Post-feast of Pentecost.
VESPERS ON THURSDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 4
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
On this day the working of Your Holy Spirit came down upon Your Apostles,* showing them to be supremely wise, and seers of divine things,* filling them with Your blessed teaching.* Wherefore, we glorify Your saving dispensation,* O Jesus Almighty, 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.
On this day Your Spirit, O All-powerful Lord,* has been sent forth from the Father,* He who is consubstantial with You,* was distributed among the Apostles in the form of fiery tongues;* thus He prepared them to preach Your mighty deeds.* Wherefore we glorify Your saving dispensation,* O Jesus, Almighty, the Savior of our souls.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
On this day, O Saviour, You have poured forth the gifts of Your Comforting Spirit,* granting mortal-mankind to prophesy, as You once promised, O Word,* whereby You taught all to worship and adore the undivided Trinity.* Wherefore we glorify Your saving dispensation,* O Jesus Almighty, the Saviour of our souls.
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.
We celebrate your holy memory, passion-bearing martyr,* knowing you to be an incorrupt bride adorned by the Holy Spirit!* We bow down in faith before your relics* and ever receive healing for our passions* as we honour you in confidence, most praised Aquilina.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
You offered the severing of your limbs as a gift to your Bridegroom!* Therefore, most honoured one, * He counted you worthy of the all brilliant bridal chambers.* The transcendent One enlightens you with divine glory.* You stand before Him, rejoicing, Aquilina!* Earnestly pray to Him on behalf of us* who glorify your suffering with faith.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
You were inspired by God, Aquilina,* and held fast by the desire of your Creator.* You showed His suffering with your own flesh, all-praised one,* enduring each triple wave of pain!* Now as you live in the heavens,* wearing a crown that does not perish,* your glory is immune to pain!* And you look upon what the ranks of angels see!
Tone 2, Glory… Now…
Let us praise in hymns the Trinity one in essence,* the Father, and the Son, with the Holy Spirit:* who has been declared by all the prophets, apostles, and martyrs.
Prokeimenon, Tone 6
My help is from the Lord,* Who made heaven and earth.
verse: I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help shall come.
Aposticha
Tone 1
On the mountain, Moses beheld in the fire, He Who Is.* And now the Spirit has come in the form of fire to the wise Apostles, the beholders of God.* Thus clearly enlightening them,* that it is One God who spoke both then and now,* of the same essence.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,* and renew a right spirit within me.
With fiery tongues God’s rhetoricians,* call all to the waters of divine Baptism;* and with the fire of the Spirit* they burn the babblings of ungodly rhetoricians.* But, O Comforter, come and enlighten us* who faithfully proclaim You as God.
Cast me not away from Your presence,* and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
As You consecrated all the fiery bodiless ones,* so with the Spirit’s fire consecrate all* who in material bodies now serve You, O God, who ineffably assumed flesh.* O, how abundantly praised are You,* and how wondrous are You in Your works* O Lover of mankind!
Tone 7, Glory… Now…
The Comforter, having come from the Father through Christ God,* has come to us on earth today,* therefore with faith we worship the Holy Spirit.
Troparion
Tone 4
Your lamb, Aquilina, O Jesus, cries in a loud voice:* “You, O my Bridegroom, I love; and, seeking You, I undergo martyrdom.* And with You I am crucified and buried in Your baptism,* and I suffer for Your sake that I may reign with You.* And I die on Your behalf that I may live in You.* Receive me as a spotless sacrifice,* sacrificed for You with love.”* Through her intercession in Your mercy save our souls.
Tone 8, Glory… Now…
Blessed are You, O Christ our God who revealed the fishermen as most wise* by sending them the Holy Spirit;* through them You caught the entire world.* Loving Master, glory to You.
DIVINE LITURGY ON FRIDAY MORNING
At the beginning of the Liturgy, immediately after Blessed be the Kingdom… and Amen we all kneel and sing the following in Tone 6, samohlasnyj:
Heavenly King, Advocate, Spirit of Truth, Who are everywhere present and fill all things, Treasury of Blessings, Bestower of Life: come, and dwell within us; cleanse us of all that defiles us, O Good One, save our souls.
Antiphon 1
The heavens tell the glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of his hand.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Day to day pours forth the message and night proclaims this knowledge to night.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Glory… Now… Only-begotten Son…
Third Antiphon
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord,* let us acclaim God, our Saviour.
O good Advocate,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Let us come before His face with praise,* and acclaim Him in psalms.
O good Advocate,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
For God is the great Lord,* the great king over all the earth.
O good Advocate,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Entrance
Come, let us worship* and fall down before Christ.
O good Advocate,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 8: Blessed are You, O Christ our God who revealed the fishermen as most wise* by sending them the Holy Spirit;* through them You caught the entire world.* Loving Master, glory to You.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8: When the Most high descended and confused the tongues,* He parted the nations.* He called all to unity;* and with one voice* we glorify the all-Holy Spirit.
Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their words unto the ends of the world.
verse: The heavens tell the glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of His hand. (Psalm 19:5,2)
Epistle
Romans 2:14-29
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: By the Lord’s words the heavens were established, and by the Breath of His mouth all their host.
verse: The Lord has looked down from heaven and beheld the whole human race.
Gospel
Matthew 5:33-41
Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify the one Divinity in three Persons.
And the Irmos: Rejoice, O Queen, boast of the virgins and mothers, for every tongue, though capable and eloquent, cannot hymn you as is your due, and every mind is confounded in seeking to comprehend the way in which you gave birth. Therefore with one accord we glorify you.
Communion Hymn
Your good Spirit will lead me* to the land of righteousness.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 142:10)