Day 31 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 8
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
O faithful, taking love as our sustenance,* let us gain control over our passions through abstinence;* and let us strive to live a God-pleasing life,* for the sake of Him who for our sakes was raised upon the Cross,* His side pierced by a spear.* That we may partake of that which is better, the eternal food,* and glorify the Saviour of 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.
Of old, through a tree we found death,* but now we have found life again through the Tree of the Cross.* Let us ,O faithful, slay the impulses of the passions;* and pray that we may reach the salvific Resurrection of the benefactor of all,* radiant with divine deeds,* that adorned with the virtues,* we may glorify the Saviour of our souls.
Tone 2
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
We praise Your life-giving Cross, O Lord,* and the holy sufferings of Your flesh endured for our sake;:* the spear, the immolation, the derision and the spitting,* the blows and buffetings, the purple robe and crown of thorns,* by which You have redeemed us from the curse.* Therefore we entreat You:* Grant us to complete the time of the Fast in peace.
Tone 4
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Having shone forth like a star, you illumined the faithful* with the sacred splendours of your dogmas, and darkened heresies.* Victorious to the end, as a servant you increased the talent given you;* and having been well-pleasing to God,* you surrendered your spirit into His hands,* O Cyril, blessed of God.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
In the wisdom of your words and the splendour of your life* you shone forth like a most luminous star* amid the council of the Fathers, O right wondrous one,* and choked with the cords of grace the godless Macedonius* who madly blasphemed and manifestly worked iniquity against the Holy Spirit of God* who gives life to all.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
The pernicious mind of the most mindless Manes you put to shame,* denouncing most wisely and well the vile teachings of his foolishness,* O chief among teachers, splendour of priests, godly champion of the Church of Christ.* Wherefore, in gladness we celebrate your holy repose.
Tone 4, Glory… Now…
The ewe-lamb, Your Mother, when she beheld You nailed to the Cross, O Lord,* marvelled and exclaimed:* “What is this new thing that I see,* O my Son, most desired,* wherewith the iniquitous and unbelieving assembly has recompensed You* which has enjoyed Your many wonders?* But glory to Your descent, O Master!”
Prokeimenon I, Tone 4
O Lord, You have been our refuge* from generation to generation.
verse: Before the mountains came to be, and the earth was formed and the world, You are, even from everlasting to everlasting.
Reading I
Genesis 15:1-15
The Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield and will be your exceedingly great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus, the son of Masek, my domestic maidservant?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed, my household servant is my heir.”
And immediately the Voice of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but the One who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said to him, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your seed be.” And Abram believed God, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Then He said to him, “I am the God who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” And he said, “Master and Lord, how will I know I will inherit it?” So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” So he brought all these to Him and cut them in half, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
Now around sunset, a trance fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. Then He said to Abram, “Know for certain that your seed will be strangers in a land not their own, and will serve them; and they will afflict and humble them four hundred years. Also, the nation they serve I will judge; and afterward, they shall come out with great possessions. 15But as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace, buried in a good old age.
Prokeimenon II, Tone 4
He that dwells in the help of the Most High:* shall abide in the shelter of the God of heaven.
verse: He shall say to the Lord: You are my helper and my refuge.
Reading II
Proverbs 15:7-19
In the houses of the righteous there is much strength,
But the fruits of the ungodly shall perish.
The lips of the wise are bound by perception,
But the hearts of those without discernment are not safe.
The sacrifices of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayers of the upright are acceptable with Him.
The ways of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves those who pursue righteousness.
The instruction of the simple is known by those who pass by,
But those who hate reproofs will die shamefully.
Hades and destruction are manifest before the Lord;
How can the hearts of men not be also?
An uninstructed man will not love those who reprove him,
And he will not keep company with the wise.
When one’s heart is glad, his face is cheerful,
But when it is in grief, his face is sad.
The upright heart seeks perception,
But the mouth of the uninstructed will know evil things.
The eyes of evil men are waiting for evil things all the time,
But good men are at rest continually.
