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Event Information:
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Tue16Apr2024
Holy Virgins and Martyrs Agapia, Irene and Chionia (284-305).
VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING
Paschal Beginning
Kathisma Reading
No psalms are assigned to be chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 2
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
When the myrrh-bearing women, O Christ,* came early in the morning seeking after You the Life of all,* carrying spices and myrrh.* Constrained by their love they wept inconsolably,* whereupon they heard a young man speak from within the tomb:* Leave off your weeping.* Rather, be glad and rejoice now,* since you have received your salvation,* and proclaim the Lord’s arising to all.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O noble Joseph, we know you to be a cherubic chariot,* since you bore Christ the King in your arms* when you took Him down from the Cross.* Wherefore we bless your divine hands and eyes;* and your palms do we now honour,* by which you were deemed worthy to carry the Sun,* and the Word to His tomb and place Him therein.* Therefore, with love we acclaim your godly memory.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
The feast of the myrrh-bearers and of the noble Joseph hath now appeared o us,* as if another Paradise bearing a fount of life.* It wells up for all the world with waters of grace,* and it pours forth in strength the Resurrection’s streams.* Thus, the faithful keep feast and cry aloud:* Glory be to Him that has bestowed grace* and Resurrection upon all 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.
Incorrupt virginity and most wondrous martyrdom* did you bring to Christ, O honoured virgins,* casting down the ungodly arrogance of falsehood* by the power of the Cross with manly mind.* Wherefore, the whole Church of Christ celebrates* your holy, radiant, and renowned memory.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
The blessed choirs of the angels were manifestly astonished* by the suffering of Chionia,* the opposition of Agape and the invincibility of Irene,* how, having bested the invisible foe with manly warfare,* they received in abundance crowns of victory from the hand* of the Bestower of life.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Dying in the fire, you extinguished the flame of vainglory with a mind aflame;* and, keeping the lamp of your souls ever alight,* you entered with Christ into the bridal-chamber of heaven.* With sparks of miracles you have burned up the passions, O passion-bearers,* and with suffering you have vanquished* the hordes of the demons.
Tone 2, Glory… Now…
Rising up early and coming with earnestness to Your tomb,* the Myrrh-bearers sought for You so as to anoint Your immaculate Body, O Christ.* And having been told by the words of the Angel,* they preached to the Apostles the tokens of joy:* That the Author of our salvation has arisen, having despoiled death,* and granting the world eternal life and great mercy.
Aposticha
Tone 2
Christ our Saviour by nailing the record against us to the Cross* has blotted it out,* and destroyed the might of death.* We worship His arising on the third day.
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 cry to You, O Christ my Saviour,* with the voice of the publican:* Be gracious to me, as You were to him,* 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.
In so far as the holy martyrs intercede for us and praise Christ,* every deception is brought to naught,* and the race of mankind is saved through faith.
Tone 2, Glory… Now…
Why mingle tears with the myrrh-oils, O you women disciples?* The stone has been rolled away, the sepulchre hath been emptied.* Behold corruption has been trodden under by Life,* the seals clearly bearing witness,* the guards of the disobedient ones are fast asleep.* Mortal nature has been saved by the flesh of God, Hades is lamenting.* Hasten with joy, and say to the Apostles:* Christ, the Firstborn of the dead, who caused death to die,* goes before you into Galilee.
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 8:5-17
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 6:27-33
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.