Author: Michael Winn

Two events in connection with the Honorable Cross of Christ are commemorated on this day: first, the finding of the Honorable Cross on Golgotha and second, the return of the Honorable Cross from Persia to Jerusalem. Visiting the Holy Land, the holy Empress Helena decided to find the Honorable Cross of Christ. An old Jewish man named Judah was the only one who knew where the Cross was located, and, constrained by the empress, he revealed that the Cross was buried under the temple of Venus that Emperor Hadrian had built on Golgotha. The empress ordered that this idolatrous temple be razed and, having dug deep below it, found three crosses. While the empress pondered on how to recognize which of these was the Cross of Christ, a funeral procession passed by. Patriarch Macarius told them to place the crosses, one by one, on the dead man. When they placed the first and second cross on the dead man, the dead man lay unchanged. When they placed the third cross on him, the dead man came back to life. By this they knew that this was the Precious and Life-giving Cross of Christ. They then placed the Cross on a sick woman, and she became well. The patriarch elevated the Cross for all the people to see, and the people sang with tears: “Lord, have mercy!” Empress Helena had a silver case made and set the Honorable Cross in it. Later, the Persian Emperor Chozroes conquered Jerusalem, enslaved many people, and took the Lord’s Cross to Persia. The Cross remained in Persia for fourteen years. In the year 628 the Greek Emperor Heraclius defeated Chozroes and, with much ceremony, returned the Cross to Jerusalem. As he entered the city Emperor Heraclius carried the Cross on his back, but suddenly was unable to take another step. Patriarch Zacharias saw an angel preventing the emperor from bearing the Cross on the same path that the Lord had walked barefoot and humiliated. The patriarch communicated this vision to the emperor. The emperor removed his raiment and, in ragged attire and barefoot, took up the Cross, carried it to Golgotha, and placed it in the Church of the Resurrection, to the joy and consolation of the whole Christian world. (Prologue of Ohrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma
Blessed is the man… is sung only when feast occurs on a Sunday or Monday

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 6

8. By its elevation the Cross is like an appeal to the whole creation.
We adore the blessed passion of Christ our God
who was suspended on it.
By this Cross, Christ destroyed the one who had destroyed us.
In His great goodness, He brought us back to life after we had been dead.
In His mercy He clothed us with beauty
and made us worthy of heaven.
Therefore, we exalt His Name with great rejoicing
and glorify His infinite condescension.

7. By its elevation the Cross is like an appeal to the whole creation.
We adore the blessed passion of Christ our God
who was suspended on it.
By this Cross, Christ destroyed the one who had destroyed us.
In His great goodness, He brought us back to life after we had been dead.
In His mercy He clothed us with beauty
and made us worthy of heaven.
Therefore, we exalt His Name with great rejoicing
and glorify His infinite condescension.

6. By its elevation the Cross is like an appeal to the whole creation.
We adore the blessed passion of Christ our God
who was suspended on it.
By this Cross, Christ destroyed the one who had destroyed us.
In His great goodness, He brought us back to life after we had been dead.
In His mercy He clothed us with beauty
and made us worthy of heaven.
Therefore, we exalt His Name with great rejoicing
and glorify His infinite condescension.

5. O precious Cross of the Lord,
Moses prefigured you when he stretched out his arms to heaven
and thus defeated the haughty Amalek.
You are the pride of the faithful
and the strength of those who struggle,
the glory of the apostles, the courage of the just,
and the salvation of the saints.
Therefore, at the sight of your elevation,
the whole creation rejoices, exalts, and glorifies Christ
whose goodness joined together those who had strayed.

4. O precious Cross of the Lord,
Moses prefigured you when he stretched out his arms to heaven
and thus defeated the haughty Amalek.
You are the pride of the faithful
and the strength of those who struggle,
the glory of the apostles, the courage of the just,
and the salvation of the saints.
Therefore, at the sight of your elevation,
the whole creation rejoices, exalts, and glorifies Christ
whose goodness joined together those who had strayed.

3. O precious Cross of the Lord,
Moses prefigured you when he stretched out his arms to heaven
and thus defeated the haughty Amalek.
You are the pride of the faithful
and the strength of those who struggle,
the glory of the apostles, the courage of the just,
and the salvation of the saints.
Therefore, at the sight of your elevation,
the whole creation rejoices, exalts, and glorifies Christ
whose goodness joined together those who had strayed.

2. O most venerable Cross of the Lord,
the angels surround you with joy at your elevation today.
You raise up those who had fallen and had been delivered to death
for having eaten of the forbidden tree.
Therefore, we praise you with our lips,
begging for sanctification, saying:
Exalt Christ our gracious God, O you nations,
and adore His divine footsteps forever.

1. O most venerable Cross of the Lord,
the angels surround you with joy at your elevation today.
You raise up those who had fallen and had been delivered to death
for having eaten of the forbidden tree.
Therefore, we praise you with our lips,
begging for sanctification, saying:
Exalt Christ our gracious God, O you nations,
and adore His divine footsteps forever.

In Tone 2, Glory… Now…

Come, all you people,
let us venerate the blessed Cross of the Lord through which eternal justice came to us.
He who deceived Adam, the first man, was conquered by a tree,
and the same who fettered the royal creation by his cunning has been cast down into nothingness.
The venom of the serpent has been washed away by the divine blood of Christ.
The curse of the rightful sentence was lifted when the just Christ was condemned unjustly.
By God’s plan, death that had come from a tree would be conquered by a Tree,
and suffering would be healed by the suffering of the Lord.
Glory to the active presence of Your providence in our lives, O Christ, our King.
Through it You have brought salvation for all,
for You are gracious and the Lover of mankind.

 

Readings
Exodus 15:22-16:1
Proverbs 3:11-18
Isaiah 60:11-16

 

Lytia

In Tone 1

The prophecy of David is truly fulfilled today,
for we now bow down before Your footstool
in the shadow of Your wings, O God of love.
Filled with hope, we cry out:
Let the light of Your face shine upon us,
and raise up all the faithful Christians
by the exaltation of Your precious Cross,
O Christ, our God of tenderness and mercy.

The Tree of true life was planted in the place of the Skull,
the Tree upon which the King of the Ages brought about our salvation,
is raised up in the middle of the earth today.
It sanctifies the ends of the earth,
and the Church of the Resurrection celebrates its rededication now.
The angels rejoice in heaven,
and those upon the earth exalt with joy and say with David:
Exalt the Lord our God and bow before His throne
and before His footstool, for He is holy;
it is He who grants great mercy to the world.

Jacob, the Patriarch, prefigured Your Cross, O Christ,
when he blessed his descendents
by laying his hands on their heads in the form of a cross.
Today we exalt it and cry our, O Saviour:
Grant victory to Your Church over her enemies,
as You once did to Your people.

In Tone 2

Hidden in the earth as a divine treasure,
the Cross of the Giver of Life now appeared in the heavens to the godly king,
and its inscription spiritually signified his victory over the enemy.
Rejoicing with faith and love,
he was inspired by God and hastened to raise on high
the Cross that he had seen in his vision.
With great zeal he brought it forth from the bosom of the earth
for the deliverance of the world and the salvation of our souls.

By crossing his hands in the blessing of his children,
the Patriarch Jacob foreshadowed the powerful sign of the Cross.
We now have it as our safeguard that cannot be overthrown,
and with its strength we drive out the hosts of demons.
Casting down the arrogance of Belial with it,
we put to flight the destroying power of Amalek.
And now that it is lifted on high,
we the faithful offer it in devotion
for the cleansing of our sins before the goodness of God.
We cry aloud with the fullness of our voices:
Have mercy on us, O Lord made flesh of a Virgin;
take pity on us, O Gracious One,
for we are the works which you fashioned in Your wisdom.

O triple-branched Cross of Christ
you are my strong protection.
Sanctify me by your might,
that I may venerate and glorify you in faith and love.

In Tone 4

Let us raise our voices today and sing in honour of this feast,
and with radiant faces let us cry out in a loud voice:
For us You accepted condemnation, O Christ;
You were spat upon and scourged;
You were wrapped in a purple robe and have ascended the Cross.
Seeing You, the sun and moon hid their light,
the earth quaked in fear, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
Now give us Your precious Cross as our guardian,
our protector which drives away the demons,
that embracing it, we may all cry out:
Save us, O Cross, by your might,
and strengthen us through your exaltation,
for you have been given to us as the light and salvation of our souls.

O Cross, you are the radiant sign among the stars.
In prophecy you have revealed the sign of victory to the godly king;
and when his mother Helena found you,
she displayed you in the sight of all the world.
Today the choirs of the faithful shout aloud as they raise you on high:
Enlighten us by your brightness, O life-giving and all-venerable Cross.
Make us holy by your might;
strengthen us by your exaltation,
for you are raised up against our enemies.

Glory… Now…

Moses prefigured the power of the precious Cross, O Christ,
when he conquered Amalek, his enemy, in the wilderness of Sinai.
When he stretched out his arms in the form of a cross,
the people were strengthened.
Now these images are fulfilled in us.
Today the Cross is exalted, and the devils are put to flight.
Today all creation is freed from corruption.
Through the Cross every gift of grace has shone upon us.
Therefore, rejoicing, we bow down before You and say:
How marvellous are Your works, O Lord, glory to You!

 

Aposticha

In Tone 5

Joy to you, life-bearing Cross of the Lord,
invincible triumph of the true faith
You are the gate to Paradise,
the strength of the faithful, and the stronghold of the Church.
Because of you, corruption no longer has meaning nor power.
By you we have been lifted up from earth to heaven.
You are an invincible weapon against evil,
a glory indeed for saints and martyrs,
and a haven fro salvation.
You are the source of mercy to the world.

Extol the Lord our God and worship at His footstool, for He is holy.

Joy to you, most honourable Cross of the Lord.
Through you the human race has been delivered from the curse.
In your exaltation you are a sign of true joy.
O Cross all-venerable, you scatter all our enemies.
You are the help of Christians, the glory of kings,
the strength of the just, and the splendour of priests.
All who sign themselves with you are freed from peril.
You are the strength under which we are tended like sheep.
The angels gather around you in awe as the source of peace.
You are the glory of Christ
who grants great mercy to the world.

God is our King from time past, the giver of help through all the land.

Joy to you, precious Cross of the Lord,
guide to the blind and physician to the sick,
and resurrection to the dead.
You raised us out of corruption and removed the curse.
Through you we have been made divine,
and the power of Hades has been destroyed in full.
Therefore, seeing you today lifted up by our priests,
we exalt Christ who was suspended on you;
and we bow deeply before you,
seeking forgiveness and great mercy.

In Tone 8, Glory… Now…

Of old, Moses prefigured Your Cross
while vanquishing Amalek and obtaining victory over him.
David the psalmist called it Your footstool
and directed us to adore it.
We sinners indeed venerate Your Cross today, O Christ our God.
With our unworthy lips we extol You,
for You deigned to be crucified on it;
and we entreat You, O Lord:
Together with the thief, make us worthy of Your kingdom.

 

TROPARION

In Tone 1

Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance,* grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies,* and protect Your community by Your Cross. (3)

 

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FESTAL MATINS

The Lord is God, Tone 1

Troparion, Tone 1
Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance,* grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies,* and protect Your community by Your Cross.

Sessional Hymn I, Tone 6
When the wood of your Cross was raised on high, O Christ our Lord,* the foundations of death were shaken.* What Hades had eagerly swallowed up, it now let go in trembling.* We glorify You for showing us your salvation, O Holy One.* Have mercy upon us, O Son of God.

In Tone 1, Glory…Now…
We bow down to the Tree of your Cross, O Lover of Mankind,* since You, the Life of all, were nailed upon it.* O Saviour, You opened Paradise to the thief who turned to You in faith.* You counted him worthy of blessedness when he confessed to You, crying:* O Lord, remember me!* As You accepted him, also accept us as we call out:* We have all sinned;* in your merciful kindness, do not forsake us.

Sessional Hymn II, Tone 6
Today the word of the prophet is fulfilled.* Behold, we bow down on the site where your feet stood, O Lord.* We have received the Tree of salvation,* and through the prayers of the Theotokos,* O only Lover of Mankind,* we have obtained freedom from sinful passions.

In Tone 8, Glory… Now…
When he stretched out his arms in the form of a cross, O Saviour,* Joshua, the son of Nun, mystically prefigured the likeness of the Cross many years ago.* The sun stood still until he had defeated the enemy who was opposed to You, O God.* Today this same sun is darkened as it sees You upon the Cross* through which You destroyed the power of death and despoiled Hades.* By your Cross, You have raised up the whole world.

