New Texts arriving in the evening of April 17, 2024!
Event Information:
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Tue23Jan2024
Blessed Vincent Levoniuk and His Twelve Companions: Nykyta Hrytsiuk, Ivan Andreychuk, Constantine Boyko, Michael Vavryshchuk, Onuphriy Vasyliuk, Philip Kyryliuk, Maxim Havryliuk, Daniel Karmashchuk, Constantine Lukashchuk, Bartholomew Osypiuk, Luke Boyko and Ignatius Franchuk; Martyred at Pratulyn (1874). The Holy Priest-Martyr Clement, Bishop of Ancyra. Holy Martyr Agathangel (both 286-305). Passing into Eternal Life (1952) of Blessed Olimpia Bida, Superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and Martyr.
VESPERS
[Please note that the following are an English translation of a non-official text]
Kathisma Reading
The prescribed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 1
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Blessed martyrs, you defeated the enemy by the power of your spirit,* courageously standing in the holy faith, and laying down your lives for it,* now you stand before the Most High,* asking of Him for peace to our country,* and great mercy to our souls.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Shining like the sun, in the land of darkness and violence,* showing the light of the Catholic faith, for which you suffered,* perishing from steel bullets, giving your souls,* you gave yourselves into the hands of the Almighty Lord.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Neither hunger nor trouble, nor the atrocities of enemies,* nor a truly blessed death, could separate you from the love of God,* and like lambs to the slaughter,* you followed Your shepherd,* for this you received heavenly crowns,* pray unceasingly for our souls.
Tone 8
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
How shall we call you blessed, O warriors of the great King and God,* who bravely defeated impiety,* which could not force you to renounce the faith of your parents,* from Him you have received an eternal reward,* so pray to Him that our souls may be saved.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
How shall we glorify you, O blessed Nykyta, Vincent, Ivan and Constantine,* Michael, Onufriy, Philip the glorious,* who shone with divine light in the darkness that enveloped our land,* and now you enlighten us, keeping us in peace and unity,* pray without ceasing that our souls may be saved.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
How do you enlighten us, O long-suffering Maxim, Danylo and Constantine,* Bartholomew, Luke and Ignatius,* so that we do not go astray, and do not follow the enemy of our souls,* you have defeated him, O ascetics of the holy faith,* so pray that our souls may be saved.
Tone 6, Glory…
Rejecting ungodly counsel, enduring courageously in temptation,* and accepting the martyr’s crown,* O glorious martyrs, you glorified the Lord Christ,* with whom you now reign forever,* pray to him unceasingly for all of us,* who honour your memory with faith.
Now…
Who would not call you blessed, O Virgin most holy?* Who would not sing a hymn of praise* to the glory of your giving birth without pain or travail?* The Only-begotten Son Himself,* begotten of the Father before all ages,* was made flesh out of you in a manner* that cannot be explained, O Woman most pure!* And for our sake, He who is God by nature* assumed the nature of a man.* He is not divided into two persons;* He is understood to have two natures* without commixion or confusion.* O noble and blessed Woman,* intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.
Readings
(1) Isaiah 43:9-14; (2) Wisdom 3:1-19; (3) Wisdom 5:15-6:3
Aposticha
Tone 8
O thirteen most glorious martyrs,* you had a terrible death for nothing,* bravely standing in the defence of the holy faith,* clothed with heavenly glory, you are counted among the righteous,* with whom we glorify you.
The just cried out, and the Lord heard them.
O thirteen most glorious martyrs,* accepting the cup of patience,* you invoked the divine name, God Almighty,* who gave you strength to endure,* and graced you with glory and eternal light, O God-seers.
Many are the trials of the just,* but out of them all, the Lord will save them.
O thirteen invincible martyrs,* you voluntarily gave yourselves to death,* sanctifying your native land with your blood,* in which your descendants followed this path of martyrdom,* therefore, today, celebrating your memory, we ask you:* ask Christ for great mercy for our people.
Tone 3, Glory…
Let us come today and glorify our martyrs* who met their enemies without hatred,* who came with their ungodly intentions,* to persuade them to apostatize from their faith,* they gave up their lives for this,* and the Lord accepted their sacrifice,* so now crowned with a heavenly crown, pray for our souls.
Now…
O Virgin Mother, you conceived the Son of God without seed* by the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit.* He was begotten by the Father, without a mother, from all eternity.* Yet for our sake, He was born of you in the flesh without a human father,* and you nursed Him as an infant with your milk.* Therefore, never cease to entreat Him to deliver our souls from affliction.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 1: Be swayed by the pains that the saints have suffered for You, O Lord,* and heal all our pains,* O Lover of mankind, for this we pray.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2: Appearing as radiant lights, O godly martyrs,* you illumine all creation with the brilliance of your miracles,* healing infirmities, always dispelling deep darkness* and praying unceasingly to Christ our God for all of us.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
To the saints who are in His land, the Lord has made wonderful all His desires in them.
verse: I foresaw the Lord in my sight, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. (Psalm 15:3,8)
Epistle
2 Peter 2:9-22
Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: The just cried out and the Lord heard them, and delivered them out of their afflictions.
verse: The afflictions of the just are many, and out of them all will the Lord deliver them. (Psalm 33:18,20)
Gospel
Mark 13:14-23
Communion Hymn
Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)