New Texts arriving in the evening of April 17, 2024!
Event Information:
-
Sun30Jan2022
Sunday of Zacchaeus; Octoechos Tone 3; The Three Holy and Great Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom; and the Holy Priest-Martyr Hippolytus (235)
All-Night Vigil Feast.
GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man...” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 3
10. 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.
9. 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.
8. 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.
7. 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 4
6. If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Let us glorify the three great preachers of the Trinity,* the instruments of grace and harps of the Spirit,* renowned trumpets of divine preaching* who thundered awesome wonders which were revealed from on high.* John, Basil, and Gregory made known the glory of God* to the ends of the earth.
5. I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Let us worthily venerate the defenders of the Trinity.* They are the three apostles added to the Twelve.* They are rivers which overflowed living waters out of Eden.* They nourished the face of the earth with life-giving divine waters .* They are the basic elements of nature,* fashioning not creation but the true faith.
4. From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
The prophet spoke of them, saying:* No one who lives or speaks has not heard their voices,* for the famous and excellent works of these sublime and wise teachers* have spread through all the earth and sea.* By their divine laws the ends of the earth are joined together* and preserved in the one true faith.
In Tone 2
3. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
With what praiseworthy crowns shall we crown the teachers,* distinct in body but joined together in the Spirit?* They are the God-bearing defenders of the Trinity, the triad of ministers,* the luminaries who enlighten the world, and pillars of the Church.* Because they conquered all,* Christ our God mercifully gave them crowns of glory.
2. Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
With what songs of joy shall we crown the God-bearing mystics and preachers?* They were the most outstanding theologians of the true faith:* Basil the Great who revealed truths about God;* the sublime theologian Gregory, and John the Golden-mouthed.* They are fittingly glorified by the Trinity,* the Lord who grants His great mercy.* With what praiseworthy words shall we honour the holy bishops?* They were comparable to the apostles in rank and gifts through grace.* They defeated heresy and were sanctifiers by word and deed.* They were Christ-like shepherds in the faith.* They were earthly angels and heavenly men.* They were honoured by the Lord of glory,* by Christ who grants His great mercy.
1. Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
With what praiseworthy crowns* shall we crown John the Golden-mouthed, Basil, and Gregory?* They are precious vessels of the Spirit* and firm defenders of the faith,* pillars of the Church, the foundation of the faithful, and comfort of sinners.* We honour them as wellsprings which overflow,* refreshing our souls with water.* They ask forgiveness for our sins and great mercy for us.
In Tone 6
Glory…
Let us extol today those mystical trumpets of the Spirit,* the God-mantled Fathers,* who, speaking of divine things,* sang a unifying hymn in the midst of the Church:* teaching that the Trinity is One,* not differing in substance or Godhead;* refuting Arius and contending for the true faith;* and who always intercede with the Lord* to have mercy on our souls.
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) Deuteronomy 1:8-11, 15-17; (2) Deuteronomy 10:14-21; (3) Wisdom 3:1-9
Lytia
In Tone 2
Come, let us praise the earthly trinity of holy bishops* who are ministers of the heavenly Trinity:* Basil, whose name means the kingdom;* Gregory, called the Theologian; and John, the Golden-mouthed.* They are the abyss of those who searched into the wisdom of the Spirit.* They are likened to ocean currents* and ever-flowing wellsprings of leaping and living water.* They are known as elegant pearls and earthly beacons,* the rudders of the Church and trees that produce the most splendid fruit,* the stewards of grace and mouth of Christ.* They are defenders of the Trinity* by whom they were directly enlightened.* They pray unceasingly for our souls.
Let us faithfully praise the flaming coals of the divine Fire,* for we have been illumined by them.* They became inflamed by being united to Him,* and they became luminaries for the world.* They showed themselves to be living strength for the lowly.* In faith they devoutly preached the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.* Let us also cry out to them:* Rejoice, O three preachers of the Trinity.
In Tone 6
O Holy Trinity, worthy of adoration,* glory to Your wise plan of salvation,* for You have given three great luminaries to us.* They enlighten us by the light of their knowledge of You,* they inspire us by their teachings,* and they shine with the radiance* of your precious desires for our salvation.* Through them the whole world has been enriched with the light of understanding;* it radiates with Your glory and hastens to Your blessed kingdom.* Since You are an all-generous God, O Holy Trinity,* be attentive to their prayers in our behalf* and save our souls, O Lord and Lover of mankind.
Glory…
Having come together with songs of praise, O lovers of feasts,* let us praise the bishops of Christ* and the glory of the Fathers,* the pillars of the faith,* the teachers and defenders of the faithful.* Let us cry out to them:* Rejoice, O luminary of the Church and immutable pillar, O wise Basil.* Rejoice, O heavenly mind and great hierarch, Gregory the Theologian.* Rejoice, O golden-voiced John, splendid preacher of penance.* O thrice-blessed Fathers, never cease to pray to Christ* in behalf of those who with faith and love* observe your sacred and sublime feast.
Now …
Having come together with songs of praise, O lovers of feasts,* let us extol the boast of virgins and the joy of angels,* the only Theotokos and the strength of believers.* Let us all cry out to her:* Rejoice, O pure virgin Mother,* splendorous luminary and gate of heaven.* Rejoice, O sacred tabernacle and all-pure One* who contained God with your womb.* Rejoice, for without exception you are higher than all the heavenly powers.* Therefore, O Lady and virgin Mother,* do not cease to protect your servants* who in faith and love extol you at all times,* and who bow down to your holy and pure birth-giving.
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 2
Glory…
Today the souls of mortals are elevated above earthly things.* Today they become heavenly beings as the commemorate the saints.* The gates of heaven are opened for us,* and the ways of the Lord are made known to us.* Tongues extol His miracles* and proclaim the words of the Word.* Let us also cry out to the Saviour:* Glory to You, O Christ God,* because through them there has been peace for the faithful.
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 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 4
As equals to the apostles in the way you lived* and teachers of the whole world* intercede with the Master of all to grant peace to the world,* and, to our souls, great mercy. (2)
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 4: As equals to the apostles in the way you lived* and teachers of the whole world,* intercede with the Master of all* to grant peace to the world,* and to our souls great mercy.
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 2: You received Your inspired and steadfast preachers, Your chief teachers* into the enjoyment of Your good things and into repose.* You who alone glorify Your saints,* accepted their labours and death* more gladly than any holocaust.
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 8
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their words unto the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:5)
Epistle
1 Timothy 4:9-15; Hebrews 13:7-16
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: The heavens shall confess Your wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints. (Psalm 89:6)
Gospel
Luke 19:1-10; Matthew 5:14-19
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest (Psalm 148:1).* Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)