Exaltation
We extol You,* O Christ the Giver of Life,* and we honour your precious Cross* through which we have been saved from the bondage of the enemy.
verses:
O Lord, plead my cause against my foes; fight those who fight me.
Take up your buckler and shield; arise to help me.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
O Lord, let the light of your countenance shine upon us.
Glory…Now…
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Glory be to You, O God! (3 times)

and then:
You have given a sign to those who fear You, in order that they may escape from the face of the bow. It is your Cross, O Christ our God.

Sessional Hymn, Tone 8
Formerly, the tree in Paradise made me naked.* In the temptation, the enemy brought death.* He, the Tree of Life, who became man and lived on earth, carried the Cross.* Now the whole world is full of joy.* Seeing the Cross raised up to God in faith, O people, let us cry aloud:* Your Church is full of glory!

Glory…Now…
Formerly, the tree in Paradise made me naked.* In the temptation, the enemy brought death.* He, the Tree of Life, who became man and lived on earth, carried the Cross.* Now the whole world is full of joy.* Seeing the Cross raised up to God in faith, O people, let us cry aloud:* Your Church is full of glory!

Gradual Hymn, Tone 4, Antiphon I

Prokeimenon, Tone 4
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
verse: Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has worked wonders.

Gospel
xxx

Having Seen the Resurrection of Christ

After Psalm 50, Tone 2

Glory…
O triple-branched Cross of Christ,* you are my strong protection.* Sanctify me by your might* that I may venerate and glorify you in faith and love.

Now…
O triple-branched Cross of Christ,* you are my strong protection.* Sanctify me by your might* that I may venerate and glorify you in faith and love.

In Tone 6: Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion, blot out my offense.

O Cross of Christ, hope of Christians,* guide of all those who have gone astray,* haven of the storm-tossed and victory in warfare,* firm foundation of the inhabited earth,* healer of the sick and resurrection of the dead,* have mercy on us.

Canon

ODE 1
After inscribing the invincible weapon of the Cross upon the Waters, Moses took his staff and marked a straight line before him and divided the Red Sea, thereby opening a path for Israel who walked across as though they were on dry land. Then Moses marked a second line over the waters and united them again, thereby overwhelming the chariots of Pharaoh. Therefore, let us praise Christ our God, for He has been glorified.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

When the Israelites battled against Amalek, Moses stood between the two men of God, thereby prefiguring in his person the undefiled Passion. He raised a standard of victory by forming a cross with his outstretched hands; through this sign the power of Amalek was overthrown. Therefore, let us praise Christ our God, for He has been glorified.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

After raising up a staff as a cure against the deadly and poisonous bite of the serpents, Moses placed upon it crosswise, as a symbol of the Cross, a serpent. In this manner he triumphed over calamity. Therefore, let us praise Christ our God, for He has been glorified.

Glory… Now…

The Cross was revealed in the heavens as a sign of victory to Constantine, the holy king and defender of the faith. Through this sign the proud contempt of his enemies was conquered, deceit was overthrown, and the divine faith was spread to the ends of the earth. Therefore, let us praise Christ our God, for He has been glorified.

ODE 3
When the rod of Aaron budded, it made known who was to be priest; it was an image of this mystery. Likewise in the Church that formerly was barren, the wood of the Cross has now blossomed, endowing her with steadfastness and might.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

When the rock was struck and gushed forth water for a calloused and disobedient people, it manifested the mystery of the Church, chosen by God; for the Cross is her steadfastness and might.

Glory… Now…

When your immaculate side was pierced with a spear, O Lord, immediately there flowed out water and blood, thereby establishing the New Testament and washing away sin. For the Cross is the glory of the faithful and the power and steadfastness of kings.

ODE 4
I have received the mystery of your Law, O Lord; I have meditated upon your works; and I have glorified your Divinity.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

In times past, Moses transformed the bitter wells in the desert with wood; thereby, he prefigured the spreading of the gospel to the Gentiles through the Cross.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

In the days of old, a sharp axe fell into the deep waters of the Jordan; the axe was returned when a stick of wood was thrown into the waters. This prefigured the cutting down of error by the Cross and baptism.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

Arranged in four divisions as a sacred army, the people of Israel marched in this manner before the ark of the covenant. They were glorified in their ranks which were formed in the sign of the Cross.

Glory… Now…

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the Cross, extended in a wondrous manner, sends forth rays as the sun.

ODE 5
O Cross, triple-blessed Tree on which Christ the King and Lord was crucified, it was through you that the Evil One, who tempted our first parents with the tree, was destroyed. He was ensnared by the trap set by God who was crucified upon you in the flesh. Through this mystery, peace has been granted to our souls.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

O famous Wood, you are blessed in song for being the Cross on which Christ was crucified. The fiery revolving sword by which Eden was guarded feared you, and the awesome Cherubim bowed down to Christ who was crucified upon you in the flesh. Through this mystery, peace has been granted to our souls.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

When the powers of darkness see the sign of the Cross raised on high, they tremble; the multitude of angels and saints in heaven, together with the people on earth, bow down before Christ who grants peace to our souls.

Glory… Now…

The holy Cross showers its divine light of pure rays upon the people darkened by the deception of error; and it reconciles them to Christ who was crucified upon it, thereby granting peace to our souls.

ODE 6
Clearly prefiguring the redeeming Passion, Jonah stretched out his hands in the form of a cross when he was in the belly of the whale. When Jonah was cast forth after three days, he prefigured the glorious resurrection of Christ our God who was crucified in the flesh and granted life to the world by his resurrection on the third day.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

Distorted in body because of age and wasted away by sickness, Jacob was straightened when he crossed his hands, thereby revealing the power of the life-giving Cross. For God, who was crucified upon it in the flesh, rewrote the shadowy Old Law in new letters, and thus drove away the disease of error which corrupts our souls.

Glory… Now…

When Jacob placed his hands upon the heads of his grandsons in the form of a cross, he indicated that those who serve under the Law would enjoy for a time the honor that is due to the firstborn. Although the error of his act was noticed, he did not change the life-giving figure; for he announced that the newly-formed people of Christ our God, strengthened by the Cross, shall have the higher place.

KONTAKION, TONE 4
Willingly raised upon the Cross, O Christ our God,* You bestowed your mercies upon a new people bearing your name.* With your power grant joy to our Church,* giving her victory over enemies,* with the invincible standard, your weapon of peace, as an ally.

IKOS
He, who was caught up in the third heaven to Paradise and who heard unspeakable and divine words which human beings cannot express, wrote to the Galatians. Study the Scripture, and you will read and understand what he wrote: God forbid that I should glory in anything except the Cross of the Lord on which He suffered the passion. Therefore, let us continue to praise this Cross of the Lord with confidence, for it is the glory of us all. This Wood is our salvation, a weapon of peace, and an unconquerable sign of victory.

ODE 7
The evil command of the wicked tyrant bewildered the nations; he uttered threats and blasphemy hateful to God. Yet neither the raging wild beasts nor the roaring fire could frighten the three youths. They stood together in the fire, refreshed by the wind as though it were dew, and they sang: You are praised and blessed above all, O God of our Fathers.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

By eating of the tree, Adam inherited a corruptible life. He was exiled from Paradise, and his body was prone to corruption which was passed on to his descendants like a disease. But those of the earth, who acknowledge the wood of the Cross as their vindication, cry aloud: You are praised and blessed above all, O God of our Fathers.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

Death came into the world by the partaking of the fruit of the tree; the breaking of the law of God came through disobedience. The Tree of precious life was carefully guarded until the confession of the good thief. He made it accessible once again by crying out as he departed this life: You are praised and blessed above all, O God of our Fathers.

Glory… Now…

When he honoured the staff of Joseph, Israel revealed that in the future the most glorious Cross would be the safeguard of royal power. The Cross is a victorious glory of kings and a light to the faithful who cry out: You are praised and blessed above all, O God of our Fathers.

ODE 8
O you children, equal in number to the Trinity, bless the Father and Creator of all; sing the praises of the Word who came to earth and changed the flames to dew; and exalt above all forever the most Holy Spirit who gives life to all.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

When the Cross that is sprinkled with the blood of the incarnate Word is raised up, all you powers of heaven sing praises, celebrating the reconciliation of the human race. All you faithful, venerate the Cross of Christ; for through it, resurrection was granted to the world forever.

Glory to your precious Cross, O Lord!

Let the priests reverently raise up the Cross on which Christ our God was hung, and exalt the lance that pierced the body of the Word of God. Let all people see the salvation of God and glorify Him forever.

Glory… Now…

Rejoice, all you faithful Christian kings, chosen beforehand by a divine decree. Receive the precious Cross from God and make this victorious weapon your glory, for by it, the enemy tribes that hastily seek battle are overthrown forever.

The Magnificat is omitted.

ODE 9
O my soul, extol the most precious Cross of the Lord.

(Sung before each of the following)

O Theotokos, you are a mystical paradise who gave birth to Christ and still remained a virgin. He planted the life-giving Tree of the Cross upon the earth. Therefore, on this day of its exaltation, we worship Him and extol you.

Let all the trees of the forest exalt, for they are made holy by Christ who planted them in the beginning and who was stretched out upon the Tree. On this day of its exaltation, we worship Him and extol you, O Cross.

The Cross is marked upon the foreheads of all God’s people, and it is raised up as their sacred horn of strength. By it, all the horns of the spiritual powers of evil are crushed. Therefore, on this day of its exaltation, we worship Him and extol you, O Cross.

Hymn of Light, Tone 2
The Cross is the guardian of the universe;* the Cross is the beauty of the Church.* It is the power of kings, and it sustains the strength of our faith.* It is the glory of the angels and the slayer of demons. (2 times)

Glory… Now…
Today the Cross is elevated, and the world is sanctified.* For You, O Christ who are enthroned with the Father and the Holy Spirit,* have stretched your arms upon it and drawn the world to the knowledge of God.* Make us who have placed our trust in You worthy of divine glory.

At the Praises

In Tone 8

O, what a strange mystery!* The most holy Cross, the life-giving Tree,* is exalted on high today and revealed to the world.* The ends of the earth give glory, and the demons are terrified.* What a great gift is bestowed upon us mortals.* Through your Cross, O Christ, save our souls,* since You alone are full of compassion. (2 times)

O, what a strange mystery!* The Cross which carried the Most High as a cluster of life-giving grapes* is exalted today high above the earth.* We are all drawn to God through it,* and death has been forever swallowed up.* O spotless Wood, we enjoy the immortal fruit of Eden through you* as we give glory to Christ.

O, what a strange mystery!* The length and breadth of the Cross is equal to the heavens,* for it sanctifies the whole world by divine grace.* By the Cross savage nations are vanquished;* by the Cross the authority of kings is confirmed.* O divine Ladder, we go up to heaven by you* and with our hymns exalt Christ the Lord.

In Tone 6, Glory… Now…

Today the Cross of the Lord is exalted,* and the faithful welcome it with love.* Through it they receive healing of both soul and body* and are relieved of every weakness.* Let us kiss it with joy and fear;* with joy because Christ the Lord was crucified in his great mercy upon it;* with fear because of our unworthiness due to sin.* Through the Cross, Christ our God grants salvation to the world.

Great Doxology

Exaltation of the Cross

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Antiphon 1
O God, my God, hear me; why have You forsaken me? The words of my transgressions put salvation far from me.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
O God, I will call to You by day but You will not listen; and by night, yet it will not be foolish of me.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
But You, the praise of Israel, dwell in the holy place.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
Glory… Now… Only-begotten Son…

Antiphon 3
The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble;* He is enthroned upon the cherubim, let the earth quake.

Troparion, Tone 1: Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance.* Grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies,* and protect Your community by Your cross.

Great is the Lord in Sion* and supreme above all peoples.

Troparion, Tone 1: Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance.* Grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies,* and protect Your community by Your cross.

Let them profess Your great name* for it is awesome and holy.

Troparion, Tone 1: Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance.* Grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies,* and protect Your community by Your cross.

Entrance
Exalt the Lord our God and bow in worship at the footstool of His feet for it is holy.

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 1: Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance.* Grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies,* and protect Your community by Your cross.

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

Kontakion, Tone 4: By Your own choice, O Christ our God,* You were lifted on the cross.* Grant Your mercies to Your new community* that bears Your Name.* By Your power gladden the faithful people,* and grant them victory against enemies.* May they have the help of Your instrument of peace,* the invincible sign of victory.

Instead of Holy God, we sing:
To Your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection. (3)
Glory… Now… and we glorify Your holy Resurrection.
To Your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Exalt the Lord our God,* and bow in worship at the footstool of his feet, for it is holy.
verse: The Lord reigns, let the people tremble. (Psalm 98:5,1)

Epistle
1 Corinthians 1:18-24

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)

Gospel
John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35

Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify the most precious cross of the Lord.
And the Irmos, Tone 8: You are a mystical Paradise, O Mother of God, who though untilled, have brought forth Christ. He has planted upon earth the life- giving Tree of the Cross. Therefore today as we raise it on high we bow low and we magnify you.

