VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 4, Podoben “You have given a sign…”

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

Having made your abode in the wilderness* in oneness of mind, O blessed ones,* by fasting, prayer, and radiant visions* you manifestly caused the uprisings of the flesh to fall away,* and made your hearts splendid,* rendering them pleasing through spiritual surrender,* O Symeon and John, confirmation of monastics.

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

With foolish behaviour you rendered render foolish the malice of the wise, O blessed father,* working all-glorious miracles, causing signs to show forth,* expelling demons,*and illumining those who are in caught in the night of sin.* And in the midst of tumults you preserved your mind untroubled, O Symeon,* receiving dispassion from God.

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

You were shown to be humble in wisdom and merciful,* God-loving and full of love, O divinely inspired one,* compunctionate and meek, going about the earth like an angel,* possessed of a heavenly life.* Therefore, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit* rested in you, O blessed Symeon, as in a place of purity

Tone 8, Podoben “O all-glorious wonder…”

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

O divinely blessed and wondrous Ezekiel,* having cleansed soul and body, and your mind with purity,* you noetically beheld the ineffable glory of the Lord* which is more brilliant than the lightning-flash, passing understanding,* for He surpasses and exceeds the divine seraphim,* and is hymned by ten thousand mouths.

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

O God-pleasing Ezekiel,* as an emulator of Christ you endured the oppression of the alien’s debt, cruelly tortured,* prefiguring the salvation and deliverance* which were to come to the world through the precious Cross,* O you who were revealed by God.* Pray that all who hymn you now may partake thereof.

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

O divinely inspired Ezekiel,* receiving a scroll from the hands of the Almighty,* you became a God-seeing theologian,* manifest in sacred manner and godly in appearance, O glorious one,* whose lips were truly sweeter than honey,* imparting wisdom to the enraged synagogue.

Tone 8, Glory…. Now…

Rejoice, enlightenment of souls,* forgiveness of the sinful, correction of the negligent!* Rejoice, consolation, joy ,and helper of the sorrowful!* Rejoice, O blessed one, healing of the souls of the infirm!* Rejoice, mediator and reconciler of men to God,* O pure one who are more holy than all the seraphim!

Stavrotheotokion:

“What is this vision that I see, which my eyes behold, O Master?* You who sustain all creation* die, lifted up upon the Tree, granting life to all!”* Thus did the Theotokos say, weeping,* when she beheld the God and man who had shone forth ineffably from her,* suspended upon the Cross.

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 5

O Lord, I cease not to sin,* nor do I perceive Your love for mankind which You have granted me.* Vanquish my lack of discernment, O You who alone are good,* and have mercy upon me.

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.

O Lord, from reverent fear of You I tremble,* yet I cease not from committing sins.* Who, when called to trial, does not fear the judge?* Or who, desiring to be healed, angers the physician, as I do?* O longsuffering Lord, have compassion upon my weakness,* and have mercy upon 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.

Not caring for all earthly things, and manfully braving tortures,* you were not disappointed in your goodly hopes,* but became inheritors of the kingdom, of heaven, О all-praised martyrs.* Having boldness before God the Lover of mankind,* ask peace for the world and great mercy for our souls.

Glory… Now…

O strange, awesome and great mystery!* The Uncircumscribable One has made His abode within a womb,* and a Mother remains a Virgin even after birthgiving,* for from her she gave birth to God Incarnate.* To Him, then, let us cry aloud,* to Him let us raise a hymn, chanting with the angels:* Holy are You, O Christ God, who was incarnate for our sake!* Glory be to You!

Troparia

Tone 4

O God of our fathers,* You always deal with us according to Your everlasting compassion,* take not Your mercy away from us;* but through the prayers of our fathers,* guide our lives along the ways of peace.

Tone 2, Glory…

O prophet of God, Ezekiel,* through the gift of the Spirit you saw the sealed door of the Word’s entrance.* Beg Him to open the doors of His mercy to us* and save the souls of those who honour your memory.

Now…

O Mother of God, you are a fountain of mercy;* count us worthy of your compassion;* look upon a people who have sinned;* manifest your power as you always do.* Because of our trust in you, we cry out to you* as once did Gabriel, the commander of the angels.

DIVINE LITURGY ON MONDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 8: The divine image was faithfully preserved in you, O fathers,* 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 Simeon and John,* your spirits rejoices with the angels.

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

Kontakion, Tone 2: Divinely armed with purity of spirit* and mightily wielding the lance of unceasing prayers,* you overcame the powers of demons,* Venerable Simeon and John, pray without ceasing for all of us.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones.

verse: What shall I render to the Lord for all the things He has rendered to me? (Psalm 115:15,12)

Epistle

1 Corinthians 5:9-6:11

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 13:54-58

Communion Hymn

The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)