Archive for the ‘Liturgy Readings’ Category
Sunday, August 1st, 2010 by Mihai
10th Sunday after Pentecost. Procession of the Cross. 7 Maccabean Youths. (Beginning of Dormition Fast). Tone 1. Mat. Gos. 10. Combine Octoechos and Menaion. Great Vespers: Entrance. Matins: Resurrectional Hymns of Blessings. Resurrectional Gospel. Katavasia of Cross until September 22. After Great Doxology, priest (in full vestments) brings the cross in procession to the middle of the church for veneration. Lesser Blessing of Water. Liturgy: Epis.1 Corinthians 4:9-16. Gos. Matthew 17:14-23. Axion: “It is truly right.” After Liturgy, the cross is taken back into the altar while the Tropar of the Cross is being sung. Until August 15, the Vespers and Paraclis of the Birthgiver of God is read each evening
Procession of the Cross; 7 Maccabean Martyrs with Salomoni & Eleazar (Beginning of Fast of Mother of God) (Oil & wine permitted)
Tropar
When the stone had been sealed by the Jews; while the soldiers were guarding your Most Pure Body, you rose on the third day, O Savior, granting life to the world. Therefore, the Powers of heaven cried out to you, O Giver of life: Glory to your Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to your Kingdom! Glory to your dispensation, O only Lover of mankind.
Kontak
Being God, you gloriously rose from the tomb, raising the world with you. Human nature praises you, God. Death has vanished! Adam dances, O Master! Being freed from bondage, Eve rejoices, crying out: O Christ, you are the One who gives resurrection to all.
Cross
Tone 1
O Lord, save thy people and bless thine inheritance, granting to thy People victory over all their enemies, and by the power of thy Cross, preserving thy commonwealth.
KONTAKION OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
Tone 7
Thou wast transfigured on the mount, and thy Disciples, in so far as they were able, beheld thy glory, O Christ our God: so that, when they should see thee crucified, they would remember that thy suffering was voluntary, and could declare to all the world that thou art truly the effulgent Splendor of the Father.
The Trisagion
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us.
Dynamis! (With Strength)
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us.
Epistle Reading
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom! (DYNAMIS)
Reader: The Prokeimenon in the 1st Tone: Lord, let your mercy be on us just as we hope in you.
Choir: Lord, let your mercy be on us just as we hope in you.
Reader: God is renowned in Judah; His name is great in Israel.
Choir: Lord, let your mercy be on us just as we hope in you.
Reader: Lord, let your mercy be on us
Choir: just as we hope in you.
Reader: The Reading is from St. Paul’s 1st Letter to the Corinthins 4:9-16
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
BRETHEREN, God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off scouring of all things. I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For, I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
Priest: Peace be to you, reader
Reader: And to your spirit. – Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (first alleluia verse) God avenges me and subdues the peoples under me.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (second alleluia verse) He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows mercy to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
During the Alleluia Verses, the priest stands at the holy table and says the PRAYER BEFORE THE GOSPEL:
Priest: Enkindle in our hearts the pure light of your divine knowledge, O master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of your evangelical proclamations. Instill the fear of your blessed commandments in us, so that trampling down all bodily desires, we may practice a spiritual life, thinking and doing all which pleases you. For you are the illumination of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we offer glory to you, together with your Father who is without beginning and your All-Holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom. Arise. Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Deacon: The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 17:14-23
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
At that time, a man came up to Jesus and kneeling before him said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus said to them, “Because you have no faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith, even as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. This kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting.”
As they were travelling together through Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.”
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Commemorated on August 1
The Procession of the Venerable Wood of the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord: In the Greek Horologion of 1897 the derivation of this Feast is explained: “Because of the illnesses that occur in August, it was customary, in former times, to carry the Venerable Wood of the Cross through the streets and squares of Constantinople for the sanctification of the city, and for relief from sickness. On the eve (July 31), it was taken out of the imperial treasury, and laid upon the altar of the Great Church of Hagia Sophia (the Wisdom of God). From this Feast until the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, they carried the Cross throughout the city in procession, offering it to the people to venerate. This also is the Procession of the Venerable Cross.”
In the Russian Church this Feast is combined also with the remembrance of the Baptism of Rus, on August 1, 988. In the “Account of the Order of Services in the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Great Church of the Dormition,” compiled in 1627 by order of Patriarch Philaret of Moscow and All Rus, there is the following explanation of the Feast: “On the day of the Procession of the Venerable Cross there is a church procession for the sanctification of water and for the enlightenment of the people, throughout all the towns and places.”
Knowledge of the day of the actual Baptism of Rus was preserved in the Chronicles of the sixteenth century: “The Baptism of the Great Prince Vladimir of Kiev and all Rus was on August 1.”
In the present practice of the Russian Church, the Lesser Sanctification of Water on August 1 is done either before or after Liturgy. Because of the Blessing of Water, this first Feast of the Savior in August is sometimes called ‘Savior of the Water.” There may also be a Blessing of New Honey today, which is why the Feast is also called “Savior of the Honey.” From this day the newly gathered honey is blessed and tasted.
