VESPERS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 2, Special Melody: “When from the Tree…”

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

Like spiritual rivers issuing forth separately from Eden, О wise ones,* you have watered the whole earth and, having ploughed it,* have sown the preaching of salvation and reaped right fruitful grain, the souls of the saved,* laying them up in the noetic granaries like riches of great price,* О disciples of the Lord.

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

From the darkness of passions and pleasures free my heart,* which is sorely distressed by the passions,* О you who are luminaries of the noetic East, most radiant heralds of the Sun,* who announce to all Him who has banished the night of unbelief.* Him do you entreat, that He enlighten also our minds,* in that you were eyewitnesses to Him.

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

Bearing the saving Word* which was written by the Spirit through the finger of the Father,* you were truly shown to be divinely inscribed tablets of the new grace,* initiates of His mysteries and animate scrolls;* therefore, you traversed all the ends of the earth,* manifestly showing all mankind the orthodox faith* and the path which leads to the heavens.

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.

Wisely, O most wise one, you taught the incorporeal Word* who is equally unoriginate with the Father* and who united Himself hypostatically to the flesh;* whose activity is twofold,* through both the natures of which He is comprised and in which He is seen:* One, indivisible in essence,* and comprehended as existing in both.

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

Having studied the law of the Lord,* O blessed and holy hierarch Meletius,* you showed yourself to be a tree* standing by the waters of asceticism, as it is written,* and bringing forth the fruits of the virtues* through the grace of Him who sanctified your holy soul* and made of you a receptacle of all spiritual effulgence.

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

As say the Scriptures,* your cheeks were adorned like turtle-doves, O most wise one Meletius,* loving abstinence and forgoing food,* desiring the noetic sustenance which Christ bestowed upon you* when you undertook your manifold labours,* displaying the ardent zeal which you showed when suffering misfortunes* for the sake of the Faith.

Tone 4, Glory… Now…

As your prayer to the Lord is untiring* and your entreaty abiding, O all-pure one,* quell the assaults and still the waves of my wretched soul;* calm my heart, which is in suffering,* I beseech you, O Maiden,* and impart grace to my mind,* that I may worthily glorify you.

Prokeimenon I, Tone 5

O Lord, save me by Your name,* and in Your power be a judge for me.

verse: O God, hear my prayer; listen to the words of my mouth.

Reading I

Joel 4:12-21

Prokeimenon II, Tone 6

Let Israel hope in the Lord,* from henceforth and for evermore.

verse: Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are my eyes lofty.

Aposticha

Tone 3

The springtime of the Fast has dawned,* the flower of repentance has budded forth.* O brethren, let us cleanse ourselves from all impurity* and chant to the Giver of Light, saying:* Glory be to You who alone loves 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.

The springtime of the Fast has dawned,* the flower of repentance has budded forth.* O brethren, let us cleanse ourselves from all impurity* and chant to the Giver of Light, saying:* Glory be to You who alone loves mankind.

Tone 4

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, strengthened by faith and hope,* united in soul by the love of Your Cross,* destroyed the tyranny of the enemy;* and, having received crowns of glory,* they intercede together with the bodiless hosts,* on behalf of our souls.

Tone 4, Glory… Now…

First in holiness among the saints,* the praise of the heavenly hosts,* the hymn of the apostles,* the cause and reason of the prophets,* O Sovereign Lady, accept our prayers.

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, Meletius.* Intercede with Christ, our God,* for the salvation of our souls.

Glory… Now…

O Virgin Mother of God,* we acknowledge that the Word of the Father, Christ our God,* was incarnate of you, the only pure one and the only blessed one.* Therefore, we sing to you a hymn of praise and we exalt you.

DIVINE LITURGY ON THURSDAY 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, Meletius.* 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 6: The Macedonian apostate feared your spiritual courage and fled.* We your servants gather around you in order to obtain your intercession.* O father Meletius, you are equal to the angels* and the fiery sword of Christ our God.* We praise you as a star enlightening 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

Jude 11-25

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

Luke 23:1-34, 44-56

Communion Hymn

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