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Event Information:
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Thu29Jun2023
Holy, Glorious, All-Praiseworthy and Chief Apostles, Peter and Paul
GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 2
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
What crowns of praise shall we weave for Peter and Paul?* They were separated in the body but united in spirit,* and outstanding as the preachers of God.* The one indeed led the apostles,* while the other laboured more than all the rest.* Christ our God, showing great mercy,* fittingly crowns them with immortal glory.
Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
What crowns of praise shall we weave for Peter and Paul?* They were separated in the body but united in spirit,* and outstanding as the preachers of God.* The one indeed led the apostles,* while the other laboured more than all the rest.* Christ our God, showing great mercy,* fittingly crowns them with immortal glory.
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
What crowns of praise shall we weave for Peter and Paul?* They were separated in the body but united in spirit,* and outstanding as the preachers of God.* The one indeed led the apostles,* while the other laboured more than all the rest.* Christ our God, showing great mercy,* fittingly crowns them with immortal glory.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
With what beautiful hymns shall we praise Peter and Paul?* They are wings of divine knowledge,* spreading out to the far ends of the earth* and soaring aloft to heaven.* They are two heads of the Gospel of grace,* two feet of the preaching of the truth,* two rivers of wisdom and two arms of the Cross,* through which the merciful Christ casts down the pride of demons.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
With what beautiful hymns shall we praise Peter and Paul?* They are wings of divine knowledge,* spreading out to the far ends of the earth* and soaring aloft to heaven.* They are two heads of the Gospel of grace,* two feet of the preaching of the truth,* two rivers of wisdom and two arms of the Cross,* through which the merciful Christ casts down the pride of demons.
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 beautiful hymns shall we praise Peter and Paul?* They are wings of divine knowledge,* spreading out to the far ends of the earth* and soaring aloft to heaven.* They are two heads of the Gospel of grace,* two feet of the preaching of the truth,* two rivers of wisdom and two arms of the Cross,* through which the merciful Christ casts down the pride of demons.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
With what spiritual songs shall we praise Peter and Paul?* They slew the godless tongues of idolaters.* They are fearful swords of the Spirit and notable ornaments of Rome,* nourishers of the whole world* and the God-inspired tablets of the new covenant.* Christ, in His great mercy, has proclaimed their honour in Sion.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
With what spiritual songs shall we praise Peter and Paul?* They slew the godless tongues of idolaters.* They are fearful swords of the Spirit and notable ornaments of Rome,* nourishers of the whole world* and the God-inspired tablets of the new covenant.* Christ, in His great mercy, has proclaimed their honour in Sion.
In Tone 4, Glory…
Christ asked three times: Peter, do you love Me?* Thereby He satisfied the three-fold denial;* and Simon, understanding the mystery, cried to the Lord:* You know all things; You know that I love You.* After this, Christ said to him:* Feed my sheep, feed my lambs;* feed those sheep which I have fashioned for salvation with my own blood.* Therefore, O blessed Apostle of God,* beseech Him to grant us great mercy.
Now…
O Mother of God, because of You* David the Prophet became an ancestor of God;* he foretold and sang a joyous hymn of praise* and cried out to Him who worked wonders in you:* “The Queen stood at your right hand.”* God revealed you as a life-giving mother,* when He chose to be incarnate of you without a father.* He renewed in man His image* which the passions had corrupted.* He found the lost sheep in the mountains,* carried it on His shoulders,* offered it to the Father,* generously numbered it among the powers of heaven,* and saved the whole world, since He is Christ of great and rich mercy.
Readings
(1) 1 Peter 1: 3-9; (2) 1 Peter 1: 13 – 19; (3) 1 Peter 2: 11-24
Lytia
In Tone 2
Come today, O assemblies of the faithful,* O choirs full of praise, O beautiful gathering,* O chosen craftsmen of grace,* we are crowning Peter and Paul with worthy praises.* They sowed the Word in its fullness;* through them the grace of the Spirit was poured out abundantly.* And being the vine of the true vineyard,* they divided up for us a ripe cluster, making our hearts joyful.* Let us sing to them with clear expression,* and with a clean conscience let us say:* Rejoice, O destroyers of the unwise* and the servants of the spiritual ones.* Rejoice, O intermediaries for the good who banish evil.* Let us beseech them to always pray to the Creator and Teacher* to grant an enduring peace to the world* and great mercy to our souls.
Let us praise as intercessors for the world,* the teachers and foundations of the Church of Christ,* its true pillars and walls,* trumpets of the divine teachings and sufferings of Christ,* the prime apostles Peter and Paul.* They travelled throughout the earth,* as though with a plough, sowing the faith,* and planted a knowledge of God in all,* revealing the Word of the Trinity.* O Peter, rock of foundation, and Paul, O chosen vessel,* you were harnessed together to the will of Christ.* You raised up all creation to a knowledge of God:* the nations, the cities, and the islands.* Indeed, you lifted up anew the Hebrews into the Church,* and now you pray that our souls be saved.