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Sunday, June 13th, 2010 by Mihai
3rd Sunday after Pentecost. Tone 2. Mat. Gos. 3. Great Vespers: Entrance. Matins: Resurrectional Hymns of Blessings. Hymns of Ascent of Tone. Katavasia of Annunciation. At 9th Ode: “More honorable.” Great Doxology. Liturgy: Epis. Romans 5:1-10. Gos. Matthew 6:22-33. Axion: “It is truly right.”
Martyr Aquilina; St. Triphyllios, Bishop of Cyprus (Fish permitted)
Tropar
When you descended to encounter death, O deathless Life, you put Hades to death by the reflected light of Divinity. But when you raised the dead from the abyss, all the Powers of heaven cried out: O Life-giving Christ, O our God, glory to you!
Kontak
You arose from the dead, O almighty Savior. Hades seeing this wonder was frightened. The dead rose up. Adam with all creation, seeing this, rejoiced because of you. And the world, O my Savior, praises you forever.
Epistle Reading
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom! (DYNAMIS)
Reader: The Prokeimenon in the 2nd Tone: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Choir: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Reader: Though the Lord has chastened me severely, he has not abandoned me to death.
Choir: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Reader: The Lord is my strength and my song;
Choir: he has become my salvation.
Reader: The Reading is from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans 5:1-10
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
BRETHREN, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.
While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man–though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.
Priest: Peace be to you, reader
Reader: And to your spirit. – Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (first alleluia verse) May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob defend and protect you.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (second alleluia verse) Lord, save the king and hear us when we call.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
During the Alleluia Verses, the priest stands at the holy table and says the PRAYER BEFORE THE GOSPEL:
Priest: Enkindle in our hearts the pure light of your divine knowledge, O master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of your evangelical proclamations. Instill the fear of your blessed commandments in us, so that trampling down all bodily desires, we may practice a spiritual life, thinking and doing all which pleases you. For you are the illumination of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we offer glory to you, together with your Father who is without beginning and your All-Holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom. Arise. Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Deacon: The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew6:22-33
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthly, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then, the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.’” “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, I or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Synaxis of Martyr Aquilina of Byblos in Syria & St. Triphyllios, Bishop of Cyprus
The Holy Martyr Aquilina, a native of the Phoenician city of Byblos, suffered under the emperor Diocletian (284-305). Her parents raised her in Christian piety. When the girl was only twelve years old, she persuaded a pagan friend to convert to Christ. One of the servants of the imperial governor Volusian accused her of teaching others not to follow the religion of their fathers. The girl firmly confessed her faith in Christ before the governor and said that she would not renounce Him. Volusian tried to influence the young confessor through persuasion and by flattery, but seeing her confidence, he ordered her to be tortured.
They struck her upon the face, then they stripped her and beat her with whips. The torturer asked, “Where then is your God? Let Him come and take you out of my hands”.
The saint answered, “The Lord is here with me invisibly, and the more I suffer, the more strength and endurance will He give me.”
They drilled through the martyr’s ears with heated metal rods. The holy virgin fell down as if dead. The torturer thought that the girl had actually died, and he gave orders to throw her body outside the city to be eaten by dogs.
By night a holy angel appeared to St Aquilina, roused her and said, “Arise and be healed. Go and denounce Volusian, so that he and his plans may come to nothing.”
The martyr went to the court of the governor and stood before Volusian. Seeing St Aquilina, he called for his servants and ordered them to keep watch over her until morning.
In the morning he sentenced St Aquilina to death, saying that she was a sorceress who did not obey the imperial decrees. When they led the saint to execution, she prayed and gave thanks to God for allowing her to suffer for His Holy Name.
A voice was heard in answer to her prayer, summoning her to the heavenly Kingdom. Before the executioner could carry out the sentence, the martyr gave up her spirit to God (+ 293). The executioner feared to disobey the governor’s orders, so he cut off her head although she was already dead.
Christians piously buried the martyr’s body. Later, her relics were taken to Constantinople and placed in a church named for her.
Saint Tryphillius, Bishop of Leukosia, was born in Constantinople, and he received his education at Berit (Beirut, in Lebanon). He was very intelligent and eloquent. In spite of this, the saint chose as his guide a man neither bookish nor learned, but one of conspicuous holiness: St Spyridon of Tremithos (December 12).
The emperor Constantine II (337-340) fell grievously ill, and receiving no help from the doctors, he turned to God. In a dream he saw an angel, directing him to a group of hierarchs. Pointing out two of them, the angel said that only through them could he receive healing.
Constantine issued an imperial edict, commanding the bishops to assemble. St Spyridon also received this order, and went to the emperor with his disciple St Tryphillius. The sick one immediately recognized them as the healers indicated by the angel. He bowed to them and asked them to pray for his health. St Spyridon with a prayer touched the head of the emperor, and he became well.
