Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts for Great and Holy Tuesday

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 1

Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

How shall I enter the splendour of your saints,
because of my unworthiness?
If I dare to enter into Your bridal chamber,
my garment shall give me away;
for I do not have a wedding garment,
and the angels shall cast me out.
Purify my soul, O Lord, and in Your goodness, save me.

The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

In Tone 2

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

My slothful soul has fallen into sleep, O Christ, my Spouse,
and I do not have a lamp shining with the fire of virtues.
I have become like the foolish virgins;
for, instead of labouring, I have wasted my time.
Do not close off Your love and Your heart to me, O Master;
but dispel my dark slumber;
awaken me that I may enter Your palace with the wise virgins.
There the choir of the just shall resound as they sing to You:
O Lord, glory to You.

Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

In Tone 4

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

You have heard of the condemnation of the one who hid the talent;
O my soul, do not hide the word of God.
Proclaim His wonders and increase His gifts,
that you may enter into the joy of your Lord.

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

You have heard of the condemnation of the one who hid the talent;
O my soul, do not hide the word of God.
Proclaim His wonders and increase His gifts,
that you may enter into the joy of your Lord.

In Tone 6

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

Come, O faithful, let us zealously labour for the Lord;
for He entrusts His riches to His servants;
let each multiply the talent of grace.
Let one gain wisdom by doing good;
let another serve with splendour;
let the faithful share the knowledge of faith with the unenlightened;
let others share their goods with the poor.
Thus we shall multiply the treasure that has been entrusted to us,
and we shall be the faithful stewards of grace,
and we shall be worthy of the joy of the Lord.
Grant this to us, O Christ our God,
in Your goodness toward humankind.

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

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

When You shall come in glory with the powers of heaven,
to be seated on the throne of judgment, O Jesus,
do not cast me far away from You, O Good Shepherd.
On Your right are the paths that lead to You,
and on Your left are those who turn away from You.
Do not make me perish with the goats,
even though I have been disfigured by sin.
But place me on Your right with Your sheep,
and in Your love for humankind, save me.

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

O Bridegroom, whose grace surpasses all human beauty,
You invite us to the spiritual feast in Your palace.
Strip me of the coarse garment of my sin,
and make me a partaker of Your Passion.
Clothe me in the glorious adornment of Your beauty.
In Your mercy, accept me as a luminous guest
at the banquet in Your Kingdom.

In Tone 7, Glory… Now…

Behold, the Lord entrusts His talent to you;
accept this gift with fear, O my soul.
Multiply it for the One who granted it to you;
share it with the poor and you shall have the Lord as your friend.
Then you shall be at His right when He comes in glory,
and you shall hear His blessed voice say to you:
You are indeed my servant;
enter into the joy of Your Lord.
Even though I have gone astray, O Lord,
make me worthy of this joy.

Prokeimenon I, Tone 6
Arise, O Lord, and go to Your resting place,* You and the ark of Your might.
verse: O Lord, remember David and the many hardships he endured.

Reading I
Exodus 2:5-10
The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her maidens walked along the riverside; and seeing the ark among the reeds, she sent a maid to get it. So when she opened the ark, she saw the child crying, and the daughter of Pharaoh had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” So Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” Then the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter then said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. Now when the boy was grown, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son; and she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4
How good and how pleasant it is,* when people live in unity!
verse: It is like precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron.

Reading II
Job 1:13-22
There was a day when Job’s sons and daughters were drinking wine in the house of their elder brother, and behold, a messenger came to Job and said, “The yokes of oxen were plowing, and the female donkeys were feeding beside them. Then raiders came and took them captive and killed the servants with the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said to Job, “Fire fell from heaven and burned up the sheep, and likewise consumed the shepherds; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “Horsemen formed three bands against us, surrounded the camels, took them captive, and killed the servants with the sword. I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine with their elder brother, and suddenly a great wind came from the desert and struck the four corners of the house; and it fell on your children, and they died; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved off the hair of his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped, saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. As it seemed good to the Lord, so also it came to pass. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In all these things that happened, Job did not sin against the Lord or charge God with folly.

Gospel
Matthew 24:36-26:2
The Lord said to His disciples, “Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides hissheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give Youdrink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”