Communion Hymn
Let the light of Your countenance, O Lord,* shine upon us.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 4:7)

At the end of Liturgy we sing:
To Your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection. (3)
Glory… Now… and we glorify Your holy Resurrection.
To Your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection.

The Holy Virgin Mary was born of aged parents, Joachim and Anna. Her father was of the lineage of David, and her mother of the lineage of Aaron. Thus, she was of royal birth by her father, and of priestly birth by her mother. In this, she foreshadowed Him Who would be born of her as King and High Priest. Her parents were quite old and had no children. Because of this they were ashamed before men and humble before God. In their humility they prayed to God with tears, to bring them joy in their old age by giving them a child, as He had once given joy to the aged Abraham and his wife Sarah by giving them Isaac. The Almighty and All-seeing God rewarded them with a joy that surpassed all their expectations and all their most beautiful dreams. For He gave them not just a daughter, but the Mother of God. He illumined them not only with temporal joy, but with eternal joy as well. God gave them just one daughter, and she would later give them just one grandson-but what a daughter and what a Grandson! Mary, Full of grace, Blessed among women, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Altar of the Living God, the Table of the Heavenly Bread, the Ark of God’s Holiness, the Tree of the Sweetest Fruit, the Glory of the race of man, the Praise of womanhood, the Fount of virginity and purity-this was the daughter given by God to Joachim and Anna. She was born in Nazareth, and at the age of three, was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. In her young womanhood she returned again to Nazareth, and shortly thereafter heard the Annunciation of the Holy Archangel Gabriel concerning the birth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, from her most-pure virgin body. (Prologue of Ohrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 6

8. Today God who dominates the spiritual thrones of heaven
welcomes on earth the holy throne which He had prepared for Himself.
In His love for mankind,
He who established the heavens in wisdom has fashioned a living heaven.
From a barren stem He has brought forth for us His Mother
as a branch full of life.
O God of miracles and hope of those who have no hope;
O Lord, glory to You!

7. This is the day of the Lord:
Rejoice, therefore, O nations!
Behold, the chamber of Light and the scroll of the living Word
has come forth from the womb.
The gate that opens to the Rising Sun
and is ready for the entrance of the High Priest, is here today.
She is the only one who introduced Christ, and Christ alone, into the world
for the salvation of souls.

6. Indeed some famous barren women have given birth by the will of God;
but the nativity of Mary surpasses all nativities
in honour and splendour
as it is worthy of the majesty of God.
For she was born in a miraculous way of a barren mother,
and she herself gave birth in the flesh to the God of all,
incarnate in her womb without human seed
against the laws of nature.
She alone is the door through which the only-begotten Son of God
has passed while leaving it sealed
as He had planned in His eternal wisdom.
Thus did He bring salvation to all.

5. Indeed some famous barren women have given birth by the will of God;
but the nativity of Mary surpasses all nativities
in honour and splendour
as it is worthy of the majesty of God.
For she was born in a miraculous way of a barren mother,
and she herself gave birth in the flesh to the God of all,
incarnate in her womb without human seed
against the laws of nature.
She alone is the door through which the only-begotten Son of God
has passed while leaving it sealed
as He had planned in His eternal wisdom.
Thus did He bring salvation to all.

4. Today the barren gates are opened,
and the Virgin, the Gate of God, comes forth.
Today grace begins to bear fruit,
showing forth to the world the Mother of God
through whom earth is united to heaven
for the salvation of our souls.

3. Today the barren gates are opened,
and the Virgin, the Gate of God, comes forth.
Today grace begins to bear fruit,
showing forth to the world the Mother of God
through whom earth is united to heaven
for the salvation of our souls.

2. Today glad tidings go forth to the whole world.
Today sweet fragrance is sent forth
by the proclamation of salvation.
Today is the end of the barrenness of our nature;
for the barren one becomes a mother,
the mother of the one who will not cease to be a virgin,
even after giving birth to the One who by nature is Creator and God.
He it is who took flesh by which He brought salvation to the lost;
He is Christ, the Lover of Mankind,
and the Saviour of our souls.

1. Today Anne, the barren one, gives birth to the maiden of God
who had been chosen from all the human generations
to become the dwelling place of the Creator,
Christ our God and King of all.
In her He fulfilled His divine plan
through which our human nature was renewed,
and by which we were to be transferred from corruption to eternal life.

Glory… Now…

Today God who dominates the spiritual thrones of heaven
welcomes on earth the holy throne which He had prepared for Himself.
In His love for mankind,
He who established the heavens in wisdom has fashioned a living heaven.
From a barren stem He has brought forth for us His Mother
as a branch full of life.
O God of miracles and hope of those who have no hope;
O Lord, glory to You!

 

Readings
(1) Genesis 28:10-17; (2) Ezekiel 43:27-44:4; (3) Proverbs 9:1-11

 

Lytia

In Tone 1

Today is the beginning of our salvation, O people;
for behold, the Mother and Virgin who was chosen from all generations
to be the habitation of God
is born and comes forth from the barren one.
She is the flower from Jesse and possesses the rod from his root.
May our forefather Adam rejoice and be full of joy;
for behold, she who was created from the rib of Adam
declares that her daughter and descendant is blessed.
She says: “My deliverance has been born to me.
Through her, I will be freed from the bonds of Hades.”
May David rejoice, play on his harp, and bless God;
for behold, the Virgin comes forth
from the womb of the barren woman
for the salvation of our souls.

In Tone 2

Come all you lovers of virginity and chastity,
lovingly hold aloft the boast of virginity,
the fountain of life springing up from the solid stone.
She is the bush which grows from the barren land,
the bush of the non-material fire,
who cleanses and illumines our souls.

What is the festive hymn that is heard today?
Joachim and Anne are mystically observing this day with honour, saying:
“Adam and Eve, rejoice with us today!
Through their transgression of old, Paradise was closed.
Now, Mary the maiden of God is being given to us as a blessed fruit.
She opens up the entrance of Paradise to all of us.”

The chosen one of the King of All,
the abode of God and divine dwelling of the ever-existing One,
comes forth today from the barren and glorious Anne.
It is through her that the shameless Hades is crushed,
and the first Eve is lead into a faithful life.
Let us worthily cry out to her:
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

In Tone 8, Glory… Now…

Let us play the spiritual flute on this noteworthy feast,
because from the seed of David
is born the Mother of the Life who dispels the darkness.
She is the renewal of Adam and the answer to Eve,
the source of incorruption and the transformation of corruption.
Because of her, we have been divinized and delivered from death.
We cry out to her with Gabriel:
“Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you.
Because of you, He has granted us great mercy.”

 

Aposticha

In Tone 4

On this day a great joy has shone upon us
from the two just ones, Joachim and Anne;
and this joy is the most honourable Virgin.
Because of her purity, she will become a living temple of God.
She alone will be recognized as the Mother of God.
Through her intercessions, O Christ our God,
send down peace upon the world
and your great mercy upon our souls.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

O Virgin, today you were born a most noble child
from the two just ones, Joachim and Anne,
as the angel had promised in his announcement.
To God you are a heaven, a throne, and a vessel of holiness;
to the whole world, a herald of joy,
the cause of our life, the blessing that wiped out the curse.
You are the reason for all the blessings of God.
O Maiden who God has chosen,
on this day of your nativity
obtain peace and great mercy for our souls.

The richest of people shall seek your favour.

Today Anne, the barren one, claps her hands for joy.
The earth is bathed in light and kings sing their happiness,
priests enjoy all blessings and the whole universe rejoices;
for the Queen and immaculate Bride of the Father
comes forth from the root of Jesse.
Behold, no woman will ever bear again a child in sorrow or anxiety,
for joy has come forth in abundance and life has filled the world.
Joachim’s offerings shall no more be rejected,
for the tears of Anne have now been turned into joy.
And now Anne can say:
Rejoice with me, all you chosen ones of Israel,
for the Lord has given me the palace of His divine and living glory
to be a place of joy and happiness for the whole universe
and for the salvation of our souls.

In Tone 8, Glory… Now…

Come all you faithful, and let us hasten to the Virgin;
for long before her conception in the womb,
the one who was to be born of the root of Jesse
was destined to be the Mother of God.
The one who is the treasury of virginity,
the flowering rod of Aaron, the object of prophecies,
the child of Joachim and Anne is born today,
and the world is renewed in her.
Through her birth, the Church is clothed with splendour
O holy Temple, vessel of the Godhead,
model of virgins and strength of kings,
in you the wondrous union of the two natures of Christ was realized.
We worship Him and glorify your most pure birth,
and the whole world extols you.

 

Troparion

In Tone 4

Your nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,* has made joy known to all the world,* for from you dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God.* He abolished the curse and gave the blessing;* and by making death of no effect He bestowed on us eternal life. (3)

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: Your nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,* has made joy known to all the world,* for from you dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God.* He abolished the curse and gave the blessing;* and by making death of no effect He bestowed on us eternal life.

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

Kontakion, Tone 4: By your birth, O immaculate one,* Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness,* and Adam and Eve* from the corruption of death.* And your people, redeemed from the guilt of their sins,* celebrate as they cry out to you:* “The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God* and nourisher of our life.”

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
Philippians 2:5-11

Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear.
verse: The rich among the people shall entreat your countenance. (Psalm 44:11,13)

Gospel
Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28

Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify the Virgin Mary, born from a barren womb.
and the Irmos, Tone 8: Virginity is alien to mothers* and childbearing 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
I will take the cup of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 115:13)

Sozon was born in Lyconia. He was a shepherd and kept all of God’s laws, instructing his peers and friends in his pious Faith. In a vision he was shown that he would suffer martyrdom for Christ. This was in the time of Maximian, magistrate of Cilicia, who perpetrated a terrible persecution of Christians in the nearby city of Pompeiopolis. In that city there was a certain golden idol which the pagans worshiped. Sozon left his flock, went to the city, entered the pagan temple and broke the arm off the golden idol. He crumbled it into bits and distributed it to the poor. There was a great uproar because of this, and the pagans sought out the guilty one. So that no one else would suffer for his deed, Sozon went to the magistrate and declared himself to be a Christian and the perpetrator of that act. His torturers first beat him, then suspended him from a tree and scraped his body with iron combs. When he was nearly dead, they cast him into a fire, where St. Sozon gave up his holy soul to God. He suffered in about the year 304. St. Sozon’s relics were miracle-working, and a church in his name was built over them (Prologue of Ohrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

10. We never cease to adore Your life-giving Cross, O Christ our God,
And we glorify Your resurrection on the third day.
For You, Almighty One, have thereby restored the corrupted nature of all
and reopened the way to heaven,
since You alone are gracious and You love mankind.

9. O Saviour, You have absolved the penalty of disobedience,
committed through the tree of Eden,
by willingly being nailed to the tree of the Cross.
As Almighty God, You descended into Hades
and broke asunder the bonds of death.
We, therefore, venerate Your resurrection from the dead,
and joyfully cry out to You:
Almighty Lord, glory to You!

8. O Lord, You have battered down the gates of Hades,
and by Your death You have dissolved the realm of death.
You have freed mankind from corruption,
bestowing life, incorruption, and Your great mercy upon the world.

7. Come, all you people,
let us sing the praises of our Saviour’s resurrection on the third day.
For we have, thereby, been delivered from the invincible bonds of Hades,
and we have received incorruption, together with eternal life.
Therefore, we cry out to You
after Your crucifixion, burial, and resurrection:
Save us by Your resurrection, for You love mankind.

In Tone 1

6. By your birth, O pure one,
beams of joy shine on all the universe,
announcing Christ our God to all.
He is the Sun of glory!
You will give birth to Him for us:
He brings us gladness, grace and truth!

5. We anticipate your glorious feast, O pure one!
It proclaims to all the good will of our Benefactor.
Now you have become the cause of our joy,
the herald of promised grace
and the fruit of divine gladness!

4. The child of God, the holy Theotokos,
the promise of the prophets, the daughter of David,
today is born from wise Joachim and Anna.
She has overthrown the curse of Adam for us
by her holy childbearing.

In Tone 4

3. When He Who of His own will took our weakness upon Himself
strengthened your weakness with power, blessed one,
you ran the race of martyrdom for His sake with joy.
You crushed the impotent enemy with your most beautiful feet.
Therefore, Jesus, the Lover of mankind and Saviour of our souls,
has woven wreaths of victory for you!

2. When you were wounded, glorious one,
you wounded your enemies
and armed with the cross, you threw them down to the ground!
You were openly arrayed in invincible armour
and made steady by the love of Him
Who has translated you to the spiritual kingdoms
as an unconquered martyr and heavenly man!

