VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING

Paschal Beginning

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 1

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

The Word, who is consubstantial with God the Father,* has fashioned all things and grants life to all,* assuming flesh from the Virgin, and willingly becoming a man.* Since He is by nature good,* He has poured forth for all His wise teachings* of ineffable wisdom.

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

As the Law’s Master You entered the court of the temple,* there You taught at Mid-feast, as is written, O Christ;* speaking with authority, You rebuked and censure the mindless scribes,* and all were amazed by the wisdom found in Your words* and by all the marvels that were wrought by You.

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

Christ, the Bestower of Wisdom, the Giver of all good things,* who pours forth divine streams from a never-ending spring,* cries out: Come to Me, all you that thirst,* draw forth and drink the water of life.* And thus shall rivers of grace and divine gifts* issue freely from within yourselves.

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.

When the great turbulence of the earth laid hold of you,* and a storm smote your soul, O most glorious one,* steered by your exalted name as with a rudder* you traversed unharmed the abyss of greatly painful tortures;* and having attained to the harbours of the Most High,* you were filled with everlasting calm, O martyr Thalaleus.

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

Lifted up upon a tree, your side lacerated by the savagery of the torturers,* you emulated the suffering of the Master of creation, O glorious one;* and you denounced their erroneous thought,* reviling the falsehood of idolatry and manifestly strengthening piety,* O great-martyr Thalaleus.

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

At the command of the tyrant you were committed to the depths of the sea,* yet through divine grace remained undrowned, O all-wise one;* and with the torrents of your blood* you drowned the noetic Pharaoh and his army, O divinely wise one,* and, strengthened greatly by Christ,* committed him to utter destruction.

Tone 4, Glory…

Ten thousands of times have I promised to repent of mine offenses, O all-pure One,* yet the cherished habit of my evils will not depart from me;* therefore, I cry to you and fall down, praying:* O Mistress, rescue me from such tyranny,* guiding me to things that are higher,* which are nigh to salvation.

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 are glorified from before all ages,* together with the Father and the Spirit,* O our God, glory be to You.

Aposticha

Tone 4

Thou annulled the sentence of the tree of disobedience, O Saviour,* by being nailed willingly to the Tree of the Cross.* And by descending into Hades, O Mighty One,* as God You rent asunder the bonds of death.* Therefore, we worship Your Resurrection from the dead,* while crying out in gladness:* O Almighty Lord, glory be to You.

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.

What man who is tempest-tossed and hastens to this blessed haven is not saved?* Who, falling down in affliction and entreaty at the infirmary of healing, is not healed?* O You, Creator of all things and Physician of the ailing,* O Lord, before I utterly perish, save me.

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.

O You who accepted the patient endurance of the holy martyrs,* accept also this hymnody from us, O Lover of mankind.* By their entreaties, grant us great mercy.

Tone 3, Glory… 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.* Having descended into the grave, He despoiled Hades,* and arose on the third day, saving our souls.

Troparion

Tone 4

Your martyr, Thaleleus, O Lord,* by his passion acquired the crown of incorruptibility from You, our God.* For possessing Your power he overcame the torturers* and shattered the feeble insolence of demons.* By his supplications, save our souls.

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 TUESDAY 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 12:25-13:12

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 8:51-59

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.