Upcoming Days

Event Information:

• Sun

  06

  Feb

  2022

  Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee; Octoechos Tone 4; Post-feast of the Encounter; Our Venerable Father Boucolus, Bishop of Smyrna; the Holy Priest-Martyr Sylvanus, Bishop of Emessa and Those with Him

  GREAT VESPERS

  Kathisma Reading

  “Blessed is the man...” is sung.

  At Psalm 140

  In Tone 4

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

  We never cease to adore Your life-giving Cross, O Christ our God,* And we glorify Your resurrection on the third day.* For You, Almighty One, have thereby restored the corrupted nature of all* and reopened the way to heaven,* since You alone are gracious and You love mankind.

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

  O Saviour, You have absolved the penalty of disobedience,* committed through the tree of Eden,* by willingly being nailed to the tree of the cross.* As Almighty God, You descended into Hades* and broke asunder the bonds of death.* We, therefore, venerate Your resurrection from the dead,* and joyfully cry out to You:* Almighty Lord, glory to You!

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

  O Lord, You have battered down the gates of Hades,* and by Your death You have dissolved the realm of death.* You have freed mankind from corruption,* bestowing life, incorruption, and Your great mercy upon the world.

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

  Come, all you people,* let us sing the praises of our Saviour’s resurrection on the third day.* For we have, thereby, been delivered from the invincible bonds of Hades,* and we have received incorruption, together with eternal life.* Therefore, we cry out to You* after Your crucifixion, burial, and resurrection:* Save us by Your resurrection, for You love mankind.

  In Tone 1

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

  Brethren, let us not pray as the Pharisee:* for he who exalts himself shall be humbled.* Let us humble ourselves before God,* and with fasting cry aloud as the Publican:* God be merciful to us sinners.

  5. I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

  Brethren, let us not pray as the Pharisee:* for he who exalts himself shall be humbled.* Let us humble ourselves before God,* and with fasting cry aloud as the Publican:* God be merciful to us sinners.

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

  A Pharisee, overcome with vainglory, and a Publican, bowed down in repentance,* came to You the only Master.* The one boasted and was deprived of blessings,* while the other kept silent and was counted worthy of gifts.* Confirm me, O Christ our God,* in these his cries of sorrow,* for You love mankind.

  In Tone 1

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

  The Creator of all things, and our God,* is being brought into the Temple by the virgin Mother.* The aged Simeon receives Him and cries out with joy:* Now You may dismiss your servant in peace,* according to your will, O good One.

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

  Receiving from the Virgin the One begotten before all ages,* Simeon took Him in his arms and cried out:* I have seen the Saviour,* the Illumination of your glory to the ends of the earth.* Now You may dismiss your servant in peace, O good One,* since I have seen You today.

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

  Near the end of his long life,* Simeon carried in his arms the Saviour* who was born for the salvation of all*  Rejoicing, he cried out:* I have seen the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel.* Now You may dismiss your servant from here, O God,* according to your command.

  In Tone 8

  Glory…

  Almighty Lord, I know how great is the power of tears.* For they led up Hezekiah from the gates of death;* they delivered the sinful woman from the transgressions of many years;* they justified the Publican above the Pharisee.* And with them I also pray:* Have mercy upon me.

  In Tone 4

  Now…

  O Mother of God, because of You* David the Prophet became an ancestor of God;* he foretold and sang a joyous hymn of praise* and cried out to Him who worked wonders in you:* “The Queen stood at your right hand.”* God revealed you as a life-giving mother,* when He chose to be incarnate of you without a father.* He renewed in man His image* which the passions had corrupted.* He found the lost sheep in the mountains,* carried it on His shoulders,* offered it to the Father,* generously numbered it among the powers of heaven,* and saved the whole world, since He is Christ of great and rich mercy.

  Aposticha

  In Tone 4

  In being lifted upon the cross, O Lord,* You abolished the curse which we had inherited from our fathers.* By going down into Hades,* You freed from eternal captivity those imprisoned there,* and granted incorruption to mankind.* We, therefore, praise Your life-giving and redeeming resurrection.

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

  By hanging on the cross, O Almighty One,* You shook the whole creation to its foundations.* When You Yourself were laid in the grave,* You raised to life those who had been lying in the graves,* and You granted life and incorruption to mankind.* We, therefore, praise and glorify Your resurrection on the third day.

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

  O Christ, the lawless people showed their ingratitude to You, their Benefactor,* by delivering You to Pilate who condemned you to be crucified.* But You willingly suffered death and burial;* and, as God, You rose by Your own power on the third day,* granting us everlasting life and great mercy.

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

  The women, shedding bitter tears, came to see You in Your tomb;* and not finding Your body, they lamented, saying:* O Saviour and King of All, how were You stolen?* What place holds Your life-bearing body?* An angel answered them, saying:* Do not weep, but go and proclaim that the Lord is risen,* filling our hearts with joy;* for He alone is most compassionate.

  In Tone 5

  Glory…

  My eyes are weighed down by my transgressions,* and I cannot lift them up and see the height of heaven.* But receive me, Saviour, in repentance as the Publican* and have mercy on me.

  Now…

  He who is ancient of days and young in the flesh* is being brought to the Temple by his virgin Mother.* He fulfils the promise of his own law.* Simeon receives Him and says:* Now You may dismiss your servant, according to your word, in peace,* for my eyes have seen your salvation, O Lord.

  Troparia

  In Tone 4

  When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,* granting to the world great mercy.”

  In Tone 1

  Glory... Now...

  Rejoice, full of grace, Virgin Mother of God!* From you there dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,* who enlightens those who dwell in darkness.* And you, O righteous Elder, be glad!* You received in your embrace* the Liberator of our souls,** who grants is resurrection.

   

  DIVINE LITURGY

  Troparia and Kontakia

  Troparion, Tone 4: When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,* granting to the world great mercy.”

  Troparion, Tone 1: Rejoice, full of grace, Virgin Mother of God!* From you there dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,* who enlightens those who dwell in darkness.* And you, O righteous Elder, be glad!* You received in your embrace* the Liberator of our souls,* who grants us resurrection.

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

  Kontakion, Tone 3: Let us bring sighs of sorrow to the Lord as did the Publican* and approach the Master as sinners,* for He desires salvation for everyone.* He grants forgiveness to all who repent.* For as God, the One-who-is, co-eternal with the Father, He became flesh for us.

  Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

  Kontakion, Tone 1: By Your birth, You sanctified a virgin womb* and fittingly blessed the hands of Simeon.* You have come also now and saved us, O Christ our God;* give peace to Your community in time of war,* and strengthen its rulers, whom You love,* for You alone,* are the Lover of mankind.

  Prokeimenon, Tone 4

  How great are Your works, O Lord* You have made all things in wisdom.

  verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, You are exceedingly great. (Psalm 103:24,1)

  Epistle

  2 Timothy 3:10-15

  Alleluia, Tone 4

  verse: Poise yourself and advance in triumph and reign in the cause of truth, and meekness, and justice.

  verse: You have loved justice and hated iniquity. (Psalm 44:5,8)

  Gospel

  Luke 18:10-14

  Hymn to the Mother of God

  O God-bearing Virgin, hope of Christians, protect and guard and save all those who put their trust in you.

  and the Irmos, Tone 3: In the law, the shadow, and the scriptures, we the faithful see a figure: every male child that opens the womb shall be sanctified to God. Therefore do we magnify the first-born Word and Son of the Father who is without beginning, the first-born Child of a Mother who had not known man.

  Communion Hymn

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