VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 3
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Perceiving in me a slothfulness toward profitable works,* the serpent of many shapes transforms itself,* luring me towards ever more bitter evils,* showing me the sweetness of sin,* by his own bitter activity,* which is opposed to the commandments of God.* And taking advantage of my wicked character,* forcing me to accept evils as good.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Having eagerly trodden the whole path of iniquity and sin,* and utterly departed from that which is straight,* I have now drawn nigh to the gates of death;* and, hemmed in, I cry aloud: О my supremely good Jesus, O path of our life,* turn me to the broad expanse of true repentance;* save and grant me correction;* and before my death, grant me divine forgiveness!
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
I have been slain by diverse sins, by multitudes of transgressions and great misdeeds;* and I lie dead, truly helpless.* Only my hope in Your tender compassion remains alive, О Christ,* who grants both breath and life to the dead and slays the passions which kill us.* Wherefore, going before me, rescue me from everlasting death.
Tone 8
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
O all-glorious wonder!* Showing courage, a woman has trampled the enemy underfoot* and quenched the passions of the body through great abstinence.* Zealously taking the Cross of the Lord upon her shoulders,* Pelagia put off the burden of life’s possessions and followed after Christ* through the teachings of the wise Nonus.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
You have been revealed to us as a new Thecla!* For, finding your teacher Nonus to be another Paul,* you accepted his teachings, O glorious one,* having fervently embraced repentance,* and through abstinence you joined yourself to Christ,* O all-blessed and most honoured Pelagia.* Wherefore, never cease to pray to Christ that we be saved.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Rejoice, O most honoured Pelagia!* For, most honourably enkindled by zeal divine,* you cast aside the pleasure of fornication, O all-blessed one,* and hastening to Nonus, cried aloud:* You must give answer for my deeds* if you will not seal me with the sign of Christ, O glorious one,* investing me through baptism with pure raiment!
Tone 4, Glory…
Where sin has increased, there grace abounds, as the Apostle teaches;* for in prayers and tears you dried up the abyss of many offenses, O Pelagia,* and finally brought to the Lord right acceptable repentance,* and therein pray for our souls.
Now…
Grant me tears from the depths of my heart,* sighing from the depths of my soul, О Maiden,* and contrition and confession of the transgressions I have committed in this life,* that by your help, О all-pure one*, I may pass my life in repentance and receive remission.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
The Lord hears me* when I cry out to Him.
verse: Whenever I called, the God of my justice heard me.
Aposticha
Tone 3
Our evening hymn do we bring to You, O Christ,* with incense and spiritual songs,* have mercy on us and save our souls.
I have lifted up my eyes to You enthroned in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, as the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes on the Lord our God until He has mercy on us.
Save me, O Lord my God for You are the salvation of all:* The storm of the passions disquiets me,* and the yoke of my transgressions weighs heavily upon me.* Stretch out Your helping hand and lead me up to the light of compunction,* for You alone are compassionate and the Lover of mankind.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for we have been filled with shame; our soul is all too full of the mockery of the rich, of the contempt of the proud.
Great is the power of Your martyrs, О Christ;* for while lying in their graves they drive evil spirits away;* and, having struggled for piety with their faith in the Trinity,* they abolished the authority of the enemy.
Tone 3, Glory… Now…
O Theotokos, holy among women, O Mother unwedded:* entreat the King and God whom you bore,* that He save us, insofar as He is the Lover of mankind.
Troparia
Tone 8
The image of God was truly preserved in you, Mother,* for you took up the Cross and followed Christ.* By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away;* but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal.* Therefore your spirit, holy Mother Pelagia, rejoices with the angels!
Glory… Now…
With hymns of praise let us, the faithful, exalt the Mother of God,* the solid foundation of our faith* and the precious gift to our souls:* Rejoice, O woman who contained in your womb the Rock of life!* Rejoice, O hope of the world and helper of those who are in trouble!* Rejoice, O bride and Virgin forever!
DIVINE LITURGY ON TUESDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 8: The divine image was faithfully preserved in you, O mother,* for taking up the Cross you followed Christ.* By your deeds you have taught us to see beyond flesh which passes* and care for the soul, a thing immortal.* And so, O venerable woman, Pelagia,* your spirit rejoices with the angels.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2: For love of the Lord, O venerable woman,* you scorned the desire for rest and enlightened your soul through fasting,* for you have mightily conquered the beasts.* Through your prayers thwart the rage of fiends.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
God is wonderful in His saints,* the God of Israel.
verse: Bless God in the churches, the Lord from the fountains of Israel. (Psalm 67:36,27)
Epistle
Colossians 1:1,2,7-11
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me, and He heard my prayer.
verse: He brought me out of the pit of misery and the mud of the swamp. (Psalm 39:2,3)
Gospel
Luke 8:1-3
Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear*. Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)