St Tryphillius was charmed by the beautiful palace, the majestic figure of the emperor, and the pomp of palace life. St Spyridon said, “Why are you astonished? Does all this make the emperor any more righteous? All of them, emperors and dignitaries alike, will die and stand together with the very poorest before the judgment seat of God. One should seek eternal blessings and heavenly glory.”
Soon St Tryphillius was made Bishop of Leukosia on Cyprus. He often visited with St Spyridon. Once, they passed through an area of vineyards and gardens of special beauty and abundance, named Parimnos. St Tryphillius, attracted by the beauty of nature, considered how they might explore this land. St Spyridon discerned the thoughts of St Tryphillius and said, “Why do you always think about earthly and transitory blessings? Our habitation and riches are in Heaven, for which we ought to strive.” Thus did St Spyridon lead his disciple toward spiritual perfection, which St Tryphillius attained through the prayers of his instructor. St Tryphillius had a charitable soul, a heart without malice, right faith and love towards all, and many other virtues.
Once, a Council of bishops assembled on Cyprus. The Fathers of the Council requested that St Tryphillius, known for his erudition and eloquence, address the people. Speaking about the healing of the paralytic by the Lord (Mark 2:11). in place of the word “cot” he used the word “bed”. Impatient with the imprecise rendering of the Gospel text, St Spyridon said to St Tryphillius, “Are you better than He who said “cot”, that you should be ashamed of His wording?” and abruptly he left the church.
In this way St Spyridon gave St Tryphillius a lesson in humility, so that he would not become proud of his own eloquence. St Tryphillius wisely shepherded his flock. From the inheritance left him by his mother, he built a monastery at Leukosia. The saint died in old age in about the year 370.
The Russian pilgrim Igumen Daniel saw the relics of St Tryphillius on Cyprus at the beginning of the twelfth century.
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Sunday, May 30th, 2010 by Mihai
1st Sunday after Pentecost – All Saints. Follow Pentecostarion. Tone 8. Mat. Gos. 1. Great Vespers:Entrance. Matins: Katavasia of Annunciation sung until August 1. Liturgy: Epis. Hebrews 11:33-40;12:1-2. Gos. Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30. Axion: “It is truly right.”.
St. Issac the Confessor & Barlaam; Martyr Natalios
Tropar
You descended from on high, O Merciful One. You endured burial for three days, to free us from passions. You are our Life and Resurrection, O Lord, glory to you.
Kontak
Arising from the grave, you raised the dead and revived Adam; and Eve danced at your resurrection, and the ends of the earth celebrate your awakening from the dead, O Most Merciful One.
Epistle Reading
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom! (DYNAMIS)
Reader: The Prokimenon in the 8th Tone: Fulfill the promises you make to the Lord your God.
Choir: Fulfill the promises you make to the Lord your God.
Reader: God is renowned in Judah; His name is great in Israel.
Choir: Fulfill the promises you make to the Lord your God.
Reader: Fulfill the promises you make
Choir: to the Lord your God.
Reader: The Reading is from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
BRETHREN, all the saints through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated–of whom the world was not worthy–wandering over deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfection of our faith.
Priest: Peace be to you, reader
Reader: And to your spirit. – Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (first alleluia verse) Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, and let us shout joyfully to God our Savior.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (second alleluia verse) Let us come before his face with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to him with psalms.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
During the Alleluia Verses, the priest stands at the holy table and says the PRAYER BEFORE THE GOSPEL:
Priest: Enkindle in our hearts the pure light of your divine knowledge, O master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of your evangelical proclamations. Instill the fear of your blessed commandments in us, so that trampling down all bodily desires, we may practice a spiritual life, thinking and doing all which pleases you. For you are the illumination of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we offer glory to you, together with your Father who is without beginning and your All-Holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom. Arise. Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Deacon: The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
The Lord said to his disciples: So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Then Peter said in reply, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on his twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands; for my name’s sake, will receive manifold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first.
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Synaxis of All Saints Commemorated on May 30
The Sunday following Pentecost is dedicated to All Saints, both those who are known to us, and those who are known only to God. There have been saints at all times, and they have come from every corner of the earth. They were Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Hierarchs, Monastics, and Righteous, yet all were perfected by the same Holy Spirit.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to rise above our fallen state and to attain sainthood, thereby fulfilling God’s directive to “be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16, etc.). Therefore, it is fitting to commemorate All Saints on the first Sunday after Pentecost.
This feast may have originated at an early date, perhaps as a celebration of all martyrs, then it was broadened to include all men and women who had borne witness to Christ by their virtuous lives, even if they did not shed their blood for Him.
St Peter of Damascus, in his “Fourth Stage of Contemplation,” mentions five categories of saints: Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Hierarchs, and Monastic Saints (PHILOKALIA [in English] Vol. 3, p.131). He is actually quoting from the OCTOECHOS, Tone 2 for Saturday Matins, kathisma after the first stichology.
St Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain (July 14) adds the Righteous to St Peter’s five categories. The list of StNicodemus is found in his book THE FOURTEEN EPISTLES OF ST PAUL (Venice, 1819, p. 384) in his discussion of I Corinthians 12:28.
The hymnology for the feast of All Saints also lists six categories: “Rejoice, assembly of the Apostles, Prophets of the Lord, loyal choirs of the Martyrs, divine Hierarchs, Monastic Fathers, and the Righteous….”
Some of the saints are described as Confessors, a category which does not appear in the above lists. Since they are similar in spirit to the martyrs, they are regarded as belonging to the category of Martyrs. They were not put to death as the Martyrs were, but they boldly confessed Christ and came close to being executed for their faith. St Maximus the Confessor (January 21) is such a saint.
The order of these six types of saints seems to be based on their importance to the Church. The Apostles are listed first, because they were the first to spread the Gospel throughout the world.
The Martyrs come next because of their example of courage in professing their faith before the enemies and persecutors of the Church, which encouraged other Christians to remain faithful to Christ even unto death.
Although they come first chronologically, the Prophets are listed after the Apostles and Martyrs. This is because the Old Testament Prophets saw only the shadows of things to come, whereas the Apostles and Martyrs experienced them firsthand. The New Testament also takes precedence over the Old Testament.
The holy Hierarchs comprise the fourth category. They are the leaders of their flocks, teaching them by their word and their example.
The Monastic Saints are those who withdrew from this world to live in monasteries, or in seclusion. They did not do this out of hatred for the world, but in order to devote themselves to unceasing prayer, and to do battle against the power of the demons. Although some people erroneously believe that monks and nuns are useless and unproductive, St John Climacus had a high regard for them: “Angels are a light for monks, and the monastic life is a light for all men” (LADDER, Step 26:31).
The last category, the Righteous, are those who attained holiness of life while living “in the world.” Examples include Abraham and his wife Sarah, Job, Sts Joachim and Anna, St Joseph the Betrothed, St Juliana of Lazarevo, and others.
The feast of All Saints achieved great prominence in the ninth century, in the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise (886-911). His wife, the Holy Empress Theophano (December 16) lived in the world, but was not attached to worldly things. She was a great benefactor to the poor, and was generous to the monasteries. She was a true mother to her subjects, caring for widows and orphans, and consoling the sorrowful.
Even before the death of StTheophano in 893 or 894, her husband started to build a church, intending to dedicate it to Theophano, but she forbade him to do so. It was this emperor who decreed that the Sunday after Pentecost be dedicated to All Saints. Believing that his wife was one of the righteous, he knew that she would also be honored whenever the Feast of All Saints was celebrated.
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Sunday, May 23rd, 2010 by Mihai
8th Sunday after Pascha – Pentecost: Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. Follow Pentecostarion. All services begin with “Heavenly King.” Great Vespers: Entrance. Old Testament readings. Litia. Matins: Polyeleos. Megalinaria. No Resurrectional Hymns of Blessings or Hymns of Ascent of Tone – instead, sing Hymns of Ascent of Feast. Gos. John 20:19-23. Do not sing “Seeing the Resurrection.” Ps. 50. Katavasia of Pentecost. Liturgy: Festal Antiphons. Special Entrance Hymn. “All baptized in Christ” in place of “Holy God.” Epis. Acts 2:1-11. Gos. John 7:37-53; 8:12. Axion: Irmos of 9th Ode of Pentecost Canon. After Liturgy, Great Vespers with Kneeling Prayers.
(+) Descent of the Holy Spirit. St. Michael the Confessor, Bishop of Synnada
In place of the usual antiphons, use the festal antiphons:
The First Antiphon (Second Tone)
Stichos 1: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of His hands.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
Stichos 2: Day unto day poureth forth speech and night unto night proclaimeth knowledge.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
Stichos 3: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
The Second Antiphon (Second Tone)
Stichos 1: The Lord hear thee in the day of affliction; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.
Refrain: O Good Comforter, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia.
Stichos 2: Let Him send forth unto thee help from His sanctuary, and out of Zion let Him help thee.
Refrain. O Good Comforter, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia.
Stichos 3: The Lord grant thee according to thy heart, and fulfill all thy purposes. .
Refrain: O Good Comforter, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O only-begotten Son and Word of God, Who art immortal, yet didst deign for our salvation to be incarnate of the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and without change didst become man, and was crucified, O Christ God, trampling down death by death. Thou Who art one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us.
The Third Antiphon
Reader: Stichos 1: O Lord, in Thy strength the king shall be glad, and in Thy salvation shall he rejoice exceedingly.
Choir: (Troparion, Tone 8): Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, /
Who hast shown forth the fishermen as supremely wise, /
by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, /
and through them didst draw the world into Thy net. //
O Lover of mankind, glory be to Thee.
Stichos 2: The desire of his heart hast Thou granted unto him, and hast not denied him the requests of his lips.
Choir: Repeat Troparion
Stichos 3: Thou wentest before him with the blessings of goodness, Thou hast set upon his head a crown of precious stone.
