Cheesefare Wednesday. 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 6

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

When You were crucified, О long-suffering Lord,* You shook the whole earth, making steadfast the hearts of the faithful;* wherefore, we hymn You and with love worship Your unapproachable power.

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

Spat upon and smitten on the cheek, О Saviour,* You smote the evil of the venomous foe,* taking away the fall which Adam endured,* who was abducted because of his transgression.

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

The sun was darkened, the whole earth quaked, and the stones split asunder,* when they beheld You suspended unjustly upon the Tree,* setting aside Your own will, О Saviour.

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 venerable father Porphyrius,* taking the Cross of Christ upon your shoulder* you abandoned all and attained to the desert,* and did battle with the ruler of this world,* armed with fasting and prayers.* Wherefore, as a temple of the Spirit of God,* you cast him down together with carnal mindedness.

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

As of old God saved the three youths from the fire by His angel,* so now by you has He saved three youths that had been dragged down into a pit;* for when they were borne as in a basket* He overshadowed them with the light of a cloud* which formed three crosses on their bodies* to the reproof of them that opposed you, O Porphyrius.

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

Who can worthily hymn your temptations and pangs,* your misfortunes and tribulations, your struggles for the faith, O Porphyrius?* For you showed the boldness which you have before God to be great.* Wherefore, we entreat you, for you have such boldness:* Pray in our behalf to the Lord, that we be saved!

Glory… Now…

Beholding You nailed to the Cross* and voluntarily accepting suffering, O Jesus,* Your Virgin Mother, O Master, cried aloud:* Woe is me, my sweet Child!* How is it that You endure wounds unjustly inflicted,* O Physician who heals human infirmities,* and has delivered all from corruption in Your lovingkindness?

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 6

Your Cross is life and help for Your people, О Lord;* and trusting therein, we hymn You, our God who was crucified in the flesh.* Have mercy on us!

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.

Your Cross, О Lord, has opened paradise to the race of mankind;* and delivered from corruption, we hymn You, our God who was crucified in the flesh.* 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.

They who suffered for Your sake, О Christ, endured many torments* and have received perfect crowns in the heavens.* May they pray on behalf of our souls.

Glory… Now…

Upon beholding our Life suspended upon the Tree,* the all-immaculate Theotokos cried aloud, maternally lamenting:* O my Son and my God, save those who with love hymn You!

Troparia

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, Porphyrius.* Intercede with Christ, our God,* for the salvation of our souls.

Glory… 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.