Day 27 of the Great Fast.

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS ON FRIDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

Tone 7

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

I have enslaved the dignity of my soul to the passions,* and have become like the beasts;* I can no longer raise my eyes to You, O God most high.* But, like the Publican I bow to the earth,* and I cry to You in supplication:* Forgive me, O Lord, and save me.

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

I have enslaved the dignity of my soul to the passions,* and have become like the beasts;* I can no longer raise my eyes to You, O God most high.* But, like the Publican I bow to the earth,* and I cry to You in supplication:* Forgive me, O Lord, and save me.

Tone 6

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

Your martyrs did not reject You,* nor did they renounce Your commandments.* Through their prayers, have mercy on us!

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

Your martyrs, O Christ,* have endured many sufferings for Your sake,* and have received their heavenly crowns.* Now they intercede for our souls.

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

The suffering martyrs, citizens of heaven,* when taking part in the contest upon earth,* endured manifold torments.* By their intercessions and prayers, preserve us, O Lord.

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

Your Cross, O Christ, has been an invincible weapon for the martyrs;* for beholding the approach of death* and foreseeing the future life,* they were made strong by the hope that lies in You.* By their intercession, have mercy on us!

Tone 2

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

Having from childhood renounced the world with true faith and love, O father,* rejoicing, you followed after the crucified Christ;* and having mortified your flesh with many feats of asceticism,* you richly received the grace of healings, to assuage diverse illnesses* and to expel evil spirits, greatly astonished.

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

Having from childhood renounced the world with true faith and love, O father,* rejoicing, you followed after the crucified Christ;* and having mortified your flesh with many feats of asceticism,* you richly received the grace of healings, to assuage diverse illnesses* and to expel evil spirits, greatly astonished.

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

Being the adornment of monastics,* you assembled a countless multitude to hymn the Lord, O venerable Benedict,* and guided to heaven the steps of all who followed well your divine teachings* and emulated thy virtuous life, O father.* With them we honour you, rejoicing in your repose in sacred manner.

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

Like Elijah of old, O father,* you called down rain from the skies at your supplication,* and you caused the vessel to pour forth oil,* resurrected a dead man and worked many other miracles,* to the glory of the God and Saviour of all, O venerable one.* Therefore, with love we celebrate your glorious memory, O Benedict.

Tone 6, Glory…

Your creating command was my origin and formation,* for You willed to fashion me, a living creature,* out of visible and invisible nature.* From the earth You formed my body* and gave me a soul by Your divine and life-creating breath.* Therefore, O Christ, give rest to Your servant in the place of the living,* in the abodes of the just.

Now…

Who would not call you blessed, O Virgin most holy?* Who would not sing a hymn of praise to the glory of your giving birth without pain or travail?* The only-begotten Son Himself,* begotten of the Father before all ages,* was made flesh out of you in a manner that cannot be explained, O Woman most pure!* And for our sake He who is God by nature assumed the nature of man.* He is not divided into two persons;* He is understood to have two natures without commixion or confusion.* O noble and blessed Woman,* intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4

O Shepherd of Israel, hear us,* You who lead Joseph’s flock.

verse: Shine forth from Your Cherubim throne.

Reading I

Genesis 12:1-7

The Lord said to Abram, “Get out of your country, from your kindred and from your father’s house, to a land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you; and in you all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed.” Then Abram departed as the Lord said to him, and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he de-parted from Haran. So Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son and all their possessions and every soul they acquired in Haran, and they departed for the land of Canaan. Thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your seed I will give this land.” And there Abram built an altar to the Lord, who appeared to him.

Prokeimenon II, Tone 2

Ring out your joy to God, our strength,* shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.

verse: Raise a song and sound the timbrel, the sweet-sounding harp and lute.

Reading II

Proverbs 14:15-26

A simple man believes in every word,
But an astute man comes to repentance.
A wise man fears and turns away from evil,
But a man without discernment persuades himself to mingle with a lawless man.
A quick-tempered man acts with recklessness,
But a man with discernment bears many things.
Men without discernment will share in evil,
But the astute will take hold of perception.
Evil men will slip and fall in the presence of good men,
And the ungodly shall serve at the gate of the righteous.
Friends will hate poor friends,
But the friends of the rich are many.
He who dishonors the poor sins,
But he who has mercy on the poor is very blessed.
Deceivers devise evil things,
But good men devise mercy and truth.
Devisers of evil things do not understand mercy and faithfulness,
But mercies and faithfulness are with devisers of good things.
To everyone who is careful there is an abundance,
But he who is pleasure-taking and slothful shall be in want.
The crown of the wise is astuteness,
But the pastime of the undiscerning is evil.
A faithful witness will rescue a soul from evil men,
But a deceitful man kindles lies.

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 6:9-12; 1 Corinthians 15:47-57

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 7:31-37; 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)