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Event Information:
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Wed21Aug2024
The Holy Apostle Thaddeus; The Holy Martyr Bassa.
Post-feast of the Dormition.
VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 8
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
O blessed Thaddeus,* having drawn close to the heavenly light,* you became a light because of your divine communion,* and you dispersed the night of idolatry.* Because you led souls to the Almighty,* we glorify Christ and venerate your illustrious memory.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O Thaddeus, blessed and illustrious apostle of the Lord,* after the divine and glorious Resurrection* and most holy Ascension of Christ,* you received the mission to preach the divine message* to your city, Edessa.* By words and miracles you converted Abgar, the ruler of the city.* With him you strengthened everyone in the truth.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
O blessed and God-wise Thaddeus,* through your holy touch, the blind saw and the lame walked.* The sick were healed, the weak were encouraged,* and the ignorant were enlightened.* You were filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit;* for this reason we praise you, O blessed one.
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.
O praiseworthy one, you suffered many tortures.* Then you passed over to the painless repose,* to the light that knows no evening,* to the bright joy, and to the eternal delight of God.* Therefore, we bless you today as we observe your holy feats,* O God-loving sufferer of the passion.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
After various painful tortures, you were cast into the sea.* God, the Saviour of all, rescued you, O long-suffering Bassa.* By divine power He crushed the power of the enemy* and illumined the minds of the devout beyond understanding.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Having sung about the divine passion* like a melodious bird in a meadow,* you called your honourable disciples.* With them you fled from the snare of error.* O Bassa, God-wise and worthy of admiration,* with them you made your home in the heavenly kingdom.* O most blessed one, pray for us.
Tone 6, Glory… Now…
Come, let us celebrate the universal Dormition of the immaculate Theotokos.* Today the angels glorify the passage of the Mother of God with joy.* They summon us to sing out:* Rejoice, for you have passed from earth and inhabit the heavenly abode.* Rejoice, since the choir of disciples was gathered into one group* by means of a swift cloud.* Rejoice, our hope and salvation.* The Christian people bless you unceasingly.
Prokeimenon, Tone 1
Your mercy, O Lord, shall follow me* all the days of my life.
verse: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In green pastures He gives me repose.
Aposticha
Tone 2
Come, O light-bearers, and venerate with sacred song and cymbals* the praiseworthy Dormition of the Theotokos* as she passes away from earth.* Indeed, she gloriously lives in Paradise,* and we see the divine bounty* which lavishes grace on all who faithfully venerate her.
Go up, Lord, to the place of Your rest,* You and the ark of Your strength.
O Lady, by means of the celestial clouds,* the sacred choir of apostles was gathered from the ends of the earth* to bury your God-loving, precious and incorruptible body.* Therefore, the heavenly hosts who invisibly gathered around your bier* call out in praise: Rejoice, O Ark of salvation!
The Lord swore an oath to David;* He will not go back on His word.
O truly incomprehensible, awesome, and inexpressible mystery,* you were the Birthgiver of God.* You enriched the heavens and illumined the world.* Your presence perfumes the air with fragrance.* Rejoice, O Ark of the Divinity.
Tone 8, Glory… Now…
Choirs of virgins mystically stand around the bier of the Virgin Mother,* and the souls of the just surround it.* The former bring the gift of virginity instead of myrrh;* the latter bring spiritual songs with virtue.* It is fitting for the Mother of God as a queen* to be surrounded by those who glow with virtues.* We who have entered upon a chaste life* shall go down together with them* to the burial of the Mother of our God,* blessing her with hymns and spiritual songs.
Troparia
Tone 3
Edessa rejoices today at its baptism through you.* Abgar has been freed from passion and praises you.* We join in his hymn, and we sing to you:* Fill our lives with spiritual happiness* and heal our passions by your prayers, O apostle Thaddeus.
Tone 4, Glory
O Jesus, you lamb Bassa cries out to You with great love:* O my Bridegroom, I long for You in great pain.* I am crucified with You, and in baptism I am buried with You.* I suffer for Your sake in order to reign with You.* I die for You in order to live in You.* Accept me as an immaculate victim since I am immolated for Your love.* Through her intercession, O merciful One, save our souls
Tone 1, Now…
In giving birth you retained your virginity,* in falling asleep you did not abandon the world, O Mother of God.* You passed into life, for you are the Mother of Life,* and by your prayers* you deliver our souls from death.
DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 1: In giving birth you retained your virginity,* in falling asleep you did not abandon the world, O Mother of God.* You passed into life, for you are the Mother of Life,* and by your prayers* you deliver our souls from death.
Troparion, Tone 3: Edessa rejoices today at its baptism through you.* Abgar has been freed from passion and praises you.* We join in his hymn, and we sing to you:* Fill our lives with spiritual happiness* and heal our passions by your prayers, O apostle Thaddeus.
Troparion, Tone 4: O Jesus, you lamb Bassa cries out to You with great love:* O my Bridegroom, I long for You in great pain.* I am crucified with You, and in baptism I am buried with You.* I suffer for Your sake in order to reign with You.* I die for You in order to live in You.* Accept me as an immaculate victim since I am immolated for Your love.* Through her intercession, O merciful One, save our souls
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 4: As a star most bright the Church forever possess you,* O Apostle Thaddeus,* for she is illumined by the frequent gift of your miracles.* And so we call out to Christ:* “Save those who venerate in faith the memory of Your apostle,* O most merciful One!”
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2: The tomb and death could not hold the Mother of God,* unceasing in her intercession and unfailing hope of patronage,* for, as the Mother of Life, she was transferred to life* by Him Who had dwelt in her ever-virgin womb.
Prokeimenon, Tone 3
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
verse: Because he has regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, all generations shall call me blessed. (Luke 1:46-48)
Epistle
2 Corinthians 13:3-13
Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: Rise up, O Lord, to the place of Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness.
verse: The Lord swore an oath to David, and will not go back on His word. (Psalm 131:8,11)
Gospel
Mark 4:35-41
Hymn to the Mother of God
Seeing the pure one’s falling asleep, angels marvelled in wonder how the Virgin could ascend from earth to heaven.
And the Irmos: O pure Virgin, in you are conquered the bounds of nature,* for childbirth remains virginal and death is betrothed to life.* Virgin after childbearing and alive after death, O Mother of God,* never cease to save your inheritance.
Communion Hymn
I will take the chalice of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 115:13)