AT VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING 

Kathisma Reading  

The appointed psalms are chanted.  

At Psalm 140  

Tone 8, Podoben “O all-glorious wonder…”  

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

Shedding your blood, O blessed one,* you presented yourself to Christ, the Bestower of life,* who shed His blood for your sake,* and who has made you to participate in His glory* and to share in His kingdom,* in that you prevailed over the deceiver* and utterly reduced his cruel snares to ashes.  

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

You were a pillar of piety set firmly upon the rock of faith,* unshaken by temptations or misfortunes, O blessed one,* for the great tempest and tumult and the waves which buffeted you* did not cast down your unbreakable strength;* for you desired to be adorned with the crown of martyrdom.  

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

Following the life-bearing steps of our incarnate God* who, by His suffering on the Cross, cast down the tyrant, O athlete,* rejoicing, you entered the arena of martyrdom,* and, lacerated with wounds, with your flesh, O martyr,* you wounded him who boasted that he would destroy the sea,* and you cast him down to the ground.  

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 most honoured father John,* withdrawing from the tumultuous confusion of the world,* you hastened to the serenity of Christ, O most venerable one;* and you were manifestly enriched in truth* with the most rich effulgence of vision and divine activity,* and, made splendid by your godly life,* imparted them to the faithful.  

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

O most honoured father John,* honourably adorned with vestments like another Aaron,* you now behold the Holy of holies beyond the second veil.* O, the ineffable brilliance of your mind,* which passes understanding, O divine adornment of hierarchs,* whom you have now joined in fellowship!  

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

O most wise father John,* becoming godly in the simplicity of your character,* you stand now before God, united with Him through a higher unity,* deified at His continual behest, filled with His light,* O divine and most sacred adornment of hierarchs.  

Tone 2, Glory…  

At the table of God you were set like a newly planted olive-tree,* the child of those who walk the path of the Lord.* For the sake of your martyrdom the Lord has blessed you,* and you look upon the good things of the heavenly Sion,* ever delighting with your parents in divine joy. *O right laudable Mamas, by your entreaties make us partakers thereof.  

Tone 2, Now…  

When the unblemished ewe-lamb beheld her Lamb as a man led forth,* of His own will, to the slaughter, she said, lamenting:* Do you hasten now to leave me childless who gave You birth, O Christ?* Wherefore have You done this thing, O Deliverer of all?* Yet I hymn and glorify Your utter goodness which passes understanding and recounting,* O You who love mankind! 

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 5  

О Lord, of old, in the time of Moses the Prophet,* the image of Your Cross, precisely revealed, vanquished Your enemies;* and now, possessed of that same Cross, we ask Your help:* Strengthen Your Church, for the sake of Your great mercy, О Lover of mankind!  

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.  

Though a tree visible by nature, Your Cross, О Christ, is invested with divine power;* and tangibly revealed to the world,* it wondrously and noetically works our salvation.* Bowing down before it, we glorify You, О Saviour.* Have mercy on us!  

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.  

Pray for us, О holy martyrs,* that we may be delivered from our iniquities;* for to you have been given the grace* to make supplication on our behalf.  

Tone 4, Glory…  

Come together, O faithful, and let us celebrate the memory of the martyr Mamas,* for he has been shown to be a new Abel;* for as Abel, being a shepherd of sheep, brought a lamb as a sacrifice* and was the first to receive the crown of martyrdom,* so did the glorious athlete, who presided over feeding flocks,* bring himself to Christ as a right acceptable sacrifice through martyrdom.* And as he has boldness before the Lord, he asks peace for the world and great mercy for our souls.  

Now…  

Beholding Christ crucified, who loves mankind, His side pierced by the spear,* the all-pure one wept, crying aloud: What is this, O my Son?* How have the thankless people rewarded You* for the good things You did for them?* And do You hasten to leave me childless, O most Beloved?* I marvel, O Compassionate One, at Your voluntary crucifixion!  

Troparia  

Tone 4  

Your martyr, Mammas, O Lord,* by his passion acquired the crown of incorruptibility from You, our God.* For possessing Your power he overcame the torturers* and shattered the feeble insolence of demons.* By his supplications, save our souls.  

Tone 4, Glory…  

The truth of your deeds made you for your flock a rule of faith* and an image of meekness,* a teacher of continence.* And so you gained the heights through humility,* riches through poverty,* father and bishop, John* Intercede with Christ, our God,* for the salvation of our souls.  

Tone 4, 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. 

AT DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING 

Troparia and Kontakia 

Troparion, Tone 4: Your martyr, Mamas, O Lord,* by his passion acquired the crown of incorruptibility from You, our God.* For possessing Your power he overcame the torturers* and shattered the feeble insolence of demons.* By his supplications, save our souls. 

Troparion, Tone 4: The truth of your deeds made you for your flock a rule of faith* and an image of meekness,* a teacher of continence.* And so you gained the heights through humility,* riches through poverty,* father and bishop, John* 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. 

Kontakion, Tone 2: As a bright and unerring star you appeared to the world* proclaiming with your rays the Sun, that is, Christ, O martyr, Mamas,* and you have extinguished all error.* But to us you give light, praying without ceasing for all of us. 

Now and for ever and ever. Amen. 

Kontakion, Tone 2: O thunder of justice, spiritual trumpet,* planter of faith and destroyer of heresies,* servant of the Trinity, great hierarch John,* forever standing in the company of the angels,* pray without ceasing for all of us. 

Prokeimenon, Tone 7 

The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him. (Psalm 63:11) 

verse: Hear, O God, my voice when I make my petition to You. (Psalm 63:2) 

Epistle 

Galatians 3:15-22 

Alleluia, Tone 4 

verse: The just man shall flourish like the palm tree; and he shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon. (Psalm 91:13) 

verse: They who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish the courts of our God. (Psalm 91:14) 

Gospel 

Mark 6:7-13 

Communion Hymn 

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