1. You openly imitated the Saviour and Lord
Who for your sake endured voluntary sufferings.
Of your own will, athlete Sozon, you gave yourself
to wounds and beatings and unbearable torments.
Therefore, He has honoured you with heavenly gifts
and revealed you to be a source of healings for those who love you!

In Tone 4, Glory…

The angelic host of heaven and we mortals on earth,
bless your honourable birth, most holy Virgin,
for you became the Mother of Christ our God, the Creator of all.
Never cease to pray for us unwedded Theotokos:
Bring our hopes before your Son!

In Tone 4, 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.

 

Aposticha

In Tone 4

In being lifted upon the Cross, O Lord,
You abolished the curse which we had inherited from our ancestors.
By going down into Hades,
You freed from eternal captivity those imprisoned there,
and granted incorruption to the human race.
We, therefore, praise Your life-giving and redeeming resurrection.

The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.

By hanging on the Cross, O Almighty One,
You shook the whole creation to its foundations.
When You Yourself were laid in the grave,
You raised to life those who had been lying in the graves,
and You granted life and incorruption to mankind.
We, therefore, praise and glorify Your resurrection on the third day.

For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.

O Christ, the lawless people showed their ingratitude to You, their Benefactor,
by delivering You to Pilate who condemned you to be crucified.
But You willingly suffered death and burial;
and, as God, You rose by Your own power on the third day,
granting us everlasting life and great mercy.

Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.

The women, shedding bitter tears, came to see You in Your tomb;
and not finding Your body, they lamented, saying:
O Saviour and King of All, how were You stolen?
What place holds Your life-bearing body?
An angel answered them, saying:
Do not weep, but go and proclaim that the Lord is risen,
filling our hearts with joy;
for He alone is most compassionate.

In Tone 4, Glory… Now…

The joy of the world has appeared:
The glorified Virgin sprung from Joachim and Anna.
Because of her purity she became the living temple of God.
Only she is called the Theotokos.
Through her prayers, Christ God, send peace to the world,
and to our souls great mercy!

 

Troparia

In Tone 4
When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,*granting to the world great mercy.”

In Tone 4, Glory…
Your holy martyr Sozon, O Lord,* through his sufferings has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.* For having Your strength he laid low his adversaries,* and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.* Through his intercessions save our souls.

In Tone 4, Now…
Today is born to us, from the stem of Jesse and the loins of David,* Mary, the Maiden of God.* Therefore, the whole creation rejoices and is renewed;* and you peoples of the world, sing to her a joyful hymn of praise.* Joachim is elated and Anne shouts for joy:* The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God,* the Sustainer of our life.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,* granting to the world great mercy.”

Troparion, Tone 4: Today is born to us, from the stem of Jesse and the loins of David,* Mary, the Maiden of God.* Therefore, the whole creation rejoices and is renewed;* and you peoples of the world, sing to her a joyful hymn of praise.* Joachim is elated and Anne shouts for joy:* The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God,* the Sustainer of our life.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 4: My Saviour and Deliverer from the grave* as God raised out of bondage the children of the earth* and shattered the gates of Hades;* and as Master, He rose on the third day.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 3: Today the holy Virgin and God-bearer Mary* is born from a barren womb by divine counsel.* She is the everlasting bridal chamber of the heavenly bridegroom.* Today the chariot of the Word is adorned,* and the door for God is foretold;* she is called the Mother of Life.

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. (Psalm27:9,1)

Epistle
Galatians 6:11-18

Alleuia, Tone 1
verse: I have exalted one chosen from the people and with my holy oil anointed him.
verse: My hand shall always be with him and my arm shall make him strong. (Psalm 88:20-21,22)

Gospel
John 3:13-17

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)

The First Ecumenical Council [Nicaea, 325] decreed that the Church year should begin on September 1. The month of September was, for the Hebrews, the beginning of the civil year (Exodus 23:16), the month of gathering the harvest and of the offering of thanks to God. It was on this feast that the Lord Jesus entered the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-21), opened the book of the Prophet Isaiah and read the words: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn (Isaiah 61:1-2). The month of September is also important in the history of Christianity, because Emperor Constantine the Great was victorious over Maxentius, the enemy of the Christian Faith, in September. Following this victory, Constantine granted freedom of confession to the Christian Faith throughout the Roman Empire. For a long time, the civil year in the Christian world followed the Church year, with its beginning on September 1. The civil year was later changed, and its beginning transferred to January 1. This occurred first in Western Europe, and later in Russia, under Peter the Great (Prologue of Ohrid)

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VESPERS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 1

10. We pray to the Creator today,
with the words given us by Christ,
who taught us to pray each day:
Our Father who art in heaven,
give us this day our daily bread,
and overlook all our sins.

9. We pray to the Creator today,
with the words given us by Christ,
who taught us to pray each day:
Our Father who art in heaven,
give us this day our daily bread,
and overlook all our sins.

8. On Mount Sinai You gave stone tablets.
Today in Nazareth You read the prophecy,
O Christ our God in the flesh.
You took and opened the scroll
to teach the people that the Scriptures
were fulfilled in Yourself.

In Tone 5

7. O venerable Father,
you found a beautiful ladder to heaven
while Elias found a chariot of fire.
He did not leave his ascent for others;
but after death, however, you have left your pillar.
O heavenly man and earthly angel,
ever-watchful beacon to the whole world,
O venerable Simeon, pray for our salvation.

6. O venerable Father,
even if the pillar could talk,
it would never stop proclaiming your toils, your labours, and you weeping.
Even though it held you,
it was sustained by your tears, watered as a tree.
At your endurance the angels crowd about,
people stand in awe and demons tremble.
O venerable Simeon, pray for our salvation.

5. O venerable Father,
by the might of the Holy Spirit,
you imitated your Master,
as on a cross you ascended the pillar.
The Lord erased the condemnation written against us;
you destroyed the rise of passions.
The Lord was a lamb, and you a victim;
the Lord was on a cross, and you on a pillar.
O venerable Simeon, pray for our salvation.

In Tone 2

4. From the good root has come forth the most excellent Simeon;
from his infancy he was nourished more on grace than on milk.
In his body he dwelt upon the high place,
but in his spirit he was raised even higher to God.
Through his virtues he edified his lofty dwelling.
He journeyed in high places with the powers of heaven,
and he became a dwelling place of Christ our God, the Saviour of our souls.

3. You shall be remembered forever,
O venerable Father Simeon;
you were pleasing to God
in the kindness of your heart, O blessed one.
Even if you have passed from us, O good shepherd,
you did not leave us in spirit,
but stand before God in love,
and have joined the angels in heaven.
Together with them, plead for our salvation.

2. The tomb of your relics, O blessed Father,
is a fountain of healing,
and your holy soul rightly rejoices with the angels.
O venerable Father, as you have confidence before the Lord
and have joined the angels,
plead with Him for our salvation.

1. O God-bearing Father,
you loved the highest knowledge
and lived outside the world above visible things.
You became an untarnished mirror of God,
and ever united to the Light, you kept on receiving light,
with clearer insight attaining blessed perfection.
O wise Simeon, pray for our souls.

In Tone 6, Glory…

Divine Grace hovered over your relics, O holy Simeon.
We will hasten towards the sweet fragrance of your miracles,
drawing from them the healing of illnesses.
O venerable Father, plead with Christ our God for our souls.

Now…

O eternal Word and Son,
together with the Holy Spirit,
Creator and Maker of all things visible and invisible,
bless the beginning of the year,
keep in peace all the faithful,
through the prayers of the Theotokos and all the saints.

 

Readings
(1) Isaiah 61:1-9; (2) Leviticus 26:3-24; (3) Wisdom 4:7-15

 

Aposticha

In Tone 1

We have come to the beginning of the year,
gathering to honour these saints:
Callista and her brothers, Evod and Hermogenes;
Simeon, equal to the angels, and Joshua, the son of Nun;
the seven children of Ephesus, and the forty holy women.
O lovers of feasts, sharing in their remembrance,
with insistence we shout:
O Lord, bless the works of Your hands,
and make us worthy to pass this year in spiritual progress.

To You our praise is due in Sion, O God.

O Christ our God, You created all things in Your wisdom,
and brought them from nothingness into being.
Now bless the beginning of the year
and keep our city free from harm;
and in Your mercy grant peace and happiness to all the faithful,
granting to the world great mercy
through the prayers of the Theotokos.

In Tone 2

We are filled with the blessings of your house.

You are wonderful, O God, and wondrous are Your deeds.
Your ways are unsearchable;
You are the Wisdom of God, perfect person and power.
For though without beginning,
and equal in eternity and operation,
by Your infinite power You made Your home in our world.
Beyond understanding and without changing Your divinity,
You were born of a virgin mother;
You came to seek Your creation
which You had adorned with beauty;
and You set the times and circumstances for our salvation.
Therefore, we shout to You:
O Good Master, glory to You!

You crown the year with goodness.

In wisdom you created all things,
O Word of the Father before all ages;
by Your almighty word You arranged all creation.
Bless the beginning of the year by Your goodness,
and through the prayers of the Theotokos, overthrow all heresy;
for You are good and the Lover of Mankind.

In Tone 5, Glory…

O venerable Father,
you found a beautiful ladder to heaven
while Elias found a chariot of fire.
He did not leave his ascent for others;
but after death, however, you have left your pillar.
O heavenly man and earthly angel,
ever-watchful beacon to the whole world,
O venerable Simeon, pray for our salvation.

Now…

O King, You are eternal and remain forever.
Receive the petitions of us sinners as we pray for salvation.
O Lover of Mankind,
grant Your abundance to the earth with temperate and mild weather.
Fight with the faithful against all enemy attacks as You helped David;
for they have entered the tabernacle and defiled Your most holy place, O Saviour.
But grant victory over them, O Christ our God,
through the prayers of the Theotokos,
for You are ever the victory and boast of orthodox Christians.

 

Troparia

In Tone 2
O Lord, Maker of the universe, * who alone has power over seasons and times, * bless this year with Your bounty, preserve our country in safety, and keep Your people in peace. ** Save us through the prayers of the Theotokos.

In Tone 1, Glory…
You became a column of endurance and rivalled the forefathers, O holy one, * becoming like Job in your sufferings and like Joseph in your trials, * like the bodiless angels, though you lived in the flesh. * O Simeon, our holy Father, ** intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

In Tone 7, Now…
Rejoice, O woman full of grace, ever-virgin Mother of God, * harbour and protectress of the human race. * The Saviour of the universe received flesh from you, * for you are the only one to be both mother and virgin, * forever blessed, forever glorified. ** Intercede with Christ our God that He may grant peace to the whole world.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 2: Fashioner of all creation,* you fixed times and seasons by Your own authority;* bless the crown of the year, O Lord, with your goodness,* preserving our nation and Your city in peace;* and save us through the prayers of the Mother of God.

Troparion, Tone 1: Rejoice, Virgin Mother of God, full of grace,* harbour and protection of the human race:* from you the Redeemer of the world was incarnate.* For only you – ever blessed and glorified – are Mother and Virgin.* Pray to Christ our God to grant peace to the world.

Troparion, Tone 1: O venerable saint, you became a pillar of endurance,* rivalling the forefathers: Job in afflictions and Joseph in trials,* and while still in the body you lived the life of the Bodiless ones.* O Symeon our father,* entreat Christ God to save our souls.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 2: Seeking things above, you joined yourself to those on high;* you made your pillar a fiery chariot,* through which, O venerable one, you became a companion of the angels.* With them, unceasingly implore Christ God on our behalf.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: You dwell on high, O Christ the King,* Creator and Builder of all that is seen and unseen.* You made seasons and time and the day and night.* Now bless the crown of the present year.* Guard and protect our country, this city and your people,* O Lord, so rich in mercy.

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)

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones. (Psalm 115:6)

Epistle
1 Timothy 2:1-7; Colossians 3:12-16

Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: To You, O God, is due a hymn in Sion, and to You shall a vow be paid in Jerusalem. (Psalm 64:2)
verse: You will bless the crown of the year with Your goodness. (Psalm 64:12)
verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments. (Psalm 111:6-7)

Gospel
Luke 4:16-22; Matthew 11:27-30

Communion Hymn
You will bless the crown of the year* with Your goodness. (Psalm 64:12)* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear. (Psalm 111:6-7)* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.

