Polyeleos Feast
GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 1
Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
Accept our evening prayer, O holy Lord,* and grant us forgiveness of sins,* for You alone manifested the resurrection* to the world.
The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O you people, walk around Sion 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.
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
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.
Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
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 1
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Most wise and praised Apostle Jude,* your sound has gone out into all the earth,* guiding as lightning to the never-fading Light* those darkened by the delusion of ungodliness.* Since now you are radiant with this Light,* beseech great mercy for our souls!
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Most wise and praised Apostle Jude,* your sound has gone out into all the earth,* guiding as lightning to the never-fading Light* those darkened by the delusion of ungodliness.* Since now you are radiant with this Light,* beseech great mercy for our souls!
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
As if you were a war-chariot of Christ, O wondrous Jude,* you put down the pride of idols.* By the Word of God, you mystically made captivity captive,* and gained life incorruptible, O glorious Apostle.* Since now you delight in this life,* beseech great mercy for our souls!
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
As if you were a war-chariot of Christ, O wondrous Jude,* you put down the pride of idols.* By the Word of God, you mystically made captivity captive,* and gained life incorruptible, O glorious Apostle.* Since now you delight in this life,* beseech great mercy for our souls!
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
You were a disciple of our incarnate God,* O Jude, Apostle of Christ.* You were sent by Him truly as a sheep among wolves,* by your speech turning them away from impiety,* bringing them to piety and a godly understanding of the holy Trinity.* Therefore we praise you.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
You were a disciple of our incarnate God,* O Jude, Apostle of Christ.* You were sent by Him truly as a sheep among wolves,* by your speech turning them away from impiety,* bringing them to piety and a godly understanding of the holy Trinity.* Therefore we praise you.
In Tone 8, Glory…
You received openly the grace of the divine Spirit, O Apostle Jude,* as a participant in the sacred choir of the Apostles.* When the fiery breath came down from heaven,* breathing forth with a tongue of fire,* you utterly consumed the thorns of idolatry.* O Preacher, entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved!
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!
Readings
Jude 1-10; Jude 11-16; Jude 17-25
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…
You are wondrous indeed, O Apostle Jude!* You were filled with divine zeal,* burning with ardour for the almighty God,* Who revealed you to be filled with divine miracles.* You possessed a wondrous passion,* and obtained a reverent manner through God-like action.* Therefore you are exalted and dwell with the Angels on high.* Since you behold God, pray to the Word, Christ our God,* that He may grant us great mercy!
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 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.
In Tone 1, Glory…
As we know you to be Christ’s relative* and a steadfast martyr,* O Jude, we praise you with sacred hymns.* You trampled on error and kept the faith.* And so on this day as we feast your memory* through your prayers, O apostle,* we receive release from our sins.
Now…
O Holy Tabernacle, when Gabriel cried out to you:* Rejoice, O Virgin, full of grace,* the Lord of All became incarnate of you,* as the righteous David had foretold.* In bearing your Creator, you have shown yourself to surpass the vastness of the heavens.* We, therefore, cry out: Glory to Him who dwelt in you!* Glory to Him who came forth from you!* Glory to Him who has set us free* through your life-giving birth!
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: As we know you to be Christ’s relative* and a steadfast martyr,* O Jude, we praise you with sacred hymns.* You trampled on error and kept the faith.* And so on this day as we feast your memory* through your prayers, O apostle,* we receive release from our sins.
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 raised the world.* All humanity acclaims You as God,* and death has vanished.* Adam exults, O Master,* and Eve, redeemed now from bondage, 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: O Jude, because of your solid mind* you were shown to be a chosen disciple and firm pillar of the Church of Christ.* You proclaimed to the nations His holy word* teaching them to believe in the one God* from Whom you received glory and the gift of healing* to cure the ills of those who flee to you,* O apostle, worthy of all praise.
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)
Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their word unto the ends of the world. (Psalm 18:5)
Epistle
Romans 2:10-16; Jude 1:1-10
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)
verse: The heavens shall confess our wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints. (Psalm 88:6)
Gospel
Matthew 4:18-23; John 14:21-24
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1).* Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their word unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 18:5)