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Event Information:
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Sun06Mar2022
First Sunday of the Great Fast: The Sunday of Orthodoxy; Octoechos Tone 8; The Holy Forty-Two Martyrs of Ammorium (848)
GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man...” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 8
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
O Christ, during this spiritual service,* we sing to You these evening prayers,* commemorating the mercy You have shown us* by Your resurrection.
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O Lord, O Lord, do not cast us away from Your face;* but in Your kindness have mercy on us* through Your resurrection.
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Rejoice, O holy Sion,* the Mother of Churches and the dwelling-place of God;* for you were the first to receive the forgiveness of sins* through the resurrection.
- Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Christ the Word was begotten by God the Father before all ages;* yet in these latter times,* He freely willed to take flesh from the Virgin who did not know man.* By His death on the cross and His resurrection,* He saved mankind from the ancient curse of death.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
O Christ, we glorify Your resurrection;* for by rising from the dead* You freed the race of Adam from the sufferings of Hades,* and as God You granted eternal life* and great mercy to the world.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Glory to You, O Christ our Saviour,* the only-begotten Son of God;* for You were nailed to the cross,* and then arose from the dead on the third day.
In Tone 6
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
The prophets, inspired by Your Spirit, O Lord,* foretold that You, whom nothing can contain or grasp,* and who has shone forth in eternity before the morning star* from the immaterial and bodiless womb of the Father,* was to become a child,* taking flesh from the Virgin,* being joined to men and seen by those on earth.* At the prayers of these Your prophets,* in Your compassion count us worthy of Your light,* for we sing the praises* of Your ineffable and holy Resurrection.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
The divinely-inspired prophets preached You in word and honoured You in works,* and they received as their reward a life without end.* For they steadfastly refused, O Master,* to worship the creation instead of You, the Creator;* They renounced the whole world for the Gospel’s sake,* and in their suffering they were conformed to Your Passion which they had foretold.* At their intercessions, count us worthy to pass through the period of the Fast without offence,* for You alone are rich in mercy.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
You who are uncircumscribed, O Master, in Your divine nature,* were pleased in the last times to take flesh and be circumscribed;* and in assuming flesh, You have also taken on Yourself all its distinctive properties.* Therefore we depict the likeness of Your outward form,* venerating it with an honour that is relative.* So we are exalted to the love of You,* and following the holy traditions handed down by the apostles,* from Your icon we receive the grace of healing.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
As a precious adornment* the Church of Christ has received the venerable and holy icons of the Saviour Christ,* of God’s Mother and of all the saints.* Celebrating now their triumphant restoration,* she is made bright with grace and splendour,* and drives away all heretics.* With great rejoicing* she gives glory to God who loves mankind,* and who for her sake* has endured His voluntary Passion.
In Tone 2
Glory…
The grace of truth has shone upon us;* the mysteries darkly prefigured in the times of old have now been openly fulfilled.* For behold, the Church is clothed in a beauty that surpasses all things earthly,* through the icon of the incarnate Christ that was foreshadowed by the ark of testimony.* This is the safeguard of the orthodox faith;* for if we hold fast to the icon of the Saviour whom we worship,* we shall not go astray.* Let all who do not share this faith be covered with shame;* but we shall glory in the icon of the Word made flesh,* which we venerate but worship not as an idol.* So let us kiss it, and with all the faithful cry aloud:* O God, save Your people* and bless Your inheritance.
In Tone 8
Now...
Out of his love for mankind* the King of heaven appeared on earth and dwelt with men,* for He assumed a human body from the pure Virgin* and was seen in the flesh He received from her.* He is the One and only God* having two natures but not two persons.* Wherefore we profess and declare the truth* that Christ our God is perfect God and perfect Man.* O Mother, who knew not carnal union,* intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.
Aposticha
In Tone 8
O Jesus, You descended from heaven* so that You might ascend the cross.* O immortal Life, You came to die.* You are the true light to those who live in darkness,* and You are the resurrection of the fallen.* Therefore, O Saviour of all, we glorify You.
