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;
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.”
Metropolitan Bishop Simeon, founder of the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of Western and Central Europe consecrating his life traveling round the world to provide spiritual care for Orthodox Bulgarians blessing his flock
Being a Subdeacon allows me to serve and assist bishops. This evening I was able to be with Metropolitan Bishop Simeon of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. It was a beautiful experience to be with someone so loving and full of the grace of God.
This evening he visited the Pan-Orthodox Vespers service at Holy Trinity Cathedral here in Phoenix. Just being with him and seeing his face up close for the short time reaffirmed why I did become Orthodox. I have been in the presence of big Christian speakers in the past but never was I so impressed as this evening. Just the little things he did were very respectful to the church and to all the people he met. After he was done speaking he wanted to give everyone something. Today was the Sunday of Orthodoxy so he opened up his satchel and had an envelope full of small wallet sized Icons of Christ and others of the Theotokos. He stood for several minutes handing one to each person and some would have prayer requests. He remembered each one of them. Unfortunately he ran out of Icons to give and he was so saddened by this that he asked his assistant several times if there were any more to hand out. He then promised the ones that did not get one that he would send a bunch to the church when he got back home. Not once did he mention that these were a “love gift” and expected a donation in return. He just gave just like God gave us His grace and was sad when there was no more to give. He then gave of himself and continued blessing each person until the church was empty.
No big powerful sermon, No manipulation, just a humble man sharing the love of Christ. Thinking back when I was training in missions for YWAM one of the things shared was “lifestyle evangelism”. Being an example to the people that you are reaching for Christ. The families and people whom I have met in Russia, Romania and here in the US who are committed Orthodox believers have witnessed to me and continue to witness to me that it is just being simply loving without expecting anything in return have been more real to me than I have ever seen before I converted.
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 ofrepentance.” Katavasia from Triodion. Liturgy of St. Basil: Epis. Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40. Gos. John1:43-51. 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..”
Forgive me for not posting much this week. I have been a little under the weather and missed Church this Sunday so I was happy to catch this sermon for today.
Starting this Sunday, Orthodox Christians world wide begin saying goodbye to meat products and then next week it will be farewell to all dairy products. I wanted to take this time to share with you my thoughts on this.
To me this season of lent is actually a beautiful cleansing dating back to the Israelites fleeing Egypt where we spend 40 days the Israelites only ate what God gave them for 40 years. The Christians inherited the tradition of fasting from the Jews. Jesus, too, gave examples of fasting to his disciples, most notably preceding his forty days in the desert when he was tempted by the devil (Matt 4:1-11)
Typically both the Israelites and modern Christians grumble against fasting for long periods of time. Some wonder what the purpose is or fall into the sin of pride because they want to show off. Fasting is saying that you are giving up fleshly desires so that your spirit can be closer to God.
God blessed Daniel and the young men that were captured with him in the first chapter of the book of Daniel. Daniel did not want to defile himself with the kings food that was not blessed and fixed in accordance with the laws of Moses, so he asked the chief eunuch to test them for 10 days. They would only eat vegetables for 10 days and after that time they would be compared to the other young men who eat the kings food. After the 10 days the young men that ate the kings food were not in good condition and Daniels group were healthy so much that the chief eunuch took away the kings food and wine and fed them all the same diet that Daniel requested. Afterward God gave them insight and all letters of wisdom. Hopefully I will gain some of that wisdom while I am fasting this year .
Sometimes food fit for a king is not the best thing for you. Lent is a time for cleansing and not to be fed by anything that suffered before our Lord’s death and resurrection. Food is just one level but a very evident part of this season. It is where we get the word “carnival” which means “without meat” and yes all Christians did fast during this season for over a thousand years.
The other parts of fasting is being in prayer, cleansing our self daily. Fasting also partners with prayer, alms giving and confession, readying the whole person like an athlete, body, mind, and soul, for an upcoming feast, similar to the way in which Orthodox Christians would hope to be properly prepared for the Second Coming. For this reason, during fasting seasons, no marriages should take place. Another important part of any fasting period is going to Confession.
This will be my 5th Pasha as an Orthodox Christian. I actually started into a Lenten mindset about a week ago while reading the Philokalia , and have shared some of the quotes from it on my Facebook page. This season, will also read The Ladder of Divine Ascent. It is a good book to read during this time period. If you want to share what you are reading during this Lent, please leave me a note in the comments. I wish you all a blessed Lent season. May God be with you.
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