Daily texts will return after June 20, 2024!
Event Information:
-
Sun05Dec2021
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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!
- 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!
- 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!
- 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!
- 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!
- 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)