Upcoming Days

Event Information:

• Thu

  25

  May

  2023

  The Third Finding of the Precious Head of the Holy, Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; Passing into Eternal Life (1951) of Blessed Mykola (Nicholas) Tsehelsky, Priest and Martyr

  GREAT VESPERS

  Psalm 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!

  Having finished your work of salvation for all, O Christ,* You went up to the Mount of Olives.* From there You ascended into heaven and were borne in glory* in the presence of your disciples.* When your angels beheld this mystery,* the hosts attending You below cried out to those on high:* Open the gates, for He enters again!* He went out from here, the God and Ruler of all,* and was pleased to win the salvation of the world* in a most wondrous manner.

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

  When the choir of apostles saw You lifted up,* they cried out: Where are You going as You leave us, O Master?* You hold the ends of the earth in your hands;* why do You abandon us?* Joyfully we have followed You, our only God.* Will You forsake us now forever?* You are our only hope;* do not leave us to suffer here as orphans!* Send us the Comforter, who proceeds from the compassionate Father,* O Saviour of our souls.

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

  Offering the most perfect blessing to your friends,* You instructed them in all your mysteries, O Master.* Behold, my beloved ones, I depart to my Father,* but I will send you another Comforter.* I will never forsake the flock I gathered;* I will never forget those whom I love.* You will be clothed with power from on high;* you will go forth, proclaiming the saving Gospel to all nations.

  In Tone 8

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

  Blessed Forerunner John, your head shone from the ground* with rays brighter than the sun.* It enlightens the faithful.* We have it has a divine treasure* and draw rich grace from it,* sanctifying our souls, our bodies and thoughts.* As we celebrate, we call you blessed.

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

  Blessed Forerunner John, your head shone from the ground* with rays brighter than the sun.* It enlightens the faithful.* We have it has a divine treasure* and draw rich grace from it,* sanctifying our souls, our bodies and thoughts.* As we celebrate, we call you blessed.

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

  Your holy head, blessed Forerunner, poured out abundant grace.* It was shown without his foreknowledge* to the priest who was wise in God.* He quickly went with faith and grace* and openly brought about its sanctified coming* with the emperor and the divinely wise people* who fervently maintain the orthodox faith.

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

  Your holy head, blessed Forerunner, poured out abundant grace.* It was shown without his foreknowledge* to the priest who was wise in God.* He quickly went with faith and grace* and openly brought about its sanctified coming* with the emperor and the divinely wise people* who fervently maintain the orthodox faith.

  Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.6. If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

  We celebrate the third revelation of your precious head.* When it was severed, glorious one,* the Trinity crowned it for your godly zeal.* The ranks of angels, the company of martyrs,* the apostles of God and all the prophets rejoice in its discovery.* Together with them, ever remember us, Forerunner of the Lord!

  In Tone 6, Glory…

  O Forerunner, your head, divinely preserved,* has risen from the bosom of the earth* as a treasury of graces of God.* Having received it, we bow down in reverence, O glorious prophet of Christ.* Through you, we have been given wondrous miracles* and have obtained the remission of our sins.

  In Tone 6, Now…

  God goes up with shouts of joy,* the Lord goes up with trumpet blast,* in order to raise up the fallen image of Adam* and to send down upon us the Holy Spirit,* the Comforter who will sanctify our souls.

  Readings

  (1) Isaiah 40:1-11; (2) Malachi 3:1-18; (3) Wisdom 4:7-15.

  Aposticha

  In Tone 2

  Come, O faithful: let us venerate the head which was cut off by a sword:* the precious head of the Forerunner,* commemorating its finding on this day.* Let us go out to meet it with hymns, wholeheartedly honouring it* as a fountain which pours forth the grace of healing upon us.* This is the head which was once cut off by the foolish Herod,* goaded by the grudging of Herodias.

  O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful.

  As gold is taken from the mines,* so has the head of the Forerunner come forth from the earth,* radiant in its reliquary.* He still speaks, clearly accusing Herod, the adulterous murderer;* and he illumines our souls with his light.* In our hymns today, we the faithful venerate the Forerunner* who intercedes for us before God.

