Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
VESPERS ON THURSDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 1, Podoben “Joy of the ranks of heaven …”
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Hating the earthly authority of the body, with pure temperament and a simple heart* you cleaved to the Lord, O wise father,* and were shown to be a divinely inspired instrument of the Comforter,* playing the psalmody of salvation for us.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Finding the Mother of the Lord to be the subject of great laudation, O Andrew,* you also hymned with mellifluous discourses* the sacred apostles and the company of the blessed martyrs.* With them be mindful of us who honour you.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
We know you to be a pillar of orthodoxy, a model of chastity,* an example of meekness, and a godly hymnographer* illumining the Church of Christ, O father Andrew, initiate of sacred mysteries.* Therefore, we celebrate your festival.
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.
Through fasting and tears you set yourself apart* for painful ascetic endeavour and courageous battle* against the hordes of the enemy who have crippled human nature,* sparing not your flesh for the sake of God’s love.* Therefore, you undertook godly struggles, casting down the mind of the adversary,* O honoured and all-glorious Martha.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Through fasting and tears you set yourself apart* for painful ascetic endeavour and courageous battle* against the hordes of the enemy who have crippled human nature,* sparing not your flesh for the sake of God’s love.* Therefore, you undertook godly struggles, casting down the mind of the adversary,* O honoured and all-glorious Martha.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
You spurned transitory things, and avoided the love of what is corruptible,* and desired the heavenly portion which is everlasting,* meet for the righteous and incorrupt, and never-ending life, O pure one.* Therefore, celebrating your radiant and splendid memory with faith, O glorious Martha,* we honour you with divine hymns.
Tone 4, Glory…
Relieving ailments with the grace of the Spirit, you drive away evil spirits,* heal sufferings and enlighten the faithful with the radiance of your miracles, O most glorious Martha.* Therefore, we hymn your splendid, radiant, and right wondrous memory today* with unceasing hymnody.
Now…
When she beheld You, the Lamb and Shepherd, upon the Cross,* the ewe-lamb who gave You birth lamented and exclaimed to You maternally:* “O my Son most desired, how is it that You are suspended upon the tree of the Cross, O Long-suffering One?* How is it, O Word, that Your hands and feet have been pierced with nails by the iniquitous,* and You have shed Your blood, O Master?”
Prokeimenon, Tone 6
My help is from the Lord,* Who made heaven and earth.
verse: I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help shall come.
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.
In the morning, fill us with Your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Give us joy to balance our affliction for the years when we knew misfortune. Show forth Your work to Your servants; let Your glory shine on their children.
They who ever enjoyed Your gifts cried aloud, “Crucify Him!”;* they who slew the righteous ones asked that a malefactor be released 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.
Let the favour of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands, give success to the work of our hands.
Having hated the pleasures of life,* the passion-bearers were deemed worthy of the good things of heaven* and have made their abode together with the angels.* By their prayers, О Lord, have mercy and save us.
Tone 8, Glory…
We honour you, O Andrew our father, as the instructor of a multitude of monks;* for through you have we truly come to know how to walk your path aright.* Blessed are you who, labouring for Christ,* denounced the power of the enemy, O converser with the angels,* companion of the venerable and the righteous.* Pray with them to the Lord, that our souls find mercy.
Now…
The unblemished heifer, beholding her bullock nailed to the Tree of His own will,* cried out, lamenting piteously:* Woe is me, O most beloved Child!* How have the ungrateful assembly of the Jews rewarded You,* desiring to leave me bereft of You, my Child, O most Beloved!”
Troparia
Tone 4
The truth of your deeds made you for your flock a rule of faith* and an image of meekness,* a teacher of continence.* And so you gained the heights through humility,* riches through poverty,* father and bishop, Andrew.* Intercede with Christ, our God,* for the salvation of our souls.
Tone 8, Glory…
The divine image was faithfully preserved in you, O mother,* for taking up the Cross you followed Christ.* By your deeds you have taught us to see beyond flesh which passes* and care for the soul, a thing immortal.* And so, O venerable woman, Martha,* your spirit rejoices with the angels.
Now…
O gracious Lord, for the sake of mankind You were born of a virgin;* through Your death on the cross You conquered Death;* and through Your resurrection You revealed Yourself as God.* O merciful Lord, do not disdain those whom You have created with Your own hands,* but show forth Your love for mankind.* Accept the intercession which the Mother who bore You makes in our behalf.* O Saviour, save Your despairing people!
DIVINE LITURGY ON FRIDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: The truth of your deeds made you for your flock a rule of faith* and an image of meekness,* a teacher of continence.* And so you gained the heights through humility,* riches through poverty,* father and bishop, Andrew.* Intercede with Christ, our God,* for the salvation of our souls.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2: O thunder of justice, spiritual trumpet,* planter of faith and destroyer of heresies,* servant of the Trinity, great hierarch Andrew,* forever standing in the company of the angels,* pray without ceasing for all of us.
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
Romans 11:25-36
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
Matthew 12:1-8
Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)