New Texts arriving in the evening of April 17, 2024!
Event Information:
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Sat10Feb2024
Saturday before Cheesefare Sunday. Holy Martyr Charalampius (193-211).
VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
The prescribed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 8
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Come, all you faithful, and let us praise the assembly of the Holy Fathers,* Antony the Great, Euthymios the illustrious, and all their companions.* Let us call to remembrance the story of their lives,* for each is a spiritual Paradise of joy,* with gladness let us cry aloud:* These are trees which the Lord our God has planted;* they have flowered and borne the fruit of immortal life,* as an offering to Christ and as food for our souls.* Let us cry aloud to them:* O God-bearing and blessed Fathers, pray that we may be saved.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Come, all you faithful, and let us praise the assembly of the Holy Fathers,* Antony the Great, Euthymios the illustrious, and all their companions.* Let us call to remembrance the story of their lives,* for each is a spiritual Paradise of joy,* with gladness let us cry aloud:* These are trees which the Lord our God has planted;* they have flowered and borne the fruit of immortal life,* as an offering to Christ and as food for our souls.* Let us cry aloud to them:* O God-bearing and blessed Fathers, pray that we may be saved.
Tone 5
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Rejoice, Egypt, land of faith;* Rejoice, venerable Libya;* Rejoice, O chosen Thebaid;* Rejoice, every place and city and country* that has nurtured the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven,* bringing them up in abstinence and toil,* offering them to God as men of perfect desires.* Like stars they guide our souls,* and through the brightness of their wonders* and the strange marvels they accomplished,* they have shed their light noetically* upon all the ends of the earth.* All-blessed Fathers,* pray ye that our souls may be saved.
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Rejoice, Egypt, land of faith;* Rejoice, venerable Libya;* Rejoice, O chosen Thebaid;* Rejoice, every place and city and country* that has nurtured the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven,* bringing them up in abstinence and toil,* offering them to God as men of perfect desires.* Like stars they guide our souls,* and through the brightness of their wonders* and the strange marvels they accomplished,* they have shed their light noetically* upon all the ends of the earth.* All-blessed Fathers,* pray ye that our souls may be saved.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Who among those born on earth* can recount your wondrous lives?* O Fathers of the whole world,* what tongue can tell of the holy contests you endured in the Spirit and by your sweat,* your feats of virtue and the wasting of your bodies,* your wrestling with the passions* in vigils, in prayers and in weeping?* Truly you lived like angels in the world;* utterly defeating the power of dark spirits,* working strange and marvellous miracles.* Wherefore pray, O all-blessed Fathers, that we may receive eternal joy.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Who among those born on earth* can recount your wondrous lives?* O Fathers of the whole world,* what tongue can tell of the holy contests you endured in the Spirit and by your sweat,* your feats of virtue and the wasting of your bodies,* your wrestling with the passions* in vigils, in prayers and in weeping?* Truly you lived like angels in the world;* utterly defeating the power of dark spirits,* working strange and marvellous miracles.* Wherefore pray, O all-blessed Fathers, that we may receive eternal joy.
Tone 6, Glory…
Having preserved that which is in the image of God,* and set your minds as master over the pernicious passions through fasting,* you ascended to that which is in the likeness of God,* as far as you were able;* for manfully compelling your nature,* you strove to subdue that which is lower to that which is better,* and to enslave the flesh to the spirit.* Wherefore, you were shown to be the summits of monastics,* citizens of the desert, trainers of those who run the good race,* most excellent rules of virtue.* And in purity you now behold the Holy Trinity in the heavens,* not by reflection as by a mirror,* praying directly for those who honor you with faith and love.
Now…
Dogmatic Theotokion in the Tone of the week.
Prokeimenon I, Tone 7
O God, You are my defender* and Your mercy goes before me.
verse: Deliver me from my enemies, O God; save me from those who rise up against me.
Reading
Zechariah 8:9-23
Prokeimenon II, Tone 4
Let Israel hope in the Lord,* from henceforth and for evermore
verse: Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are my eyes lofty
Aposticha
Tone 2
Let us cleanse ourselves, O brethren, from all defilement of flesh and spirit.* Let us make the lamps of our souls burn brightly with the love of poverty,* not devouring one another by false accusation.* For the time of the Bridegroom’s coming is upon us,* when each shall be rewarded according to his deeds.* May we enter with Christ in the company of the wise virgins,* crying to Him with the words of the thief:* Remember us, O Lord, when You come in Your Kingdom
I have lifted up my eyes to You enthroned in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, as the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes on the Lord our God until He has mercy on us.
