Saint with Six Stichera.
VESPERS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING
Paschal Beginning
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 4
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Having torn asunder death’s dominion by Your own death,* You have granted life to mortals by Your glorious arising,* raising up the race of mankind by Your descent into Hades.* Therefore, we chant to You a hymn of thanksgiving and praise,* as we celebrate the feast of Your light-bearing Resurrection on the third day,* during which the honoured mid-point has dawned upon us,* O Life-giver, Jesus, gracious Benefactor of our souls.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Before Your venerable Cross and Passion,* for the people’s benefit You have wrought wondrous miracles.* And at the Mid-feast set by the Law, O almighty Saviour, as it is written,* You cried to all: Come to Me all you that thirst;* and partake of the divine and life-bearing waters.* For I shall grant streams of wisdom, strength, and life to all* who draw nigh to Me in faith,* since it was my good pleasure to assume the form of a man,* as the Lover of mankind.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Like one bedridden I lay infirm in my sins,* weakened in my noetic members, O greatly merciful Christ.* But since You willingly became a man in Your love for mankind,* now invisibly raise me up, as You did him who was paralyzed,* that I may profitably tread Your commandments’ divine paths, O Saviour,* who before Your Passion made clear to the Hebrew people,* through an abundance of miracles,* that as God, You willingly suffered in the flesh.
Tone 6
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Extending all your desire to God, you forsook the beauty of the world as fleeting,* and offered yourself to Christ, O most wise Pachomius,* purifying yourself in every way by abstinence,* showing forth patience opposition to the burning of the passions;* and enduring the torment of your conscience, O divinely wise one,* you received an imperishable crown as one victorious.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Through active vision you have now drawn nigh to union with God,* casting from you the coarse covering of the body,* having rejected the passionate attachment of the flesh* and become illuminated by His effulgence and grace and divine radiance,* and deified at His behest,* that you might ascend to that which is higher.* And having now become blessed, O God-bearer,* entreat Christ with boldness in behalf of our souls.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Having surpassed every sense, you conversed with the Master in purity,* transcending the flesh, O most honoured Pachomius,* restraining the passions with higher thought,* and destroying the arrogance of the demons, you trampled them underfoot.* And dwelling now in the mansions of heaven,* be mindful of all who honour your memory,* entreating Christ with boldness in behalf of our souls.
Tone 6, Glory…
Having preserved unharmed that which was created according to the image of God,* and through fasting made your mind master over the pernicious passions,* you ascended, as far as you were able, to that which is in accordance with His likeness;* for having manfully done violence to your nature,* you strove to make that which is worse subject to that which is better,* and to enslave the flesh to the spirit.* Therefore, you have been shown to be the summit of monastics,* a desert-dweller, a trainer of those who run the good race,* a most excellent model of virtue.* And now in the heavens, the reflections having been abolished, O our father Pachomius,* you gaze in purity upon the Holy Trinity,* praying directly for those who honour you with faith and love.
Tone 2, Now…
When You came into the temple at Mid-feast, O Christ God,* You taught the people, saying:* He that believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.* And the Jews, together with the Pharisees and Sadducees and Scribes,* gnashed their teeth, and said:* Who is this man that speaks blasphemies?* For they knew not that You are He who is glorified from before all ages,* together with the Father and the Spirit,* O our God, glory be to You.
Aposticha
Tone 3
By Your passion, O Christ, You darkened the sun,* and by the light of Your Resurrection* You have made the whole universe radiant.* We beseech You to accept our evening hymn,* O Lover of mankind.
Their sound has gone forth into all the earth,* and their words into the ends of the world.
Your sound has gone forth into all the earth, O holy Apostles;* dispelling the delusion of the idols and proclaiming divine knowledge.* Such was your good fight, O blessed ones;* wherefore, we praise and glorify your memory.
God is wondrous* is all His saints
Established by faith, made steadfast by hope,* united in soul by the love of the Cross,* Your Martyrs, O Lord, destroyed the tyranny of the enemy;* and, counted worthy of crowns, they intercede on our behalf* together with the bodiless hosts.
Tone 6, Glory…
O venerable father, the sound of your corrections has gone forth into all the earth;* therefore, you have found the reward of your labours in the heavens,* have destroyed hordes of the demons and attained to the ranks of the angels,* whose life you blamelessly emulated.* As you have boldness before Christ God, ask peace for our souls.
Tone 3, Now…
At Mid-feast we glorify Him who has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.* In the midst of two thieves did Life hang upon a Tree;* He was silent to the one that blasphemed,* but to the other who believed, He cried aloud saying:* Today you shall be with Me in Paradise.* He descended into the grave, despoiled Hades,* and arose on the third day, saving our souls.
Troparion
Tone 8
The divine image was faithfully preserved in you, O father,* for taking up the Cross you followed Christ.* By your deeds you have taught us to see beyond flesh, which passes,* and care for the soul, a thing immortal.* and so, O Venerable Pachomius,* your spirit rejoices with the angels.
Tone 8, Glory… Now…
At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* Source of life, Christ our God, glory to You!
DIVINE LITURGY ON THURSDAY 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 8: At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* O Source of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: At the mid-point of the Feast according to the Law,* Maker of all things and Master,* You said to those present, O Christ God:* Come, and draw the water of immortality.* And so we fall before You crying out with faith: Grant us Your mercies , for You are the source of our life.
Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Great is our Lord, and great is His strength;* and of His knowledge there is no end.
verse: Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good; may praise be sweet to Him. (Psalm 146:5,1)
Epistle
Acts 10:34-43
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: Remember Your congregation which You acquired from the beginning.
verse: But God is our king before the ages; He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. (Psalm 73:2,12)
Gospel
John 8:12-20
Hymn to the Mother of God
Virginity is alien to mothers and child-bearing is foreign to virgins; yet in you, O Mother of God, both of them came together. Therefore, we and all the nations of the earth without ceasing magnify you.
Communion Hymn
Those who eat My flesh and drink My blood* abide in Me and I in them, says the Lord.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (John 6:56)
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.