All-Night Vigil Feast. A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy

GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading

Blessed is the man… is chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 2, Podoben “When from a Tree…”

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

O glorious martyr Demetrius, like a radiant star you ever illumine your native land;* for you ever protect it from lies and destruction wrought by the foe,* and deliver it from misery and every tempest.* Therefore, blessed one, it joyously offers praise to you, keeping your yearly commemoration,* singing with faith and love the Lord who has glorified you.

Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

O glorious martyr Demetrius, like a radiant star you ever illumine your native land;* for you ever protect it from lies and destruction wrought by the foe,* and deliver it from misery and every tempest.* Therefore, blessed one, it joyously offers praise to you, keeping your yearly commemoration,* singing with faith and love the Lord who has glorified you.

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

O martyr and passion-bearer of Christ, holy Demetrius,* you illumine the world with miracles like the sun.* Therefore, on the day of your commemoration* we all delight in your wonders, O blessed one, keeping festival with faith.* Thus, as you have boldness before the Lord,* beseech Him to save your servants from corruption and tribulations.

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

Your side was pierced by spears for the sake of the Saviour* whose side was pierced on the Cross;* for with love you emulated Him in your wounds, O passion-bearer Demetrius,* revealing to all the steadfastness of your witness.* Therefore, the tyrant fell wounded,* receiving the shaft of your confession, O athlete of Christ.

Tone 8, Podoben “O most glorious wonder…”

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

O most glorious wonder!* Today, on the commemoration of the martyr Demetrius,* joy has shone forth in heaven and on earth.* He is crowned with praises by the angels and receives hymns from men.* O, how he suffered! How well he fought the fight!* Thereby the evil foe was felled when Christ conquered him.

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

O most glorious wonder!* Today, on the commemoration of the martyr Demetrius,* joy has shone forth in heaven and on earth.* He is crowned with praises by the angels and receives hymns from men.* O, how he suffered! How well he fought the fight!* Thereby the evil foe was felled when Christ conquered him.

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

O most glorious wonder!* With rays of miracles brighter than the sun* Demetrius ever enlightens the ends of the earth,* he that is illumined with the never-fading light* and delights in the Light unwaning.* By his rays have clouds of barbarians been dispelled, infirmities driven away,* and the demons vanquished.

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

O most glorious wonder!* The thrice-blessed Demetrius, pierced for the sake of Christ,* has ever shown himself to the foe as a two-edged sword,* mowing down the uprisings of the enemy* and casting down the audacity of the demons.* Let us cry out to him:* O holy Demetrius, save us that ever faithfully honour you with love!

Tone 6, Glory…

Today the universal festival of the passion-bearer calls us together.* Come, then, you that love the feasts of the Church,* and let us radiantly celebrate his commemoration, saying:* Rejoice, you that rendered the garment of impiety with faith* and robed yourself in manliness of spirit!* Rejoice, you that wrecked the schemes of the alien one* with the might given you by the One God!* Rejoice, you that with your pierced limbs spiritually portrayed the suffering of Christ for us!* Entreat Him, O Demetrius, adornment of athletes,* that we be delivered from enemies, visible and invisible,* and that our souls be saved!

Now…

Who would not call you blessed, O Virgin most holy?* Who would not sing a hymn of praise* to the glory of your giving birth without pain or travail?* The Only-begotten Son Himself,* begotten of the Father before all ages,* was made flesh out of you in a manner* that cannot be explained, O Woman most pure!* And for our sake, He Who is God by nature* assumed the nature of a man.* He is not divided into two persons;* He is understood to have two natures* without commixion or confusion.* O noble and blessed Woman,* intercede with Him that He may mercy on our souls.

Readings

(1) Isaiah 63:15-19; 64:1-9; (2) Jeremiah 2:2-12; (3) Wisdom 4:7-15

At Lytia

Tone 1

Be you glad in the Lord, O city of Thessalonica!* Rejoice and hold chorus, splendidly arraying yourself with faith,* for you have as a treasure within your bosom Demetrius,* the most glorious passion-bearer and witness to the truth.* Delight in his miracles, see the healing he accomplishes,* and behold him that casts down the audacity of the aliens;* and cry out in thanksgiving to the Saviour:* O Lord, glory to You!

With the comeliness of hymns let us brighten this day,* and let us proclaim the struggles of the martyr;* for the great Demetrius moves us to praise.* For, having bravely put down the assaults of the demons,* he zealously entered the stadium and, having gloriously carried off the trophies of victory,* he entreats the Saviour, that our souls be saved.

Tone 2

O wise Demetrius, Christ God has blamelessly set your soul in the dwellings on high;* for you were a champion of the Trinity* and, hard as adamant, you bravely suffered in the stadium;* and pierced in your incorrupt sides, O most honoured one,* emulating Him that was pierced on the Tree for the salvation of the whole world,* you received the gift of working miracles, richly bestowing healings upon people.* Therefore, today we celebrate your repose as is meet,* glorifying the Lord who has glorified you.

