New Texts arriving in the evening of April 17, 2024!
Event Information:
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Wed11May2022
Mid-Pentecost. The Holy Cyril (869) and Methodius (885), Teachers of the Slavs and Equals-to-the-Apostles and the Dedication of the City of Constantinople (330); the Holy Priest-Martyr Mocius (284-305); Passing into Eternal Life of Blessed Vasyl (Basil) Hopko, Auxiliary Bishop of Presvov (+1976)
Polyeleos Feast.
GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 4
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
The middle of the fifty days has come,* beginning with the Saviour’s Resurrection,* and sealed by the holy Pentecost.* The first and the last glisten with splendour!* We rejoice in the union of both feasts,* as we draw near to the Lord's Ascension:* The sign of our coming glorification.
- Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
The middle of the fifty days has come,* beginning with the Saviour’s Resurrection,* and sealed by the holy Pentecost.* The first and the last glisten with splendour!* We rejoice in the union of both feasts,* as we draw near to the Lord's Ascension:* The sign of our coming glorification.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Be glad, O Zion!* Hear the announcement of Christ's Resurrection!* Let her faithful sons rejoice!* The filth of the daughter of Zion is washed away.* Jerusalem, stained with the blood of God's murder, is cleansed by the Spirit!* With songs of joy she celebrates the middle of the feast!
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
As it is written,* the abundant outpouring of divine gifts is drawing near.* The chosen day of the Spirit is halfway come.* The faithful promise to the disciples* after the death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ,* heralds the coming of the Comforter.
In Tone 2
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
With what crowns of praise shall we adorn the divinely-wise teachers,* the voices of wisdom sounding amid clouds of darkness,* enlightening those in the shadow of death with the light of the Gospel!* The great preachers of the undivided Trinity who grafted barren unbelievers* as branches into the fruitful tree of the orthodox Church* that they might obtain from Christ our God 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.
With what songs of praise shall we glorify the divinely-wise teachers:* the golden-mouthed Cyril* who reached the heights of wisdom through his sweet preaching,* humbling the fierce pride of Islam!* And Methodius, the lover of solitude,* who in silence received the fruits of the Spirit.* Through their prayers, Christ our God, grant us great mercy.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
With what hymns of praise shall we magnify the divinely-wise teachers:* Cyril, who chose to live with wisdom in his youth.* He multiplied his talents to the glory of God;* and Methodius who renounced the things of this world for love of Christ.* He strove like an angel for the kingdom of heaven.* Through them, we have come to know God,* the eternal Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,* receiving from Christ our God great mercy!
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
With what spiritual songs shall we magnify you, most blessed teachers?* For the sake of the salvation of the Slavs you became equals to the apostles.* You laboured to enlighten them by the lamp of the Word of God,* opening for them the door of the written Word.* As we enter, we understand the blessed teaching of Christ,* receiving from Him peace and great mercy.
In Tone 6, Glory...
Come, lovers of feasts!* Let us glorify the apostolic labourers with songs of praise:* the pride of hierarchs, the enlighteners and fervent intercessors for the Slavic people!* Rejoice, Cyril, golden herald of the Word of God,* lighting up the mysteries of the Holy Trinity as the sun,* closing the blaspheming mouths of Islam!* Again, rejoice, Methodius!* You assisted him with prayers and miracles.* Most blessed fathers, never cease to intercede before Christ our God* for those who praise you with faith and love!
In Tone 6, Now…
We have assembled, O Christ,* to praise the miracle of Your mysteries:* The midfeast of Your Resurrection and the coming of Your Holy Spirit.* Send down on us great mercy!
Readings
(1) Deuteronomy 1:8-17; (2) Deuteronomy 10:14-21; (3) Wisdom 3:1-9Aposticha
In Tone 1
The middle of the fifty days is here,* wherein Christ manifested his divine power.* He healed the paralytic, raising him from his bed by a word!* In the flesh He worked signs and wonders,* granting mankind eternal life and great mercy!
Remember Your congregation, which You have gotten of old!
