourself as God.* O merciful Lord, do not disdain those whom You have created with Your own hands,* but show forth Your love for mankind.* Accept the intercession which the Mother, who bore You, makes in our behalf.* O Saviour, save Your despairing people!

     

    DIVINE LITURGY

    Troparia and Kontakia

    Troparion, Tone 3: Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice,* for the Lord has done a mighty deed with His arm.* He trampled death by death. He became the first-born of the dead;* He saved us from the abyss of Hades* and granted great mercy to the world.

    Troparion, Tone 8: With the streams of your tears you cultivated the barren desert,* with deep sighs your toils bore fruit a hundredfold.* You became a beacon, shining throughout the world by your wonders,* our venerable Father, Sabbas.* Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.

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

    Kontakion, Tone 3: You rose from the tomb, O compassionate Lord,* and led us out from the gates of death.* Today Adam exults and Eve rejoices,* and the prophets together with the patriarchs* unceasingly acclaim the divine might of Your power.

    Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

    Kontakion, Tone 8: In your virtue,* O blessed Sabbas,* you offered yourself to God from childhood* as an unblemished sacrifice,* becoming a gardener* in the garden of godliness.* Thus you became the adornment of monastics,* a praiseworthy citizen of the desert.* And so we cry to you:* Rejoice, most wealthy Sabbas.

    Prokeimenon, Tone 3

    Sing to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing.

    verse: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout unto God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 46:7,2)

    Prokeimenon, Tone 7

    verse: Precious in the sight of the Lord* is the death of His venerable ones.

    Epistle

    Colossians 1:12-18; Galatians 5:22-6:2

    Alleluia, Tone 3

    verse: In You, O Lord, have I hoped that I may not be put to shame for ever.

    verse: Be a protector unto me, O God, and a house of refuge to save me. (Psalm 30:2,3)

    verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments. (Psalm 111:1)

    Gospel

    Luke 17:12-19; Matthew 11:27-30

    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 111:6-7)