Better is a small portion with the fear of the Lord
Than great treasures with lack of fear.
Better is a dinner of herbs with friendship and grace
Than a fatted calf with hostility.
An angry man stirs up contention,
But a longsuffering man even calms the rising quarrel.
Aposticha
Tone 5
Having wandered far from Your righteous path,* because of my passions, wretched as I am, I have fallen headlong into the pit.* The Levite and the Priest, upon seeing me, passed me by;* but You, O Christ, have been merciful to me,* and with the weapon of the Cross, You have torn up the record of my sins,* freeing me from the passions,* and seating me beside the Father.* Therefore I cry to You:* O Lord beyond understanding, 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.
Tone 8
Having gone down from Jerusalem, wandering far from Thy commandments;* I journeyed on to Jericho,* yielding to my lusts like those who dwelt there of old,* whom You gave over to be slaughtered by Your people because of their wickedness.* Through disobedience I have fallen into soul-destroying passions as if among thieves;* and having beaten me, they have left me almost dead.* O Lord, who for the sins of mankind willingly suffered the wounding of Your body* by the nails and the spear,* who brought to pass the salvation of all through the Cross in Jerusalem,* heal me O Lord, and save me.
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.
The martyrs, O Lord, putting aside the things of this present life,* and despising not torture in their longing for the life to come,* were granted eternal life as their inheritance,* and now they rejoice with the angels.* By their supplications bestow upon Your people Your great mercy.
Glory… Now…
O Lord, when the sun beheld You, the Sun of righteousness, hanging upon the Tree,* it hid its rays, and the light of the moon was changed to darkness;* and Your all-immaculate Mother* was pierced in the depths of her soul.
MATINS ON WEDNESDAY MORNING
Sessional Hymn I, Tone 7
Worshipping You, O Christ our God, with cedar, pine and cypress,* the Church cries out to You:* Through the prayers of the Theotokos,* grant victory to our rulers and have mercy on us.
Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool for He is holy.
O Christ my God, nailed for my sake to the Cross,* in Your love accept my praise and vigils.
God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.
You despised, O saints, the godless tyrants,* and scorning all the pain of the tortures you did not deny your faith in Christ.* Pray, then, to God who loves mankind,* for the salvation of our souls.
Glory… Now…
To Christ our God, who was crucified for us and has destroyed the power of death,* pray without ceasing, O Theotokos, for the salvation of our souls.
Sessional Hymn II, Tone 8
Ungraciously Adam ate from the tree,* and reaped the bitter fruits of his lack of abstinence;* but You, O merciful One, lifted up upon the Tree,* delivered him from his grievous condemnation,* therefore we cry to You:* Grant us, O Master, temperance that we may abstain from corrupting fruit, and do Your will,* and thereby receive Your mercy.
Glory… Now…
Christ took flesh from your pure blood and was born from you, O pure one,* in a manner beyond understanding;* upon seeing Him hung on the Cross between two malefactors,* your soul was filled with anguish,* and with a mother’s lamentation you cried aloud:* “Woe is me, my Child! What is this divine and ineffable condescension,* whereby You have restored to life Your creature?* I sing the praises of Your compassionate goodness.”
Sessional Hymn III, Tone 2
Singing the praises of the all-holy Tree of the Cross,* we ever venerate Your boundless love, O Christ God.* For upon it You have put to shame the hosts of the enemy,* and given it as a sign to those that believe in You.* Therefore, in thanksgiving we cry aloud to You:* Grant that in good faith and in peace* we may complete the time of the Fast.
Glory… Now…
Upon seeing the innocent Shepherd hanging upon the Tree,* the Ewe-Lamb cried aloud with a mother’s lamentation:* “O my Son, Your ungrateful people have condemned to death,* You who covered them with a cloud as they journeyed through the wilderness;* Woe is me! I have no husband, nor Child.* But, arise, O Sun, and let Your light shine forth;* and I shall be glorified among the sons of mortal men.”