Choir: Repeat Troparion
The entry verse:
Be Thou exalted, O Lord, in Thy strength; we will sing and chant of Thy mighty acts.
And immediately after that, the choir sings the Troparion and Kontakion of the feast:
Tone 8: Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, /
Who hast shown forth the fishermen as supremely wise, /
by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, /
and through them didst draw the world into Thy net. //
O Lover of mankind, glory be to Thee.
Glory… Both now… Tone 8:
Once, when He descended and confounded the tongues, /
the Most High divided the nations; /
and when He divided the tongues of fire, /
He called all men into unity; //
and with one accord we glorify the All-Holy Spirit.
Instead of the Trisagion: As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Alleluia. Thrice.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen. Have put on Christ. Alleluia.
As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia.
Epistle Reading
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom! (DYNAMIS)
Reader: The Prokimenon in the 8th Tone: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth,
and their words unto the ends of the world.
Choir: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of
the world.
Reader: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaimeth the work
of His hands.
Choir: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of
the world.
Reader: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth.
Choir: And their words unto the ends of the world.
Reader: The reading is from The Acts of the Apostles according to St Luke.
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
WHEN THE DAY of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontos and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
Priest: Peace be to you, reader
Reader: And to your spirit. – Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (first alleluia verse) By the Word of the Lord were the heavens established, and all the might of them by the Spirit of His mouth
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (second alleluia verse) The Lord looked down from heaven, He beheld all the sons of men.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Deacon: Wisdom. Arise. Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Deacon: The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. John
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
And on the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.”
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
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Sunday, May 16th, 2010 by Mihai
7th Sunday after Pascha – Holy Fathers of 1st Ecumenical Council. Tone 6. Mat. Gos. 10. Follow Pentecostarion. Combine service of Ascension with that of the Holy Fathers. Great Vespers: Entrance. Old Testament readings. Matins: No Polyeleos or Megalinaria. Resurrectional Hymns of Blessings. Gospel for Resurrection. Katavasia of Pentecost. Liturgy: Epis. Acts 20:16-18, 28-36. Gos. John 17:1-13. Axion: Irmos of 9th Ode of Ascension Canon. In place of “We have seen the true light”, sing Tropar of Ascension.
St. Theodore the Sanctified
Tropar
The angelic powers were seated near your tomb, and the soldiers were as dead men; and Mary came before your tomb, seeking your all pure body. You despoiled Hades, and it did not try to hold you back. You met the Virgin and you granted life to all. O you that arose from the dead, O Lord, glory to you.
Kontak
Christ God, the Giver of life, with His life-creating hand raised all the dead from the depths of darkness. He bestowed resurrection on the human race, for he is the Savior, the Resurrection, the Life and God of all.
Epistle Reading
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom! (DYNAMIS)
Reader: The Prokeimenon is in the 6th tone.
Reader: O Lord, save your people and bless your heritage!
People: O Lord, save your people and bless your heritage!
Reader: I call to you, O Lord; O my God, listen to me!
People: O Lord, save your people and bless your heritage!
Reader: O Lord, save your people
People: and bless your heritage!
The reading is from The Acts of the Apostles according to St Luke.
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
In those days, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesos, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
And from Miletos he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them:
‘Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
Priest: Peace be to you, reader
Reader: And to your spirit. – Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (first alleluia verse) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will make his dwelling in the shadow of the God of heaven.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (second alleluia verse) He will say to the Lord: “You are my protector, my refuge, my God in whom I trust.”
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
During the Alleluia Verses, the priest stands at the holy table and says the PRAYER BEFORE THE GOSPEL:
Priest: Enkindle in our hearts the pure light of your divine knowledge, O master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of your evangelical proclamations. Instill the fear of your blessed commandments in us, so that trampling down all bodily desires, we may practice a spiritual life, thinking and doing all which pleases you. For you are the illumination of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we offer glory to you, together with your Father who is without beginning and your All-Holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom. Arise. Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Deacon: The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. John
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.
“I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
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Saturday, May 8th, 2010 by Mihai
6th Sunday after Pascha – Man Born Blind. Tone 5. Mat. Gos. 8. Great Vespers: Entrance. Matins:No Polyeleos. Resurrectional Hymns of Blessings. Katavasia of Pascha. At 9th Ode, sing “More honorable.” Praises. Great Doxology. Liturgy: Epis. Acts 16:16-34. Gos. John 9:1-38. Axion: “The angel cried out.”
Prophet Isaiah; Translation of the Relics of St. Nicholas to Bari
Tropar
Let us faithful, praise and worship the Word, coeternal with the Father and the Spirit; Who was born of the Virgin for our salvation. He willed to be lifted up onto the Cross in the flesh, to endure death and to raise the dead by his glorious resurrection.
Kontak
You descended to Hades, O my Savior, and being almighty, shattered its gates. As Creator, you raised the dead, and O Christ, broke the sting of death, and delivered Adam from the curse, O Lover of mankind. Therefore, we all cry out to you: Save us, O Lord!
