Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
VESPERS ON THURSDAY NIGHT
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 6
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
О my long-suffering God and Lover of mankind,* greatly merciful and compassionate,* how did You endure to be slain and put to death on the Tree for the race of mankind?* I glorify Your loving-kindness.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
You endured smiting, crucifixion, and mockery, О Long-suffering One,* desiring to deliver all from the deceiver;* and You bore them all, О only supremely good Bestower of life.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
You ascended the Cross, О Shepherd,* and stretched forth Your arms, crying out:* “Come to me and be enlightened,* О you who have been darkened by deception, for I am the Light!”* Glory be to You, О only Bestower of light!
Tone 1
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
You suffered a multitude of tortures,* together obtaining your holy crowns, Proclus and Hilary.* Therefore we worthily celebrate your memory,* praying fervently that you may intercede for us.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Proclus, your body was torn asunder, * but you obtained eternal glory, blessed one.* Now that you are in the eternal light of Paradise,* pray that we who sing to you* may also see this light!
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Like two fountains of light, holy passion bearers, Proclus and Hilary,* dispel the darkening of passions* as we sing to you with joy,* celebrating your memory!
Tone 6, Glory… Now…
Seeing You nailed to the Tree, the most pure one cried out:* “O my Son and God, what is this exceedingly glorious and strange report of You,* that You endured in Your great mercy?”
Prokeimenon, Tone 6
My help is from the Lord,* Who made heaven and earth.
verse: I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help shall come.
Aposticha
Tone 6
Your Cross is the life and help of Your people, О Lord;* and trusting therein, we hymn You,* our God who was crucified in the flesh.* Have mercy on us!
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.
Your Cross, О Lord, has opened paradise to the race of mankind;* and delivered from corruption, we hymn You, our God who was crucified in the flesh.* Have mercy on us!
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.
Your martyrs, О Lord, did not deny You nor depart from Your commandments.* By their supplications have mercy on us.
Glory… Now…
Standing with the virginal disciple before the Tree during the crucifixion,* the Virgin cried out, weeping:* “Woe is me! How is it that You suffer, O Christ,* since You are the dispassion of all?”
Troparia
Tone 4
Your holy martyrs Proclus and Hilary, O Lord,* through their sufferings have received their incorruptible crowns from You, our God!* For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,* and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.* Through their intercessions, save our souls!
Glory… Now…
O Virgin, all immaculate Mother of Christ God,* a sword pierced your all-holy soul* when you saw your Son and God willingly crucified.* Therefore, O blessed One,* never cease to pray to Him* that He may grant us forgiveness of our sins.
DIVINE LITURGY ON FRIDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, 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 be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2: Appearing as radiant lights, O godly martyrs,* you illumine all creation with the brilliance of your miracles,* healing infirmities, always dispelling deep darkness* and praying unceasingly to Christ our God for all of us.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
To the saints who are in His land, the Lord has made wonderful all His desires in them.
verse: I foresaw the Lord in my sight, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. (Psalm 15:3,8)
Epistle
1 Corinthians 11:8-22
Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: The just cried out and the Lord heard them, and delivered them out of their afflictions.
verse: The afflictions of the just are many, and out of them all will the Lord deliver them. (Psalm 33:18,20)
Gospel
Matthew 17:10-18
Communion Hymn
Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)