VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Paschal Troparion

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

Priest: Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee from before His face!

All: Christ is risen…

Priest: As smoke vanishes, let them vanish, as wax melts before the fire!

All: Christ is risen…

Priest: So let the sinners perish before the face of God, but let the righteous be glad!

All: Christ is risen…

Priest: This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

All: Christ is risen…

Priest: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

All: Christ is risen…

Priest: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death,

All: And to those in the tombs giving life.

Litany of Peace

At Psalm 140

Tone 2

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

He that was born blind thought to himself and said:* Was I born without eyes for the sins of my parents?* Was I born to be an example because of the unbelief of the nations?* I cease not from asking: When is it night, when is it day?* My feet cannot endure striking against the stones.* For I have neither seen the sun shining nor beheld in image Him who fashioned me.* But I beseech You, O Christ God, look upon me and have mercy on me.

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

As Jesus passed by on His way from the temple,* He found a man who was blind from his birth;* and taking compassion on him, He put clay on his eyes and said to him:* Go and wash in the pool of Siloam.* And he washed and gained his sight, and sent up praise to God.* But his kinsmen said to him:* Who has opened your eyes, which none of them that see was able to heal?* And he cried out and said:* A man called Jesus; He told me: Wash in the pool of Siloam; and I gained my sight.* He is truly Christ the Messiah, of whom Moses spoke in the Law.* He is the Saviour of our souls.

Tone 4

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

The blind man, accounting all his life as though it were night,* cried to You, O Lord:* Open my eyes, O our Saviour, O Son of David,* that together with all mankind,* I also may praise Your power.

Tone 5

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

Passing by on the way, O Lord,* You found a man who was blind from his birth.* And the disciples, in astonishment, asked You and said:* Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?* And You, O my Saviour, cried to them: Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents,* but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.* I must work the works of Him that sent Me, which none else can work.* And when You had said this, You spit upon the ground and make clay,* and anointed his eyes, saying to him:* Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.* And he washed and was made whole and cried to You:* Lord, I believe; and he worshipped You.* Therefore, we also cry out: have mercy on us.

Tone 8

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

O Christ God, spiritual Sun of Righteousness,* who by Your immaculate touch bestowed a twofold enlightenment* upon him who from his mother’s womb was deprived of sight,* illumine the eyes of our souls also,* and prove us to be sons and daughters of the day, that we may cry to You with faith:* Great and ineffable is Your compassion toward us, O Lover of mankind; glory be to You.

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

O Christ God, who by Your merciful compassion became incarnate,* with Your fingers which have fashioned all things* You touched clay to the eyes of him who from the womb was bereft of sight* and thereby deemed him worthy of divine brilliance by Your ineffable compassion.* And now, O Bestower of light, illumine also the senses of our souls,* since You alone are the bountiful Bestower of good gifts.

Tone 8, Glory… Now…

Who can tell of Your mighty acts, O Christ,* or who can number the multitudes of Your wonders?* For even as You, in Your goodness, appeared on earth twofold of nature,* so You granted twofold healings to the sick;* for You opened not only the bodily eyes of the man who was blind from the womb,* but those of his soul also.* Therefore, he confessed You, the hidden God, who grants great mercy to all.

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 5

With voices of song we magnify You, O Christ, the Saviour incarnate,* yet not separated from heaven,* for as the Lord who loves mankind* Youhave suffered the cross and death for the sake of our race,* overthrowing the gates of Hades,* and rising on the third day,* thus saving our souls.

And the Paschal Stichera:

Your Resurrection, O Christ, the Saviour,* has lighted up the whole universe.* You have renewed Your creation,* O Lord almighty, glory to You!

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered.

Today a sacred Pascha is revealed to us: a new and holy Pascha; a mystical Pascha; a Pascha which is Christ the Redeemer; a blameless Pascha; a great Pascha; a Pascha of the faithful; a Pascha which has opened for us the gates of Paradise; a Pascha which sanctifies all the faithful.

As smoke vanishes, let them vanish!

Come from that scene O women bearers of glad tidings, and say to Zion: Receive from us the glad tidings of joy of Christ’s Resurrection: Exult and be glad, and rejoice, O Jerusalem, seeing Christ the King who comes forth from the tomb like a Bridegroom in procession!

So let sinners perish before the face of God, but let the righteous scatter rejoice!

The myrrh-bearing women at the break of dawn drew near to the tomb of the Life Giver. There they found an angel sitting upon a stone, he greeted the, with these words: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? Why do you mourn in the incorrupt amid corruption? Go, proclaim the glad tidings to His disciples.”

This is the day which the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Pascha of beauty! The Pascha of the Lord! Pascha! A Pascha worthy of all honour has dawned on us. Pascha! Let us embrace each other joyously! Pascha, ransom from affliction! For today as from a bridal chamber Christ has shown forth from the Tomb, and filled the women with joy saying: “Proclaim the glad tidings to the Apostles!”

Glory… Now…

This is the day of Resurrection, let us be illumined by the Feast! Let us embrace each other! Let us call “brothers and sisters” even those that hate us and forgive all by the Resurrection, and so let us cry:

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

Troparia

Tone 5

Let us the faithful acclaim and worship the Word,* co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit,* and born of the Virgin for our salvation.* For He willed to be lifted up on the cross in the flesh, to suffer death* and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.

Glory… Now…

Rejoice, O impassable door of the Lord!* Rejoice, O rampart and protection of those who have recourse to you!* Rejoice, O tranquil haven and Virgin,* who gave birth in the flesh to your Maker and God!* Fail not to intercede for those* who sing and worship the Child you bore.

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 5: Let us the faithful acclaim and worship the Word,* co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit,* and born of the Virgin for our salvation.* For He willed to be lifted up on the cross in the flesh, to suffer death* and to raise the dead by His glorious resurrection.

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

Kontakion, Tone 4: Blinded in the eyes of my soul,* I come to You, O Christ, like the man who was blind from birth,* and I cry in repentance:* You are the brilliant light of those in darkness.

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 8

Pray and give thanks to the Lord our God.

verse: In Judea God is known; His name is great in Israel. (Psalm 76:12,2)

Epistle

Acts 18:22-28

Alleluia, Tone 6

verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.

verse: His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth. (Psalm 111:1,2)

Gospel

John 12:36-47

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.