The Holy Hieromartyr Antipas, Bishop of Pergamos in Asia.

When

April 11, 2025

All Day

Day 40 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.

MATINS FOR FRIDAY MORNING

Sessional Hymn I, Tone 5

The place of the skull has become Paradise;* for as soon as the wood of the Cross was planted there at once it bore the fruit of life,* even You, O Saviour who have brought us joy.* Glory be to You.

Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool for He is holy.

The wood of Your Cross, O our Saviour, has brought salvation to the world;* for You, the joy of all, were nailed upon it willingly,* and have delivered from the curse those that dwell on earth.* O Lord, glory be to You.

God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.

Today the memorial of the victorious martyrs shines with light from heaven.* The choir of angels keeps the festival,* and mankind celebrates the feast with them.* For they intercede before the Lord,* that He may have mercy on our souls.

Glory… Now…

When Your Mother beheld You, O Christ,* hanging by Your own free choice upon the Cross between two thieves,* then with a mother’s grief her heart was pierced and she cried out:* ‘O sinless Son, how are You nailed unjustly to the Cross as an evildoer?* It is because in Your surpassing love* You will to restore mankind to life.’

Sessional Hymn II, Tone 4

Two of the disciples have been sent to fetch the foal of an ass, as it is written;* and, seated upon it, Christ shall come in His comeliness,* accepting the sacred praise of the children,* let us eagerly hasten to meet Him,* bearing as palms our virtuous deeds.

Glory… Now…

O all-immaculate Virgin,Mother of Christ God,* a sword pierced your most holy soul* when you beheld your Son and God crucified of His own will.* Never cease to entreat Him, O blessed one,* that He grant us the forgiveness of our transgressions.

Sessional Hymn III, Tone 8

Two of the disciples are sent today to bring the foal of an ass to the Master of all;* who comes seated thereon, He who is borne on high by the hosts of the seraphim.* The all-devouring death and ruler of this world,* has begun to quake in fear,* for by Lazarus, the first of the imprisoned race of mankind has been freed from him.

Glory… Now…

Standing before the Passion of her Son,* the pure one lamented bitterly, crying out in hymns:* “How have the Hebrew children brought You* who are glorified by the angels with never-silent hymns,* before the judgment seat of Pilate?* Woe is me, O my Child!* Wherefore O Word I sing the praises of Your boundless and ineffable loving-kindness.

Canon

Ode 5

Irmos: Shine upon me, O Lord, the light of Your commandments,* for my soul rises early to You and hymn You:* For You are our God,* and to You do I flee, O King of peace.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Falling asleep upon Your Cross, O Lord, You have put death to sleep O Master. For You cried out: “My friend Lazarus sleeps, but I shall go now to awake him.”

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Fulfilling the preaching of the prophets, You have come to the city that killed the prophets, O compassionate Christ; and there You shall willingly be slain, saving me who am dead from corruption.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Having brought your rebellious body into submission to the Word through abstinence and prayer, both monks and laity, go out to meet Christ who comes to His Passion riding upon a foal.

Most holy Theotokos, save us.

O most-pure one, with the drops of your mercy water my mind dried out by the flame of sin, and kindle the extinguished lamp of my heart, O Gate of Light.

Irmos: Disperse, O Word, the darkness from my soul, O Christ God, the Light-Giver,* Having driven out the primordial darkness of the abyss,* grant to me the light of Your commandments,* that early in the morning I may glorify You.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

Approaching Bethany, O Christ, You sent two of Your disciples to fetch You a foal upon which never a man sat. For none but You, O Saviour, have brought into subjection the spiritually unlearned gentiles.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

Today a great multitude of the Jews have come from Jerusalem to Bethany to grieve with the sisters of Lazarus; but on the next morn, upon learning that Lazarus had come forth from the tomb, they sought after Christ to kill Him.

Glory…

O Most Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and the all-creative Spirit, sacred Godhead, beginningless Essence, threefold Light, all-seeing Power, protect Your servants.

Now…

Upon beholding You affixed to the Cross with nails, O Christ, and the blood and water pouring forth from Your lifegiving side, Your mother, in her loving maternal compassion suffered with You, for she knew You as her Son.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

Behold, Christ makes ready to enter into Jerusalem; let all the monastics dwelling in the mountains and the desert places, assemble together and come to joyously meet Him, along with all who are under the heavens.

Katavasia: Disperse, O Word, the darkness from my soul, O Christ God, the Light-Giver,* Having driven out the primordial darkness of the abyss,* grant to me the light of Your commandments,* that early in the morning I may glorify You.

