VESPERS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING
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.
О glorious apostles, divinely chosen disciples of Christ, teachers of the whole world,* who found the Lord God, who is the Mediator between God and mankind:* to Him did you cleave in godliness,* and throughout the world you manifestly preached Him as God* and as a supremely perfect man.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O most wise apostles, divinely chosen disciples of Christ, teachers of the whole world:* By your prayers strengthen me, that I may obey the teachings of God;* and ever help me to walk the narrow path,* that I may achieve a most spacious rest in paradise.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
I hymn as eyewitnesses and preachers of the Word* Peter the first enthroned, Paul, and James,* Andrew and Philip, Simon, Bartholomew and Thomas,* Matthew and John, and Mark and Luke who recorded the Gospels,* who with the seventy others* are the divinely chosen choir.
Tone 8, Podoben “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 most lauded martyr Longinus,* with the stains of your blood you dyed for yourself a robe of salvation,* stripping the greatly crafty one bare by your feats of pain.* And now you live in the kingdom on high,* crowned as a victor with a never-fading wreath.* Therefore, we honour your glorious memory.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
O most lauded martyr Longinus, seeing the Son of God upon the Cross,* suffering of His own will, and tasting death,* when the sun dimmed its light and the mountains quaked,* you cried out to the assembly of the Jews:* Truly, this is the Son of God, the Lord and King of all.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
The Hebrew people, the all-iniquitous assembly, the ungrateful nation,* cut off your head with a sword, casting it into a dung-heap.* And a blind woman, coming upon it and touching it, received her sight.* O most blessed and lauded Longinus,* pray to the Lord for us that we be saved.
Tone 6, Glory…
Seeing the temple quake during Your suffering, O Christ,* Longinus the centurion proclaimed You to the Jews as the Son of God.* Therefore, the cruel ones, cutting off your head with a sword, cast it on a dung-heap;* and the eyes of the woman who found it, which had been shut fast in blindness, were opened.* With her we cry out: O You who have crowned him who suffered for You,* by his supplications illumine also the eyes of our hearts,* that we may glorify You, God who was nailed to the Cross in the flesh,* that You might save us.
Now…
Envying your flock, О most pure one,* the wicked adversary ever strives to make it his food;* but, О Theotokos, deliver us from his harm.
Prokeimenon, Tone 5
O Lord, save me by Your name,* and in Your power be a judge for me.
verse: O God, hear my prayer; listen to the words of my mouth.
Aposticha
Tone 1
The harmonious harp of the apostles, played by the Holy Spirit,* abolished the abominable sacrifices of the demons;* and, proclaiming the one Lord,* it has delivered the nations from the delusion of idolatry,* and taught them to worship the consubstantial Trinity.
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.
Together let us praise Peter and Paul,* Luke and Matthew, Mark and John,* Andrew and Thomas,* Bartholomew and Simon the Canaanite, James and Philip;* and let us laud the whole choir of the disciples,* as is meet.
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.
О all-praised martyrs, the earth did not hide you,* but heaven received you,* and to you were opened the gates of paradise.* And since you have entered therein, you delight in the tree of life.* Pray to Christ, that He grant our souls peace and great mercy.
Tone 6, Glory…
Standing before the Cross, gazing upon the events which had transpired,* and seeing the God-man crucified upon the Tree, you cried out to Him:* Remember me in Your kingdom, O Lord!* Therefore, the Saviour exclaimed to you:* Blessed are you, O Longinus!* Your memory shall be from generation to generation!
Now…
Seeing You crucified, O Christ, she who gave birth to You cried out:* What is this strange mystery which I see, O my Son?* How is it that You die on the Tree, suspended in the flesh,* O Bestower of life?
Troparia
Tone 4
O Lord our God, Your holy martyr Longinus* has deserved the crown of immortality* on account of his good fight.* Armed with Your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors* and crushed Satan’s dreadful might.* Through his supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.
Glory… Now…
O Virgin Mother of God,* we acknowledge that the Word of the Father, Christ our God,* was incarnate of you, the only pure one and the only blessed one.* Therefore, we sing to you a hymn of praise and we exalt you.
DIVINE LITURGY ON THURSDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: O Lord our God, Your holy martyr Longinus* has deserved the crown of immortality* on account of his good fight.* Armed with Your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors* and crushed Satan’s dreadful might.* Through his supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: The Church remembers the holy martyr Longinus today,* and she is made truly happy.* She sings this song to the Lord:* You are my strength and perseverance, O Christ.
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him.
verse: Hear, O God, my voice when I make my petition to You. (Psalm 63:11,2)
Epistle
Philippians 1:20-27
Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: The just man shall flourish like the palm tree; and he shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon.
verse: They who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish the courts of our God. (Psalm 91:13,14)
Gospel
Luke 6:12-19
Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)