New Texts arriving in the evening of April 17, 2024!
Event Information:
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Mon15Apr2024
Holy Apostles Aristarchus, Pudens and Trophimus
VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING
Paschal Beginning
Kathisma Reading
No psalms are assigned to be chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 5
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Having been affixed to the Tree with nails,* You annulled the curse that came to us through the tree,* and having been laid in the tomb,* by Your divine power You restored to life the dead from all ages.* We glorify and praise Your almighty authority.* O divine Pascha, Jesus almighty,* our Life and the effulgence of the Father!* Wherefore, the things of heaven now rejoice with the things of earth,* singing and chanting triumphal songs to You, O Word, the victorious One, O Christ almighty,* You who bestow great mercy upon the world.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Is the Life to be found amid the dead?* Does the unwaning Sun yet tarry beneath the earth?* Thus lamented the assembly of myrrh-bearing women.* Come then, let us hasten to behold the holy tomb.* Where within they saw a radiant Angel,* filling them with amazement,* and transforming their sorrow into joy as he cried to them:* The Life-bestower has arisen;* be not amazed, O modest ones.* He reigns over all,* bestowing great mercy upon the world.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
At deep dawn, before the light of day,* the women sought the Sun, who was before the sun came to be.* Having come to the tomb,* a radiant Angel called to them saying:* The Light has dawned forth and shone upon those slumbering in darkness.* Hasten now and proclaim the tidings to His radiant disciples;* and transform their deep sorrow into sweet joy.* This is the gladsome Pascha, the salvation of all the world.* With an undoubting heart, dance and clap your hands in joy.* For Christ has arisen,* bestowing great mercy upon the world.
Tone 1
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
With discourse of divine understanding* you utterly delivered the people from ignorance, O most wise apostles,* and led them, saved, to the Word* who shone forth from the unbegotten Father.* Entreat Him that He grant to our souls* peace and great mercy.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Let us manifestly praise the true preachers of Christ:* Pudens and Aristarchus and the divine Trophimus;* for with the warmth of divine grace* they brought the winter of falsehood to an end,* and have now made their abode in never-waning radiance,* receiving the reward of their labours,* and deified by ineffable communion.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Following Paul, the glorious disciple,* you endured many tribulations, O glorious ones,* imprisoned in chains and subjected to pain;* and finally you suffered beheading by the sword.* Entreat Christ, that He grant to our souls* peace and great mercy.
Tone 1, Glory… Now…
O myrrh-bearing women,* why have you come to the grave?* Why do you seek the Living among the dead?* Thus cried the Angel: the Lord has arisen, take courage.
Aposticha
Tone 2
Come, let us worship God the Word,* begotten of the Father before all ages,* incarnate of the Virgin Mary;* for having endured the Cross, He was handed over for burial, as He Himself had willed,* and having risen from the dead He has saved me, the whole man,* who hahasth gone astray.
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.
I have sinned before You, O Saviour, like the prodigal son;* receive me, O Father, as one repentant,* and have mercy on me, O God.
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.
Having no desire for earthly pleasures,* the passion-bearers were deemed worthy of the good things of heaven,* and became fellow citizens of the angels.* By their intercessions, O Lord,* have mercy and save us.
Tone 2, Glory… Now…
The women came with fear to the sepulchre* as they hastened to anoint Your Body with sweet-smelling spices.* And not finding it, they were at a loss among themselves,* being ignorant of the Resurrection.* But an Angel came to them and said:* Christ has arisen, granting us great mercy.
Troparia
Tone 2
When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory be to You!
Glory…
The noble Joseph took down Your most pure Body from the tree.* He wrapped it with a clean shroud and aromatic spices,* and placed it in a new tomb.* But on the third day You arose, O Lord,* granting the world Your great mercy.
Now…
The angel stood by the tomb and cried out to the women bringing ointment:* Ointments are for the dead,* but Christ has shown Himself not subject to corruption.* So now cry out: The Lord is risen,* bestowing great mercy upon the world.
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 2: When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* “O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory be to You!”
Troparion, Tone 2: The noble Joseph took down Your most pure body from the tree.* He wrapped it with a clean shroud and aromatic spices* and placed it in a new tomb.* But on the third day You arose, O Lord,* granting the world Your great mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 2: You commanded the myrrh-bearers to rejoice, O Christ God,* and ended the grief of our mother Eve by Your Resurrection.* You ordered the apostles to proclaim to all:* “The Saviour is risen from the tomb.”
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8: Though You descended into a tomb, O Immortal One,* yet You destroyed the power of Hades;* and You rose as victor, O Christ God,* calling to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice!* and giving peace to Your Apostles:* You, who grant Resurrection to the fallen.
Prokeimenon, Tone 6
Save Your people, O Lord, * and bless Your inheritance.
verse: Unto You I will cry, O Lord, my God, lest You turn from me in silence. (Psalm 27:9,1)
Epistle
Acts 6:8-7:5, 47-60
Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: You have shown favour to Your land, O Lord; You brought back the captives of Jacob.
verse: Mercy and truth have met; righteousness and peace have embraced. (Psalm 84:2,11)
Gospel
John 4:46-54
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
Receive the Body of Christ;* taste the fountain of immortality.* Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)
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.