Ode 8

Irmos: The earth and all that is therein, the seas and all wellsprings,* the heaven of heavens, light and darkness,* frost and heat, sons of men, and priests,* bless the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Why, O beloved women, do you weep bitterly for your brother, when you have the Resurrection and the Life with you? He who is the Giver of all good things has come to restore life to His close friend, that through Lazarus’ resurrection He may foretell the resurrection of all.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

O Monks, gather together from your dwellings, as the rational sheep, and with branches in your hands meet Christ the Chief Shepherd: For the Lord comes willingly as a lamb to the slaughter, that He may deliver us from the tyranny of the wolf.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

As You were approaching Bethphage, the enemy, upon hearing Your footsteps in Hades, touched the feet of Lazarus, saying: “If Life calls you, delay not, but go out: for I know that destruction shall shortly befall me.”

Most holy Theotokos, save us.

The sacred voices of the prophets proclaimed you in symbols, O Virgin, calling you the Gate and Mountain, the sacred Ark and light Cloud, from whom the Sun, the only Giver of Light, has shone forth upon those in the darkness and shadow of death.

Irmos: Seated upon the throne of glory, and unceasingly glorified as God,* O angels and heavens bless, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

Two of the disciples were sent to fetch an ass for Him who rides upon the clouds, and whom all things praise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

Christ is at the door: be not sad in countenance, O Bethany; for He will change your sorrow into joy by raising your offspring Lazarus from the tomb, who hymns and supremely exalts Christ throughout the ages.

We bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Lord

The Trinity is one God: the Father is not begotten like the Son, nor does the Son proceed like the Spirit, but each preserves its own distinctive characteristics; I glorify the Three as Light and God throughout the ages.

Now…

You alone have conceived without corruption; you alone have given suck to a child without enduring the pain of childbirth; you alone have given birth to Your Maker and Master, being both His handmaiden and His mother; we hymn you, O Virgin Mother, throughout the ages.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

With the noetic branches of our virtues, and with the material branches of the palms, let us prepare to receive Christ Who is twofold in nature, for He that comes riding upon a colt, do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.

We praise, we bless, and we worship the Lord, hymning and supremely exalting Him throughout all ages!

Katavasia: Seated upon the throne of glory, and unceasingly glorified as God,* O angels and heavens bless, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!.

Ode 9

Irmos: For the Mighty One has done great things to me,* and holy is His name;* and His mercy is upon them that fear Him* unto generation and generation.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

You foretold to Your disciples, O Jesus: “Behold, we go up to the Holy City, and by the hands of murderers I shall surely be delivered to Crucifixion, and slain in the flesh.”

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Wishing to deliver Your friend from death, and for our sake, You hastened to suffer death in the flesh by crucifixion, granting immortality to the faithful, O Word who alone are immortal.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Let us bring to Christ the palm branches of our chastity, for humbly does He draw near in the flesh seated upon a foal, wherefore let us say to Him: “O Saviour who have come to Your Passion, blessed are You.”

Most holy Theotokos, save us.

Awesome is your childbearing, O Theotokos and Mother of Christ; wherefore in faith we and all generations call you blessed, and reverently glorify you throughout the ages, amen.

Irmos: The prophetic vision of the lawgiver on the mountain,* in the fire of the burning bush,* prefigured your birthgiving O Ever-Virgin, the salvation of us the faithful,* wherefore with never silent hymns we magnify you.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

Sending out His disciples, Christ said: “Loose the colt and bring it to me, that I may be seated upon it, and free the nations from their spiritual ignorance, and as the Son, bring them into subjection to the Father.”

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

The Lord draws near: open your gates, Bethany, and receive the Master with faith, for He has come to raise Lazarus from the tomb, as alone all-powerful.

Glory…

O Lord, the threefold brightness of Your singular Power illumines our minds with the brightness of revelation; turning us from the delusion that divides, and bringing us to the divine life that unites.

Now…

Rejoice, Palace of the King of all. For by you, O Virgin Theotokos, the Kingdom of Heaven has been opened to us on earth, and we have become dwellers with the angels.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

All you who dwell in the deserts, in the mountains and caves, draw near and assemble with us, to meet the King and Master bearing palms in your hands; for He comes to save our souls.

Katavasia: The prophetic vision of the lawgiver on the mountain,* in the fire of the burning bush,* prefigured your birthgiving O Ever-Virgin, the salvation of us the faithful,* wherefore with never silent hymns we magnify you.

