GREAT VESPERS
Psalm Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 8
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
You were begotten from the Father before the morning star,* but Arius taught wrongfully that You were created:* In his ignorance he designated You as a creature,* yet the fathers of the council proclaimed You as Son of God,* co-enthroned with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
- Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Who has torn Your spotless vesture, Saviour?* Who has challenged the unity of the triune Godhead?* It is Arius, for he denied that You are equal to the Father.* Those who follow him do not believe that God took flesh for our sake,* but the fathers of the council proclaimed You as Son of God,* co-enthroned with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
The foolish Arius blasphemed the holy Trinity,* dividing the Persons into three different and unequal substances,* but the God-mantled fathers denounced his confusion:* They assembled with the zeal of Elijah,* destroying error with the sword of the Spirit,* directed by the inspiration of God!
In Tone 8
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Blessed Forerunner John, your head shone from the ground* with rays brighter than the sun.* It enlightens the faithful.* We have it has a divine treasure* and draw rich grace from it,* sanctifying our souls, our bodies and thoughts.* As we celebrate, we call you blessed.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Blessed Forerunner John, your head shone from the ground* with rays brighter than the sun.* It enlightens the faithful.* We have it has a divine treasure* and draw rich grace from it,* sanctifying our souls, our bodies and thoughts.* As we celebrate, we call you blessed.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Your holy head, blessed Forerunner, poured out abundant grace.* It was shown without his foreknowledge* to the priest who was wise in God.* He quickly went with faith and grace* and openly brought about its sanctified coming* with the emperor and the divinely wise people* who fervently maintain the orthodox faith.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Your holy head, blessed Forerunner, poured out abundant grace.* It was shown without his foreknowledge* to the priest who was wise in God.* He quickly went with faith and grace* and openly brought about its sanctified coming* with the emperor and the divinely wise people* who fervently maintain the orthodox faith.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.6. If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
We celebrate the third revelation of your precious head.* When it was severed, glorious one,* the Trinity crowned it for your godly zeal.* The ranks of angels, the company of martyrs,* the apostles of God and all the prophets rejoice in its discovery.* Together with them, ever remember us, Forerunner of the Lord!
In Tone 6
Glory…
O Forerunner, your head, divinely preserved,* has risen from the bosom of the earth* as a treasury of graces of God.* Having received it, we bow down in reverence, O glorious prophet of Christ.* Through you, we have been given wondrous miracles* and have obtained the remission of our sins.
In Tone 8
Now…
We praise the radiance of Your countenance,* seeing Your Ascension upon the mount, O Christ,* the splendour of the Father’s glory.* We bow in worship before Your Passion!* We honour Your Resurrection!* We praise Your glorious Ascension!* Lord, have mercy on us!
Readings
(1) Isaiah 40:1-11; (2) Malachi 3:1-18; (3) Wisdom 4:7-15.
Aposticha
In Tone 2
Come, O faithful: let us venerate the head which was cut off by a sword:* the precious head of the Forerunner,* commemorating its finding on this day.* Let us go out to meet it with hymns, wholeheartedly honouring it* as a fountain which pours forth the grace of healing upon us.* This is the head which was once cut off by the foolish Herod,* goaded by the grudging of Herodias.
O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful.
As gold is taken from the mines,* so has the head of the Forerunner come forth from the earth,* radiant in its reliquary.* He still speaks, clearly accusing Herod, the adulterous murderer;* and he illumines our souls with his light.* In our hymns today, we the faithful venerate the Forerunner* who intercedes for us before God.
The just will flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a Lebanon cedar.
The head of the Baptist lay long hidden underground* like a treasure in a chest.* Today it is revealed to the whole world, pouring forth abundant streams of healing,* stopping illnesses, and shedding light on our souls.* We rejoice in its divine consolations as we sing the praises of the Forerunner.
In Tone 6
Glory… Now…
God has gone up with a shout;* the Lord, with the sound of a trumpet,* in order to save the fallen image of Adam,* and to send the comforting Spirit,* Who will sanctify our souls!
Troparion
In Tone 4
O prophet and forerunner,* Christ has revealed to us your head as divine treasure concealed in the earth.* Assembled for this discovery* we praise Christ with hymns inspired of God.* Through your intercessions He saves us from corruption.
Glory… Now…
You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through your blessing* that You are the Son of God,* the Redeemer of the world.
DIVINE LITURGY
First Antiphon
Clap your hands, all you nations;* shout to God with the voice of joy.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.
For the Lord most high is awesome,* a great king over all the earth.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.
He has subdued peoples to us,* and nations under our feet.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.
God ascended amid shouts of joy;* the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.
Glory… Now… Only-Begotten Son…
Third Antiphon
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord,* let us acclaim God, our Saviour.
Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Let us come before His face with praise,* and acclaim Him in psalms.
Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
For God is the great Lord,* the great king over all the earth.
Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Entrance
Come, let us worship* and fall down before Christ.
Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through your blessing* that You are the Son of God,* the Redeemer of the world.
Troparion, Tone 4: O prophet and forerunner,* Christ has revealed to us your head as divine treasure concealed in the earth.* Assembled for this discovery* we praise Christ with hymns inspired of God.* Through your intercessions He saves us from corruption.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 6: The Forerunner, a luminous and divine support in the world,* the lampstand of the sun,* has revealed his resplendent and divine head to the ends of the earth.* He hallows those who bow and cry out in faith:* “Save us all, O most wise Baptist of Christ.”
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 6: When you had fulfilled Your plan for us* and united things on earth with those in heaven,* You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* in no way distant, but remaining in separable,* You cried to those who love You:* I am with You and there is none against you.
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;* above all the earth be Your glory.
verse: My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready. I will sing and make music in my glory.(Psalm 56:6,8)
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him.
Epistle
Acts 21:8-14; 2 Corinthians 4:6-15
Alleluia, Tone 2
verse: God ascended amid shouts of joy; the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.
verse: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 46:6,2)
verse: Light is risen for the just and joy for the righteous of heart. (Psalm 96:11)
Gospel
John 14:27-15:7; Matthew 11:2-15
Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify the Lord who in glory ascended bodily into the heavens.
and the Irmos: O Mother of God,* you transcended both mind and word,* and in time, ineffably bore the Timeless One:* it is you who, with one accord,* we, the faithful, magnify.
Communion Hymn
God ascended amid shouts of joy;* the Lord at the sound of the trumpet. (Psalm 46:6)* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)
Instead of “We have seen the true light” and “Let our mouths be filled” we sing:
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, above all the earth be Your glory.
Instead of “Blessed be the Lord” we sing:
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, above all the earth be Your glory. (3)