Tone 5, Podoben “Let us trumpet forth…”

Glory…

Let us make haste with faith and love,* and let us cry out hymns of festivity,* and let us all clap our hands during this festival of our chief leader.* Let the armies of heaven rejoice over him* that was pierced for the King and Lord who was pierced with a spear,* and who boldly cast down the audacity of Lyaeus.* Let the earth and the sea marvel at the most glorious signs wrought by the radiant luminary.* Let the young praise, as is fitting, the bridler of youth,* the staff of old age, the intercessor amid misfortunes,* the enricher of the destitute, the guide on the good path,* the ally in war, O city of Thessalonica,* and in prayer let us say: O most glorious Demetrius, go you before us and rescue us from every need,* and save your servants by your prayers.

Now…

Let us sound forth with the trumpet of hymns,* for, the Virgin Mother, the Queen of all, bending down from on high,* with blessings crowns them that sing to her.* Let kings and princes make haste, and let them clap their hands in hymns* to the Queen who gave birth to the King who, in His love for mankind,* was well pleased to loose them that before were held fast by death.* O pastors and teachers, assembling, let us praise the all-pure Mother of the Good Shepherd,* the golden candle-stick, the Light-bearing cloud,* who is more spacious than the heavens,* the animate tabernacle, the fiery throne of the Master,* the golden jar that held the Manna, the door of the Word, the refuge of all Christians,* and praising her with divinely eloquent hymns, let us say thus:* O palace of the Word, vouchsafe the kingdom of heaven to us,* the lowly, for nothing is impossible to your mediation.

Aposticha

Tone 2

When the earth trembled with fear at Your wrath, the mountains and hills did quake, O Lord;* but, regarding us with the eye of Your compassion,* be You not wrathful with us in Your anger,* but, taking pity on the works of Your hands,* free us from the dreadful threat of earthquake,* in that You are good and the Lover of mankind.

Tone 4

He looks on the earth and makes it tremble.

Awesome are You, O Lord, and who can abide Your righteous wrath?* Who can entreat You? Who can render You mild concerning Your sinful and despairing people, O Good One?* The ranks of heaven: the angels, authorities, principalities, thrones, dominions, cherubim and seraphim, cry out to You in our behalf:* Holy, holy, holy are You, O Lord!* Disdain not the works of Your hands,* and in the compassion of Your mercy save Your imperilled city.

You made the earth to quake and troubled it.

The Ninevites, because of their offenses, heard the threat of destruction by earthquake;* you, through the resurrection of Jonah in the intermediate sign of the whale, cried out in appeal.* Thus, taking pity on Your people and their babes and cattle, You accepted their cry.* So also take pity and have mercy on us that are being chastised,* for the sake of Your own Rising on the third day.

Tone 8, Glory…

O ever-memorable Demetrius, your most blessed and immaculate soul* has the heavenly Jerusalem as a dwelling place,* whose walls have been adorned by the all-pure hands of the invisible God.* And on earth this most eminent temple possessed your most precious and much-suffering body* as an inviolate treasury of miracles, a medicine for infirmities;* amid having recourse thereto we draw forth healings. O all-praised one,* from the obstacles of the adversary you keep this city which magnifies you,* for you have boldness before Christ, who has glorified you.

Now…

O unwedded Virgin, who ineffably gave birth to God in the flesh, Mother of God Most High:* accept you the entreaties of your servants, O all-immaculate one,* bestowing upon all cleansing from transgressions.* And now, receiving our supplications, pray that we all be saved.

Troparion

Tone 3

In you, O martyr Demetrius,* the world has discovered a champion in its travails,* for you have routed the nations* and so, as you smashed the pride of Lyaeus*, encouraging Nestor to struggle,* pray to Christ our God to grant great mercy to our souls. (3)

AT DIVINE LITURGY ON MONDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 3: In you, O martyr Demetrius,* the world has discovered a champion in its travails,* for you have routed the nations* and so, as you smashed the pride of Lyaeus*, encouraging Nestor to struggle,* pray to Christ our God to grant great mercy to our souls.

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

Kontakion, Tone 2: With the streams of your blood, O Demetrius,* God, who gave you invincible strength,* has dyed the Church in royal crimson* and preserved your city invulnerable* for you are its fortification.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him.

verse: Hear, O God, my voice when I make my petition to You. (Psalm 63:11,2)

Epistle

2 Timothy 2:1-10

Alleluia, Tone 4

verse: The just man shall flourish like the palm tree; and he shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon.

verse: They who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish the courts of our God. (Psalm 91:13,14)

Gospel

John 15:17-16:2

Communion Hymn

The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6-7)