Aposticha

Tone 4

Despising the sacred injunctions, O my soul,* you have become easy prey for the wiles of the enemy;* and willingly giving yourself over to corruption.* you have fallen into the sleep of indifference on account of your many sins,* defiling the garment that God has woven for you,* rendering yourself unfit for the wedding of the King;* and on account of your sins you shall be turned away.* For should you sit at the wedding feast clothed in the passions,* He will ask of you how came hither,* and you shall be cast out from the bridal chamber;* but cry out to the Saviour:* “O frightful eye of God,* since You have become what I am,* without ceasing to be who You were before,* You who, ahead of Your Cross* was clothed in the robe of derision for my sake:* tear in pieces my pauper’s clothing* and adorn me with gladness;* delivering me from the outer darkness and eternal weeping,* and have mercy on me.

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.

Tone 8

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.

Come, all you peoples,* and with by hymns and spiritual songs* let us honour the passion-bearers of Christ.* They are lights in the world and preachers of the faith,* everlasting fountains from whence flows healing for the faithful.* By their prayers grant peace to Your world, O Christ God,* and to our souls great mercy.

Glory…

Having profitably completed the forty day fast,* we beseech You, O Lover of mankind;* Grant that we may also behold the Holy Week of Your Passion,* and in it glorify Your mighty acts* and Your ineffable dispensation for our sakes,* chanting with one accord: O Lord, glory be to You.

Now…

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS ON FRIDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

Tone 8

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

Having come to the end of the forty days,* we beseech You, O Lord and Lover of humankind:* May we also behold the holy week of Your passion,* and glorify in it Your lofty deeds* and Your ineffable work of salvation,* as we sing with one voice:* O Lord, glory to You.

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

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

O martyrs of the Lord,* we entreat you to beseech our God,* and ask great mercy for our souls* and forgiveness of our many offences.

Tone 6

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

Desiring to see the tomb of Lazarus, O Lord,* since You were soon going to dwell willingly in the tomb,* You asked: Where have you placed him?* And, when You learned that which You already knew,* You called to the one whom You loved:* Lazarus, come forth from the tomb!* And Death obeyed the Giver of life,* the Saviour of our souls.

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

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

Having arrived at the tomb of Lazarus on the fourth day,* You wept for Your friend, O Lord.* You gave life to the one who had been dead four days;* Death was bound up by Your voice,* and the grave-clothes were unbound by Your hands.* Therefore, the company of apostles were filled with joy,* and all the choirs sang with one voice:* Blessed are You, O Saviour; have mercy on us.

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

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

The kingdom of Hades was demolished at the sound of Your voice, O Lord;* Your powerful word awakened from the tomb one who had been dead four days.* Lazarus becomes a saving prelude of our regeneration.* Nothing is impossible for the King of the universe;* O Lord, grant to Your servants forgiveness and great mercy.

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

Desiring to assure Your disciples of Your own Resurrection from the dead,* You came to the tomb of Lazarus.* And when You called him, Hades was despoiled,* and it gave up the one who had been dead four days;* and he cried out to You, O Saviour:* Blessed are You, O Lord, glory to You!

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

Taking Your disciples with You, O Lord,* You came to Bethany to awaken Lazarus from the dead;* and, weeping over him in accordance with your human nature,* as God, You raised the one who had been dead four days;* and he cried out to You, O Saviour:* Blessed are You, O Lord, glory to You!

Tone 8

Glory…

You have come to the tomb of Lazarus, O Lord,* and You called the dead one to awaken as from his sleep.* He shook off the dust of the tomb at Your immortal words;* and, still bound by the grave-clothes,* he came forth at the sound of Your voice.* For You have power and lordship over all things,* and You are the Master of the whole world, O Lover of humankind:* O Lord, glory to You.

Now…

Having come to the end of the forty days, we cry out:* Rejoice, O city of Bethany, the home of Lazarus.* Rejoice, Martha and Mary, for Christ shall come to you tomorrow;* by His word, He shall give life to your departed brother.* Hearing His voice, the cruel and insatiable Hades will give up Lazarus after four days.* Struck with admiration, the Hebrew people will carry palms and branches,* and they shall go before Him.* The children shall praise the One whom their parents looked upon with envy:* Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!

Prokeimenon I, Tone 6

Our help is in the name of the Lord,* who made heaven and earth.

verse: If the Lord had not been on our side— this is the song of Israel.

Reading I

Genesis 49:33-50:26

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4

Those who put their trust in the Lord* are like Mount Sion.

verse: They cannot be shaken, for it stands unmoved forever.

Reading II

Proverbs 31:8-31