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.