Epistle Reading
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom! (DYNAMIS)
Reader: The Prokeimenon is in the 5th tone.
Reader: You, O Lord, will protect us and preserve us from this wicked generation forever.
People: You, O Lord, will protect us and preserve us from this wicked generation forever.
Reader: Lord, our Lord, how great is your name throughout the earth.
People: You, O Lord, will protect us and preserve us from this wicked generation forever.
Reader: You, O Lord, will protect us and preserve us
People: from this wicked generation forever.
The reading is from The Acts of the Apostles according to St Luke.
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
In those days, as we apostles were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, crying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers; and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, “These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one’s fetters were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.
Priest: Peace be to you, reader
Reader: And to your spirit. – Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (first alleluia verse) I will sing of your mercies O Lord, forever
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (second alleluia verse) For you said: Mercy will be established forever and my truth is founded firmly in the heavens.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
During the Alleluia Verses, the priest stands at the holy table and says the PRAYER BEFORE THE GOSPEL:
Priest: Enkindle in our hearts the pure light of your divine knowledge, O master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of your evangelical proclamations. Instill the fear of your blessed commandments in us, so that trampling down all bodily desires, we may practice a spiritual life, thinking and doing all which pleases you. For you are the illumination of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we offer glory to you, together with your Father who is without beginning and your All-Holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom. Arise. Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Deacon: The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. John
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
At that time: When Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, “Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he”; others said, “No, but he is like him.” He said, “I am the man.” They said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was a division among them. So they again said to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age, ask him.”
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?” And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God.” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped him.
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
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Saturday, March 6th, 2010 by Mihai
4th Sunday of Great Lent – St. John of the Ladder. Tone 7. Mat. Gos. 7. Combine Octoechos and Triodion. Great Vespers. Entrance. No Old Testament readings. In addition to the Resurrectional Troparion, include also the Troparion of St. John of the Ladder at Vespers, Matins and Liturgy. Matins: Ps. 50. “Open the doors.” Katavasia of Annunciation. Liturgy of St. Basil: Epis. Hebrews 6:13-20; Ephesians 5:8-19. Gos. Mark 9:17-32; Matthew 4:25, 5:1-12. Axion: “In you o woman full of grace.”
St. Benedict of Nursia; Martyr Alexander the Priest (Oil & wine permitted)
Tone 7
Tropar
By your Cross, you destroyed death! You opened paradise to the thief! You changed the weeping of the ointment-bearing women to joy; and charged them to proclaim to your apostles, that you arose, O Christ God, granting great mercy to the world!
Troparion for St. John
Tone 8
The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit through thy struggles a hundred-fold. Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles. Therefore, O righteous Father John, intercede with Christ God to save our souls.
Kontak
The dominion of death can no longer hold men captive, for Christ descended, shattering and destroying its powers! Hades is bound. The prophets together rejoice, for the Savior stood before them and said to those who believe: O you faithful! Come out to resurrection!
Kontakion of the Five Sundays of Great Lent
Tone 8
To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me from terror. As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.
Epistle Reading
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom! (DYNAMIS)
Reader: The Prokiemenon is in the 7th tone.
Reader: The Lord will give strength to his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.
People: The Lord will give strength to his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.
Reader: Bring to the Lord, you sons of God, bring to the Lord glory and power.
People: The Lord will give strength to his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.
Reader: The Lord will give strength to his people
People: Lord will bless his people with peace.
The Reading is from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he has no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two changeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Priest: Peace be to you, reader
Reader: And to your spirit. – Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (first alleluia verse) It is good to praise the Lord, to sing to your name, O Most High!
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (second alleluia verse) To proclaim your mercy in the morning and your truth all through the night.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
During the Alleluia Verses, the priest stands at the holy table and says the PRAYER BEFORE THE GOSPEL:
Priest: Enkindle in our hearts the pure light of your divine knowledge, O master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of your evangelical proclamations. Instill the fear of your blessed commandments in us, so that trampling down all bodily desires, we may practice a spiritual life, thinking and doing all which pleases you. For you are the illumination of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we offer glory to you, together with your Father who is without beginning and your All-Holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom. Arise. Let us listen to the holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Deacon: The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.” He answered them, “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me. And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you are able! – All things can be done for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child, cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!’ After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most: of them said,, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand. When he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them “This kind can come out only through prayer.” They went on from, there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it;
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
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Saturday, March 6th, 2010 by Mihai
3rd Sunday of Great Lent – The Cross. Martyrs of Communist Persecution. Tone 6. Mat. Gos. 6. Combine Octoechos and Triodion. Great Vespers: Entrance. Matins: Resurrectional Gospel. Ps. 50. “Open the doors.” Katavasia from Triodion. At Great Doxology, the cross is taken in procession from the altar to a stand in the middle of the church where it is censed and venerated by the faithful. During the procession, sing the Tropar and Kontak of the Cross. Then venerate the Cross with great prostrations during the singing of “Before Your Cross”. Liturgy of St. Basil: In place of “Holy God,” sing “Before your Cross”. Epis. Hebrews 4:4-16; 5:1-6. Gos. Mark 8:34-38; 9:1. Axion: “In you o woman full of grace.” Memorial Service for Martyrs of Communist Persecution.