Canon
Ode 3
Irmos: O Lord, who covered the dome of the heavens* and who built up your Church in three days,* make me firm in the love of You, O only Lover of mankind,* the summit of our desires and the fortress of believers.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
With Your hands stretched out upon the Cross, O just Judge, You have condemned enmity; and now save me the prodigal who are condemned by my sins, for I have provoked You, O long-suffering Saviour.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Like a wild beast I have desired a life that inflames passions; I have departed far from Your commandments, O Good One, and become the servant of strange and unclean citizens. But accept me who has now turned back to You, and save me.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
As of old You opened the ear and tongue of him who had an impediment in his speech, open now the ears of my soul which have grown deaf in comprehension, and grant them to worthily hear Your saving words, O Jesus, who alone loves mankind.
Most holy Theotokos, save us.
O Gate of salvation, and Bridge to God, Protector of Christians, O Most holy Lady, I am beset by many troubles and tempest-tossed on the sea of life, O Maiden, pilot me.
Irmos: My mind has not brought forth good fruit,* but show me to be fruitful* in Your compassion, O God,* husbandman of all good things.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
For the sake of Your compassionate mercy, You ascended the Cross, O Christ, and lift me up from the pit of the passions, raising me to heaven.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
Stretching out Your hands upon the Cross, O Christ, You have embraced nations that were far from You, drawing them near Your dominion.
Glory…
Unity in three Hypostases, Trinity supreme in Essence, one Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit of righteousness, save those who honour You.
Now…
Who among those born on earth can praise you as is meet, O Virgin Mother? For you, O all-blessed one, alone have been revealed as chosen among women.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.
You were lifted up upon the Cross, Your side pierced, and tasting gall, for my sake, who have provoked You, O Jesus, through disobedience.
Katavasia: My mind has not brought forth good fruit,* but show me to be fruitful* in Your compassion, O God,* husbandman of all good things.
Ode 8
Irmos: In his fury, the tyrant of the Chaldeans had the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual* for the faithful servants of the Lord;* but when he saw them saved by a more powerful force, he cried out* O youths, bless your Creator and Redeemer;* praise Him, you priests;* and all you people, exalt Him for all ages.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
With Your unsleeping eye look upon me and have compassion: for I am held fast in the sleep of melancholy and lay upon the bed of passions. You bowed Your head upon the Cross, O Christ, and willingly awakened from sleep, You have banished the darkness of sin; for You are the Light of righteousness.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
I was richly adorned with Your gifts at Baptism; but wretched as I am, I have loved the poverty of evil, and become a stranger to virtue, and wandered into the far country of sin: but turn me back, O Saviour, and embrace me, and surround me with Your Cross throughout the ages.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Cast aside, O my soul, the drunkenness of the passions, and by fasting seek the cleansing wine of tears which makes glad the heart of man, withering lust and extinguishing the burning of the flesh. Make haste, therefore, to be crucified with Christ, who for your sake was nailed upon the Tree, that you may live with Him throughout all ages.
Most holy Theotokos, save us.
O all-pure Birthgiver of God, cleanse the wounds of my soul and the scars of my many sins, bathing them in the fountain that ever flows from the side of Him whom you bore, that I may cry to you, and flee to you for refuge, and call upon you, O grace-filled Mother.
Irmos: To God who is glorified in heaven by the voices of angels;* let us sing, and with every mortal born on earth, let us praise Him throughout all ages.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
To You who has been crucified in the flesh, yet did not suffer in Your divine nature, O Jesus, do we the race of mortals, and the angels, ever hymn throughout all ages.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
By Your Crucifixion, O Christ, and by choosing an accursed and shameful death, You have delivered us from corruption and saved us.
We bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Lord.
With the cherubim, O Trinity, I praise You, singing: Holy, Holy, Holy, one Godhead, simple, beginningless, and transcending all understanding.
Now…
In songs of praise, O pure one, all generations honour you with gladness, for you have given birth to the Creator, O strange wonder and all-blessed deed!
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.
