VESPERS ON TUESDAY 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.

O venerable Maximus, you preached Him who, in His loving-kindness,* became man in His good pleasure,* who is known as having two wills and activities;* and you have stopped the gaping mouths of the abominable ones* who, by the temptation of the devil, the author of evil,* worship Him as having a single will and activity.

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

With the cords of your doctrines, O father Maximus,* you strangled Pyrrhus, the evil-minded trifler,* and endured persecution and tribulations,* O ever-memorable one, cruelly wounded, your tongue cut off,* and the divine hand, which is ever stretched forth to God,* by writing you have wrought exalted words.

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

O blessed one, your tongue was holy, sharpened by the Spirit* like the pen of scribe, inscribing the law of the divine virtues* with comely letters of grace upon the tablets of our hearts* and imparting by your doctrine the incarnation for men, in two essences,* of Him who desired to appear in a single Hypostasis.

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.

O all-glorious wonder!* The dove which came from on high converses with the martyr Neophytus in human speech!* He is resplendent in the angelic life* by which he suffered mightily, though but a youth.* O, the godly works of the martyr tortured in five ways!* By his supplications save our souls, O Christ,* as You are compassionate.

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

O all-glorious wonder!* Neophytus of perfect wisdom, from earliest infancy* performs miracles through the activity of the Spirit:* by his entreaties he causes water to pour forth from a rock,* and raises up the dead woman, whose offspring he was.* O, the godly works of the martyr tortured in five ways!* By his supplications save our souls, O Christ,* as You are compassionate.

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

O all-glorious wonder!* The thrice-blessed Neophytus suffered for Christ,* put to fright the enemy with his excellent visions,* quenched the fire when he was cast therein,* and shows savage beasts to be terrified.* O, the invincible might wherein the athlete causes all to marvel!* By his supplications save us, O God!

Tone 6, Glory…

O venerable father, word of your corrections has gone forth into all the earth.* You have found the reward of your labours in the heavens,* have destroyed hordes of the demons, and attained to the ranks of the angels,* whose life you blamelessly emulated.* As you have boldness before Christ, ask peace for our souls.

Now…

The unblemished ewe-lamb and immaculate Mistress,* when, of old, she beheld her Lamb upon the tree of the Cross,* exclaimed maternally and, marvelling, cried out:* O my Child most sweet, what new and most strange sight is this that I see?* How have the thankless synagogue betrayed You to the judgment-seat of Pilate* and condemned You to death, who are the Life of all?* Yet I sing of Your ineffable condescension, O Word!

Prokeimenon, Tone 1

Your mercy, O Lord, shall follow me* all the days of my life.

verse: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In green pastures He gives me repose.

Aposticha

Tone 7

No longer are we forbidden the Tree of life,* for we have Your Cross as our hope.* О Lord, glory be to You!

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.

Suspended upon the Tree, О Immortal One,* You broke the snares of the devil.* О Lord, glory be to You!

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.

Caring nothing for all the things of earth, О holy martyrs,* and having manfully preached Christ at the tribunal,* you received from Him rewards for your torments;* but as you have boldness, beseech Him,* as the almighty God, that He save the souls of us who flee to you, we pray.

Tone 8, Glory…

We honour you as the instructor of a multitude of monks, O Maximus our father;* for by your steps have we truly learned to walk aright.* Blessed are you who, serving Christ, denounced the power of the enemy,* O converser with the angels, companion of the venerable and the righteous.* With them beseech the Lord, that our souls find mercy.

Now…

“What is this sight that I see, which my eyes behold, O Master?* Do You who sustain all creation die, suspended upon the tree, granting life to all?”* The Theotokos, said weeping, when she beheld upon the cross the God and man* who had shone forth ineffably from her.

Troparia

Tone 8

Guide of orthodoxy, teacher of piety and purity,* luminary of the world, inspired adornment of monks, O wise Maximus,* you have enlightened all by your teachings, O spiritual trumpet.* Intercede with Christ our God for the salvation of our souls.

Tone 4, Glory…

O Lord our God, your holy martyr Neophyte* 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.

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 WEDNESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 8: Guide of orthodoxy, teacher of piety and purity,* luminary of the world, inspired adornment of hierarchs (or: monks), O wise Maximus,* you have enlightened all by your teachings, O spiritual trumpet.* Intercede with Christ our God for the salvation of 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 2: You took delight in self-control, O wise one,* and you put the desires of the flesh to sleep.* You were seen to have grown in faith;* and, like the Tree of Life in Paradise, you flourished, O holy father, Maximus.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

The venerable ones will exult in glory* and they shall be 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

1 Peter 4:1-11

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

Mark 12:28-37

Communion Hymn

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