Day 3 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted
At Psalm 140
Tone 2
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
As of old we were cast out from paradise through eating bitter food,* let us make haste to enter therein again,* abstaining from the passions, and crying to our God:* “Thou didst stretch out Thy hands upon the cross,* Thou didst drink vinegar and tasted of gall,* patiently enduring the pain of the nails:* Do Thou uproot all bitter pleasures from our souls,* and for the sake of Thy tender compassion save Thou Thy servants.”
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Once we were cast out of paradise through eating from the tree,* but through Thy cross we are restored again.* We offer unto Thee Thy cross in supplication,* O Lord of many mercies, praying to Thee in faith:* send down upon us fountains of tears in this time of abstinence* to cleanse the filth of our passions and offenses,* that we may cry fervently to Thee:* “Glory to Thee O Lord!”
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
As once Thou didst grant paradise to Adam,* so now grant me O Word the joy of abstinence,* that I may taste of all Thy commandments, O God,* yet never eat of the forbidden fruit of sin;* and so with gladness* I shall come to Thy life-giving passion on the cross!
Tone 8
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
What shall we name you, O divinely inspired one?* Head of the Orthodox Church of Christ?* Eye of piety, possessed of the spiritual understanding* to see clearly the hearts of men,* and pouring forth the word of life upon all the ends of the earth?* Divinely inscribed scroll of the right Faith?* Pray that our souls be saved.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
What now shall we call you, O wondrous one?* Preacher of the Truth, firm foundation?* Senior among the honoured supreme council?* Excellent rule of doctrines, possessing the measure of correction?* The one who cut down the division of Nestorius and the confusion of Eutyches* with divinely wrought revelations?
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
What now shall we call you, O marvellous one?* Prince and ruler, splendidly exercising spiritual mastery over the passions of the body?* Vessel of divine mercy, habitation of perfect love?* Loving pastor awaiting the repentance of sinners?* Pray that our souls be saved.
Glory… Now…
The ewe-lamb, when she saw the Lamb* outstretched of His own will upon the Tree of the Cross,* cried out maternally, weeping in her pain:* “O my Son, what is this strange sight that I see?* How is it that You who, as Lord, give life to all,* dies, O Longsuffering One, bestowing resurrection upon mortals?* I glorify Your great condescension, O my God!”
Prokeimenon I, Tone 5
O Lord my god, in You have I put my hope,* save me!
verse: Save me from them that persecute me, and do Thou deliver me!
Vespers Reading I
Genesis 1:14-23
God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven for illumination to divide day from night. Let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. Let them be for illumination in the firmament of heaven to give light on the earth.” It was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. So evening and morning were the fourth day.
Then God said, “Let the waters bring forth creatures having life, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of heaven’s firmament.” It was so. Thus God made great sea creatures and every living thing that moves with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on earth.” So evening and morning were the fifth day.
Prokeimenon II, Tone 5
O Lord, our Lord,* how wonderful is Your name in all the earth!
verse: Your magnificence is lifted high above the heavens!
Vespers Reading II
Proverbs 1:20-33
Wisdom sings in the streets;
She moves boldly in the squares.
She preaches on high city walls
And sits at the gates of lords.
At the gates of a city she boldly says,
“So long a time as the simple hold fast to righteousness,
They shall not be ashamed;
But those without discernment, since they are desirous of arrogance,
And are become ungodly, they hate perception,
And are become subject to reproofs.
Behold, I shall bring forth upon you the utterance of my breath,
And I shall teach you my word.
Since I called, but you did not obey,
And spoke at length, but you paid no attention,
But made my counsels invalid,
And were not persuaded by my reproofs;
Consequently, I will laugh at your annihilation,
And will exult when ruin comes to you,
And when confusion reaches you unawares,
And overthrow comes like a whirlwind,
And when tribulation and anguish come to you,
And when destruction comes to you.
