VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

There are no appointed psalms to be chanted tonight.

At Psalm 140

Tone 1, Podoben, “Joy of the ranks of heaven…”

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

O father, we have come to know you as a divinely radiant beacon,* illumining the world with noetic beams* and dispelling the darkness of the wicked tumult of the demons.* Therefore, with faith we celebrate your splendid memory, O blessed one.

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

Having been resplendent in riches and power in thy former life, O father Thomas,* you arrayed yourself in the monastic habit, O venerable one,* emulating the poverty of Him who became incarnate for our sake.* Therefore, He has made you rich with many spiritual gifts.

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

With a pillar of fire, O father, God manifestly guided you to salvation,* to the calm harbour, to the mountain of dispassion;* and by your prayer you made water gush forth,* caused the blind to see and the lame to walk aright.

Tone 4, Podoben “As one valiant among the martyrs…”

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

Through abstinence you mortified carnal knowledge* and enlivened your soul with fasting and the exercise of the virtues.* Wherefore, you have been shown to be truly alive even after your repose;* for death has been as a dream to you who have passed over to God* and placed your soul in His hands, O glorious Acacius.

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

O Acacius, you lulled to sleep the desires of the passions,* having acquired all-night vigilance, obedience, and humility,* the knowledge of the divine Scriptures,* a pure heart, and an intellect untroubled.* Wherefore, you became a receptacle of the Holy Spirit,* shining rays of miracles upon all the ends of the earth.

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

Having utterly disdained worldly attachments,* you became a vessel of dispassion;* and in love of wisdom, O glorious one,* you were exalted to the ultimate Desire by active ascent,* and with mystic vision you beheld the inconceivable and divine beauties of things unseen,* O Acacius most wise and blessed.

Tone 4, Glory… Now…

O most pure one, who contained within your womb the uncontainable God* who, in His love for mankind, became man,* received from you our substance and manifestly deified it,* disdain me not who am now sorrowful,* but quickly have pity and free me from the diverse malice and hostility of the evil one.

Prokeimenon, Tone 8

And now bless the Lord,* all you servants of the Lord.

verse: Who stand in the temple of the Lord, in the courtyards of the house of our God.

Aposticha

Tone 3

Our evening hymn do we bring to You, O Christ,* with incense and spiritual songs,* have mercy on us and save our souls.

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.

Save me, O Lord my God, for You are the salvation of all:* The storm of the passions disquiets me,* and the yoke of my transgressions weighs heavily upon me.* Stretch out Your helping hand and lead me up to the light of compunction,* for You alone are compassionate and the Lover of mankind.

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.

Great is the power of Your Cross, О Lord!* For it was planted in one place, yet works throughout the whole world;* making apostles of fishermen and martyrs of the heathen,* that they might pray for our souls.

Tone 3, Glory… Now…

О Lady, intercessor for all who pray to you:* in you we find boldness, of you do we boast, and in you have we place all our hope.* Entreat Him who was born from you* on behalf of your unprofitable servants.

Troparia

Tone 4

God of our fathers, You always treat us fairly.* Deprive us not of Your mercy* but by their prayers direct our lives in peace.

Glory… Now…

To the One who was reared in the Temple,* close to the Holy of Holies,* and who was full of faith, wisdom, and perfect virginity,* Gabriel, the captain and leader,* offered esteem and greetings from heaven when he said:* Rejoice, O blessed One! Rejoice, O glorified One!* The Lord is with you.

DIVINE LITURGY ON MONDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: God of our fathers, You always treat us fairly.* Deprive us not of Your mercy* but by their prayers direct our lives in peace.

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

Kontakion, Tone 2: Passing through the swell of the waves without being wet*, you mightily engulfed the incorporeal enemies* in the streams of your tears, O godly venerable martyrs.* Having received the gift of miracles,* pray without ceasing for all of us.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

The venerable ones will exult in glory* and they shall by joyful in their beds.

verse: Sing to the Lord a new song; let His praise be in the assembly of the venerable ones. (Psalm 149:5,1)

Epistle

Romans 12:4-5, 15-21

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

Matthew 12:9-13

Communion Hymn

Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)