AT VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

Tone 4

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

Your face shattered, your neck wounded, healthy bones broken by staves,* your feet and head burned, cruelly pricked with goads,* your ears and lips cut away, forced to drink vinegar,* cast to the wild beasts and beheaded with the sword,* you rejoiced, O martyr Tarachus.

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

Beaten and pricked with goads,* your sinews severed, deprived of your sight, given to be food for the wild beasts,* exposed to the fire and beheaded by the sword, you endured, O blessed one,* adornment of the martyrs and confirmation of the Church,* O glorious athlete Probus, peer of the angels.

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

Burned with fire, beaten with leather scourges,* raked with claws, your sinews severed,* your theologizing tongue cut out, your teeth savagely uprooted, O Andronicus,* having wrestled with wild beasts and met your end under the sword,* you finished your contest and receive your crown.

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.

As one who sustains us with wisdom, and nurtures us with purity,* O treasury of understanding, O most renowned theologian, O divine disciple,* an enlightener of the faithful, we praise you, O blessed hierarch Cosmas,* entreating the Master through you, that we all be delivered* from corruption, misfortunes, and all harm.

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

You lived your life in abstinence, keeping vigils and fasting,* in chastity and humility, O glorious one,* and were in all ways enriched by the knowledge of transitory things below* and by heavenly splendours, O blessed one;* and you have manifestly thundered forth the incomprehensible, awesome, and great mystery* of the King of all.

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

You were humble-minded and meek, calm and goodly of speech,* kind and guileless, chaste and righteous, most simple and wholesome, O venerable Cosmas.* And as a hierarch revealed by God in sanctity,* you shepherded your flock, O divinely wise one,* on the verdure which grows by the waters of salvation.* Wherefore, we now call you blessed.

Tone 4, Glory…

Enlisting in Christ’s army, you forsook all the beautiful things of earth* and, taking your cross upon your shoulders, followed Him through most elaborate tortures* and did not deny Him before the rulers and many tormenters.* The angels crowned your heads with wreaths of victory, O you who are valiant of soul,* and you have entered into the great bridal-chamber with splendour.* O Probus, glory of the martyrs, Tarachus, destroyer of the demons, and Andronicus, victory of the faithful:* as you have boldness before the Saviour of all, pray for our souls.

Now…

O Theotokos, Queen of all, * praise of the orthodox: * cast down the proud arrogance of the heretics, * and put to shame the faces of those who neither bow down before nor honour your precious image, * O most pure one.

Aposticha

Tone 3

Our evening hymn do we bring to You, O Christ,* with incense and spiritual songs,* have mercy on us and save our souls.

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.

Save me, O Lord my God, for You are the salvation of all:* The storm of the passions disquiets me,* and the yoke of my transgressions weighs heavily upon me.* Stretch out Your helping hand and lead me up to the light of compunction,* for You alone are compassionate and the Lover of 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.

Great is the power of Your Cross, О Lord!* For it was planted in one place, yet works throughout the whole world;* making apostles of fishermen and martyrs of the heathen,* that they might pray for our souls.

Tone 1, Glory…

Probus, Tarachus, and the wise Andronicus, the threefold company,* equal in number to the Trinity, appearing like radiant stars from the East,* summon creation to a sacred festival;* for they gave their flesh to the wild beasts* and, having stained the ground with their blood,* join chorus with the angels in the heavens, bearing crowns,* and entreating God who loves mankind, in our behalf,* that He grant us remission of transgressions and great mercy.

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 5

The hosts of heaven marvelled at the corrections of the holy martyrs,* how in their mortal bodies they invisibly vanquished the incorporeal foe,* contending well with the power of the Cross*. And they pray to Christ, that our souls find mercy.

Tone 8, Glory…

Instructor in orthodoxy, teacher of piety and purity, beacon to the whole world,* divinely inspired adornment of hierarchs, O Cosmas most wise,* You have enlightened all by your teachings.* Entreat Christ God that our souls be saved, O harp of the Spirit.

Now…

Rejoice, O woman who at the angel’s greeting contained the Joy of the world!* Rejoice, for you gave birth to your Creator and Lord!* Rejoice, for you were made worthy to become the Mother of God.

AT DIVINE LITURGY ON MONDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 5: The hosts of heaven marvelled at the corrections of the holy martyrs,* how in their mortal bodies they invisibly vanquished the incorporeal foe,* contending well with the power of the Cross*. And they pray to Christ, that our souls find mercy.

Troparion, Tone 8: Instructor in orthodoxy, teacher of piety and purity, beacon to the whole world,* divinely inspired adornment of hierarchs, O Cosmas most wise,* You have enlightened all by your teachings.* Entreat Christ God that our souls be saved, O harp of the Spirit.

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

Kontakion, Tone 8: You were adorned with virtue, O blessed Cosmas,* and you adorned the Church with wonderful music.* Pray for our deliverance from the warlike enemy;* for we appeal to you, O truly blessed father.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: The soldiers of Christ, the holy martyrs Probus, Tarachus, and Andronicus,* have shown us the glory of the Holy Trinity* by refuting the error of their persecutors* and fighting courageously for the faith.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

To the saints who are in His land, the Lord has made wonderful all His desires in them.

verse: I foresaw the Lord in my sight, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. (Psalm 15:3,8)

Epistle

Philippians 4:10-23

Alleluia, Tone 4

verse: The just cried out and the Lord heard them, and delivered them out of their afflictions.

verse: The afflictions of the just are many, and out of them all will the Lord deliver them. (Psalm 33:18,20)

Gospel

Luke 7:36-50

Communion Hymn

Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)