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. * Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
Let us glorify Christ, the Saviour of our Souls* who arose from the dead.* For He took upon himself a soul and a body,* and during His passion He separated the one from the other.* His pure soul went down to conquer Hades,* while His holy body lay uncorrupted in the grave.
For He has made the world firm. * which shall not be moved.
O Christ, we glorify Your resurrection with psalms and hymns.* For by Your victory over death* You delivered us from the sufferings of Hades,* and as God You granted us eternal life and great mercy.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, * for length of days.
O Lord of all, Creator of heaven and earth,* You are above all understanding.* Through Your passion on the cross* You freed us from the sufferings of Hades.* And, after condescending to be buried, You arose in glory;* and with Your mighty arm You also raised up Adam.* O most merciful Lord, we glorify You;* for by Your resurrection on the third day* You granted us remission of sins and eternal life.
In Tone 2, Glory…
Advancing from ungodliness to the true faith,* and illumined with the light of knowledge,* let us clap our hands and sing aloud,* offering praise and thanksgiving to God;* and with due honour* let us venerate the holy icons of Christ;* of the all-pure Virgin and the saints,* whether depicted on walls, on wooden panels or on holy vessels,* rejecting the impious teachings of the heretics.* For, as Basil says,* the honour shown the icon passes to the prototype it represents.* At the prayers of Your undefiled Mother and of all the Saints,* we beseech You, Christ our God,* to bestow upon us Your great mercy.
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 8
You came down from on high, O Merciful One,* and accepted three days of burial* to free us from our sufferings.* O Lord, our life and our resurrection,* glory be to You.
In Tone 2, Glory…
We bow before Your most pure image, O kind Lord,* and beg pardon for our sins, O Christ our God.* Of Your own will You consented to ascend the Cross in the flesh* to free Your handiwork from enslavement to the enemy.* In thanksgiving we cry aloud to You:* by coming to save the world, our Saviour, You filled all things with joy.
Now…
O Mother of God, the mysteries which surround you are exceedingly glorious,* and beyond the power of understanding.* For you retained the seal of purity,* and your virginity remained inviolate;* yet you are acknowledged, without doubt,* to be the Mother who gave birth to the true God.* We beg you, therefore, to entreat Him to save our souls.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 8: You came down from on high, O Merciful One,* and accepted three days of burial* to free us from our sufferings.* O Lord, our life and our resurrection,* glory be to You.
Troparion, Tone 2: We bow before Your most pure image, O kind Lord,* and beg pardon for our sins, O Christ our God.* Of Your own will You consented to ascend the Cross in the flesh to free Your handiwork from enslavement to the enemy.* In thanksgiving we cry aloud to You:* by coming to save the world, our Saviour, You filled all things with joy.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8: The uncircumscribed Word of the Father* became circumscribed when He took flesh of you, O Mother of God,* and when He restored the divine image to its ancient glory,* He suffused it with the beauty of God.* Therefore, confessing our salvation in deed and word,* we portray it in images.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
Blessed are You, Lord God of our fathers,* and praised and glorified is Your Name for ever.
verse: For You are righteous in everything You have done to us. (Daniel 3:26,27)
Epistle
Hebrews 11:24-26,32-40; 12:1-2
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews.
Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: Moses and Aaron are among His priests and Samuel among those who call upon His name.
verse: They called on the Lord, and He heard them. (Psalm 98:6)
Gospel
John 1:43-51
Hymn to the Mother of God
In you, O Full of Grace, all creation rejoices: the angelic ranks and all the human race. Sanctified temple and spiritual paradise, virgins’ pride and boast, from whom God is made flesh and became a little Child; and He who is our God before all ages, He made your womb a throne, and He made it wider that all the heavens. In you, O Full of Grace, all creation rejoices. Glory be to you.
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)