You came to the Temple, Wisdom of God,* in the middle of the feast,* to teach and edify the Jews, the Scribes and the Pharisees.* Let him who thirsts come to Me and drink the water of life!* He will never thirst again!* Whoever believes in Me, streams of living water shall flow from him!* How great is Your goodness and Your compassion!* Glory to You, Christ our God!
In Tone 2
God is our King before the ages; He has worked salvation in the midst of the earth!
Jesus went up to the temple in the middle of the feast.* He proclaimed to the stiff-necked Jews:* Let him who thirsts come to Me and drink!* I will give him the water of life, and he will never thirst again.* Living streams will flow from the heart of him who believes in Me;* He will find the Light of the world!
In Tone 8, Glory...
Rejoice, blessed ones who enlightened us with the knowledge of God!* Rejoice, Cyril, living source of spiritual wisdom:* you quenched the thirst of the Slavic people!* Rejoice, Methodius, pure dwelling of prayer:* now you stand in the glory of Christ.* Therefore never cease to pray that we may glorify Him* as we magnify you throughout the ages!
In Tone 3, Now…
Saviour, while You were teaching the Jews in the midst of the feast,* they murmured: How can this man be learned, who never studied?* They would not believe that You are the Wisdom Who created the world.* O Lord, glory to You!
Troparion
In Tone 4
As equals to the apostles in the way you lived* and teachers of the Slavic lands,* O Cyril and Methodius, divinely wise,* intercede with the Master of all* to confirm the Slavic nations in orthodoxy and oneness of mind;* to grant peace to the world and save our souls.
In Tone 8, Glory… Now…
At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* O Source of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!
DIVINE LITURGY
After the priest has exclaimed, Blessed be the Kingdom… and the people have responded, Amen, the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then, the clergy sing the first half, and the people conclude it.
Paschal Troparion
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 8: At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* O Source of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!
Troparion, Tone 4: As equals to the apostles in the way you lived* and teachers of the Slavic lands,* O Cyril and Methodius, divinely wise,* intercede with the Master of all* to confirm the Slavic nations in orthodoxy and oneness of mind;* to grant peace to the world and save our souls.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 3: Let us extol our two sacred teachers.* By their translation of Scriptures* they tapped for us a well that brings knowledge of God.* Drawing from it abundantly to this very day* we call you blessed, O Cyril and Methodius.* As you stand before the throne on high,* fervently pray to God to save our souls.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: At the mid-point of the Feast according to the Law,* Maker of all things and Master,* You said to those present, O Christ God:* Come, and draw the water of immortality.* And so we fall before You crying out with faith: Grant us Your mercies , for You are the source of our life.
Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Great is our Lord, and great is His strength;* and of His knowledge there is no end.
verse: Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good; may praise be sweet to Him. (Psalm 146:5,1)
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones. (Psalm 115:15)
Epistle
Acts 14:6-18; Hebrews 7:26-8:2
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: Remember Your congregation which You acquired from the beginning.
verse: But God is our king before the ages; He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. (Psalm 73:2,12)
verse: Your priests shall clothe themselves with justice, and Your venerable ones shall rejoice. (Psalm 131:9)
Gospel
John 7:14-30; John 10:9-16
Hymn to the Mother of God
Virginity is alien to mothers and child-bearing is foreign to virgins; yet in you, O Mother of God, both of them came together. Therefore, we and all the nations of the earth without ceasing magnify you.
Communion Hymn
Those who eat My flesh and drink My blood* abide in Me and I in them, says the Lord (John 6:56)* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)
Instead of Blessed is He Who comes… we sing:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Instead of We have seen the true light… we sing:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Instead of May our mouths be filled… we sing three times:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Instead of Blessed be the name of the Lord… we sing three times:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
At the dismissal, instead of Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen. we chant:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
After the final Amen, the Troparion Christ is risen is sung as at the beginning of the Liturgy, but with the addition:
And to us He has granted life eternal;* we bow down before His resurrection on the third day.