Dormition Fast

VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

There are no appointed psalms to be chanted tonight.

At Psalm 140

Tone 1

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

In Your goodness, О Lord,* You brought all things about by Your Word and Spirit,* and also created me a reason-endowed living thing,* that I might glorify Your omnipotent name.* But, more than any, I ever act dishonourably by my shameful deeds;* yet have pity on me, I pray.

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

I recognize your divine nobility and the incorrupt homeland, О wretched soul,* and I ever strive to attain them by goodly deeds.* Let all that is corrupt never captivate me.* You are my higher part, while the body is earth and corrupts.* Let not what is baser overcome that which is higher.

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

Go to the Supremely good One, О all-accursed soul;* approach Him with fervent tears;* before your condemnation confess all things that you have done;* and render your Creator merciful to you, О wretched one.* Beg forgiveness, lest the Lord shut the door to you.

Tone 8, Podoben “Your martyrs, O Lord…”

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

Making themselves like to the incorporeal ones, O Lord,* with prayer and abstinence Your saints dispelled the passions of the flesh* and, shining with wondrous works, have illumined the hearts of all.* Through their supplication grant Your people great mercy.

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

Taking up zeal for the virtues,* Dalmatus and Isaac manifestly set at nought the heresy of Arius and Nestorius,* and as champions of the orthodox have received the acclaim of all.* Through their prayers, O Christ, grant Your people great mercy.

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

Having shown yourselves to be stars of the firmament of abstinence, O venerable fathers,* you have illumined the monastics, driving away the darkness of the demons.* Therefore, even after your repose you are called blessed,* praying that all be saved who celebrate your godly memory.

Tone 8, Glory… Now…

Woe is him who has angered his God!* Woe is me who abide in despondency and slothfulness and ignorance, as I do!* O Virgin and Mistress: help me who am benighted,* and entreat your Son and Creator* to grant me forgiveness of mine offenses.

Prokeimenon, Tone 8

And now bless the Lord,* all you servants of the Lord.

verse: Who stand in the temple of the Lord, in the courtyards of the house of our God.

Aposticha

Tone 1

Great is the abyss of my many transgressions, О Saviour,* and I sink grievously because of my offenses.* Grant me Your hand, as You did to Peter, О God.* Save me and have mercy upon 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.

In that I have been condemned for wicked thoughts and deeds, О Saviour,* grant me the thought of returning to You, О God,* that I may cry aloud: Save me, О good Benefactor,* and have mercy upon me!

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.

Through the prayers of all the saints and the Theotokos,* О Lord, grant us Your peace,* and have mercy upon us,* in that You alone are compassionate.

Glory… Now…

Joy of the ranks of heaven,* and mighty intercession for mankind on earth, O most pure Virgin:* save us who have recourse to you,* for in you, after God,* have we placed our hope, O Theotokos.

Troparia

Tone 4

O God of our fathers,* You always deal with us according to Your everlasting compassion,* take not Your mercy away from us;* but through the prayers of our fathers,* guide our lives along the ways of peace.

Glory… Now…

To the One who was reared in the Temple,* close to the Holy of Holies,* and who was full of faith, wisdom, and perfect virginity,* Gabriel, the captain and leader,* offered esteem and greetings from heaven when he said:* Rejoice, O blessed One! Rejoice, O glorified One!* The Lord is with you.

AT DIVINE LITURGY ON MONDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: O God of our fathers,* You always deal with us according to Your everlasting compassion,* take not Your mercy away from us;* but through the prayers of our fathers,* guide our lives along the ways of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: Divinely armed with purity of spirit* and mightily wielding the lance of unceasing prayers,* you overcame the powers of demons,* Venerable Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus, pray without ceasing for all of us.

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

2 Corinthians 2:4-15

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 23:13-22

Communion Hymn

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