O Peter, the first of the glorious apostles and rock of faith!* wondrous Paul, orator and lamp stand of the holy churches,* standing before the divine throne,* pray to Christ for us.
O Paul, spokesman of the Lord and foundation of doctrine!* Once you were a persecutor of Jesus the Saviour,* and then indeed you were among the first of the apostles, O blessed one.* You saw the ineffable One, O wise Apostle.* You were transported up to the third heaven, and you exclaimed:* Come with me and do not be deprived of the good things.
In Tone 3
O citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem,* behold the rock of faith and the orator of the Church of Christ,* the two men of the Trinity and fishers of the world,* today are departing from the earth.* Suffering the passion, they ascend to God,* and they pray to Him with confidence to save our souls.
In Tone 5, Glory…
The wisdom of God and the Word who is co-eternal with the Father* has truly foretold in the Gospel, O all-praiseworthy Apostles,* that you are the two most fruitful vines;* for you bore in your branches the ripe and beautiful cluster* from which we believers are now nourished* and whose taste brings us both sweetness and delight.* Therefore, O Peter, rock of faith, and Paul, pride of the universe,* strengthen the flock that became yours through your teachings.
Now…
We bless you, O Theotokos and Virgin;* and we faithful ones glorify you always.* You are the ineffable city, the mighty wall,* the powerful mediatrix, and the haven of our souls.
Aposticha
In Tone 1
O glorious apostle Paul,* who can describe your bondage and sorrow in the cities,* your tribulations and hardships,* your vigils and sufferings?* You have suffered hunger, thirst, and cold,* nakedness and scourging with rods,* the crossing of wilderness, shipwreck and stonings.* You have both angelic and human character,* bearing all with the help of Christ who strengthened you,* so that you might gain the world for Christ, your Lord.* We, who celebrate your memory in faith,* beseech you to intercede for the salvation of our souls.
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
O glorious apostle Paul,* who can describe your bondage and tribulations in the cities?* Who can tell the hardships and struggles you went through in the preaching of Christ* that you might win all people and present the Church to Christ?* O apostle Paul, teacher of the Churches,* pray that the Church may be strengthened by your teachings* until the end of time.
The heavens tell the glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of His hands.
Let us extol Peter and Paul,* the two great luminaries of the Church;* for they have shone forth with the firmness of faith,* transcending the sun in brilliance.* By the rays of their preaching* they led the Gentiles from ignorance to divine knowledge.* Therefore, one of them was nailed upon the cross,* thus making his way into heaven* where he received the Kingdom from Christ himself.* The other was beheaded with the sword and carried to the Saviour,* where he received the blessing that he deserved.* Both declared that the unjust ones laid hands against the Lord.* By their powers, therefore, O Christ our God,* take your anger away from us and make firm our faith,* for You are the Lover of Mankind.
In Tone 6, Glory…
Today a delightful feast has shone forth to the ends of the earth,* the all-solemn memorial of the most wise and first apostles, Peter and Paul.* Therefore, let Rome receive the glad tidings, rejoicing;* and let us feast on this solemn day, crying out to them:* Rejoice, O Peter, apostle and special friend of the Teacher, Christ our God.* Rejoice, O truly beloved Paul,* preacher of the faith and teacher of the universe.* Because of your privilege, O holy ones,* beseech Christ our God to save our souls.
Now…
Christ the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer,* came forth from your womb, O most pure Virgin.* He clothed himself in our human flesh* to set us free from the original curse of Adam.* Therefore, O Mary, we praise you, without ceasing,* as the true Virgin Mother of God,* and we sing with the angels:* Rejoice, O Lady, advocate, protector, and salvation of our souls.
Troparia
In Tone 4
As the leaders of the apostles* and teachers of the whole world,* intercede with the Master of all* to grant peace to the world* and to our souls great mercy. (2)
In Tone 1
Rejoice, Mother of God, Virgin Mary, full of grace!* The Lord is with you.* Blessed are you among women,* and blessed is the fruit of your womb.* For you have borne Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of our souls.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: As the leaders of the apostles* and teachers of the whole world,* intercede with the Master of all* to grant peace to the world* and to our souls great mercy.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen
Kontakion, Tone 2: You received Your inspired and steadfast preachers, Your chief disciples,* into the enjoyment of Your good things and into repose.* You, Who alone know the heart, accept their labours and death* more gladly than any holocaust.
Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
verse: The heavens tell the glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of His hands. (Psalm 18:5,2)
Epistle 2
Corinthians 11:21-12:9
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: The heavens shall confess Your wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints.
verse: God is glorified in the assembly of the saints. (Psalm 88:6,8)
Gospel
Matthew 16:13-19
Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify Peter the solid rock of Christ’s Church and Paul her chosen vessel.
and the Irmos, Tone 4: You, most glorious Bride and all holy Mother of God,* in song do we magnify;* for the Maker of all things seen and unseen* was born of you.
Communion Hymn
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their words unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 18:5)