Saint with Six Stichera.

VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Paschal Beginning

Kathisma Reading

The assigned psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 2

If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

The women disciples of Christ rejoiced upon hearing the words of the Angel.* From which they came to believe in the arising of the Lord,* who for our sake was counted among the dead.* For before this the myrrh-bearers stood before the Tomb lamenting over Christ,* and beholding the stone so quickly rolled away;* they were greatly perplexed wondering where He could be.

I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

The sacred and divine disciples of Christ were granted unceasing and divine joy,* when the myrrh-bearing woman disciples of Christ* fulfilled the command spoken to them by the divine Angel.* For he who had amazed them in brilliant, white raiment,* spoke o them saying:* God the King who has died for us* has utterly vanquished, through His Resurrection, the dark realms of Hades.

From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

Having poured forth streams of ardent grief as from a fount flowing with tears,* the divine women disciples of Christ* now declare glad words to the eye-witnesses of grace.* Telling them of the Word’s arising,* and that joy has issued forth from the tomb.* Therefore instead of sorrow,* they heard wondrous voices, bidding them all to rejoice.

Tone 4

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Today the godly multitude of the faithful rejoices,* for the heavenly Cross appears to the ends of the world,* illumining the firmament with unapproachable light,* makes the air brilliant and adorns the face of the earth.* The Church of Christ hymns it with divine songs, worshiping it with veneration,* and the divine and all-wondrous Cross preserves it from on high.* By its power are we strengthened;* therefore, let us approach the Master, saying:* Grant peace to the world and enlighten our souls!

Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

The all-precious and glorious Cross has been seen today* as a most honourable ladder leading up from earth to the heavens* by those who venerate it with steadfast faith.* All nations rejoice, hastening fervently to baptism,* and the Church adorns itself in godly manner like a bride;* for that which the Jews sought to hide* shines forth from on high in the air* and saves those who approach it with faith.

Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

From on high there has appeared the rod of divine power,* the Cross sent to us in Sion,* wholly illumined by grace and boundless light.* The heavenly Cross of our crucified God* has shone forth above glorious Golgotha,* proclaiming to all that salvation has come to the world through His sufferings.* And bowing down before it we chant unceasingly and ask with faith* that He grant peace to the world and save our souls.

Tone 4, Glory…

The heavens have proclaimed Your glory, O Lord,* the awesome sight of Your Cross,* and all the earth has bowed down with fear.* And we, rendering up glorification, cry out to You with thanksgiving:* In that You as God are dispassionate, *You have deigned to suffer for us in the flesh of Your own will.* Save the people whom You have acquired by Your own blood.

Tone 2, Now…

The myrrh-bearing women came to Your tomb;* and beholding the seals of the sepulchre yet not finding Your immaculate Body,* they came with haste, lamenting and saying:* Who has stolen our Hope?* Who has taken away a naked and anointed body,* the only comforting consolation of His Mother?* Alas! how has He that has quickened the dead been put to death?* And how has He who despoiled Hades been buried?* But after three days arise, O Saviour, by Your own authority, as You said,* and save our souls.

Prokeimenon, Tone 1

Your mercy, O Lord, shall follow me* all the days of my life.

verse: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In green pastures He gives me repose.

Aposticha

Tone 2

Save me, O Christ Saviour, by the power of the Cross,* O You who once saved Peter in the sea,* and have mercy on me, O God.

I have lifted up my eyes to You enthroned in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, as the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes on the Lord our God until He has mercy on us.

With the Archangels let us hymn the Resurrection of Christ;* for He is the Redeemer and the Saviour of our souls;* and He is coming again with great glory and mighty power* to judge the world which He has fashioned.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for we have been filled with shame; our soul is all too full of the mockery of the rich, of the contempt of the proud.

The choirs of the martyrs withstood the tyrants saying:* We have been enlisted by the King of hosts.* Even should you destroy us with fire and torments,* we will not deny the might of the Trinity.

Tone 6, Glory… Now…

Joseph asked for the Body of Jesus* and laid it in his own new sepulchre;* for it was meet that He should come forth from the grave, as from a bridal chamber.* O You who have crushed the might of death* and have opened the gates of Paradise to mankind,* glory be to You.

Troparia

Tone 8

The sign of the Cross appeared in a dazzling glow, more radiant than the sun.* O Saviour, You stretched it from the holy mountain to the place of Calvary,* manifesting in this way the power You have given to it.* Preserve our civil authorities in strength and establish our country in peace,* through the prayers of the Mother of God.

Tone 2

When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory be to You!

Glory…

The noble Joseph took down Your most pure Body from the tree.* He wrapped it with a clean shroud and aromatic spices,* and placed it in a new tomb.* But on the third day You arose, O Lord,* granting the world Your great mercy.

Now…

The angel stood by the tomb and cried out to the women bringing ointment:* Ointments are for the dead,* but Christ has shown Himself not subject to corruption.* So now cry out: The Lord is risen,* bestowing great mercy upon the world.

DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING

After the priest has exclaimed, Blessed be the Kingdom… and the people have responded, Amen, the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then, the clergy sing the first half, and the people conclude it.

Paschal Troparion

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

First Antiphon

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,* sing now to His name, give glory to His praise.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Say unto God, “How awesome are Your works!* Because of the greatness of Your strength Your enemies will flatter You.”

Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Let all the earth worship You and sing to You,* let it sing to Your name, O Most High!

Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Glory… Now… Only-begotten Son…

Third Antiphon

Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Saviour

Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.

Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth.

Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 2: When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* “O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory be to You!”

Troparion, Tone 2: The noble Joseph took down Your most pure body from the tree.* He wrapped it with a clean shroud and aromatic spices* and placed it in a new tomb.* But on the third day You arose, O Lord,* granting the world Your great mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 2: You commanded the myrrh-bearers to rejoice, O Christ God,* and ended the grief of our mother Eve by Your Resurrection.* You ordered the apostles to proclaim to all:* “The Saviour is risen from the tomb.”

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 8: Though You descended into a tomb, O Immortal One,* yet You destroyed the power of Hades;* and You rose as victor, O Christ God,* calling to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice!* and giving peace to Your Apostles:* You, who grant Resurrection to the fallen.

Prokeimenon, Tone 6

Save Your people, O Lord, * and bless Your inheritance.

verse: Unto You I will cry, O Lord, my God, lest You turn from me in silence. (Psalm 27:9,1)

Epistle

1 Corinthians 1:18-24

Alleluia, Tone 8

verse: You have shown favour to Your land, O Lord; You brought back the captives of Jacob.

verse: Mercy and truth have met; righteousness and peace have embraced. (Psalm 84:2,11)

Gospel

John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35

Hymn to the Mother of God

The Angel cried out to the One full of Grace: O chaste Virgin, rejoice! And again I say, Rejoice! Your Son has risen from the tomb on the third day, and raised the dead. Let all people rejoice! Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Exult now and be glad, O Sion! And you, O chaste Mother of God, take delight in the resurrection of your Son.

Communion Hymn

Receive the Body of Christ;* taste the fountain of immortality.* Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)

Instead of Blessed is He Who comes… we sing:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Instead of We have seen the true light… we sing:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Instead of May our mouths be filled… we sing three times:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Instead of Blessed be the name of the Lord… we sing three times:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

At the dismissal, instead of Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen. we chant:

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs giving life.

After the final Amen, the Troparion Christ is risen is sung as at the beginning of the Liturgy, but with the addition:

And to us He has granted life eternal;* we bow down before His resurrection on the third day.