  The just will flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a Lebanon cedar.

  The head of the Baptist lay long hidden underground* like a treasure in a chest.* Today it is revealed to the whole world, pouring forth abundant streams of healing,* stopping illnesses, and shedding light on our souls.* We rejoice in its divine consolations as we sing the praises of the Forerunner.

  Glory...

  O illustrious John, the venerable reliquary of divine thoughts,* your head which had clearly foreseen the mystery of the Ineffable One*  came out from the caves of the earth as from a mother’s womb.* It perfumes the whole world with the myrrh of holiness,* to us you preach the way of repentance, interceding for our souls before the Saviour of all.

  In Tone 6, Now…

  Today the Powers on high see our nature in heaven,* and they marvel at this wondrous Ascension,* and they say to one another:* Who is this who has just arrived in heaven?* But when they recognize their own Lord,* they order the gates of heaven to be opened.* With them let us praise unceasingly* the One who shall come again from heaven in our flesh* as the judge of the universe and the almighty God.

  Troparia

  In Tone 4

  O prophet and forerunner,* Christ has revealed to us your head as divine treasure concealed in the earth.* Assembled for this discovery* we praise Christ with hymns inspired of God.* Through your intercessions He saves us from corruption.

  In Tone 4, Glory... Now...

  You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through your blessing* that You are the Son of God,* the Redeemer of the world.

   

  DIVINE LITURGY

  First Antiphon

  Clap your hands, all you nations;* shout to God with the voice of joy.

  Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

  For the Lord most high is awesome,* a great king over all the earth.

  Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

  He has subdued peoples to us,* and nations under our feet.

  Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

  God ascended amid shouts of joy;* the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.

  Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

  Glory… Now… Only-Begotten Son…

  Third Antiphon

  Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord,* let us acclaim God, our Saviour.

  Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

  Let us come before His face with praise,* and acclaim Him in psalms.

  Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

  For God is the great Lord,* the great king over all the earth.

  Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

  Entrance

  Come, let us worship* and fall down before Christ.

  Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

  Troparia and Kontakia

  Troparion, Tone 4: You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through your blessing* that You are the Son of God,* the Redeemer of the world.

  Troparion, Tone 4: O prophet and forerunner,* Christ has revealed to us your head as divine treasure concealed in the earth.* Assembled for this discovery* we praise Christ with hymns inspired of God.* Through your intercessions He saves us from corruption.

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

  Kontakion, Tone 6: The Forerunner, a luminous and divine support in the world,* the lampstand of the sun,* has revealed his resplendent and divine head to the ends of the earth.* He hallows those who bow and cry out in faith:* “Save us all, O most wise Baptist of Christ.”

  Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

  Kontakion, Tone 6: When you had fulfilled Your plan for us* and united things on earth with those in heaven,* You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* in no way distant, but remaining in separable,* You cried to those who love You:* I am with You and there is none against you.

  Prokeimenon, Tone 7

  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;* above all the earth be Your glory.

  verse: My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready. I will sing and make music in my glory.(Psalm 56:6,8)

  Prokeimenon, Tone 7

  The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him.

  Epistle

  Acts 25:13-19; 2 Corinthians 4:6-15

  Alleluia, Tone 2

  verse: God ascended amid shouts of joy; the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.

  verse: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 46:6,2)

  verse: Light is risen for the just and joy for the righteous of heart. (Psalm 96:11)

  Gospel

  John 16:23-33; Matthew 11:2-15

  Hymn to the Mother of God

  O my soul, magnify the Lord who in glory ascended bodily into the heavens.

  And the Irmos: O Mother of God,* you transcended both mind and word,* and in time, ineffably bore the Timeless One:* it is you who, with one accord,* we, the faithful, magnify.

  Communion Hymn

  God ascended amid shouts of joy;* the Lord at the sound of the trumpet (Psalm 46:6).* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear (Psalm 111:6).* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.

  Instead of We have seen the true light we sing:

  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, above all the earth be Your glory.

  Instead of Let our mouths be filled we sing three times:

  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, above all the earth be Your glory.