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Event Information:
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Thu11Jul2024
🕂 Repose of Blessed Olha, Princess of Kyiv, named Helen at Holy Baptism; 🕃 The Holy and Praiseworthy Martyr Euphemia.
GREAT VESPERS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
Blessed is the man… is taken.
At Psalm 140
Tone 4
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Your memory dawns like the sun, holy Olga.* The mother of Russian kings, you pointed the way to Christ.* Teaching the angelic way, you overthrew the idol,* and the devil you countered with strength from the Holy Spirit.* You led the whole land to God from the darkness of ignorance.* pray to Him for those who remember you.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Your memory dawns like the sun, holy Olga.* The mother of Russian kings, you pointed the way to Christ.* Teaching the angelic way, you overthrew the idol,* and the devil you countered with strength from the Holy Spirit.* You led the whole land to God from the darkness of ignorance.* pray to Him for those who remember you.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
With wisdom of things divine* you overcame the one who tempted Eve.* Eliminating the devil's way * you fostered a God-given paradise for the Church;* there you planted the life-giving Cross* so that the heavenly bread and blood of Christ* will grant those who partake angelic life.* Pray for all those who remember you.
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
With wisdom of things divine* you overcame the one who tempted Eve.* Eliminating the devil's way * you fostered a God-given paradise for the Church;* there you planted the life-giving Cross* so that the heavenly bread and blood of Christ* will grant those who partake angelic life.* Pray for all those who remember you.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
We spiritually rejoice in remembering you, holy Olga.* Together with miracle-workers and martyrs, pray fervently to Christ.* With the holy Theotokos as your helper,* free us from harm and sadness as we sing to you.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Come, you Christian people of Rus’* and in praises let us magnify our first mother,* who showed great wisdom and courage,* who spurned the glory of this world and loved Christ our true God more than all others;* and let us cry out thus to her:* O all-glorious favourite of Christ, pray for the people of Rus’,* that they might not be turned away from the orthodox faith by any of the wiles of the enemy,* but may remain unshaken in piety.
Tone 4, Glory…
Come, you generations of Rus’ and with hymns let us praise the all-wise Olha!* Come, and, enriched in understanding, learn from her* how to bring our understanding to the obedience of faith!* Come, O you men, and render honour to an all-glorious woman!* Come, you women, and emulate her great manliness!* Come, you rulers, and understand an incorrupt glory which surpasses all earthly things!* Come, all you her descendants, and celebrate with splendour on her day!* For she prays fervently to the Lord, that our souls be enlightened.
Now…
O Mother of God, because of You* David the Prophet became an ancestor of God;* he foretold and sang a joyous hymn of praise* and cried out to Him who worked wonders in you:* “The Queen stood at your right hand.”* God revealed you as a life-giving mother,* when He chose to be incarnate of you without a father.* He renewed in man His image* which the passions had corrupted.* He found the lost sheep in the mountains,* carried it on His shoulders,* offered it to the Father,* generously numbered it among the powers of heaven,* and saved the whole world, since He is Christ of great and rich mercy.
Readings
(1) Judges 4:1-5:12; (2) 13:2-20; (3) Proverbs 31:10-12.
Aposticha
Tone 8
O all-glorious wonder!* Through a woman the Lord who loves mankind all-wondrously restored the human race,* which had fallen through a woman,* and in later times He sent a woman for the conversion of the race of Rus’:* the all-glorious Olha, whose baptism laid the foundation for the enlightenment of the land of Rus’* to the salvation of our souls.
The Lord is close to all that call upon Him, to all that call on Him in truth.
Rejoice, O divinely saved city of Kyiv,* who have poured forth the light of Christ upon all the ends of our land,* and showed forth therein the first saint, the all-honoured Olha!* Rejoice, O Vyshhorod, her honoured inheritance!* Rejoice, O assembly of the women of Rus’, who have provided our boast,* to the salvation of our souls!
The will of those who fear Him shall He do, and their supplication shall He hear, and He shall save them.
Be glad, O barren land of Rus’!* Dance, O you who never felt the pangs of childbirth,* for you have now given birth to your child, the blessed Olha!* And to the Lord she calls our father Volodymyr,* and by her struggles moves to emulation the choirs of God's saints,* and your cities and groves, to the salvation of our souls.
Tone 8, Glory…
Great is your glory, and your memorial is celebrated with praises, O all-wise Olha,* who disdained the emptiness of the idols and understood the truth of the Gospel.* In your old age you bound your mind to Christ in obedience,* and have shown the true path of life to all the generations of Rus’.* In our behalf entreat Him who alone loves mankind.
Now…
O unwedded Virgin who ineffably conceived God in the flesh,* Mother of God Most High:* accept the entreaties of your servants, O most immaculate one,* granting to all cleansing of transgressions;* and, accepting now our supplications, pray that we all be saved.
Troparion
Tone 1
On the wings of the knowledge of God* you lifted your mind, O glorious Olga* and soared beyond the visible* attaining to God, the Creator of all.* You found Him and in baptism received the new life* abiding forever in incorruption* and enjoying the fruits of the life-giving Tree.
Glory… Now…
O Holy Tabernacle, when Gabriel cried out to you:* Rejoice O Virgin, full of grace,* the Lord of all became incarnate of you,* as the righteous David had foretold.* In bearing your Creator, you have shown yourself to surpass the vastness of the heavens.* We, therefore, cry out: Glory to Him who dwelt in you!* Glory to Him who came forth from you!* Glory to Him who has set us free through your life-giving birth!
DIVINE LITURGY ON THURSDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 1: On the wings of the knowledge of God* you lifted your mind, O glorious Olga* and soared beyond the visible* attaining to God, the Creator of all.* You found Him and in baptism received the new life* abiding forever in incorruption* and enjoying the fruits of the life-giving Tree.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: Today, let us praise God* Who gives blessings to all,* for in Rus’-Ukraine He glorified* Olga the divinely wise.* Let us ask Him to grant our souls* pardon of sins through her prayers.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
God is wonderful in His saints,* the God of Israel.
verse: In the churches bless God, the Lord from the fountains of Israel. (Psalm 67:36,27)
Epistle
Galatians 3:23-29
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and He was attentive to me, and He heard my prayer.
verse: He brought me out of the pit of misery and the mud of the swamp. (Psalm 39:2,3)
Gospel
Matthew 25:1-13
Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)