Hieromartyr bishops of Cherson: Basil, Ephraim and Eugene. Martyrs of the Communist Persecution (Oil
& wine permitted)
Tropar
The angelic powers were seated near your tomb, and the soldiers were as dead men; and Mary came before your tomb, seeking your all pure body. You despoiled Hades, and it did not try to hold you back. You met the Virgin and you granted life to all. O you that arose from the dead, O Lord, glory to you.
TROPARION
Tone 6
When Mary stood at thy grave looking for thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above thy revered tomb, and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men. Thou led hades captive and was not tempted thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world. Thou who art risen from the dead, O Lord, glory to Thee.
Holy Cross
Tone 1
O Lord, save thy people and bless thine inheritance, granting our believing kings victory over the Barbarians, and by the power of thy Cross preserving thy commonwealth.
Kontak
Christ God, the Giver of life, with His life-creating hand raised all the dead from the depths of darkness. He bestowed resurrection on the human race, for he is the Savior, the Resurrection, the Life and God of all.
Kontakion of the First Five Sundays of Great Lent
Tone 8
To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me from terror. As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.
The Trisagion
Before thy cross we bow down in worship, O Master and thy Holy Resurrection we glorify.
Before thy cross we bow down in worship, O Master and thy Holy Resurrection we glorify.
Before thy cross we bow down in worship, O Master and thy Holy Resurrection we glorify.
Epistle Reading
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom! (DYNAMIS)
Reader: The Prokiemenon is in the 6th tone.
Reader: O Lord, save your people and bless your heritage!
People: O Lord, save your people and bless your heritage!
Reader: I call to you, O Lord; O my God, listen to me!
People: O Lord, save your people and bless your heritage.
Reader: O Lord, save your people
People: and bless your heritage.
The Reading is from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
BRETHREN, since we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “Thou art my son, today I have begotten thee”; as he says also in another place, “Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
Priest: Peace be to you, reader
Reader: And to your spirit. – Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (first alleluia verse) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will make his dwelling in the shadow of the God of heaven.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (second alleluia verse) He will say to the Lord: “You are my protector, my refuge, my God in whom I trust.”
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
During the Alleluia Verses, the priest stands at the holy table and says the PRAYER BEFORE THE GOSPEL:
Priest: Enkindle in our hearts the pure light of your divine knowledge, O master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of your evangelical proclamations. Instill the fear of your blessed commandments in us, so that trampling down all bodily desires, we may practice a spiritual life, thinking and doing all which pleases you. For you are the illumination of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we offer glory to you, together with your Father who is without beginning and your All-Holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom. Arise. Let us listen to the holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Deacon: The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
The Lord saith: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
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Sunday, February 21st, 2010 by Mihai
1st Sunday of Great Lent – Orthodoxy. Tone 4. Mat. Gos. 4. Combine Triodion and Octoechos. Great Vespers. Entrance. Tropar of Resurrection and of Holy Icons. Matins: After Ps. 50, “Open the doors of repentance.” Katavasia from Triodion. Liturgy of St. Basil: Epis. Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40. Gos. John 1:43-51. Axion: “In you o woman full of grace.”
Sts. Timothy; Eustathios, bishop of Antioch (Oil & wine permitted)
Tone 4
Tropar
Having learned the joyful proclamation of the resurrection and the abolition of the ancestral curse from the angel, the women disciples of the Lord elatedly told the Apostles: Death is despoiled! Christ God has risen, granting great mercy to the world.
Thy pure image do we venerate, O good One, asking forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God; for by thine own will thou didst ascend the Cross in thy body, to save thy creatures from the bondage of the enemy. Thou hast verily filled all with joy, since thou didst come, O our Savior, to save the world.
Kontak
My Savior and Redeemer lay in the tomb, but being God, he was delivering mortal men from their bonds. He shattered the gates of Hades, and being Master rose on the third day!
To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me from terror. As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.
Epistle Reading
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom! (DYNAMIS)
Reader: The Prokeimenon is in the 4th tone.
