Day when the faithful are highly encouraged
to participate in the Divine Liturgy.
VESPERS
At Psalm 140
In Tone 6
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Divine ones who were witnesses of God,
His disciples and ministers of His great mystery,
you received the grace of healing,
and cure the sickness of all mankind.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Apostles of the Lord,
and eye-witnesses of God,
you are the mighty refuge and protection of our souls,
driving away evil spirits.
Therefore we ever honor you.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Blessed apostles,
deliver from all calamity and harm caused by the devil,
from transgression and the bondage of evil,
those who praise you in faith.
In Tone 4
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Having been enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
you, O most laudable ones,
have taken up aims against the prince of this world
and have obtained victory over his snares, with God’s help;
therefore celebrating today your most illustrious memory,
we dutifully honour with praises your sufferings.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Having been given over to wounds and tortures,
you, O holy ones, did remain inflexible in your wisdom,
as lamps attaining the highest heat from the spiritual warmth,
you have enlightened the hearts of the faithful with the grace;
wherefore people of every station and age make a feast of your holy memory
glorifying the Lord in odes.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
With the brightness of your miracles you, O martyrs,
have enlightened the whole creation,
having driven away the mist of passions and woes
from those who have recourse to you
and in faith seek your protection, O valiant sufferers of the Saviour;
wherefore in faith we keep your holy and light-bearing commemoration.
In Tone 6, Glory… Now…
The evil adversary
jealous of your flock, most pure one,
always battles and desires us as food for himself.
But deliver us from this danger, Theotokos!
Aposticha
In Tone 6
Your apostles, Lord,
once went down to the bottom of the sea with their nets,
and then because of their decrees
they attained the top most height of the kingdom.
For by their knowledge of their craft
they explored the unfathomed deep,
while by their faith they reached Your infinite bosom,
and proclaimed Your timeless Son to the world!
By their intercessions and those of all the saints, have mercy on us.
In the morning, fill us with Your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Give us joy to balance our affliction for the years when we knew misfortune. Show forth Your work to Your servants; let Your glory shine on their children.
When your disciples, Christ,
were caught by a storm in their ship
they cried out to You:
Save us, for we perish, Teacher!
Now we too cry out:
Deliver us from our distress, we pray You,
our Savior, the Lover of mankind!
Let the favour of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands.
Your Cross, O Lord,
was an invincible weapon for the martyrs.
They saw death before them,
but looking to the life that is to come,
they were strengthened by their hope in You.
By their intercessions have mercy on us.
Glory… Now…
Lady, I lift up the eye of my heart to you;
do not despise my feeble sighs
in the hour when your Son shall come to judge the world,
but be my helper and protector.
Troparia
In Tone 1
Be swayed by the pains that the saints have suffered for You, O Lord,* and heal all our pains,* O Lover of mankind, for this we pray.
Glory… Now…
When You, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan,* worship of the Trinity was revealed;* the voice of the Father bore witness to You,* naming You the beloved Son,* and the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the word’s certainty.* Glory to You, O Christ God,* who appeared and enlightened the world.
DIVINE LITURGY
Antiphon 1
When Israel came forth from Egypt, the house of Jacob from an alien people.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
The sea beheld this and fled,* the Jordan turned back on its course.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Why was it, O sea, that you fled,* that you, O Jordan, turned back on your course?
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Glory… Now… Only-Begotten Son…
Antiphon 3
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Saviour.
Son of God, baptized by John in the Jordan, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.
Son of God, baptized by John in the Jordan, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
For God is the great Lord, and the great king over all the earth.
Son of God, baptized by John in the Jordan, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Entrance
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ.
Son of God, baptized by John in the Jordan, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 1: When You, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan,* worship of the Trinity was revealed;* the voice of the Father bore witness to You,* naming You the beloved Son,* and the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the word’s certainty.* Glory to You, O Christ God,* who appeared and enlightened the world.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: Today, You have appeared to the world* and Your light, O Lord, has been signed on us,* who with knowledge sing Your praises.* You have come, You have appeared, O unapproachable Light.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord; God the Lord has appeared to us.
verse: Give thanks to the Lord for He is good for His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 117:26-27,1)
Epistle
James 3:11-4:6
Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: Bring to the Lord, you sons of God; bring to the Lord young rams.
verse: The voice of the Lord is over the waters, the God of glory has thundered, the Lord reigns over vast waters. (Psalm 28:1,3)
Gospel
Mark 11:23-26
Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify Christ the King, baptized in the Jordan.
and the Irmos: Every tongue is at a loss to praise you as is your due, O Mother of God. Even a spirit from above is filled with dizziness when seeking to sing your praises. But since you are good accept our faith, for you know well our love inspired by God. For it is you who protect all Christians; therefore, we magnify you.
Communion Hymn
The grace of God has appeared* bringing salvation to all.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Titus 2:11)
Instead of “Blessed is He who comes…” we sing:
All creation is filled with rejoicing today, for Christ is baptized in the Jordan.
Instead of “We have seen the true light…” we sing:
All creation is filled with rejoicing today, for Christ is baptized in the Jordan.
Instead of “May our mouths…” and “Blessed be the Name…” we sing:
All creation is filled with rejoicing today, for Christ is baptized in the Jordan. (3)