For it shall be, when you shall call upon me,
I will not listen to you;
Evil men will seek me, but not find me,
For they hate wisdom, and choose not the fear of the Lord.
Neither do they wish to follow my counsels,
But despise my reproofs.
Therefore, they shall eat the fruits of their own way
And be filled with their own ungodliness.
For since they wrong the simple, they shall be killed,
And a close examination shall destroy the ungodly.
But he who obeys me shall dwell in hope,
And shall be at rest without fear from every evil.”
My son, if you receive the words of my commandment
And hide them within yourself,
Your ear will be obedient to wisdom,
And you will incline your heart to understanding;
You will entrust it to your son as an admonition.
For if he calls upon wisdom,
And you utter your voice for understanding;
If you seek perception with a strong voice.
Aposticha
Tone 8
Let us keep the fast not only by refraining from food,* but by becoming strangers to all bodily passions;* that we who are enslaved to the tyranny of the flesh may be deemed worthy* to partake of the Lamb, the Son of God,* slain of His own will for the sake of the world,* and that we may spiritually celebrate the feast of the Saviour’s resurrection from the dead!* So shall we be raised on high in the glory of the virtues,* through our righteous actions* giving joy to the Lord and the Lover of mankind!
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.
Let us keep the fast not only by refraining from food,* but by becoming strangers to all bodily passions;* that we who are enslaved to the tyranny of the flesh may be deemed worthy* to partake of the Lamb, the Son of God,* slain of His own will for the sake of the world,* and that we may spiritually celebrate the feast of the Saviour’s resurrection from the dead!* So shall we be raised on high in the glory of the virtues,* through our righteous actions* giving joy to the Lord 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.
Your martyrs, O Lord, putting aside the things of this life,* and enduring tortures for the sake of the life to come,* were shown to be its inheritors,* and now they rejoice with the angels!* By their prayers grant Your people great mercy!
Glory… Now…
“O marvellous wonder! O Strange mystery and fearful deed!” cried the Virgin* as she beheld in fear and trembling, You, the child whom she had borne without travail,* hanging between two malefactors on the cross.* She cried aloud weeping:* “Woe is me, O my beloved child! How has this wicked and ungrateful people* nailed You to the Cross!”
MATINS ON WEDNESDAY MORNING
Sessional Hymn I, Tone 3
Knowing that Your power is infinite and Your Crucifixion voluntary, the hosts of angels were amazed. How were You, upon whom none may look, scourged in the flesh, in Your desire to redeem man from corruption? Therefore we cry aloud to You as Giver of Life: Glory to Your Kingdom, O Christ.
Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool for He is holy.
The Cross was set up on the earth, and touched the heaven; not because the wood could reach so high, but because You who were crucified upon it fill all things: glory be to You.
God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.
In Your almighty power, O Lord, You have glorified the memorial of Your victorious martyrs, for You have strengthened them to follow You in Your sufferings. Bravely they overcame the devil’s might, and so received gifts of healing. Through their prayers, O Christ who loves mankind, grant peace to our souls.
Glory… Now…
In the Cross of your Son, O Theotokos, we have gained a rod of strength. With it we cast down the anger of the enemy, and unceasingly with love we magnify you.
Sessional Hymn II, Tone 2
By Your passion, O loving Lord,* You have given all mankind freedom from passions,* putting to death the passions of my flesh by Your Cross.* Count me worthy, then, to see Your divine passion:* that having been well-pleasing to Your glory in the fast,* I may receive Your great and abundant mercy!
Glory… Now…
Beholding You, O Christ, stretched dead upon the tree,* Your virgin Mother cried out with bitter tears:* O my son, what is this fearful mystery?* How do You give eternal life to all,* and yet suffer willingly a shameful death upon the Cross?
Sessional Hymn III, Tone 2
O Lord, You have consecrated and given us* this light-giving season of abstinence,* enable us all to pass through it in compunction and sincerity,* living in peace by the power of the Cross,* O only Lover of Mankind!