After her Dormition [Falling-asleep], the Holy Theotokos gave her girdle [sash] to the Apostle Thomas. That girdle was later brought to Constantinople and kept in a sealed reliquary in the church of the Mother of God at Blachernae, the royal foundation [Zaduzbina] of Empress Pulcheria. This reliquary was never opened until the time of Emperor Leo the Wise (886-912 A.D.). Leo’s wife, the Empress Zoe, became mentally ill and, according to a mysterious vision, she desired that the girdle of the Holy Theotokos be placed on her. The emperor implored the patriarch and the reliquary was opened and the girdle was removed and placed on the ailing empress. The empress was immediately healed. This feast was instituted in commemoration of this miracle. One part of the girdle is to be found in Zugdid, Georgia. That is to say: the daughter of Emperor Romanus was healed with the aid of this girdle and later when her father married her to the Georgian Emperor Abuchaz, she took a part of that girdle with her. By order of the Russian Emperor Alexander I, a special church was built in Mingrelia in Zugdid where that part of the miracle-working garment of the Holy Theotokos is kept. (Prologue of Ohrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

 

Kathisma reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 3

10. By Your Cross, O Christ our Saviour,
the power of Death has been vanquished
and the deceit of the devil has been destroyed.
Therefore, mankind, saved by faith,
offers You hymns of praise forever.

9. O Lord, all creation has been enlightened by Your resurrection,
and Paradise has been reopened;
therefore, all creation extols You
and offers You hymns of praise forever.

8. I glorify the powers of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
and I praise the dominion of the undivided Divinity,
the consubstantial Trinity,
Who reigns forever and ever.

7. We adore Your precious Cross, O Christ,
and with hymns of praise we glorify Your Resurrection;
for by Your wounds we have all been healed.

In Tone 4

6. The shrine which holds your belt, O Theotokos,
is ever known by your servants to be an ark of sanctification.
It is our glory and boast; a sacred wall surrounding us;
a fountain of healings!
Therefore being divinely gathered today,
we hymn your mighty acts
and the vast abyss of your wonders!

5. The shrine which holds your belt, O Theotokos,
is ever known by your servants to be an ark of sanctification.
It is our glory and boast; a sacred wall surrounding us;
a fountain of healings!
Therefore being divinely gathered today,
we hymn your mighty acts
and the vast abyss of your wonders!

4. Behold the all-glorious place!
Behold the ever-radiant temple in which a treasure has been laid:
the belt of the Mother of the divine Son!
People, come!  Draw forth enlightenment and mercy,
and shout with a grateful heart: all-holy Virgin, we bless you,
for we have been saved by your childbearing!

3. Behold the all-glorious place!
Behold the ever-radiant temple in which a treasure has been laid:
the belt of the Mother of the divine Son!
People, come!  Draw forth enlightenment and mercy,
and shout with a grateful heart: all-holy Virgin, we bless you,
for we have been saved by your childbearing!

2. We rejoice and keep the feast of the placing of your belt, O Theotokos,
for today you have granted it to your people,
it is a sacred garment, wealth that cannot be stolen,
a precious gift and river of healings
overflowing with spiritual treasures!

1. We rejoice and keep the feast of the placing of your belt, O Theotokos,
for today you have granted it to your people,
it is a sacred garment, wealth that cannot be stolen,
a precious gift and river of healings
overflowing with spiritual treasures!

In Tone 2, Glory…

All-pure Theotokos, the Church of God is robed in your holy belt,
as with a supremely shining diadem!
It is radiant today and cries out to you rejoicing,
rejoice, sovereign Lady!
Precious diadem and crown of divine glory!
Rejoice, for you alone are the fullness of glory and everlasting gladness!
Rejoice, refuge of those who run to you:
our intercessor and salvation!

In Tone 3, Now…

O Lady most honourable,
how can we but be rapt in wonder
at you giving birth to the Incarnate God
who, without a mother, was born of the Father before all ages?
You gave Him birth in the flesh without a father,
without a man instrumentality.
He is God and man whose two natures are intact,
neither one losing any of its properties.
Therefore, O Virgin Mother,
intercede with Him to save the souls
of those who believe and confess in true faith
that you are the Mother of God.

 

Readings
(1) Genesis 28:10-17; (2) Ezekiel 43:27; 44:1-4; (3) Proverbs 9:1-11

 

Aposticha

In Tone 3

O Christ, Who darkened the sun by Your passion
and enlightened all creation by Your resurrection,
accept our evening prayer; for You love mankind.

The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.

O Lord, Your life-giving Resurrection has enlightened the entire universe
and has revived Your creation which lay in corruption.
Therefore, we, who have been released from the curse of Adam, cry out to You:
Almighty Lord, glory to You!

For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.

O God, although in Your divine nature You are unchangeable,
yet in Your human nature You underwent change by suffering in the flesh.
All creation was prostrate with fear
when it saw You hanging on the Cross,
and it groaned in sorrow as it sang the praises of Your long-suffering.
But You descended into Hades and arose on the third day,
granting life and great mercy to the world.

Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.

You suffered death, O Christ, to deliver mankind from death.
And when You arose from the dead on the third day,
You enlightened the world
and resurrected all who acknowledge You as God.

In Tone 2, Glory…

Having cleansed our heart and mind,
let us keep feast together with the angels,
joyfully addressing the song of David
to the maiden Bride of the King of all, Christ our God,
saying: arise, Lord, into your resting place,
both You and the ark of Your holiness!
For You have adorned her as a beautiful palace,
giving her as an inheritance to Your people, O Master,
to preserve and shelter them from their enemies,
by Your mighty power, through her supplications!

Now…

We now behold a new wonder,
greater than the wonders of old.
For who has ever known a mother to bear a child without the help of man?
Who has known a mother to hold in her arms the Source of all Creation?
It was God’s own will to be born in this manner;
and you, O most pure Virgin, carried Him as an infant in your arms.
Because of this, you can approach God with the boldness of a mother.
Therefore, we venerate you, and ask you to always beseech Him

to have mercy on us and save our souls.

 

Troparia

In Tone 3
Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice,* for the Lord has done a mighty deed with His arm.* He trampled death by death. He became the first-born of the dead;* He saved us from the abyss of Hades* and granted great mercy to the world.

In Tone 8, Glory…
Protection of humans, ever-Virgin Mother of God* as a mighty bulwark for your city* you gave your pure body’s robe and sash.* They remained incorrupt by your giving birth without seed.* For in you are nature and time made new.* Therefore, we pray you, give peace to your city** and to our souls great mercy.

Now…
O gracious Lord, for the sake of mankind You were born of a virgin;* through Your death on the cross You conquered death;* and through Your resurrection You revealed yourself as God.* O merciful Lord, do not disdain those whom You have created with Your own hands,* but show forth Your love for mankind.* Accept the intercession which the Mother, who bore You, makes in our behalf.* O Saviour, save Your despairing people!

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 3: Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice,* for the Lord has done a mighty deed with His arm.* He trampled death by death. He became the first-born of the dead;* He saved us from the abyss of Hades* and granted great mercy to the world.

Troparion, Tone 8: Protection of humans, ever-Virgin Mother of God* as a mighty bulwark for your city* you gave your pure body’s robe and sash.* They remained incorrupt by your giving birth without seed.* For in you are nature and time maae new.* Therefore, we pray you, give peace to your city** and to our souls great mercy.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 3: You rose from the tomb, O compassionate Lord,* and led us out from the gates of death.* Today Adam exults and Eve rejoices,* and the prophets together with the patriarchs* unceasingly acclaim the divine might of Your power.

Nw and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: Your womb which received divinity* was girded about by your precious sash, O Mother of God.* It became an unconquerable force for your city* and a generous treasury of good things:* O you, the only virgin who ever gave birth.

Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Sing to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing.
verse: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout unto God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 46:7,2)

Prokeimenon, Tone 3
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. (Luke 1:46)

Epistle
1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Hebrew 9:1-7

Alleluia, Tone 3
verse: In You, O Lord, have I hoped that I may not be put to shame for ever.
verse: Be a protector unto me, O God, and a house of refuge to save me. (Psalm 30:2,3)
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
Matthew 19:16-26; Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1)* I will take the cup of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 115:13)

Eutyches was one of the lesser apostles and was born in Sebastopol. He was a disciple and imitator of the Apostle John the Theologian and the Apostle Paul. Even though he is not numbered among the seventy apostles, nevertheless, he is called an apostle because he was a disciple of the great apostles and, because in his evangelical service, he displayed true apostolic zeal. Consecrated a missionary bishop, St. Eutyches traveled much, having, an angel as his companion. In prison, he received heavenly bread from an angel. When his body was scrapped with a serrated iron rod, blood flowed from him with unusual fragrant myrrh. He was thrown into a fire and before wild beasts and finally beheaded with a sword in Sebastopol. (Prologue of Ohrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 2

10. Come, let us adore God the Word,
Who was born of the Father before all ages,
and was incarnate of the Virgin Mary;
for of His own free will He suffered the Cross
and submitted Himself to burial,
and arose from the dead to save me, a sinful one.

9. Christ our Saviour cancelled the decree that was written against us,
by nailing it to the Cross;
and He abolished the dominion of Death.
Let us glorify His Resurrection on the third day.

8. Let us, together with the archangels, sing of Christ’s resurrection;
for He is the Redeemer and Saviour of our souls.
He will come again in awesome glory and mighty power
to judge the world which He has fashioned.

7. Although You died and were buried,
the angel yet declared You as Master.
He said to the women: Come and see where the Lord was placed;
for He is risen as He foretold,
because He is almighty.
Therefore, we worship You, the only Immortal One,
and we beseech You to have mercy on us, O Giver of Life.

6. O Christ, You have abolished the curse of the tree by Your Cross;
You have destroyed the power of Death by Your burial,
and You enlightened the human race by Your Resurrection.
Therefore, we cry out to You:
O God and Benefactor, glory to You!

5. O Lord, the gates of death opened before You in fear,
and the gatekeepers of Hades were filled with dread at the sight of You.
You smashed the gates of brass and crushed the posts of iron.
Then You burst our chains asunder,
and led us out from the darkness, away from the shadow of death.

4. Let us all come and prostrate ourselves in the house of the Lord,
singing this hymn of salvation:
O Christ, You were crucified on the tree and rose from the dead;
and You now abide in the bosom of the Father.
Please cleanse us of our sins.

In Tone 8

3. Blessed Martyr Eutychus,
you were trained in holiness by the honoured disciple:
The Theologian and Preacher of the Word!
You were taught the whole of his most sacred revelation,
and were revealed yourself to be a light,
illumining every mind by grace through your sacred theology.
Therefore we honour your holy memory!

2. Wholly blessed one,
you tore down the fortress of error with the weapon of firm patience!
You endured imprisonment and a glorious death;
therefore you received immortality!
You dwell with the choirs of martyrs and the ranks of angels;
you are fully deified in a godly manner,
perfectly partaking in the higher communion!

1. When you were locked in a dungeon,
you received the heavenly bread of life!
When you were thrown into the flames, glorious one,
you remained unharmed!
You submitted to cruelly inflicted beatings,
taming the raging of wild beasts by your prayers!
When you were beheaded by the sword,
you were taken up into heaven as by the chariot of God!

In Tone 2, Glory… Now…

O Virgin, the shadow of the Law passed away
with the realization of grace.
For as the bush had burned without being consumed,
so you gave birth while a virgin
and you remained a virgin.
Instead of the pillar of fire there rose the Sun of Justice.
Instead of Moses, Christ God came forth,
the Saviour of our souls.

 

Aposticha

In Tone 2

Your Resurrection, O Christ our Saviour,
has enlightened the whole universe;
and, through it, You call back to Yourself all Creation.
Almighty God, glory to You!

The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.

By the wood of Your Cross, O Saviour,
You have abolished the curse of the tree;
by Your burial You have destroyed the power of death;
and by Your Resurrection You enlightened the human race.
We, therefore, cry out to You:
O Christ our God, Giver of Life, glory to You!

For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.

O Christ, when You were nailed to the Cross,
the distorted nature of creation was made manifest.
The soldiers showed their inhumanity by piercing Your side with a lance,
and the people showed their ignorance of Your power
by asking that Your tomb be sealed.
But, in Your mercy, You accepted burial
and then arose on the third day.
O Lord, glory to You!

Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.

O Christ, Giver of Life,
You freely endured the Passion for the sake of mortals.
In Your power You descended into Hades;
and snatching, as from a mighty monster, the souls of those who awaited Your coming,
You placed them in Paradise.
Therefore, show Your great mercy to us who glorify Your Resurrection,
and cleanse our souls.

Glory… Now…

We now behold a new wonder,
greater than the wonders of old.
For who has ever known a mother to bear a child without the help of man?
Who has known a mother to hold in her arms the Source of all Creation?
It was God’s own will to be born in this manner;
and you, O most pure Virgin, carried Him as an infant in your arms.
Because of this, you can approach God with the boldness of a mother.
Therefore, we venerate you, and ask you to always beseech Him
to have mercy on us and save our souls.

