New Texts arriving in the evening of April 17, 2024!
Event Information:
-
Thu25Apr2024
Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark (54-68).
Polyeleos Feast.
GREAT VESPERS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING
Paschal Beginning
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 4
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Having torn asunder death’s dominion by Your own death,* You have granted life to mortals by Your glorious arising,* raising up the race of mankind by Your descent into Hades.* Wherefore, we chant to You a hymn of thanksgiving and praise,* as we celebrate the feast of Your light-bearing Resurrection on the third day,* during which the honoured mid-point has dawned upon us,* O Life-giver, Jesus, gracious Benefactor of our souls.
Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Before Your venerable Cross and Passion,* for the people’s benefit You have wrought wondrous miracles.* And at the Mid-feast set by the Law, O almighty Saviour, as it is written,* You cried to all: Come to Me all you that thirst;* and partake of the divine and life-bearing waters.* For I shall grant streams of wisdom, strength, and life to all* who draw nigh to Me in faith,* since it was my good pleasure to assume the form of a man,* as the Lover of mankind.
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Like one bedridden I lay infirm in my sins,* weakened in my noetic members, O greatly merciful Christ.* But since You willingly became a man in Your love for mankind,* now invisibly raise me up, as You did him who was paralyzed,* that I may profitably tread Your commandments’ divine paths, O Saviour,* who before Your Passion made clear to the Hebrew people,* through an abundance of miracles,* that as God, You willingly suffered in the flesh.
Tone 1
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Come, faithful, let us sing praises to Mark.* He is the wise writer of the Gospel!* The greatest of Egypt's cities heard his inspired words.* Apostle, by your prayers and teachings,* guide our lives in the way of peace!
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
You became a fellow traveller of Paul, the chosen vessel.* you accompanied him through all Macedonia;* then you followed Peter to Rome.* You were welcomed as his secretary and interpreter.* But it was in Egypt, all-wise Mark,* that you finished your course in a manner well-pleasing to God!
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
You gave life to barren souls,* watering them with the radiant stream of your Gospel.* Because of you, holy Mark,* Alexandria rejoices with us today,* celebrating your blessed memory!
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Most blessed Mark,* you drank from the fountain of delight;* you became a river of peace, flowing from Eden,* surrounding us as a sea of protection.* The proclamation of your Gospel waters the face of the earth.* By your divinely-inspired teaching the Church is established!
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Most praised Apostle Mark,* Moses once drowned the Egyptians in the sea,* but you, wise one, have drawn them up from the depths of error!* You lived with them, and showed them power,* destroying their idols with your strong right arm!
Tone 6, Glory…
Grace is poured out upon your lips,* Apostle Mark.* you became a shepherd of Christ's Church.* You taught the sheep whom God endowed with reason* to believe in the consubstantial Trinity, one Godhead!
Tone 2, Now…
When You came into the temple at Mid-feast, O Christ God,* You taught the people, saying:* He that believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.* And the Jews, together with the Pharisees and Sadducees and Scribes,* gnashed their teeth, and said:* Who is this man that speaks blasphemies?* For they knew not that You are He who is glorified from before all ages,* together with the Father and the Spirit,* O our God, glory be to You.
Readings
(1) James 1:1-12; (2) James 1:13-27; (3) James 2:1-13
Aposticha
Tone 1
Mark, learned in divine wisdom,* you became the pen of a skilful scribe,* writing of Christ's life with inspired words.* You clearly proclaim the good news of unending life!* We beseech you: inscribe in the book of life* the names of all those who glorify and praise your memory!
Their proclamation has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the universe!
Mark, you are worthy of highest praise!* You traversed the earth, preaching the Gospel of Christ!* Like the sun, you enlightened men with the rays of faith,* driving away the darkness of idolatry.* Entreat Christ to grant peace and great mercy to our souls!
The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork!
Most blessed Apostle Mark,* you preached to people bound by the madness of idolatry.* Egypt's darkness was dispelled by the light of your words!* Entreat Christ, whose Gospel you preached,* to grant peace and great mercy to our souls!
Tone 8, Glory…
Come, all you faithful,* let us praise Mark in psalms and hymns!* He is the herald of heavenly mysteries and interpreter of the Gospel.* He is a river of the spiritual paradise!* He waters the earth with living streams,* that it may bear fruit for Christ our God.* Through his intercession,* forgiveness and great mercy are granted to all!
Tone 3, Now…
At Mid-feast we glorify Him who has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.* In the midst of two thieves did Life hang upon a Tree;* He was silent to the one that blasphemed,* but to the other who believed, He cried aloud saying:* Today you shall be with Me in Paradise.* He descended into the grave, despoiled Hades,* and arose on the third day, saving our souls.
Troparion
Tone 3
Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all* to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Tone 8, Glory… Now…
At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* Source of life, Christ our God, glory to You!
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 8: At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* O Source of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!
Troparion, Tone 3: Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark, divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 2: You received from on high the grace of the Spirit,* and destroyed the snares of the orators,* O Mark, most glorious apostle.* You caught the nations and brought them to the Master* by preaching to them the divine Good News.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: At the mid-point of the Feast according to the Law,* Maker of all things and Master,* You said to those present, O Christ God:* Come, and draw the water of immortality.* And so we fall before You crying out with faith: Grant us Your mercies , for You are the source of our life.
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 Him. (Psalm 146:5,1)
Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Epistle
Acts 10:34-43; 1 Peter 5:6-14
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: Remember Your congregation which You acquired from the beginning.
verse: But God is our king before the ages; He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. (Psalm 73:2,12)
verse: The heavens shall confess our wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints.
Gospel
John 8:12-20; Mark 6:7-13
Hymn to the Mother of God
Virginity is alien to mothers and child-bearing is foreign to virgins; yet in you, O Mother of God, both of them came together. Therefore, we and all the nations of the earth without ceasing magnify you.
Communion Hymn
Those who eat My flesh and drink My blood* abide in Me and I in them, says the Lord.* Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their words unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.
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.