VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 2, Podoben “When from the Tree…”

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

With the splendours of divine teaching* you destroyed the night of polytheism, O father Abercius,* and dawning like the morn,* you made those who before were in darkness children of the day,* showing forth most glorious miracles, O hierarch.* Therefore, we all celebrate your holy memory with faith,* singing to you, O divinely inspired one.

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

Working a miracle, O father,* you mingled wine and oil in a single vessel, preserved in another form,* but by divine grace caused them to separate when needed;* and by your prayer a gift of warm waters flowed forth,* healing the infirmities of all those who approach you with faith* and call you blessed, O Abercius.

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

Cleaving wholly to God, O Abercius,* you were revealed to be a fulfiller of divine teachings;* and having received grace from on high, O venerable one,* you drove away the diverse infirmities of all,* and destroying the temples of the idols* you planted divine knowledge in those who before languished wretchedly in ignorance,* O blessed one.

Tone 4, Podoben “As one valiant among the martyrs…”

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

Submitting to God, the blessed youths spurned the exceedingly wicked commands,* and when they were bound they broke the bonds of delusion,* and, rejecting worldly rank, have received a glory* which made them most gloriously perfect* and won for them the enjoyment of the heavenly kingdom.

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

Having mightily trained yourselves for the struggles of suffering, O saints, you hid in the cave,* entreating to the Lord with unceasing prayers,* that He grant might and power* through judgments which He who is the Lover of mankind knows;* and in a godly manner He commanded all of you to fall asleep in peace.

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

Come, let us earnestly hymn the witnesses of piety,* the divinely assembled regiment, the blessed choir,* the invincible company of martyrs, the beautiful triumph of the Church of God,* the indivisible assembly,* the unvanquished army, the unshakable foundation of piety.

Tone 3, Glory…

O venerable hierarch, all-blessed father Abercius, wonder-worker and favourite of God,* who shone forth in your prophetic life,* you have been deemed worthy of apostolic gifts,* unceasingly ministering to the Saviour with the angels.* Pray that our souls be delivered from every threat.

Now…

A sword pierced your heart, O most pure one,* when you beheld your Son upon the Cross;* whereupon you cried aloud:* Show me not to be childless, O my Son and my God,* You who have kept me a Virgin even after I gave birth!

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 2

О Christ God my Saviour, who saved Peter in the sea,* save me by the power of the Cross,* and have mercy on me.

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.

Those who ever enjoyed Your gifts cried out, “Crucify Him!”;* those who slew the righteous ones asked that a malefactor be given to them in place of the Benefactor.* But You kept silence, О Christ,* enduring their savagery, desiring to suffer and thus save us,* in that You love mankind.

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.

The choirs of the martyrs opposed the tyrants, saying:* “We fight for the King of hosts!* And even if you have subjected us to fire and tortures,* we will not reject the power of the Trinity!”

Tone 2, Glory… Now…

Having endured many pangs during the crucifixion of thy Son and God, O most pure one, * you groaned, weeping and crying aloud:* “Woe is me, O my sweet Child!* How is it that you suffer unjustly,* desiring to deliver the mortal descendants of Adam?”* Therefore, O most pure Virgin, we entreat you with faith:* Render Him merciful to us!

Troparia

Tone 4

You became a preacher of truth and a worker of miracles,* a father of orphans and a support of the poor,* a brave shepherd of the flock and a terror to devils.* Defend those who cry to you, O father Abercius,* and beg Christ our God to save our souls.

Glory…

In their sufferings, Your martyrs, O Lord,* received imperishable crowns from You, our God;* for, possessed of You might,* they set at naught the tyrants and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons.* By their supplications save our souls.

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.

DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: You became a preacher of truth and a worker of miracles,* a father of orphans and a support of the poor,* a brave shepherd of the flock and a terror to devils.* Defend those who cry to you, O father Abercius,* and beg Christ our God to save our souls.

Troparion, Tone 4: In their sufferings, Your martyrs, O Lord,* received imperishable crowns from You, our God;* for, possessed of You might, * they set at naught the tyrants and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons.* By their supplications save our souls.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 4: O Christ who has glorified Your saints on earth,* before Your awesome Second Coming* You have shown forth the resurrection to those who knew it not,* through the most glorious raising up of the youths,* revealing their clothing and bodies as incorrupt;* prevailing upon the emperor to cry aloud:* Truly there is resurrection for the dead!

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 8: The whole Church of the faithful consider you to be a most excellent priest* and dweller with the apostles, O Abercius.* By your supplications preserve it invincible,* un-assailed and undefiled by all heresy,* in that you are ever-memorable.

Prokeimenon, Tone 1

My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart understanding.

verse: Hear these things, all you nations; give ear all you inhabitants of the world. (Psalm 28:4,2)

Epistle

Philippians 2:24-30

Alleluia, Tone 2

verse: The mouth of the just man shall meditate wisdom and his tongue shall speak judgment.

verse: The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps will not falter. (Psalm 36:30,31)

Gospel

Luke 6:46-7:1

Communion Hymn

The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)