Nativity Fast.

VESPERS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

There are no appointed psalms to be chanted tonight.

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

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

What shall we proclaim you to be, O Daniel?* An uprooter of the passions and planter of the virtues,* a true wonderworker, an intercessor for sinners,* a most valiant exorcist of demons, a beacon radiant with piety,* a dwelling place of the Spirit and champion of the Church.* Pray that our souls be saved.

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

What shall we name you, O Daniel?* A faster, for you subjected the passions to your mind;* a sufferer, for you endured all manner of discomfort,* lifted high above the ground on your pillar;* a most diligent athlete and a most skilled physician.* Pray that our souls be saved.

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

What shall we now call you, O Daniel?* A model for monastics and teacher of abstinence,* an adornment of the faithful and worker of healings,* a beacon shining forth light upon them that are in darkness,* a fellow citizen of the angels, equal in honour to them,* and an inhabitant of paradise and a heavenly man.* Pray that our souls be saved.

Tone 8, Glory… Now…

O Mistress, help of all, send down a drop of the oil of your mercy upon me* who am tempest-tossed upon the sea of darkness* and ever compassed about by the billows and waves of the evils of this life;* and give me a helping hand,* and vouchsafe to me the portion of the elect and the righteous,* for you gave birth to the Lover of mankind.

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.

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.

Rejoice, O Virgin, joy of the forefathers,* gladness of the apostles and martyrs,* and protection of us your servants!

Troparia

Tone 1

You became a column of endurance and rivalled the forefathers, O holy one,* becoming like Job in your sufferings and like Joseph in your trials,* and like the bodiless angels though you lived in the flesh.* O Daniel, our holy father,* intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

Glory… Now…

You have borne the fire of the Godhead without being burned;* you have given birth to the Lord, the Source life,* O Mother of God and woman full of grace,* save all those who exalt you.

DIVINE LITURGY ON THURSDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 1: You became a column of endurance and rivalled the forefathers, O holy one,* becoming like Job in your sufferings and like Joseph in your trials,* and like the bodiless angels though you lived in the flesh.* O Daniel, our holy father,* intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

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

Kontakion, Tone 8: You ascended your pillar like a star in the sky,* and you gave the light of good works to the world.* You dispersed the darkness of lies, O father,* and thus we now have recourse to you.* Make the unwaning Light of understanding dawn in our hearts, O blessed saint.

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 Timothy 6:17-21

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

Luke 18:31-34

Communion Hymn

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