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Event Information:
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Fri04Mar2022
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts for Friday of the First Week of the Great Fast
At Psalm 140
In Tone 5
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
Come, O faithful, let us fulfil the works of God in the light;* and let us walk with dignity as in the light of day;* let us tear up every unjust contract,* and let us cast aside every object of scandal for our neighbour.* Let us turn away from the pleasures of the flesh,* so that we may grow in our spiritual gifts.* Let us give food to the poor;* let us draw near to Christ, and in repentance, let us say:* O our God, have mercy on us.
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
Come, O faithful, let us fulfil the works of God in the light;* and let us walk with dignity as in the light of day;* let us tear up every unjust contract,* and let us cast aside every object of scandal for our neighbour.* Let us turn away from the pleasures of the flesh,* so that we may grow in our spiritual gifts.* Let us give food to the poor;* let us draw near to Christ, and in repentance, let us say:* O our God, have mercy on us.
In Tone 7
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Glory to You, O Christ our God.* You are the praise of the apostles,* and the delight of the martyrs,* who preached the consubstantial Trinity.
- Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
O holy martyrs who fought the good fight* and have received your crowns,* entreat the Lord to have mercy on our souls.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Not caring for any earthly things, O holy martyrs,* you boldly preached Christ during your trials,* and received your due reward from Him.* But since you possess confidence before Him,* we beseech you to entreat Him, as the Almighty God, to save our souls.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O martyrs, lofty praise is due to you,* for you are lambs of the Spirit and spiritual offerings.* You are pleasing sacrifices that have found favour with God;* and though the earth may not have covered you, the heavens received you.* We entreat you; for you have become partakers with the angels,* to join with them in beseeching our God* to give the world peace and to save our souls.
In Tone 2
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Come, all you friends of the martyrs,* let us celebrate this feast in the joy of the Spirit;* for, on this day, the holy martyr Theodore prepares a spiritual banquet for us,* the lovers of the feast;* he brings joy to our hearts,* and we cry out to him:* Rejoice, invincible warrior, who has vanquished powerful tyrants;* and for the love of Christ our God,* you have given over your body of flesh to torments.* Rejoice, for in the midst of dangers,* you showed yourself to be a valiant soldier of the heavenly army.* Therefore, we pray to you, O glory of martyrs,* intercede for the salvation of our souls.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
O holy martyr Theodore,* you generously grant the God-given grace of your miracles* to all the faithful who hasten to you.* We rejoice in this, and we sing:* You are the liberator of captives and healer of the sick,* the wealth of the poor and salvation of those who sail the seas,* the defender of those who cherish your holy memory;* now, for all of us who praise you,* beseech Christ for His great mercy.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
O holy martyr Theodore,* you are truly the “gift of God,”* for, being alive even after your death,* you are attentive to the requests of those who come to you.* A son was once seized from his mother* and made a prisoner in the pagan army;* the widow bathed your sanctuary with her tears;* and you were moved with compassion.* You mounted a white horse and mysteriously returned her child;* and even now, you do not cease to work miracles.* Beseech Christ our God to save our souls.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
O Theodore, thrice-blessed,* with your name, I praise the gift of God;* you are a shining torch of the divine brightness.* By your deeds you have illuminated the universe.* You have shown yourself to be stronger than fire,* and you crushed the head of the treacherous dragon.* Therefore, Christ has placed on your head the crown of victory.* And now that you enjoy the divine favour,* O holy and great martyr,* beseech God for the salvation of our souls.
In Tone 6, Glory…
The enemy used the apostate emperor as his servant* against the Christian people who were purified by the Fast;* he tried to defile them with food polluted by the blood of sacrifices.* But, you more wisely foiled his plan,* by appearing in a dream to the bishop of that time* and warning him of the danger.* We also offer you our sacrifices of thanksgiving,* and we honour you with the title of protector* as we celebrate the annual memory of this event.* We beseech you to preserve us from the evil designs of the enemy* by interceding with God for us,* O holy martyr Theodore.
Now…
Immaculate Mother of God,* you became a mother outside the laws of nature,* remaining a virgin in a way that exceeds all description and human understanding.* The wonder of your birth-giving could not be told in human language,* for your conception of Christ blinded intelligence,* and your birth-giving exceeded understanding:* for whenever God so desires, the laws of nature are broken.* Wherefore we all firmly believe that you are the Mother of God,* and we eagerly beseech you to intercede for the salvation of our souls.
Prokeimenon I, Tone 5
May the Lord answer in time of trial;* may the name of Jacob’s God protect you!
verse: May He send you help from His shrine and give you support from Sion!
Reading I
Genesis 2:20-3:20
Adam gave names to all the cattle, to all the birds of heaven, and to all the wild animals of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. Thus God brought a trance upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and filled up the flesh in its place. Then the Lord God built the rib He took from Adam into a woman, and brought her to him. So Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.” Now the two were naked, both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Now the serpent was more cunning than all the wild animals the Lord God made on the earth. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat from every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden; but from the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You shall not eat from it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You shall not die by death. For God knows in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw the tree was good for food, was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree beautiful to contemplate, she took its fruit and ate. She also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of the two were opened, and they knew they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. Then they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden that afternoon, and Adam and his wife hid themselves within the tree in the middle of the garden from the presence of the Lord God. So the Lord God called Adam and said to him, “Adam, where are you?” He replied, “I heard Your voice as You were walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Thus He said, “Who said you were naked? Have you eaten from the one tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” Then Adam said, “The woman You gave me, gave me of the tree, and I ate.” So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Thus the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than all the wild animals of the earth. On your breast and belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall be on guard for His heel.”
To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain and your groaning, and in pain you shall bring forth children. Your recourse will be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.” Then to Adam He said, “Because you heeded the voice of your wife, and ate from the one tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground in your labours. In toil you shall eat from it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground from which you were taken. Earth you are, and to earth you shall return.” So Adam called his wife's name Life, because she was the mother of all living.
Prokeimenon II, Tone 6
O Lord, arise in Your strength;* we shall sing and praise Your power.
verse: O Lord, Your strength gives joy to the king; how Your saving help makes him glad!
Reading II
Proverbs 3:19-34
The ways of wisdom are good ways,
And all her paths are in peace.
She is a tree of life for all who cleave to her,
And she is security for those who lean upon her as upon the Lord.
God by wisdom founded the earth
And prepared the heavens with discernment.
With perception the depths were broken up,
And the clouds flowed with dew.
My son, do not be careless,
But keep my counsel and thinking,
That your soul may live,
And grace may be around your neck.
And there will be healing for your flesh
And care for your bones,
That you may walk confidently in peace in all your ways,
And your foot may not stumble.
For if you sit down, you will be without fear,
And if you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.
And do not be afraid of intimidation when it comes upon you,
Nor of the attack of the ungodly when it comes at you;
For the Lord will be over all your ways,
And He will plant your feet firmly, that you may not be shaken.
Do not withhold doing good to the needy,
When you may give a helping hand;
Do not say, when you are able to do good,
“Come back tomorrow, and I will give you something”;
For you do not know what the next day will bring forth.
Do not devise evil things against your friend
Who dwells beside you and trusts in you.
Do not be ready to quarrel with a man in vain,
Lest he do you some harm.
Do not incur the reproach of evil men,
Neither seek their ways.