Upcoming Days

Event Information:

• Tue

  14

  May

  2024

  Post-feast of the Ascension. Holy Martyr Isidore (249-51)

  VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING

  Kathisma Reading

  The appointed psalms are chanted.

  At Psalm 140

  Tone 4

  If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

  You suffered as a man, though as God You are unapproachable.* You arose on the third day despoiling death,* and raised up all those who had reposed in corruption.* And having ascended to Your Father, O Christ,* You promised that You would send the Comforter to Your sacred apostles,* O Almighty Jesus, Saviour of our souls.

  I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

  Why stand gazing into the heavens?* said the Angels in human form, to the Word’s initiates:* He whom you beheld ascending on a cloud of light,* shall in a like manner come again* to judge the world, as He Himself told you.* Therefore, go forth and accomplish all that He has said.

  From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

  Having arisen from the tomb in a manner transcending thought, O almighty Lord,* You lead Your beloved ones to Bethany.* And having arrived at the Mount of Olives, O Word,* You blessed them all.* And You were taken up from there* while angels ministered to You, O Almighty Jesus, Saviour of our souls.

  Tone 4

  For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

  Lacerated with wounds, you stripped away the skin garments of mortality,* and arrayed in the vesture and splendid purple robe of incorruption,* you quickly approached the Tree of life,* truly receiving life indestructible and endless, O glorious one.* And, as you now delight therein,* preserve those who hymn you.

  Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

  Burning with the zeal of piety, O martyr Isidore,* you entered into the tribunal, ardently accepting suffering,* and received the crown of victory;* and, adorned with divine teachings against falsehood,* and fortified by the armour of the Cross,* you cast down the lying tyrant,* showing yourself to be a crown-bearer.

  Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

  Truly the sufferings of the martyrs have transcended* all manner of laudation, discourse and thought;* for, steadfast pillars of piety,* though clad like us in mortal and passion-plagued bodies,* the glorious ones braved the fire and triumphed over wounds,* as though suffering in someone else’s bodies.

  Tone 4, Glory… Now…

  When You, O Christ, came to the Mount of Olives* to accomplish the good will of the Father,* the heavenly angels were amazed* and the nethermost regions shuddered with fear.* The disciples stood by with joy and trembling as You spoke to them,* and a cloud prepared as a throne awaited opposite them;* and Heaven, throwing open the gates, shone with comeliness;* and the earth reveals its hidden chambers,* that the descent and immediate ascent might be made known to Adam;* but his steps were led upwards as it were by a hand,* and his mouth was heard blessing You greatly;* the cloud took You up and Heaven received You within itself.* You have wrought this great and strange deed, O Lord,* for the salvation of our souls.

  Aposticha

  Tone 2

  Having fulfilled His will, thus pleasing well the Father, * You ascended in glory. * Thus, You united the things of Heaven with the things of earth.

  Clap your hands, all nations;* shout to God with a voice of rejoicing.

  O Merciful One, You ascended to Your Father,* from whom You were not parted,* and exalted our nature thus which lay prostrate,* O our Lord.

  God is gone up in jubilation,* the Lord with the voice of the trumpet.

  A brilliant cloud of light conveyed You to the heavens,* while with great fear and trembling the angels came* and ministered to Your divine command.

  Tone 4, Glory… Now…

  You have renewed in Yourself Adam’s nature,* which had gone down into the lower parts of the earth,* and You raised it up above every principality and authority today.* For since You loved it, You seated it together with Yourself;* since You have taken compassion on it, You united it to Yourself;* since You united it to Yourself, You suffered with it;* and enduring the Passion, though You are impassable, You glorified it.* But the bodiless ones said: Who is this comely man?* But not only is He man, but God and man; that which is manifest is twofold.* Wherefore, beside themselves, the angels, flying about clad in radiant vesture,* cried to the disciples: O men of Galilee,* He that is gone from you, Jesus, Man and God,* shall come again as the God-man to judge the living and the dead;* and He grants to the faithful the forgiveness of sins and great mercy.

  Troparion

  Tone 4

  Your martyr, Isidore, 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 4, Glory… Now…

  You ascended in glory, O Christ our God;* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through Your blessing* that You are the Son of God,** the Redeemer of the world.

   

  DIVINE LITURGY

  First Antiphon

  Clap your hands, all you nations;* shout to God with the voice of joy.

  Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

  For the Lord most high is awesome,* a great king over all the earth.

  Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

  He has subdued peoples to us,* and nations under our feet.

  Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

  God ascended amid shouts of joy;* the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.

  Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

  Glory… Now…  Only-Begotten Son…

  Third Antiphon

  Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord,* let us acclaim God, our Saviour.

  Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

  Let us come before His face with praise,* and acclaim Him in psalms.

  Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

  For God is the great Lord,* the great king over all the earth.

  Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

  Entrance

  Come, let us worship* and fall down before Christ.

  Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

  Troparia and Kontakia

  Troparion, Tone 4: You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through your blessing* that You are the Son of God,* the Redeemer of the world.

  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

  Kontakion, Tone 6: When you had fulfilled Your plan for us* and united things on earth with those in heaven,* You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* in no way distant, but remaining inseparable,* You cried to those who love You:* I am with You and there is none against you.

  Prokeimenon, Tone 7

  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;* above all the earth be Your glory.

  verse: My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready. I will sing and make music in my glory. (Psalm 56:6,8)

  Epistle

  Acts 21:26-32

  Alleluia, Tone 2

  verse: God ascended amid shouts of joy; the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.

  verse: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 46:6,2)

  Gospel

  John 16:2-13

  Hymn to the Mother of God

  O my soul, magnify the Lord who in glory ascended bodily into the heavens.

  And the Irmos: O Mother of God,* you transcended both mind and word,* and in time, ineffably bore the Timeless One:* it is you who, with one accord,* we, the faithful, magnify.

  Communion Hymn

  God ascended amid shouts of joy;* the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 46:6)

  Instead of We have seen the true light we sing:

  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, above all the earth be Your glory.

  Instead of Let our mouths be filled we sing three times:

  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, above all the earth be Your glory.