 

Troparia

In 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!”

In Tone 4, Glory…
Having shared the way of life of the apostles,* and having become a successor to their thrones,* labouring you found the divinely inspired way to contemplation.* Therefore, forthrightly ministering the word of truth,* you shed your blood for the faith, O hieromartyr, Eutyches.* Intercede with Christ our God for the salvation of our souls.

Now…
O Mother of God, the mystery hidden from all eternity* and unknown even to the angels,* was revealed through you to those on earth:* God took on our human nature* and united it to His divine nature in a perfect but unconfused union.* Then, He willingly accepted the cross for our sake* and thereby raised again the first created man,*and saved our souls from death.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

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!”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 2: You rose from the tomb, O almighty Saviour;* and Hades, seeing this wonder, was stricken with fear; and the dead arose.* Creation saw and rejoices with You, and Adam exults.* And the world, my Saviour, sings Your praises for ever.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 2: The tomb and death could not hold the Mother of God,* unceasing in her intercession and an 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 2
The Lord is my strength and my song of praise, and He has become my salvation.
verse: The Lord has indeed chastised me, but He has not delivered me to death. (Psalm 117:14,18)

Epistle
1 Corinthians 9:2-12

Alleluia, Tone 2
verse: The Lord will hear you in the day of tribulation; the name of the God of Jacob will shield you.
verse: Lord, grant victory to the king and hear us in the day that we shall call upon You. (Psalm 19:2,10)

Gospel
Matthew 18:23-35

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)

Myron was a priest in the town of Achaia of wealthy and prominent origin and by nature was kind and meek, both a lover of God and of man. During the reign of Emperor Decius and, on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, pagans charged into the church, dragged Myron out from the service and subjected him to torture. During the time of torture in the fire, an angel appeared to him and encouraged him. After that, they began to cut his skin in strips from his head to his feet. The martyr grabbed one such strip of his skin and, with it, struck the torturer – the judge – on the face. The judge Antipater, as though possessed, took a sword and killed himself. Finally, they took Myron to the city of Cyzicus and there slew him with the sword in the year 250 A.D. (Prologue of Ohrid)

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GREAT VESPERS

 

Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 1

10. Accept our evening prayer, O holy Lord,
and grant us forgiveness of sins,
for You alone manifested the Resurrection to the world.

9. O you people, walk around Zion and encompass her.
And there give glory to Him Who is risen from the dead.
For He is our God
Who delivers us from our sins.

8. Come you people, praise and worship Christ.
Glorify His Resurrection from the dead;
for He is our God Who delivered the world
from the deceit of the enemy.

7. Rejoice, O you heavens;
sound the trumpets, you foundations of the earth;
cry out with joy, O you mountains.
For behold, Emmanuel has nailed our sins to the Cross;
the Giver of Life has put Death to death;
and the Lover of Mankind
has raised up Adam.

In Tone 2

6. With what lips shall we call the Theotokos blessed?
For we are poor and worthless!
She is truly more honourable than the whole creation;
more holy than the cherubim and all the angels!
She is the unshakable throne of the King;
the house in which the Most High came to dwell;
the holy place of God!
Today, on her divine memorial,
she richly grants the faithful great mercy!

5. What spiritual songs shall we now offer you, all-holy one?
For by your deathless Dormition you have sanctified the whole world,
and have passed over to the celestial places
where you contemplate the beauty of the King of all.
As His Mother, you rejoice at this
together with the ranks of escorting angels
and with the souls of the righteous!
With them, pure one, ask for us peace and great mercy!

4. What songs of awe did they offer you then, Virgin,
when all the apostles of the Word
stood around your deathbed and cried out with wonder:
The palace of the King is now departing;
the ark of holiness now is raised on high!
Let the gates be lifted up that the gate of God
may enter in with great joy,
unceasingly asking great mercy for the world!

In Tone 2

3. When the conflagration set by the godless was consuming every land
you were set ablaze, blessed one, by the burning of the Spirit.
You preached the Word, Who in His goodness,
wrapped himself in flesh taken from the divine Virgin Maiden!
Therefore, strengthened by the might of grace,
you endured fire, torments and cruel persecutions.

2. When the shameful enemy strove with flatteries
to sway you from your intention,
adorned with courage you opposed him steadfastly!
You endured the pains which brought you to a painless rest:
To the Kingdom of heaven and everlasting delight,
all-praised Martyr Myron!

1. Martyr, when the enemy flogged you with thongs of hide,
destroying your holy flesh with constant lashings,
you turned your gaze to Christ, the contest’s Judge.
He stretched out His hand of divine might to you!
Therefore, having completed the race,
you received great honours, all-courageous athlete Myron!

In Tone 2, Now…

She who is higher than the heavens
and more glorious than the cherubim;
who is honoured more highly than all creation;
who by reason of her surpassing purity
became the receiver of the ever-lasting Essence —
today commends her all-pure soul into the hands of her Son.
Together with her all things are filled with joy,
and she grants us great mercy!

In Tone 1, Now…

Let us sing a hymn of praise to the Virgin Mary,
glory of the whole world!
She was herself formed by human seed,
yet she became the Mother of the Master, the Gate of heaven,
the theme of the angels’ hymn and beauty of the faithful.
She was seen as being heavenly
and the Tabernacle of the Godhead.
She indeed tore down the wall of enmity between God and man,
and brought peace in its place, she opened up the kingdom of heaven.
Let us therefore cling fast to her for she is the anchor of faith,
and let us receive as our stronghold the Lord Who was born of her.
Be of good cheer, then, and have confidence, O people of God,
for He will fight our enemies for us, He is all-powerful!

 

Aposticha

In Tone 1

O Christ, by Your Passion we have been freed from suffering;
and by Your Resurrection we have been delivered from corruption.
O Lord, glory to You!

The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.

Let all creation rejoice, let the heavens be glad,
let the nations clap their hands with joy.
For Christ our Saviour, in His love for mankind,
has nailed our sins to the Cross;
He has put Death to death,
and by raising our fallen forefather, Adam,
He has given life to all mankind.

For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.

O God, You are above all understanding;
You are King and Lord of heaven and earth.
Yet of Your own free will,
You allowed Yourself to be crucified because of Your love for mankind.
When You descended below,
Hades was filled with bitterness as You confronted it;
but the souls of the just received You with great joy.
Adam arose when he saw You, his Creator, down in the depths.
What a wonder this is!
You are the life of all and have tasted death
in order to dispel the darkness of the world with Your light.
O Lord, risen from the dead, glory to You!

Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.

The myrrh-bearing women were filled with grief
as they hastened with spices to Your tomb;
but they did not find Your most pure body.
Instead, they found an angel
who proclaimed Your unique and glorious Resurrection,
and commanded them to announce to Your Apostles:
The Lord is risen, granting great mercy to the world.

In Tone 2, Glory… Now…

The all-immaculate Bride and Mother
in whom the Father was well-pleased:
She who was preordained by God to be the holy abode
of the union without confusion,
delivers her undefiled soul to her Maker and God today.
The bodiless powers receive her in a divine manner;
she who is truly the Mother of Life departs to life!
She is the lamp of the unapproachable Light
the salvation of the faithful and the hope of our souls.

 

Troparia

In Tone 1
Though the stone was sealed by the Judeans* and soldiers guarded Your most pure body,* You arose, O Saviour, on the third day* and gave life to the world.* And so the heavenly powers cried out You, O Giver of Life:* Glory to Your Resurrection, O Christ!* Glory to Your Kingdom!* Glory to Your saving plan!** O only Lover of Mankind.

In Tone 1, Glory… 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.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 1: Though the stone was sealed by the Judeans,* and soldiers guarded Your most pure body,* You arose, O Saviour, on the third day,* and gave life to the world.* And so the heavenly powers cried out to You, O Giver of Life:* Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ!* Glory to Your kingdom!* Glory to Your saving plan,* O only Lover of mankind.

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.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 1: You arose in glory from the tomb* and with Yourself You raise the world.* All humanity acclaims You as God.* and death has vanished.* Adam exults, O Master,* and Eve, redeemed from bondage now, cries out for joy:* “You are the One, O Christ, Who offer resurrection to all.”

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 1
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in You.
verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; praise befits the righteous. (Psalm 32:22,1)

Epistle
1 Corinthians 4:9-16

Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: God gives me vindication, and has subdued people under me.
verse: Making great the salvation of the king, and showing mercy to His anointed, to David, and to His posterity forever. (Psalm 17:48,51)

Gospel
Matthew 17:14-23

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.* V

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)

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The Lord Who, on Mt. Sinai, commanded by His Fifth Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12), showed by His own example how one should respect one’s parent. Hanging on the Cross in agony, He remembered His mother and indicating to the Apostle John, said to her: “Woman behold your son” (St. John 19:26). After that, He said to John: “Behold your mother” (St. John 19:27). And so providing for His mother, He breathed His last. John had a home on Zion in Jerusalem in which the Theotokos settled and remained there to live out the end of her days on earth. By her prayers, gentle counsels, meekness and patience, she greatly assisted the apostles of her Son. Primarily, she spent her entire time in Jerusalem often visiting those places which reminded her of the great events and of the great works of her Son. She especially visited Golgotha, Bethlehem and the Mount of Olives. Of her distant journeys, her visit to St. Ignatius the Theophorus [God-bearer] in Antioch is mentioned, as well as her visit to Lazarus (whom our Lord resurrected on the fourth day), the Bishop of Cyprus, her visit to the Holy Mountain [Athos] which she blessed and her stay in Ephesus with St. John the Evangelist [The Theologian] during the time of the great persecution of Christians in Jerusalem. In her old age, she often prayed to the Lord and her God on the Mount of Olives, the site of His Ascension, that He take her from this world as soon as possible. On one occasion, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and revealed to her that within three days she will find repose. The angel gave her a palm-branch to be carried at the time of her funeral procession. She returned to her home with great joy, desiring in her heart once more to see in this life, all of the apostles of Christ. The Lord fulfilled her wish and all of the apostles, borne by angels in the clouds, gathered at the same time at the home of John on Zion. With great rejoicing, she saw the holy apostles, encouraged them, counseled them and comforted them. Following that, she peacefully gave up her soul to God without any pain or physical illness. The apostles took the coffin with her body from which an aromatic fragrance emitted and, in the company of many Christians, bore it to the Garden of Gethsemane to the sepulchre of [her parents], Saints Joachim and Anna. By God’s Providence, they were concealed from the evil Jews by a cloud. Anthony, a Jewish priest, grabbed the coffin with his hands with the intention of overturning it but, at that moment, an angel of God severed both his hands. He then cried out to the apostles for help and was healed since declaring his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Thomas was absent, again according to God’s Providence, in order that a new and all-glorious mystery of the Holy Theotokos would again be revealed. On the third day, Thomas arrived and desired to venerate [kiss] the body of the Holy All-pure one. But when the apostles opened the sepulchre, they found only the winding sheet and the body was not in the tomb. That evening, the Theotokos appeared to the apostles surrounded by a myriad of angels and said to them: “Rejoice, I will be with you always”. It is not exactly known how old the Theotokos was at the time of her Falling Asleep but the overwhelming opinion is that she was over sixty years of age. (Prologue of Ohrid)

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VESPERS

Kathisma
Blessed is the man… is sung.

 

At Psalm 140

In Tone 1

8. O what a wonder! The Source of Life is placed in a tomb;
the grave becomes a ladder to heaven.
Rejoice, Gethsemane, holy chamber of the Mother of God!
As for us, O faithful,
let us cry out with Gabriel, the prince of angels:
Rejoice, O woman full of grace, the Lord is with you,
the Lord, Who because of you, bestows great mercy upon the world.

7. O what a wonder! The Source of Life is placed in a tomb;
the grave becomes a ladder to heaven.
Rejoice, Gethsemane, holy chamber of the Mother of God!
As for us, O faithful,
let us cry out with Gabriel, the prince of angels:
Rejoice, O woman full of grace, the Lord is with you,
the Lord, Who because of you, bestows great mercy upon the world.

6. O Lady, marvellous are your mysteries.
You have become the throne of the Most High,
and today you are taken from earth to heaven.
Your glory shines forth with the radiance of divine grace
and surpasses every other splendour.
Rise up to the heavens, all you virgins,
together with the Mother of our King, and cry out:
Rejoice, O Woman full of grace, the Lord is with you,
the Lord, Who because of you,
bestows great mercy upon the world.

5. O Lady, marvellous are your mysteries.
You have become the throne of the Most High,
and today you are taken from earth to heaven.
Your glory shines forth with the radiance of divine grace
and surpasses every other splendour.
Rise up to the heavens, all you virgins,
together with the Mother of our King, and cry out:
Rejoice, O Woman full of grace, the Lord is with you,
the Lord, Who because of you,
bestows great mercy upon the world.

