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Fri03Mar2023
Friday of the Second Week of the Great Fast - Presanctified
LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS
At Psalm 140
In Tone 4
Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
Behold, this is the acceptable time,* this is the day of salvation.* Visit my soul in the abundance of Your love,* and in Your unique goodness, lighten the load of my sins.
The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
Behold, this is the acceptable time,* this is the day of salvation.* Visit my soul in the abundance of Your love,* and in Your unique goodness, lighten the load of my sins.
In Tone 5
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
You were not concerned about all these earthly matters,* and you courageously braved the tortures.* You did not sin against hope,* having confidence in God’s love for humankind;* thus you were made heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven,* O most praise-worthy martyrs.* Ask for peace for the world and great mercy for our souls.
Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Putting on the shield of faith* and fortifying themselves with the symbol of the Cross,* Your saints, O Lord, bravely went of their own accord to torture.* They defeated the craft and insolence of the devil.* By their supplications, O all-powerful God,* send peace to the world and great mercy to our souls
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Intercede for us, O holy martyrs,* that we may be delivered from our iniquities;* for the grace to pray for us is given to you.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
With your souls filled with unquenchable love,* you endured the most terrible sufferings without ever denying Christ;* and you laid low the impudence of the torturers.* You kept the faith unwavering and unharmed,* and have gone to dwell in heaven.* Therefore, having the boldness to approach the Lord,* beg Him to grant us His great mercy.
In Tone 8
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Divinely wise father Gerasimus,* you united yourself to God through prayer, intercession and great abstinence!* You remained impervious to the wiles of the enemy,* showing yourself a servant of the Almighty!* Therefore we honour you;* we faithfully celebrate your divine memory with great joy* as we praise you!
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Divinely wise father Gerasimus,* you united yourself to God through prayer, intercession and great abstinence!* You remained impervious to the wiles of the enemy,* showing yourself a servant of the Almighty!* Therefore we honour you;* we faithfully celebrate your divine memory with great joy* as we praise you!
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Venerable father Gerasimus, you were steadfast in the faith!* You sought God in the deserts, caves and mountains,* finding Him as you desired.* You were strengthened by steadfastness of soul and lofty wisdom,* leading a multitude of saved monastics to God!
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Divinely blessed one,* you submitted to the command of God who beholds everything,* receiving grace from Him to work miracles:* you drove away evil spirits and tamed wild beasts by the purity of your mind!* Therefore we honour you* and fittingly celebrate your godly memory with faith!
In Tone 5, Glory…
I recall the prophet crying out:* I am ashes and dust.* And again, I looked into the graves and saw bones laid bare and I said:* Which is king or soldier, rich or poor, righteous or sinner?* But, with the just, give rest, O Lord, to Your departed servants,* since You are the Lover of humankind.
Now…
A symbol of the undefiled Virgin and bride was revealed in the Red Sea.* There, Moses divided the waters;* here, Gabriel is the messenger of the miracle.* There, the Israelites crossed the deep and their feet were not even wet;* here, the Virgin gives birth to Christ without human seed.* There, the sea remained uncrossed after the passing of Israel;* here the immaculate remained incorrupt after giving birth to Emmanuel.* Therefore, O Immortal God, who appeared in the flesh as true Man, have mercy on us!
Prokeimenon I, Tone 4
Your merciful love and Your truth* will guard me forever.
verse: I waited, I waited for the Lord and He stooped down to me; He heard my cry.
Reading I
Genesis 5:32-6:8
Noah was five hundred years old, and he begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now it came to pass that men began to exist in great numbers on the earth, and daughters were born to them. So when the sons of God saw the daughters of men were beautiful, they took wives for themselves of all they chose. Then the Lord God said, “My Spirit shall not remain with these people forever, for they are flesh. So their days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” Now there were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men of old, men of renown. Then the Lord God saw man’s wickedness, that it was great in the earth, and every intent of the thoughts within his heart was only evil continually. So God was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and He thought this over. Then God said, “I will blot out man whom I created from the face of the earth, from man to cattle, and from the creeping things to the birds of heaven, for I am grieved I made them.” But Noah found grace in the presence of the Lord God.
Prokeimenon II, Tone 6
As for me, I said: Lord, have mercy on me;* heal my soul for I have sinned against You.
verse: Blessed are those who consider the poor and the weak. The Lord will save them in the evil day.
Reading II
Proverbs 6:20-7:1
For he rejoices in everything the Lord hates,
And he shall be broken because of his soul’s uncleanness:
A haughty eye, an unrighteous tongue,
Hands that shed righteous blood,
A heart that devises evil thoughts,
And feet that hasten to do evil;
As a false witness he kindles injustice
And causes quarrels between brethren.
My son, guard the laws of your father,
And do not depart from the rules of your mother.
But fasten them to your soul continually
And wear them as a collar upon your neck.
When you walk about, bring along this commandment
And let it be with you;
And as you sleep, let it guard you,
That when you arise, it may speak to you.
For a commandment of law is a lamp and a light,
And the way of life is reproof and instruction,
That you may keep yourself from a married woman
And from the slanderous tongue of a strange woman.
Do not let the desire of beauty conquer you;
Neither be caught by her eyes,
Nor captivated by her eyelids;
For the value of a prostitute is only one loaf,
And such a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.
Shall anyone bind fire to his bosom
And his garments not burn?
Or will anyone walk about on coals of fire
And not burn his feet?
Likewise is the one who goes in to a married woman;
He shall not be guiltless, nor any who touch her.
It is not surprising if anyone who steals is caught,
For he steals that he may fill his hungry soul;
But if he is caught, he will repay sevenfold,
And by giving all his goods, he shall deliver himself.
But the adulterer through his lack of discernment
Obtains the destruction of his soul;
He bears both pain and dishonor,
And his disgrace will not be wiped away forever.
For the anger of her husband is full of jealousy;
He will not spare in the day of judgment;
He will not take any ransom in exchange for his hatred,
Nor will he be reconciled by many gifts.
My son, guard my words,
And hide my commandments within yourself.