Apostle’s Fast
AT VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 2
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
О Christ, who alone are without sin,* who alone are without guile, who alone are the Wellspring of goodness:* Behold my oppression, behold my tribulation.* Wash all the wounds of my stripes, and in Your mercy save Your servant,* that, having driven the clouds of slothfulness far from me,* I may glorify You, my supremely good Saviour.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Look, О my lowly soul!* Behold your works, which are all-defiled!* Behold your nakedness and, alas, your isolation!* For you shall be separated from God and the angels,* and cast into endless torment.* Come to your senses, arise, make haste and cry aloud:* I have sinned, О Saviour!* Grant me forgiveness, and save me!
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
I have grievously defiled my body* and brought corruption upon my soul and heart by my vile thoughts;* I have wounded all my senses, have blinded my eyes,* have stopped up mine ears with filth, and have defiled my tongue;* and all that I have is shameful.* Therefore, falling down before You, I cry aloud:* О Master Christ, I have sinned against You!* I have sinned; forgive and save me!
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.
Possessed of a life equal to that of the angels,* by spurning pleasures you showed yourself to be a vessel of God;* wherefore, O wise Tychon, as is meet He ordained you for the people as a divine hierarch,* and showed you to be a pillar and ground of the Faith, O divinely inspired one,* pasturing your flock by the waters of Orthodox Faith, O sacred one.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Full of divine understanding, you were shown to be a shepherd most wise,* piously nurturing the reason-endowed flock on the grass of true doctrines;* wherefore, we honour now your holy festival,* glorifying aloud the Lord who has glorified you.* O most blessed and divinely wise Tychon,* pray that our souls be saved.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
O God, who ever glorifies those who glorify Him,* has glorified you with miracles;* for during your honoured and divine commemoration, O wise father,* ripe grapes are seen by those who hymn the all-glorious wonder.* And partaking thereof* the faithful who glorify you as is meet* receive sanctification and profit.
Glory… Now…
O all-immaculate and pure one,* who gave birth to the unbearable Fire* Who burns up sins and bedews the faithful:* by thy supplications consume the tinder of my boundless offenses,* and with your dew cool my soul, which withers away through the passions,* that with a loud voice I, your servant,* may magnify your mercy and power.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
The Lord hears me* when I cry out to Him.
verse: Whenever I called, the God of my justice heard me.
Aposticha
Tone 2
Like the prodigal son I have sinned against You, О Saviour.* Accept me who am penitent, О Father.* Have mercy upon me, О God!
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.
With the cry of the publican I cry out to You, О Christ my Saviour:* Cleanse me as You did him,* and have mercy on me, О God!
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.
When the holy martyrs pray for us and hymn Christ,* all delusion ceases, and the race of mankind is saved by faith.
Tone 2, Glory… Now…
All of my hope do I place on thee, O Mother of God;* keep me under your protection.
Troparion, Tone 4
You first crucified yourself to the world by becoming poor among the living.* Then like a true shepherd, you put your life at the disposal of your flock.* Enriching your sheep with miracles, you became a bright light for the Church of Amathus.* By shedding light on it, you saved it from the fog of deceit, O father Tychon.* By our prayers enlighten us today as we praise you.
Glory… Now…
Let us poor sinners hasten with fervour to the Mother of God;* let us humbly kneel before her and say from the depth of our hearts:* O Lady, be kind to us and help us.* Hasten, for we are perishing under a multitude of sins.* Do not turn away your servants empty-handed,* for you are their only hope and protection.
AT DIVINE LITURGY ON TUESDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: You first crucified yourself to the world by becoming poor among the living.* Then like a true shepherd, you put your life at the disposal of your flock.* Enriching your sheep with miracles, you became a bright light for the Church of Amathis.* By shedding light on it, you saved it from the fog of deceit, O father Tychon.* By our prayers enlighten us today as we praise you.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 3: You persevered in fasting through your love for God,* and heaven sent you the power to expose the lies of idols,* to save the people and cast out devils,* to heal illness by the power of the Comforter.
Prokeimenon, Tone 1
My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart understanding.
verse: Hear these things, all you nations; give ear all you inhabitants of the world. (Psalm 28:4,2)
Epistle
Romans 10:11-11:2
Alleluia, Tone 2
verse: The mouth of the just man shall meditate wisdom and his tongue shall speak judgment.
verse: The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps will not falter. (Psalm 36:30,31)
Gospel
Matthew 11:16-20
Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)