Let us cleanse ourselves, O brethren, from all defilement of flesh and spirit.* Let us make the lamps of our souls burn brightly with the love of poverty,* not devouring one another by false accusation.* For the time of the Bridegroom’s coming is upon us,* when each shall be rewarded according to his deeds.* May we enter with Christ in the company of the wise virgins,* crying to Him with the words of the thief:* Remember us, O Lord, when You come in Your Kingdom
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for we have been filled with shame; our soul is all too full of the mockery of the rich, of the contempt of the proud.
Because the holy martyrs intercede for us* and sing in praise of Christ,* all deceit has been destroyed* and mankind has been saved by faith
Tone 8, Glory…
The multitudes of monks are our teachers,* wherefore we honour you, holy Fathers,* for through you we have come to know how to walk upon the straight path.* Blessed are you, who have served Christ,* and thereby become victorious over the power of the enemy,* companions of the angels, fellow-citizens with the righteous and venerable saints.* With them entreat the Lord* that He have mercy on our souls.
Now…
Rejoice, treasury of purity;* Rejoice, pure dwelling-place of the immaterial light;* Rejoice, diadem of our salvation;* Rejoice preaching of the apostles,* Rejoice boast of the martyrs,* Rejoice all-immaculate fulfilment of the prophets.* Rejoice, adornment of monks and ascetics;* and the salvation of the faithful.
Then the Song of Simeon and the Trisagion Prayers, and then:
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.
(full prostration)
Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
O Baptist of Christ, remember us all,* that we may be delivered from all our iniquities,* for to you is given grace to intercede for us!
(full prostration)
Now and for ever and ever.
Pray for us, O holy apostles and all the saints,* that we may be delivered from perils and sorrows,* for you are our fervent intercessors before the Saviour!
(full prostration)
Beneath your compassion we take refuge, O Theotokos,* do not reject our supplication in adversity, but deliver us from perils,* O only pure and only blessed one!
Kyrie, eleison. (40)
Priest: Blessed is He-Who-Is, Christ our God, at all times both now and for ever.
All: Amen.
Priest: O Heavenly King, strengthen the Church, uphold the faith, calm the nations, give peace to the world, protect this holy city, grant our departed fathers and brethren a share in the dwelling of the just, and lead us to repent and confess our sins, for You are good and You love mankind.
All: Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (3)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.
More honourable than the cherubim, and by far more glorious than the seraphim, ever a Virgin you gave birth to God the Word; O true Mother of God, we magnify you!
Give the blessing, Father, in the Name of the Lord!
Priest: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us.
All: Amen.
Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian
O Lord and Master of my life! Keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power, and idle chatter.
(full prostration)
Instead, grant to me, your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love.
(full prostration)
O Lord and King! Grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brothers and sisters; for You are blessed, now and forever and ever. Amen.
(full prostration)
God, be merciful to me a sinner!
God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me!
I have sinned without number, forgive me, O Lord! (4)O Lord and Master of my life! Keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power, and idle chatter. Instead, grant to me, your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love. O Lord and King! Grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brothers and sisters; for You are blessed, now and forever and ever. Amen.
Priest: Glory be to You, O Christ our God, our hope, glory be to You.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,* now and for ever and ever. Amen.* Lord, have mercy. (3)* Give the blessing.
Priest: Christ our true God…
All: Amen.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: God of our fathers, You always treat us fairly.* Deprive us not of Your mercy* but by their prayers direct our lives in peace.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8: You enlightened the assembly of the God-bearers, O Lord,* making hem preachers of godliness.* They silenced impiety* and shone upon the whole world.* By their supplications* keep in perfect peace those who glorify and magnify You* that they may sing: Alleluia.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
The venerable ones will exult in glory* and they shall be joyful in their beds.
verse: The exaltations of God are in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands. (Psalm 149:5,6)
Epistle
Romans 14:19-26; Galatians 5:22-6:2
Alleluia, Tone 2
verse: They who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. (Psalm 91:14)
verse: Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O you righteous; and boast, all you that are upright in heart. (Psalm 31:11)
Gospel
Matthew 6:1-13; Matthew 11:27-30
Communion Hymn
Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)