Reader: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our Fathers: and praised and glorified is Thy Name unto the ages
People: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our Fathers: and praised and glorified is Thy Name unto the ages
Reader: For Thou art righteous in all the things that Thou hast done to us
People: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our Fathers: and praised and glorified is Thy Name unto the ages
Reader: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our Fathers
People: and praised and glorified is Thy Name unto the ages
The Reading is from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
BRETHREN, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, thy were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated, (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Priest: Peace be to you, reader
Reader: And to your spirit. – Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (first alleluia verse) Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among them that call upon His Name.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (second alleluia verse) They called upon the Lord, and He heard them
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
During the Alleluia Verses, the priest stands at the holy table and says the PRAYER BEFORE THE GOSPEL:
Priest: Enkindle in our hearts the pure light of your divine knowledge, O master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of your evangelical proclamations. Instill the fear of your blessed commandments in us, so that trampling down all bodily desires, we may practice a spiritual life, thinking and doing all which pleases you. For you are the illumination of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we offer glory to you, together with your Father who is without beginning and your All-Holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom. Arise. Let us listen to the holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Deacon: The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. John
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
John 1:43-51 (Sunday of Orthodoxy)
At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
The Megalynarion:
Tone 8
In thee rejoiceth all creation, O thou who art full of grace, the hierarchy of the angels, and all mankind, O consecrated temple and paradise endowed with speech, glory of virginity, of whom god, who is our god before the ages, was incarnate and became a little child.
The Koinonikon
Praise ye the Lord from the Heavens; praise ye Him in the highest. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia
Post-Communion
We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit. We have found the true Faith. Worshipping the undivided Trinity; for he hath saved us.
Great Dismissal
“May He Who rose again from the dead, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-immaculate and all-blameless holy Mother, … Through the prayers…”.
Procession of the Holy Icons – Sunday of Orthodoxy
It is customary for the procession of the Holy Icons to take place immediately after the Prayer behind the Ambon in the following order:
a. The Priest assigns laymen to carry the icons of Christ, the Theotokos and the Saints, preceded by the Altar boys who carry candles and the Cross, proceed from the Altar area as in the Great Entrance while the Choir sings “Holy God…” repeatedly.
b. When the Priest reaches the Solea, the Choir sings the Troparion of the First Sunday of Lent: “Thy pure image we venerate…”
c. Then the Priest leads the faithful in reciting in a loud voice the excerpt from the Synodikon (Confession of Faith) of the Day of Orthodoxy as follows:
As the prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught,…as the Church has received… as the teachers have dogmatized,…as the Universe has agreed,… as Grace has shown forth,…as Truth has revealed,…as falsehood has been dissolved,…as Wisdom has presented,…as Christ Awarded,…thus we declare,…thus we assert,…thus we preach Christ our true God, and honor as Saints in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in Holy Icons; on the one hand worshipping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord; and on the other hand honoring as true servants of the same Lord of all and accordingly offering them veneration.
(Louder) This is the Faith of the Apostles, this is the Faith of the Fathers, this is the Faith of the Orthodox, this is the Faith which has established the Universe.
d. The Choir sings the Prokeimenon (three times): “Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art our God, who alone doest wonders.”
e. Troparion of the First Sunday in Lent: “Thy pure image do we venerate..”
f. Dismissal as usual.
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Friday, February 5th, 2010 by Mihai
35th Sunday after Pentecost. Farewell to Meat – Sunday of the Last Judgment. Tone 2. Mat. Gos. 2. Combine Octoechos and Triodion. Great Vespers. Entrance. Matins: Polyeleos. “Beside the waters of Babylon”. After Ps. 50, “Open the doors.” Katavasia from Triodion. Liturgy: Epis. 1 Corinthians 8:8-13, 9:1-2. Gos. Matthew 25:31-46. Axion: “It is truly right.”
Sts. Parthenius & Luke
Tone 2
Tropar
When you descended to encounter death, O deathless Life, you put Hades to death by the reflected light of Divinity. But when you raised the dead from the abyss, all the Powers of heaven cried out: O Life-giving Christ, O our God, glory to you!
Kontak
You arose from the dead, O almighty Savior. Hades seeing this wonder was frightened. The dead rose up. Adam with all creation, seeing this, rejoiced because of you. And the world, O my Savior, praises you forever.
Epistle Reading
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom! (DYNAMIS)
Reader: The Prokeimenon is in the 2st tone.
Reader: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
People: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Reader: Though the Lord has chastened me severely, he has not abandoned me to death.
People: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Reader: The Lord is my strength and my song;
People: he has become my salvation.
The Reading is from St Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
BRETHREN, food will not commend us to God, we are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. Only take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if any one sees you a man of knowledge, at table in an idol’s temple, might he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of my brother’s falling, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to fall.
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
Priest: Peace be to you, reader
Reader: And to your spirit. – Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (first alleluia verse) May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob defend and protect you.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Reader: (second alleluia verse) Lord, save the king and hear us when we call.
Choir/People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
During the Alleluia Verses, the priest stands at the holy table and says the PRAYER BEFORE THE GOSPEL:
Priest: Enkindle in our hearts the pure light of your divine knowledge, O master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of your evangelical proclamations. Instill the fear of your blessed commandments in us, so that trampling down all bodily desires, we may practice a spiritual life, thinking and doing all which pleases you. For you are the illumination of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we offer glory to you, together with your Father who is without beginning and your All-Holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom. Arise. Let us listen to the holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Deacon: The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
When the son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at his left. Then the King, will say to those at his right hand, “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?” Then he will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these you did it not to me.” And they will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
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