Solely for the sake of my salvation, O Christ, You have consented to suffer all things. I hymn Your Crucifixion, the nails, and death throughout all ages.
We praise, we bless, and we worship the Lord, hymning and supremely exalting Him throughout all ages!
Katavasia: To God who is glorified in heaven by the voices of angels;* let us sing, and with every mortal born on earth, let us praise Him throughout all ages.
Magnificat
Ode 9
Irmos: Heaven was seized with wonder and the ends of the earth struck with astonishment* when God revealed himself to humanity clothed in our flesh.* And your womb has become more spacious than the heavens;* O Mother of God, the assembly of angels and people extol you.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Upon seeing You nailed upon the Cross, the sun hid its rays, and the whole of the earth was seized with trembling, O King of all, beholding You willingly suffering, even though by nature You are impassible. Therefore, I beseech You, heal the passions of my soul, O Christ, physician of souls.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Having forsaken the paths of salvation, I have traversed the path that leads to Hades, and am surrounded by the deep darkness of lust, the slipperiness of passions, and the tempest of temptation; Therefore I entreat You: Save me by Your Cross, O Christ, for You alone are plenteous in mercy.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Beset by the wintery storm of temptation, I am drowning amidst the waves of passion, assailed by the tempest of lust; but now that I have reached the sea of the Fast, I find mildness and calm. Pilot me as I traverse it by Your Cross, O compassionate One, and bring me to the safe harbour of salvation.
Most holy Theotokos, save us.
Without seed, O Virgin, and without carnal desire, you have conceived the Word of God who has fashioned all things; and without corruption and the pangs of travail you have given birth to Him. Therefore, with both tongue and heart we confess you to be the very Theotokos and we magnify you.
Irmos: Your virginity, O undefiled Theotokos, was not burned by the fire of the Divinity,* therefore we magnify you.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
Willingly, O our Saviour, You endured endure Crucifixion, to deliver us all from death and grant us life.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
By a tree did I perish, and by the Tree of the Cross I have returned to life: for my Christ was nailed upon it and has thereby slain the enemy.
Glory…
Let us with one mind worship the Son who coexists with the Father, and the Holy Spirit who is ever present with them.
Now…
O marvellous wonder! O strange tidings! How did you give birth as a mother, O pure one, and as a virgin not know corruption?
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.
I sing of Your lance, I praise Your nails, the sponge, the reed, and the Cross: for through them I have been saved, O Jesus my God.
Katavasia: Your virginity, O undefiled Theotokos, was not burned by the fire of the Divinity,* therefore we magnify you.
Aposticha
Tone 3
Having Forsaken the height of the virtues, O my soul,* you have descended into the depths of sin, and fallen among evil thieves;* therefore you are covered with festering sores* laying prostrate and helpless.* But cry aloud to Christ God,* who, of His own will, has been crucified and wounded for your sake, saying:* “Take care of me, O Lord, and save me.”
Tone 8
In the morning, fill us with Your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Give us joy to balance our affliction for the years when we knew misfortune. Show forth Your work to Your servants; let Your glory shine on their children.
I the wretched one, have been wounded by thieving thoughts* and left almost dead, O Lord.* The company of the prophets have passed me by, beholding me as one almost dead,* incurable by the hands of man.* Therefore, in my grievous suffering,* with humble heart I cry to You, O Christ God,* since You are compassionate,* pour upon me Your great mercy.
Let the favour of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands, give success to the work of our hands.
O invincible martyrs of Christ,* you triumphed over delusion by the power of the Cross,* and received the grace of eternal life as your reward.* You did not fear the threatening of the tyrants,* and when you suffered torments you rejoiced;* and now your blood has become for us the healing of our souls.* Intercede for us, that we be saved.
Glory… Now…
Upon seeing You hanging upon the Cross in the flesh* the all-pure one was wounded in the depths of her soul,* and she cried aloud with tears:* “O Word, to where has You gone,* O most beloved Jesus, my Son and my Lord?* Leave me not alone who has given birth to You, O Christ.”