Glory… Now…
Guarded by the precious Cross of Your son,* O pure Lady and Theotokos,* we easily turn away all the assaults of the enemy!* Therefore, we rightly call you blessed,* for you are the mother of Light and the only hope of our souls!
Canon
Ode 1
Irmos: The desert of the barren Church of the nations* blossomed like a lily* at Your coming, O Lord,* therein has my heart been established.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Let us crucify our members through abstinence; and as it is written, let us be vigilant in prayer, living after the example of Him who suffered; By His Passion, putting to death the passions.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Rejecting the bitter food of sin, let us seek to please Christ, Who of His own will tasted gall and by the Cross cast down the author of evil.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Sin has become a habit for me, and it drags me down to complete perdition. But by Your Cross deliver me from my sinfulness, O compassionate and abundantly merciful One!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
O you who bore the Master, Sovereign Lady of all creation, set me free from bondage to the deceitful enemy!
Irmos: O Lord, who slayed sin upon the tree, firmly establish us in You,* and in the hearts of us who hymn You plant the fear of You.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord
From the tree of the Cross does the flower of abstinence grow for all the world. Let us then accept the fast with love and take pleasure in the fruit of Christ’s divine commandments.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord
Abstaining from the passions, let us crucify our flesh for the sake of the Lord: By our life in Christ, let us all show that the pride of the flesh is dead.
Glory…
I glorify three Hypostases in one Nature, Father, Son, and Spirit, the one power of the Godhead, one Kingdom over all and one effulgence!
Now…
Your child-bearing, O pure one, fills our hearts with fear, for it is God who has become man, before time begotten from the Father, and in the last days brought forth by you through a virgin birth.
Glory to You our God, glory to You!
I praise Your Crucifixion, O Christ, and the piercing of Your divine side, from which each day I draw an immortal drink and am sanctified.
Katavasia: O Lord, who slayed sin upon the tree, firmly establish us in You,* and in the hearts of us who hymn You plant the fear of You.
Ode 8
Irmos: The fiery furnace in Babylon, by divine decree divided its action,* burning up the Chaldeans,* while at the same time refreshing the faithful youths who sang:* All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
The furnace of the passions consumes my soul; but quench its flames with the dew of Your mercy. For in Your self-abasement, O Benefactor, at Your crucifixion, You made a fountain of dispassion flow forth from Your pure side.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Lifted up upon Your Cross, O Christ, You have raised up us who were fallen into evil, whereby I also have slipped into the depths of sin: Bring me out and set me firmly on the rock of salvation, that I may glorify Your power!
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Through the lance that pierced Your side, O Christ, You have cleansed my heart from the corruption of the passions. I have been wounded by the poisonous bite of the serpent. Heal me in every part, and make me walk unwavering upon the paths of God.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
We all honour you, undefiled Virgin, as the shining lamp and candlestick in which the fire of the Godhead came to dwell, bringing light to those held fast in the dark night of corruption, and we bless your childbearing, O blessed among women!
Irmos: To Him Who of old prefigured the miracle of the Virgin,* to Moses in the burning-bush on Mount Sinai,* let us sing, bless, and supremely exult* throughout all ages.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord
Let us praise Him who was crucified upon the tree between two malefactors, and whose life-giving side was pierced by a lance. Let us bless and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord
You judge all the earth, yet You stood before the judgment seat of Pilate! You were struck on the cheek, mocked, and hung upon the Cross, thereby delivering me from the corruption of the ancient sin throughout all ages.
Let us bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Lord!
One Godhead, One in Trinity, Undivided in Nature yet divided in Hypostases, indestructible power, Father, Son, and Spirit, we sing Your praises throughout all ages!
Now…
O pure Birthgiver of God, gate of heaven and door of salvation, accept the prayer of all Christians who call you blessed throughout all ages!
