Day 13 of the Great Fast.

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS ON FRIDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

Tone 4

Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

Behold, this is the acceptable time,* this is the day of salvation.* Visit my soul in the abundance of Your love,* and in Your unique goodness, lighten the load of my sins.

The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

Behold, this is the acceptable time,* this is the day of salvation.* Visit my soul in the abundance of Your love,* and in Your unique goodness, lighten the load of my sins.

Tone 4

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

You are glorified in the memory of your saints, O Christ God.* Through their intercessions,* send upon us Your great mercy.

Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

O God, who has accepted the long-suffering of the holy martyrs,* accept our song, O Lover of humankind,* and, through their prayers, grant us Your great mercy.

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

O saints, who have the boldness to approach the Saviour,* pray without ceasing for us sinners,* asking remission for our transgressions,* and great mercy for our souls.

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

O martyrs of the Lord,* you are living sacrifices and spiritual offerings* and perfect incense burnt to God.* You are sheep that know God and are known to Him,* and wolves cannot break into His fold.* Pray that we may be led with you* to pasture beside the still waters.

Tone 4

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

Desiring a blessedness which is past understanding,* you reckoned abstinence to be food, poverty to be wealth,* lack of acquisitiveness to be abundant possessions,* and humility to be glory, O wondrous one.* Therefore, you also received your desire in accordance with your understanding,* abiding in the tabernacles of the saints, O Basil.

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

Desiring a blessedness which is past understanding,* you reckoned abstinence to be food, poverty to be wealth,* lack of acquisitiveness to be abundant possessions,* and humility to be glory, O wondrous one.* Therefore, you also received your desire in accordance with your understanding,* abiding in the tabernacles of the saints, O Basil.

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

You completed the immutable course of abstinence, and kept the Faith.* Therefore, you have been adorned with a crown of righteousness, O father,* which Christ has prepared for you,* awarding you recompense in accordance with your merits,* and bestowing upon you honours and rewards for your pangs.* Beseech Him, O divinely inspired one, that He save our souls.

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

You cast off all love of pleasure which enslaved your body, O divinely wise one,* harrowing your senses with the pangs of abstinence,* with terrible living conditions, the endurance of temptations,* and the withstanding of evil circumstances;* and thereby you have received never-ending delight,* everlasting sweetness and ineffable joy.

Tone 4

Glory…

Where is the attachment to the world?* Where is the allurement of all that is temporal?* Where is silver and gold?* Where is the multitude of servants and anxieties?* All is dust, all is ashes, all is shadow.* Come, let us cry out to the Immortal King.* O Lord, deem worthy of Your eternal blessings those who have departed from us,* granting them rest in Your ageless bliss.

Now…

O Mother of God,* because of you David the prophet became an ancestor of God;* he foretold and sang a joyous hymn of praise* and cried out to Him who worked wonders in you:* “The Queen stood at Your right hand.”* God revealed you as a life-giving mother, when He chose to be incarnate of you without a father.* He renewed in man His image which the passions had corrupted.* He found the lost sheep in the mountains,* carried it on His shoulders, offered it to the Father,* generously numbered it among the powers of heaven,* and saved the whole world, since He is Christ of great and rich mercy.

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4

Your merciful love and Your truth* will guard me forever.

verse: I waited, I waited for the Lord and He stooped down to me; He heard my cry.

Reading I

Genesis 5:32-6:8

Noah was five hundred years old, and he begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now it came to pass that men began to exist in great numbers on the earth, and daughters were born to them. So when the sons of God saw the daughters of men were beautiful, they took wives for themselves of all they chose. Then the Lord God said, “My Spirit shall not remain with these people forever, for they are flesh. So their days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” Now there were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men of old, men of renown. Then the Lord God saw man’s wickedness, that it was great in the earth, and every intent of the thoughts within his heart was only evil continually. So God was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and He thought this over. Then God said, “I will blot out man whom I created from the face of the earth, from man to cattle, and from the creeping things to the birds of heaven, for I am grieved I made them.” But Noah found grace in the presence of the Lord God.

Prokeimenon II, Tone 6

As for me, I said: Lord, have mercy on me;* heal my soul for I have sinned against You.

verse: Blessed are those who consider the poor and the weak. The Lord will save them in the evil day.

Reading II

Proverbs 6:20-7:1

For he rejoices in everything the Lord hates,
And he shall be broken because of his soul’s uncleanness:
A haughty eye, an unrighteous tongue,
Hands that shed righteous blood,
A heart that devises evil thoughts,
And feet that hasten to do evil;
As a false witness he kindles injustice
And causes quarrels between brethren.
My son, guard the laws of your father,
And do not depart from the rules of your mother.
But fasten them to your soul continually
And wear them as a collar upon your neck.
When you walk about, bring along this commandment
And let it be with you;
And as you sleep, let it guard you,
That when you arise, it may speak to you.
For a commandment of law is a lamp and a light,
And the way of life is reproof and instruction,
That you may keep yourself from a married woman
And from the slanderous tongue of a strange woman.
Do not let the desire of beauty conquer you;
Neither be caught by her eyes,
Nor captivated by her eyelids;
For the value of a prostitute is only one loaf,
And such a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.
Shall anyone bind fire to his bosom
And his garments not burn?
Or will anyone walk about on coals of fire
And not burn his feet?
Likewise is the one who goes in to a married woman;
He shall not be guiltless, nor any who touch her.
It is not surprising if anyone who steals is caught,
For he steals that he may fill his hungry soul;
But if he is caught, he will repay sevenfold,
And by giving all his goods, he shall deliver himself.
But the adulterer through his lack of discernment
Obtains the destruction of his soul;
He bears both pain and dishonor,
And his disgrace will not be wiped away forever.
For the anger of her husband is full of jealousy;
He will not spare in the day of judgment;
He will not take any ransom in exchange for his hatred,
Nor will he be reconciled by many gifts.
My son, guard my words,
And hide my commandments within yourself.

DIVINE LITURGY ON SATURDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 8: With profound wisdom and love for mankind, You arrange all things* and bestow beneficial things upon all, O only Creator and Lord.* Grant rest to the souls of your servants,* for they have placed their hope in You,* our God Who made and shaped us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 8: To the souls of Your servants, O Christ* grant rest among the saints* where there is no pain,* no sorrow, no mourning,* but only life without end.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 8: In you we have a rampart and a haven,* and an intercessor most acceptable to God,* whom you bore, o Virgin Mother of God,* salvation of the faithful.

Prokeimenon, Tone 6

Their souls shall dwell amidst good things.

verse: To You, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul. (Psalm 24:13,1)

Epistle

Hebrews 3:12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

Alleluia, Tone 6

verse: Blessed are they whom You have chosen and taken to Yourself, O Lord.

verse: And let their memory be from generation to generation. (Psalm 64:5)

Gospel

Mark 1:35-44; John 5:24-30

Communion Hymn

Blessed are they whom You have chosen and taken to Yourself, O Lord;* and let their memory be from generation to generation.* Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Psalm 64:5)