Saint with Six Stichera. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
VESPERS ON THURSDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 4
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Bound to the Lord, you were imprisoned in a dungeon.* Thus you bound falsehood, Apostle.* Therefore we honour you with love and kiss your chains with faith.* From them we draw healing of body and salvation of our souls.* We fittingly praise you, god-seer and conversor with the angels.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Bound to the Lord, you were imprisoned in a dungeon.* Thus you bound falsehood, Apostle.* Therefore we honour you with love and kiss your chains with faith.* From them we draw healing of body and salvation of our souls.* We fittingly praise you, god-seer and conversor with the angels.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Those who are bound by ignorance, receive understanding through you.* The peoples of the Gentiles who first were scattered* were shown to you in an image let down from on high* as a sheet containing every living creature.* Therefore, Apostle, every generation glorifies you,* venerating the chains which you bore with diligence for Christ!
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Those who are bound by ignorance, receive understanding through you.* The peoples of the Gentiles who first were scattered* were shown to you in an image let down from on high* as a sheet containing every living creature.* Therefore, Apostle, every generation glorifies you,* venerating the chains which you bore with diligence for Christ!
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
The One whom you denied at His condemnation,* you hymned when He rose from the dead.* You preached Him to the ends of the earth, Apostle,* as the God and Man who in His great goodness* entered into fellowship with humankind!* Therefore, we bless you with love, all-glorious Peter,* venerating the chains which you bore with diligence for Christ!
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
The One whom you denied at His condemnation,* you hymned when He rose from the dead.* You preached Him to the ends of the earth, Apostle,* as the God and Man who in His great goodness* entered into fellowship with humankind!* Therefore, we bless you with love, all-glorious Peter,* venerating the chains which you bore with diligence for Christ!
Tone 6, Glory…
Today Peter, the rock of faith, the foundation of the Church,* appoints his precious chains for the devotion of our souls.* Come and let us kiss them, crowning him with songs of praise and chanting:* rejoice, fervent champion of the faith,* for with ardent knowledge and great boldness you confessed Christ, the Son of God!* Rejoice, joy of the universe, keeper of the keys of the kingdom of heaven,* for you give grace to those who honour you with love* and venerate your precious chains with longing!* As you stand before the throne of Christ, the King of all,* ever pray for us who celebrate your memory!
Now…
The all-immaculate Theotokos, beholding our Life suspended upon the Tree,* cried out, maternally lamenting:* O my Son and my God, save them that sing to You!
Prokeimenon, Tone 6
My help is from the Lord,* Who made heaven and earth.
verse: I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help shall come.
Aposticha
Tone 6
Your Cross is the life and help of Your people, О Lord;* and trusting therein, we hymn You,* our God who was crucified in the flesh.* Have mercy on us!
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.
Your Cross, О Lord, has opened paradise to the race of mankind;* and delivered from corruption, we hymn You, our God who was crucified in the flesh.* Have mercy on us!
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.
Your martyrs, О Lord, did not deny You nor depart from Your commandments.* By their supplications have mercy on us.
Tone 6, Glory…
Peter, the rock of faith, the fervent intercessor,* again lifts us up together for a spiritual feast,* setting before us his precious chains as provision for a costly banquet* that our infirmities may be healed and our sorrows consoled,* and the storm-tossed ships of our life brought to harbour.* Come, let us kiss them, and entreat Christ who glorified him,* saying: by his prayers, O Christ, save our souls!
Now…
Seeing You crucified, O Christ,* she who gave birth to You cried out:* What is this strange mystery that I see, O my Son?* How is it that You die, suspended upon the Tree,* O Bestower of life?
Troparia
Tone 4
You came to us without leaving Rome by the precious chains which you wore.* First-enthroned of the Apostles* we bow down to them in faith and pray:** by your prayers to God grant us great mercy.
Glory… Now…
O Virgin, all immaculate Mother of Christ God,* a sword pierced your all-holy soul* when you saw your Son and God willingly crucified.* Therefore, O blessed One,* never cease to pray to Him* that He may grant us forgiveness of our sins.
DIVINE LITURGY ON FRIDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: You came to us without leaving Rome* by the precious chains which you wore.* First-enthroned of the apostles* we bow down to them in faith and pray:* By your prayers to God grant us great mercy.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2: Christ the rock, who greatly glorified the first among apostles,* calling him Peter, the rock of faith,* calls us now to honor the miracles wrought through Peter’s chains,* that He may grant us forgiveness of our sins.
Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
verse: The heavens tell the glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of His hands. (Psalm 18:5,2)
Epistle
1 Peter 1:1-2, 10-12; 2:6-10
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: The heavens shall confess our wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints.
verse: God is glorified in the assembly of the saints. (Psalm 88:6,8)
Gospel
Mark 12:1-12
Communion Hymn
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their words unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 18:5)