Apostle’s Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients
AT VESPERS ON THURSDAY EVENING
At Psalm 140
Tone 8
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
O divinely wise father Onuphrius,* you cut yourself off from the tumult of the world* and ascended to celestial perfection,* having desired Him who is the Well-spring of good things;* and there you attained true love, O blessed one* Illumined with the radiant brilliance thereof,* by your supplications rescue us from the darkness of sin.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O divinely wise father Onuphrius,* the cold of night and the burning heat of day* you endured, O venerable one, in hope of things to come,* and having mortified your members on earth,* you have received the life of heaven* and entered joyously into the bridal-chamber, O holy one,* to behold the infinite beauty of your Creator.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
O divinely wise father Onuphrius,* the glorious Paphnutius found you in the desert hidden like a treasure,* and he clearly proclaimed to those in the world* the corrections of your struggles,* enriching the faithful with his account of your God-pleasing life, O all-lauded one.* By your supplications, O glorious one, show us to be emulators thereof.
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.
We have recognized you, O venerable one,* as the namesake of the divine Peter,* who truly followed him* and have piously shared in his zeal for the Faith;* for you loved the good law,* desired the divine precepts thereof, O father,* and adorned your soul with the virtues.* Therefore, we honour and bless you.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
O venerable father most rich,* having in compunction of soul acquired true patience,* love unfeigned, steadfast hope, and perfect humility,* you became a temple of the divine Spirit,* and having received His radiant brilliance in purity,* you were seen by mortals to be a secondary luminary through the purity of thy life.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
O venerable and divinely inspired father,* though you hid unseen for many years on earth,* yet you became known through the Spirit in signs and wonders,* and by the sweet savour of myrrh;* for you poured forth a living radiance and holiness,* truly showing the grace of the divine Spirit to those who love you.
Tone 6, Glory…
O venerable fathers, the sound of your corrections have gone forth into all the earth;* therefore, you have found the reward of your labours in the heavens,* have destroyed hordes of the demons,* and attained to the ranks of the angels, whose live you blamelessly emulated.* As you have boldness before the Lord, ask peace for our souls.
Now…
Beholding You nailed to the Cross, O Bestower of light,* the sun dimmed its rays and the earth quaked in fear.* Yet iniquitous ones among the Jews in nowise took pity.
Aposticha
Tone 1
The Cross was set up on Golgotha,* and blossomed forth immortality for us from the ever-flowing fountain* of the Saviour’s side.
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.
The precious Cross of the Saviour is for us an indestructible rampart;* for, placing our trust in it, we all are saved.
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.
By the supplications of all the saints and the Theotokos, О Lord,* grant us peace, and have mercy upon us,* in that You alone are compassionate.
Tone 6, Glory…
Having preserved unharmed that which was created according to the image of God* and through fasting established your mind as master over the pernicious passions,* you arrived at that which is according to His likeness,* in as far as you were able;* for having manfully done violence to your nature,* you strove to make that which is worse subject to that which is better,* and to enslave the flesh to the spirit.* Therefore, you have been shown to be the summit of monastics, citizens of the desert,* teachers of those who run the good race, the manifest rule of the virtues.* And now, in the heavens, reflections having been abolished,* you behold the Holy Trinity in purity, praying together* for those who honour you with faith and love.
Now…
“Pondering Your seedless conception and ineffable birthgiving, I marvel greatly:* How is it that it is Your good pleasure to die thus as a malefactor, O my Son?* the all-pure one exclaimed weeping.
Troparia
Tone 1
You entered the desert, being led by spiritual yearning;* and you fought in it for many years like an angel.* You are the equal of Elijah and the Baptist,* and you were delighted by the Sacred Mysteries ministered by angel hands.* Now that you have gone to them in the Trinity’s light,* pray for us who venerate your memory.
Tone 8, Glory…
The mountain of Athos rejoices, inviting all the monastic choirs to praise you.* We join with them in singing to you, O venerable Peter,* and we lay our petition before you:* Seek peace for the world and mercy for our souls.
Now…
When the Mother beheld upon the cross* the Lamb, the Shepherd, and the Saviour of the world,* she exclaimed tearfully:* The world rejoices at the sight of its redemption,* but my heart is afire as I see Your pain on the cross,* which You accept for the sake of all, O my Son and my God!
AT DIVINE LITURGY ON FRIDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 1: You entered the desert, being led by spiritual yearning;* and you fought in it for many years like an angel.* You are the equal of Elijah and the Baptist,* and you were delighted by the Sacred Mysteries ministered by angel hands.* Now that you have gone to them in the Trinity’s light,* pray for us who venerate your memory.
Troparion, Tone 8: The mountain of Athos rejoices, inviting all the monastic choirs to praise you.* We join with them in singing to you, O venerable Peter,* and we lay our petition before you:* Seek peace for the world and mercy for our souls.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 3: Illumined by the light of the most Holy Spirit,* you turned your back on the distractions of this life.* Taking up your life in the desert, O venerable father,* you greatly pleased God our Creator.* For this reason, Christ exalts you, O blessed saint.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2: Leaving the company of mortals,* you took up residence in caves and caverns,* inspired by your love of God and the ardent burning desire of your soul.* You received a crown from God for this.* Now pray unceasingly for all of us to be saved.
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones.
verse: What shall I render to the Lord for all the things He has rendered to me? (Psalm 115:15,12)
Epistle
Romans 9:6-19
Alleluia, Tone 6
verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.
verse: His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth. (Psalm 111:1,2)
Gospel
Matthew 10:32-36; 11:1
Communion Hymn
Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)