4. Behold, all the heavenly hosts,
the Dominations, Thrones, and Principalities,
Virtues, Powers, Cherubim, and Seraphim,
sing a hymn of glory to your Dormition.
The entire human race rejoices at your glory;
and kings, together with the Angels and Archangels, sing out to you:
Rejoice, O Woman full of grace, the Lord is with you,
the Lord, Who because of you,
bestows great mercy upon the world.

In Tone 4

3. The heavens rejoice in your glorious Dormition,
and the angelic hosts are filled with joy;
all the universe is exalting
as they sing hymns of farewell to you,
O Mother of the Master of the universe,
O all-holy Virgin who did not know wedlock.
You have delivered mankind from the condemnation of old.

2. At the divine command
the chosen apostles hastened from the ends of the universe to bury you;
and, seeing you carried from earth to heaven,
they praised you with the words of Gabriel:
Rejoice, O bearer of the entire Divinity!
Rejoice, O Virgin, for you alone brought heaven and earth together
in giving birth to your Son.

1. You have given birth to Life,
and now by your holy Dormition
you have crossed the borders into eternal life.
The Angels, Principalities, and the Virtues,
the prophets, the apostles, and all creation form a procession,
and your Son receives your pure soul into His immaculate hands,
O Virgin Mother and Bride of God.

In Tone 1, Glory… Now…

The holy apostles were taken up from every corner of the world
and carried upon clouds by the command of God.
They gathered around you pure body, O Source of Life,
and kissed it with reverence.
As for the most sublime powers of heaven,
they came with their own leader
to escort and to pay their last respects to the most honourable body
that had contained Life itself.
Filled with awe, they marched together with the apostles in silent majesty,
professing to the princes of heaven in a hushed voice:
Lift up your gates and receive, with becoming majesty,
the Mother of the Light that never fades,
because, through her, salvation was made possible for mankind.
She is the One upon whom no one may gaze,
and to whom no one is able to render sufficient glory;
for the special honour that made her sublime is beyond understanding.
Therefore, O Most Pure Mother of God,
forever alive with your Son, the Source of Life,
do not cease to intercede with Him
that He may guard and save Your people from every trouble;
for you are our intercessor.
To you we sing a hymn of glory
with loud and joyful voice, now and forever.

 

Readings
(1) Genesis 28:10-17; (2) Ezekiel 43:27 – 44:4; (3) Proverbs 9:1-11

 

Lytia

In Tone 1

Because the disciples had been both the eyewitnesses and servants of the Word,
it was also fitting that they should witness the final mystery,
the Dormition of His Mother according to the flesh.
They not only saw the ascension of the Saviour from earth to heaven,
but they were also witnesses to the translation of the Mother who bore Him.
They came to Zion to escort the Virgin, who surpasses the Cherubim,
as she hastened in her journey to heaven.
With them, let us also bow low
before the One who intercedes for our souls.

In Tone 2

She is higher than the heavens,
more glorious than the Cherubim,
and more honourable than all creation.
Her outstanding purity became the dwelling place of eternal divinity.
Today she places her all-pure soul into the hands of her Son.
With her, the universe is filled with joy,
and the grace of salvation is given to us.

The most pure Spouse, the Mother of the One in Whom the Father is well-pleased,
she whom God had chosen to become the dwelling place of His natures
that had been united without confusion,
today delivers her most pure soul to her divine Creator.
The angels welcome her in a divine manner,
and the Mother of Life is now transferred to life.
She is the lamp of the inaccessible brightness,
the hope of our souls, and the salvation of believers.

In Tone 3

Come, all you ends of the earth,
let us praise the blessed passing of the Mother of God.
She delivers her sinless soul into the hands of her Son;
through her holy Dormition the world is given new life.
With psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles,
the whole world celebrates in joy
together with the angels and apostles.

In Tone 5, Glory…

Come, all you lovers of the feast,
let us form choirs and fill the Church with our hymns
in honour of the falling asleep of the Ark of God.
Today heaven indeed opens its bosom
to receive the Mother of the One whom the universe cannot contain.
The earth gives back the Source of Life
and receives the blessing of the Lord.
The choir of angels and apostles look with awe
as they see the One who gave birth to the Prince of Life
now herself pass from life to life.
Let us all bow together before her and say:
O Lady, do not forget the children of your house
who celebrate your holy Dormition in faith.

Now…

O people, sing to the Mother of our God;
for, on this day, she delivers her radiant soul into the most pure hands
of the One Who took flesh of her without seed.
In His presence she intercedes unceasingly
that He grant peace and great mercy to the world.

 

Aposticha

In Tone 4

All you peoples of the earth
sing together a hymn of glory
to the pure and most holy Virgin
from whom the Word of God came to us,
receiving flesh from her in a manner beyond understanding.
Let us cry out: Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is your womb that contained Christ,
into whose hands you committed your soul.
O pure Virgin, intercede with Christ that He may save our souls!

Go up, O Lord, to the place of Your rest, You and the ark of Your strength.

O pure and most holy Virgin,
the choirs of angels in heaven and the assembly of people on earth
sing the praises of your glorious Dormition;
for you have become the Mother of the Creator of all, Christ our God.
We beg you to intercede constantly for us;
for, next to God, we have placed our hope in you,
O most glorious and ever-virgin Mother of God.

The Lord swore an oath to David; He will not go back on His word.

With all the people of the earth,
let us sing to Christ the hymn of praise that David has sung of old.
Together with her escort of virgins,
with happiness and rejoicing, she will be led to the King;
for the fruit of David’s seed,
the One through whom we have been led to God,
has been lifted up to glory by her Son and Master
in a way that defies description.
Since she is the Mother of God,
we sing to her a hymn of glory and cry out:
Deliver us from all harm and guard our souls from tribulations.
We confess and proclaim that you are the Mother of God.

Glory… Now…

O Virgin Mother of God,
at the time you were carried up to the One born of you
in a manner beyond understanding,
James and Peter were present;
James, the brother of the Lord and first bishop,
and Peter, the honourable head of the apostles and prince of theologians.
The whole college of apostles was also there,
all in one accord proclaiming things divine,
praising the astounding mystery of Christ,
and with joy, preparing your body, O most glorious One,
source of Life and temple of God.
The most holy angelic powers,
were rapt in wonder at the sight of this miracle,
and they said to each other:
Lift up your gates to receive the Mother of the Creator of heaven and earth.
Come, let us all sing hymns to her noble and holy body
that has contained the invisible Lord.
Therefore, we also celebrate your feast;
and, O woman worthy of all praise, we cry out:
O glorious Lady, exalt the Christian peoples
and intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls.

 

Troparion

In 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. (thrice)

 

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FESTAL MATINS

The Lord is God, Tone 1

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. (twice)

Glory… Now… (repeat)

Sessional Hymn I, Tone 1
The venerable choir of the divine apostles* was reunited in a marvellous manner* to bury your most pure body, O glorious Mother of God.* With them the multitude of angels also sang in honour of your passage to heaven* which we now celebrate in faith.

Glory… Now… (repeat)

Sessional Hymn II, Tone 3
In giving birth, your conception was without seed;* in falling asleep, your body did not undergo corruption.* You have passed from one miracle to another, O Mother of God.* How did the Virgin who knew not man nourish an infant?* And how did the Mother of God know death?* Therefore, with the angels we cry out to you:* Rejoice, for you are full of grace.

Glory… Now… (repeat)

Polyeleos

Exaltation
We extol you,* O all-pure Mother of Christ our God,* and we honour* your all-glorious Dormition.
verses:
Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth; sing praise to his name; give to Him glorious praise…
Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest, You and the ark of your strength…
I will make your name remembered from generation to generation…
Glory… Now…
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Glory be to You, O God! (3 times)…

Sessional Hymn, Tone 4
Tell us, O David, what feast is now being celebrated?* The one, he said, of which I sang in the book of the Psalms.* Christ has transferred into the dwelling place above* the One who is virgin, daughter, and servant of God,* she who bore Him in her womb without seed.* Therefore, mothers and daughters and Christian spouses sing with joy and say:* Rejoice, O Virgin who has passed into the heavenly kingdom.

Glory… Now… (repeat)

Gradual Hymns
Take 1st antiphon of Sunday, Tone 4

Prokeimenon, Tone 4
I will make your name remembered* from generation to generation.
verse: Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

Let Everything That Has Breath (Tone 4)

Gospel
Luke 1:39-49

Psalm 50

After Psalm 50
Tone 6, Glory…
Through the prayers of the Theotokos,* O merciful Lord,* cleanse us from the multitude of my transgressions.

Now…
Through the prayers of the Theotokos,* O merciful Lord,* cleanse us from the multitude of my transgressions.

Have mercy on me, God, in your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
O Tabernacle all-pure,* when the translation of your body took place,* the apostles gathered around your bier with fear and trembling.* They gazed upon you and were filled with awe.* In tears, Peter cried out to you:* O Virgin,* I see you laid out as one dead,* yet you gave birth to the Life of the universe.* I am struck with amazement,* for in you dwells the One who shall be our joy in the life beyond.* O pure Virgin, intercede unceasingly with your Son and God* to save the Christian people.

Canon

Ode 1, Tone 1
(Irmos) Your holy and noble death, O Virgin, is adorned with the splendid robe of divine glory. It brings all the faithful together in joy. Led by Miriam, with dances and timbrels they praise your only-begotten Son, for He has been greatly glorified.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
The heavenly choirs encircled your holy body in Sion while the choir of apostles, assembling from the ends of the earth, stood beside you, O Theotokos. Along with them, we also honour your holy memory, O most pure Virgin.
Glory… Now…
You have gained victory over nature by giving birth to God, O pure Virgin; yet, like your Son and Creator, you have followed the laws of nature while being above it. Therefore, through your death, you have risen to eternal life with your Son.
(Katavasia) Your holy and noble death, O Virgin, is adorned with the splendid robe of divine glory. It brings all the faithful together in joy. Led by Miriam, with dances and timbrels they praise your only-begotten Son, for He has been greatly glorified.

Ode 3, Tone 1
(Irmos) You are the Creator, Wisdom, and Power of God, O Christ; and You uphold all things by your will. Make your Church firm and faithful, for You alone are holy and dwell among the saints.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
O most pure Virgin, the holy apostles acknowledged you to be both a mortal and one who was beyond and above nature, the Mother of God. Therefore, they approached your body with fear and awe, and beheld you, the tabernacle that had contained God, radiant with glory.
Glory… Now…
The bold hands of the impudent one were quickly cut off by the righteousness of God in order to preserve the honour of the living Ark, the glory of the Divinity, from whom the Word had taken flesh.
(Katavasia) You are the Creator, Wisdom, and Power of God, O Christ; and You uphold all things by your will. Make your Church firm and faithful, for You alone are holy and dwell among the saints.

Ode 4, Tone 1
(Irmos) O Christ, the prophets foretold your incarnation from a virgin, and that You would be the glory and light of revelation to the Gentiles. The abyss cries out in joy to You: Glory to your power, for You alone love all people.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Come all you faithful, and behold the mystery; for the holy mountain of the Lord is raised above the heavens as we look on. The earthly heaven takes up her dwelling in a heavenly and immortal land.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
O pure Virgin, your death was a passing over into a better and eternal life. It transported you from this earthly life to one that is divine and knows no end; now you behold your Son and Lord in joy.
Glory… Now…
The heavenly gates opened wide, and the heavenly choirs sang as Christ welcomed the virgin treasure of his own mother. The Cherubim served you in gladness, and the Seraphim praised you in joy.
(Katavaisa) O Christ, the prophets foretold your incarnation from a virgin, and that You would be the glory and light of revelation to the Gentiles. The abyss cries out in joy to You: Glory to your power, for You alone love all people.

Ode 5, Tone 1
(Irmos) I will speak of your divine and wondrous mysteries, O Christ. You have revealed yourself as the divine Son, radiant with eternal brightness, who took flesh from a virgin. You have risen as the sun, bestowing light to those who dwelt in the shadow of darkness.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
The choir of apostles was transported upon a cloud from the ends of the earth to Sion so that they might minister to you, O Virgin. From you, O swift cloud, the Almighty God, the Sun of Righteousness, bestowed light upon those who were in the shadow of darkness.
Glory… Now…
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the apostles sang out a burial hymn to the Mother of God in a voice louder than trumpets: Rejoice, O pure source of the Incarnation of God. Through you, salvation comes to the whole world.
(Katavasia) I will speak of your divine and wondrous mysteries, O Christ. You have revealed yourself as the divine Son, radiant with eternal brightness, who took flesh from a virgin. You have risen as the sun, bestowing light to those who dwelt in the shadow of darkness.

