New Texts arriving in the evening of April 17, 2024!
Event Information:
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Mon08Apr2024
Holy Apostles Herodion, Agabus, Rufus, Asyncretus, Phlegontus and Hermes.
VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING
Paschal Beginning
Kathisma Reading
There is no reading of the Psalter tonight.
At Psalm 140
Tone 1
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
As You did not violate the seals of the tomb,* after Your awesome Resurrection, O Life-bestower,* so also in this manner, though the doors were shut,* You, O Christ, entered into the midst of Your all-famed Apostles,* filling them with joy.* And Your upright Spirit, was granted to them,* in accordance with Your boundless mercy.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
When You appeared to Your disciples, O Lord,* Thomas, who was also called the Twin, was not amongst them.* Wherefore, he did not believe in Your Resurrection,* and he cried out to them that had seen You:* I will not believe that He has arisen,* unless I put my finger into His side* and the imprints of the nails.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Christ exclaimed to Thomas:* As you will, put forth your hand, and touch Me.* Know that, like yourself, I also have bones and an earthen body.* Do not harbour further doubts;* but rather, like the others, believe in Me.* Then Thomas cried aloud to Him:* You are my Lord and God:* glory be to Your arising!
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.
Though your chest was lacerated until your inner parts were exposed, O valiant martyr Eupsychius,* you remained unshaken looking with your noetic eye toward God* who strengthened you and put the iniquitous to shame.* Entreat Him that those who honour your memory with faith be saved today.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Your divine head was cut off with a blow from a sword, O valiant martyr,* and instead of blood you miraculously pourer forth milk and water,* and drew the ignorant to understanding receiving ineffable glory,* and granting great mercy to all by your divine mediations.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
With goodly courage, Eupsychius ended his sufferings and struggles,* vanquishing the mindless through patience,* and amazing the unbelieving by undergoing unbearable pangs.* Wherefore, after your end you have found blessedness.* Through his supplications, O Lord, grant great mercy to all.
Tone 1, Glory… Now…
While the disciples were gathered, and the doors were shut,* You entered of a sudden, O Almighty Jesus, our God.* And standing in their midst, You granted them peace, and filled them with the Holy Spirit.* You commanded them to tarry, and in no wise depart from Jerusalem* until they be vested with power from on high.* Wherefore, we cry to You:* O our Enlightenment and Resurrection and Peace, glory be to You.
Great Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Who is so great a God as our God?* You are the God who does wonders!
verse: Among the people have You made Your power known!
verse: And I said: now have I made a beginning: this change has been wrought by the right hand of the Most High.
verse: I have remembered the works of the Lord, and called to mind Your wonders from of old.
Aposticha
Tone 1
Receive our evening prayers, O Holy Lord,* and grant us remission of sins;* because You alone have revealed* the Resurrection to the world.
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.
Since the abyss of my transgressions is great, O Saviour,* and I am sunk grievously in my offences,* extend to me Your hand and save me,* as You once saved Peter, O God,* and have mercy on me.
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.
O Lord, by the intercessions of all the Saints and of the Theotokos,* grant us Your peace and have mercy on us,* since You alone are compassionate.
Glory… Now…
Eight days after Your arising, O Lord,* You appeared to Your disciples in the place where they were gathered,* and You pronounced to them: Peace be to you.* And You showed Your hands and immaculate side to the doubting disciple.* Wherefore, believing, he cried to You:* O my Lord and my God, glory be to You.
Troparia
Tone 4
Your martyr, Eupsichius, O Lord,* by his passion acquired the crown of incorruptibility from You, our God.* For possessing Your power he overcame the torturers* and shattered the feeble insolence of demons.* By his supplications, save our souls.
Tone 7, Glory… Now…
While the tomb was sealed, O Christ God, You dawned as life from the sepulcher, and while the doors were shut, You came to Your disciples, the Resurrection of all, renewing a right spirit in us through them, according to Your great mercy.
DIVINE LITURGY
After the priest has exclaimed, Blessed be the Kingdom… and the people have responded, Amen, the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then, the clergy sing the first half, and the people conclude it.
Paschal Troparion
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 7: While the tomb was sealed, O Christ God, You dawned as life from the sepulcher, and while the doors were shut, You came to Your disciples, the Resurrection of all, renewing a right spirit in us through them, according to Your 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 8: With his searching hand, Thomas explored Your life-giving side, O Christ God. For when You entered while the doors were shut, he called out to You with the rest of the Apostles: You are my Lord and my God!
Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Great is our Lord and great is His strength;* and of His knowledge there is no end.
verse: Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good; may praise be sweet to our God. (Psalm 146:5,1)
Epistle
Acts 3:19-26
Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God our Saviour.
verse: For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth. (Psalm 94:1,3)
Gospel
John 2:1-11
Hymn to the Mother of God
The Angel cried out to the One full of Grace: O chaste Virgin, rejoice! And again I say, Rejoice! Your Son has risen from the tomb on the third day, and raised the dead. Let all people rejoice! Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Exult now and be glad, O Sion! And you, O chaste Mother of God, take delight in the resurrection of your Son.
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem.* Praise your God, O Sion.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm147:1)
Instead of Blessed is He Who comes… we sing:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Instead of We have seen the true light… we sing:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Instead of May our mouths be filled… we sing three times:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Instead of Blessed be the name of the Lord… we sing three times:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
At the dismissal, instead of Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen. we chant:
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs giving life.
After the final Amen, the Troparion Christ is risen is sung as at the beginning of the Liturgy, but with the addition:
And to us He has granted life eternal;* we bow down before His resurrection on the third day.