Glory to You our God, glory to You!
O Cross of Christ, You brought the thief to faith, and me to the season of the fast: Count me worthy to venerate You at the forthcoming feast, and therewith to be filled with life.
We praise, we bless, and we worship the Lord, hymning and supremely exalting Him throughout all ages!
Katavasia: To Him Who of old prefigured the miracle of the Virgin,* to Moses in the burning-bush on Mount Sinai,* let us sing, bless, and supremely exult* throughout all ages.
Magnificat
Ode 9
Irmos: The Son of the Beginningless Father, God and Lord,* has appeared to us incarnate of a Virgin,* to enlighten those in darkness, and to gather the dispersed;* therefore the all-hymned Theotokos do we magnify.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
More brightly than the sun does the fast shine upon us all, bringing to us the light of Grace, proclaiming the good news of the Cross of the precious passion, and the saving day of the Resurrection.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Let us love chastity and flee from fornication! Let us gird our loins with temperance that we may appear in purity before the Saviour of our souls, Who alone is pure and desires the purification of all.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Nail my flesh with the fear of You, O Christ, Who nailed the sin of Adam to the Cross. Loose me from the bonds of wickedness, shatter the arrows of the evil one with Your lance, O Master, and deliver me from all his mischief.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
O Virgin Maiden who bore Christ the Lord the just Judge who alone is ever ready to forgive, deliver me from condemnation, and from fire and torment, that I rightly deserve to suffer because of my delight in sin.
Irmos: To the pure and most pure mother and Virgin,* do we the faithful devoutly chant with hymns,* and as the Theotokos* we magnify her.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord
How great is Your compassion! For You endured the Cross, the nails and the lance, O Lord, for my sake, who am condemned to corruption. Therefore, I sing Your praises, O Christ.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord
With all Your people we worship Your life-giving passion, the Cross, the reed, the nails and the lance, praising You in our hymns, O Christ.
Glory…
Unity in three coequal Hypostases, undivided Trinity, sovereign nature: Father, Son, and divine Spirit, save us all.
Now…
O Theotokos, mercy-seat of the world; rejoice! For ever fleeing to you for refuge, we sinners gain reconciliation with God.
Glory to You our God, glory to You!
Through Your Cross, O loving Lord, You have given me strength: Grant that I may complete the time of the fast with right proper courage!
Katavasia: To the pure and most pure mother and Virgin,* do we the faithful devoutly chant with hymns,* and as the Theotokos* we magnify her.
Aposticha, Tone 5
Come, let us battle thoughts of passion through fasting,* shielding ourselves with spiritual wings* that we may endure the enemy’s storm with ease!* That we may be found worthy of adoring the Cross of the Son of God* who was voluntarily slain for the world,* that we may spiritually celebrate the Saviour’s resurrection from the dead!* Ascending the mountain with the disciples,* we shall glorify the one who received all authority from the Father,* the Son and Lover of mankind!
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.
Come, let us battle thoughts of passion through fasting,* shielding ourselves with spiritual wings* that we may endure the enemy’s storm with ease!* That we may be found worthy of adoring the Cross of the Son of God* who was voluntarily slain for the world,* that we may spiritually celebrate the Saviour’s resurrection from the dead!* Ascending the mountain with the disciples,* we shall glorify the one who received all authority from the Father,* the Son and Lover of mankind!
Let the favour of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands.
Invincible martyrs of Christ,* you defeated deceit by the power of the Cross* and received the grace of eternal life!* You feared not the threats of your torturers!* and were gladdened by being wounded by them,* and now your blood has become the healing of our souls!* Pray that our souls may be saved!
Glory… Now…
“What is this sight which I see, which my eyes behold, O Master?* How is it that You Who sustain all creation,* are upon the Tree and die, granting life to all?”* thus said the Theotokos weeping, upon seeing God and man* Who had shone forth ineffably from her* hanging upon the Cross.