Ode 6, Tone 1
(Irmos) Your three-day burial, O Lord, was prefigured by the sea monster, breathing forth fire; Jonah was the interpreter of this mystery; for coming forth from the monster safe and sound, he cried out: I will offer hymns of praise to You, O Lord.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
The Divine King of all bestowed upon you gifts that are beyond nature. Just as He preserved your virginity in childbirth, He saved your body from suffering corruption in the tomb. He exalted you, his Mother, through your divine passage in glory.
Glory… Now…
O Virgin, your Son has granted that you dwell in the Holy of Holies as a bright lamp, burning with the immaterial fire, as a golden censer burning with divine coal. You are the vessel containing manna, the rod of Aaron, the tablet written by God, the holy Ark, and the table of the Bread of Life.
(Katavasia) Your three-day burial, O Lord, was prefigured by the sea monster, breathing forth fire; Jonah was the interpreter of this mystery; for coming forth from the monster safe and sound, he cried out: I will offer hymns of praise to You, O Lord.

Kontakion, Tone 2
The grave and death did not detain the Mother of God. * She prays perpetually and is our unfailing hope of intercession; * for He who dwelt in the womb of the ever-Virgin, * transferred to life the Mother of Life.

Ikos
O Saviour, encircle my heart so that I may praise this stronghold of the world, your most pure Mother; may my words be as strong as a fortress, and may my thoughts acquire power and strength. You always fulfill the petitions of those who come to You in faith. Therefore, grant me the words, the tongue, and the thoughts that are without shame; for every gift that enlightens us comes from You, the Enlightener of our souls, and the Lord who dwelt in a virginal womb.

Ode 7, Tone 1
(Irmos) Through the power of God’s love, the three youths overcame the anger and fire, extinguished the flames with dew, and scorned the anger of the tyrant. Inspired by God, they became as a three-stringed harp singing in the flaming furnace: Blessed are You, O most glorious God, for You are the God of our Fathers.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Moses, overcome by wrath, destroyed the tablets made by God and inscribed by the Holy Spirit. But the God of Moses preserved the virginity of his own Mother in her childbirth, and now has carried her to the heavenly dwelling. Rejoicing with her, we sing out to Christ: Blessed are You, O most glorious God, for You are the God of our Fathers.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
O faithful, let us sing on this sacred and festive day of the Translation of the pure Virgin. With the cymbals of our pure lips, the melodious lyres of our hearts, the sweet-sounding trumpets of our uplifted minds, and the joyful clapping of our hands, let us say: Blessed are You, O most glorious God, for You are the God of our Fathers.
Glory… Now…
Inspired by God, the faithful have assembled to witness the passing over of God’s glorious Tabernacle from Sion to the heavenly dwelling place where the joyful singing of those celebrating the feast can be heard praising Christ and saying: Blessed are You, O most glorious God, for You are the God of our Fathers.
(Katavasia) Through the power of God’s love, the three youths overcame the anger and fire, extinguished the flames with dew, and scorned the anger of the tyrant. Inspired by God, they became as a three-stringed harp singing in the flaming furnace: Blessed are You, O most glorious God, for You are the God of our Fathers.

Ode 8, Tone 1
(Irmos) The mighty angel of God showed to the three holy youths a fire which was refreshing to them but destructive to the impious. He made the Theotokos a source of life gushing forth immortality to those who sing: Because we have been saved, we glorify the one and only Creator and praise Him above all forever.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
The choir of apostles attended the divine Ark of holiness in Sion while singing: O Tabernacle of the living God, where are you going? Continue to guard those who sing to you in faith: Because we have been saved, we glorify the one and only Creator and praise Him above all forever.
Glory… Now…
As the pure Virgin left the earth, she raised up her hands in which she had embraced the incarnate God, and she confidently spoke to her Son, saying: Remember forever those whom You have given me and who sing out to You: Because we have seen saved, we glorify the one and only Creator and praise Him above all forever.
(Katavasia) The mighty angel of God showed to the three holy youths a fire which was refreshing to them but destructive to the impious. He made the Theotokos a source of life gushing forth immortality to those who sing: Because we have been saved, we glorify the one and only Creator and praise Him above all forever.

Omit Magnificat

Ode 9
Seeing the Dormition of the Most Pure One, the angels were filled with awe at how the Virgin went from earth to heaven.
(Sung before each of the following)
In you, O pure Virgin, the laws of nature were overcome: in giving birth you remained a virgin, and in your death, heralded life. You remained a virgin after giving birth and remained alive after death, always saving your descendants, O Mother of God.
The heavenly choirs were astonished as they beheld their Master in Sion holding the soul of a woman in his hands. As a Son, it was fitting that He spoke to her who had given birth to Him without stain and said: Come and share the glory of your Son and your God.
Glory… Now…
The assembly of apostles gathered around your body which had contained God. Beholding it with awe, they cried out with a clear voice: Save your people as you pass over to the heavenly mansions of your Son.

Hymn of Light, Tone 3
O holy apostles of Christ, gathered here from the ends of the universe,* carry my body to the garden of Gethsemane and place it in the tomb.* And You, my Son and my God, receive my breath and my spirit. (3)

At the Praises

In Tone 4

The heavens rejoice in your glorious Dormition,
and the angelic hosts are filled with joy;
all the universe is exalting
as they sing hymns of farewell to you,
O Mother of the Master of the universe,
O all-holy Virgin who did not know wedlock.
You have delivered the human race from the condemnation of old.

The heavens rejoice in your glorious Dormition,
and the angelic hosts are filled with joy;
all the universe is exalting
as they sing hymns of farewell to you,
O Mother of the Master of the universe,
O all-holy Virgin who did not know wedlock.
You have delivered the human race from the condemnation of old.

At the divine command, the chosen apostles
hastened from the ends of the universe to bury you;
and, seeing you carried from earth to heaven,
they praised you with the words of Gabriel:
Rejoice, O bearer of the entire Divinity!
Rejoice, O Virgin, for you alone brought heaven and earth together
in giving birth to your Son.

You have given birth to Life,
and now by your holy Dormition
you have crossed the borders into eternal life.
The Angels, the Principalities, and the Virtues,
the prophets, the apostles, and all creation form a procession,
and your Son receives your pure soul into his immaculate hands,
O Virgin Mother and Bride of God.

In Tone 6, Glory… Now…

For your holy Dormition, O Mother of God and Mother of Life,
the clouds carried the apostles through the air.
Those who had been scattered throughout the world
were brought together in a single choir;
and, burying your most pure body with respect,
they sang the words of Gabriel:
Rejoice, O full of grace, O unwedded Virgin;
the Lord is with you!
Intercede with your Son and our God to save our souls.

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.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

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.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, 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
Philippians 2:5-11

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
Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28

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.* V

Communion Hymn
I will take the cup of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 115:13)

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Raised in virtue, O Father Theodosius,* from childhood you loved the monastic life* and attained your desire courageously.* You lived in a cave adorning your life with fasting and radiance* and abided in prayer like the bodiless powers.* You shone like a beacon in the land of Rus’.* Entreat Christ God to save our souls.

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VESPERS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

6. At the sound of the cymbals, let us sing resounding hymns,
anticipating the feast of her departure.
Let us lift our voices in a brilliant chorus before her sepulchre.
For the Mother of God and the golden Tabernacle
now prepares to pass from earth to heaven,
to the new life and the divine splendour.

5. O choir of the holy apostles,
you are gathered together from the ends of the earth.
The Living City of the One who reigns over all
departs in glory to the heavens.
She goes to rejoice with her Son, the King.
With the angelic hosts, sing a farewell hymn to her divine burial.

4. O choir of the holy priests,
O kings, princes, and ranks of virgins, now come together!
All you people, let us come before her holy tomb and sing a hymn,
for the Queen of all entrusts her soul into the hands of her Son
to be taken to the heavenly home.

3. O venerable Father, when you accepted the ascetic life for your salvation,
then you were enlightened invisibly from heaven
and were shown to be an exorciser of evil spirits.
By divine will you received gold,
which, in your generous mercy, you gave to those in need.
You filled their empty vessels with produce,
preparing for the Saviour, those who were in distress.
O preacher of the faith of Christ our God,
pray to Him to save and enlighten our souls.

2. The appearance of your holy relics came like a great light,
understood to be like the angelic splendour.
The great Stephen ran quickly with longing and joy,
seeing them coming in the distance.
He found your body whole and incorrupt
and glorified Christ our God.
O Father, pray to Him to save and enlighten our souls.

1. When those who wished to bear your body
came to the cave where you were buried,
they rejoiced on opening the tomb;
for they saw your most holy remains whole and untouched by corruption,
the hair framing your glorious face,
and your eyes and mouth joined in praises of Christ our God.
Pray to Him to save and enlighten our souls.

In Tone 6, Glory…

In faith we are all called together to celebrate this feast.
Let us hasten today to commemorate
the transferal of your holy relics, O venerable Father,
and let us say:
Rejoice, O consecrated dwelling of the divine Spirit and pillar of piety;
rejoice, boast of ascetics,
for you increased the talent given you by God;
rejoice, bright beacon to the world and our consolation.
As you now stand before the throne of Christ,
beg Him to deliver us from all trouble and distress
and to attain the future glory;
for we celebrate your memory in faith.

In Tone 4, Now…

O pure and most holy Virgin,
the choirs of angels in heaven and the assembly of people on earth
sing the praise of your glorious Dormition;
for you have become the Mother of the Creator of all, Christ our God.
We beg you to intercede constantly for us;
for, next to God, we have placed our hope in you,
O most glorious and ever-virgin Mother of God.
Readings
(1) Wisdom 5:15-6:3; (2) Wisdom 3:1-9; (3) Wisdom 4:7-15

 

Aposticha

In Tone 2

O marvellous wonder! O new sign of mystery!
How is it that the life-bearing Maiden
has been given over to death
and is now being concealed in a tomb?

Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest, You and the ark of your strength.

May all creatures sing out
because the Virgin, the daughter of Adam,
is going up into heaven.

The Lord swore an oath to David; He will not go back on his word.

Let us imagine the Virgin’s bier
surrounded by the apostolic choir,
and let us sing at her departure.

In Tone 8, Glory…

The multitude of monks praise you as their teacher,
O Theodosius our Father,
for by your paths you truly showed us the way we should go.
You are a blessed servant of Christ;
you unmasked the power of the enemy.
O dweller with angels and companion of the monks and the just,
pray with them that the Lord grant mercy to our souls.

In Tone 2, Now…

She is higher than the heavens,
more glorious than the Cherubim,
and more honourable than all creation.
Her outstanding purity became the dwelling place of the eternal divinity.
Today she places her all-pure soul into the hands of her Son.
With her, the universe is filled with joy,
and the grace of salvation is given to us.

 

Troparia

In Tone 8
Raised in virtue, O Father Theodosius,* from childhood you loved the monastic life* and attained your desire courageously.* You lived in a cave adorning your life with fasting and radiance* and abided in prayer like the bodiless powers.* You shone like a beacon in the land of Rus’.* Entreat Christ God to save our souls.

In Tone 4, Glory… Now…
O peoples, dance with joy and clap your hands with fervour.* Gather today in eagerness and jubilation, and sing with glee;* for the Mother of God is about to rise in glory,* going up from the earth into heaven.* It is to her we always sing hymns of praise,* for she is the Mother of God.

 

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DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 8: Raised in virtue, O Father Theodosius,* from childhood you loved the monastic life* and attained your desire courageously.* You lived in a cave adorning your life with fasting and radiance* and abided in prayer like the bodiless powers.* You shone like a beacon in the land of Rus’.* Entreat Christ God to save our souls.

Troparion, Tone 4: O peoples, dance with joy and clap your hands with fervour.* Gather today in eagerness and jubilation, and sing with glee;* for the Mother of God is about to rise in glory,* going up from the earth into heaven.* it is to her we always sing hymns of praise,* for she is the Mother of God.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 4: Today the whole universe dances with joy* at your glorious memory, O Mother of God,* and it cries out to you:* Rejoice, O virgin, pride of Christians.

Now and forever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 3: Today we revere the star of Rus’, blessed Theodosius,* who shone from the east and same to the West;* for he enriched this whole land and all of us* with gentleness and miraculous wonders* by the practice and the grace of the monastic rule.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones.
verse: What shall I render to the Lord for all the things He has rendered to me? (Psalm 115:15,12)

Epistle
Hebrews 13:7-16

Alleluia, Tone 2
verse: Your priests shall clothe themselves with justice, and Your venerable ones shall rejoice.
verse: For the Lord has chosen Sion; He has chosen it for His dwelling. (Psalm 131:9,13)

Gospel
Matthew 11:27-29

Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)