Post-feast of the Ascension.

VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 4

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

As Your divine disciples watched, You ascended into the heavens,* and sit at the right hand of the Father,* though You were not separated from Him, as the transcendent Son:* and as You promised, You sent forth the Comforter,* that He might fashion earthly heavens* out of Your wise and divinely-speaking sacred Apostles.

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

O Jesus, You assumed flesh out of the abundance of Your inexpressible goodness;* and You, O immortal One, willingly endured death upon the Cross.* But then, when three days had passed, You arose from the dead.* And again, after forty days, You ascended to the place, from where You had before descended,* to lead mankind to the Father and to bestow peace upon the world.

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

As they saw You taken up upon the clouds O Lord, the wise Apostles lamented,* and filled with sorrow, they cried aloud to You with tears:* Leave us not orphaned whom You have loved;* Rather, send down to us as You promised, O Compassionate One,* Your Divine and Holy Spirit,* that He might shed His light upon our souls.

Tone 6

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

You were shown to be a God-bearer wholly consecrated,* the holy anointed of God, clad in the Holy Spirit,* ever entering with splendour into the holy of holies,* illumined with godly radiance, partaking of the grace of the holy mysteries* as a true and all-glorious hierarch,* praying with boldness in behalf of our souls.

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

Your life was illumined with the radiance of the virtues,* and you have enlightened the faithful* and driven away the darkness of falsehood;* for you were shown to be the bright sun of the truth,* O all-blessed and holy hierarch Metrophanes.* And now you have made your abode where there shines never-waning light,* and you have become a child of the day through the grace of the Holy Spirit.* Therefore, honourably celebrating your divine and luminous memory,* we honour you with love, O ever-memorable one.

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

Your mind made beautiful by faith and through yearning for God, O divine wise one,* you were shown to be radiant;* and having learned incorruption in your mortal and corruptible body, O all-wise one,* you acquired the splendours of the incorporeal ones,* becoming a stranger to pleasures, adorned with dispassion,* O all-wise father and hierarch Metrophanes,* radiant lamp and intercessor for those who honour your memory with love.

Tone 5, Glory… Now…

Come, O assemblies of the faithful,* let us acquire the mind of Christ’s disciples,* that we may sing an unceasing hymn upon the Mount of Olives,* and, like the Apostles, let us cry out with David:* God is gone up in jubilation,* the Lord with the voice of a trumpet,* that He might rescue the kindred of mortal mankind* from the stumbling-blocks of the wicked one* and enlighten our souls.

Prokeimenon, Tone 1

Your mercy, O Lord, shall follow me* all the days of my life.

verse: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In green pastures He gives me repose.

Aposticha

Tone 2

O new and wondrous deed!* Lo, mortal human nature ascends to the heavens;* for it is now made one with the Word,* who is Almighty God.

Clap your hands, all nations;* shout to God with a voice of rejoicing.

There has shone forth today the bright day of the Master’s divine ascent to heaven.* This luminous feast sheds* its radiance upon all the earth.

God is gone up in jubilation,* the Lord with the voice of the trumpet.

Even as You sent to Your divine disciples* Your consubstantial Spirit, O Christ,* so send down Your grace to Your people now.

Tone 5, Glory… Now…

O Lord, as You were being taken up,* to where You were not separated,* the hosts of angels and all the bodiless ones* cried out rejoicing to the powers above:* Lift up the gates, O princes,* and the King of Glory shall enter therein.* For the cherubic throne took You up in the flesh.* O Lord, glory be to You.

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

Tone 4, Glory… Now…

You ascended in glory, O Christ our God;* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through Your blessing* that You are the Son of God,** the Redeemer of the world.

DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING

First Antiphon

Clap your hands, all you nations;* shout to God with the voice of joy.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

For the Lord most high is awesome,* a great king over all the earth.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

He has subdued peoples to us,* and nations under our feet.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

God ascended amid shouts of joy;* the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save, us.

Glory… Now… Only-Begotten Son…

Third Antiphon

Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord,* let us acclaim God, our Saviour.

Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Let us come before His face with praise,* and acclaim Him in psalms.

Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

For God is the great Lord,* the great king over all the earth.

Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Entrance

Come, let us worship* and fall down before Christ.

Son of God, who ascended in glory,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* giving joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit,* and assuring them through your blessing* that You are the Son of God,* the Redeemer of the world.

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

Kontakion, Tone 6: When you had fulfilled Your plan for us* and united things on earth with those in heaven,* You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,* in no way distant, but remaining inseparable,* You cried to those who love You:* I am with You and there is none against you.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;* above all the earth be Your glory.

verse: My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready. I will sing and make music in my glory. (Psalm 56:6,8)

Epistle

Acts 23:1-11

Alleluia, Tone 2

verse: God ascended amid shouts of joy; the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.

verse: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 46:6,2)

Gospel

John 16:15-23

Hymn to the Mother of God

O my soul, magnify the Lord who in glory ascended bodily into the heavens.

And the Irmos: O Mother of God,* you transcended both mind and word,* and in time, ineffably bore the Timeless One:* it is you who, with one accord,* we, the faithful, magnify.

Communion Hymn

God ascended amid shouts of joy;* the Lord at the sound of the trumpet.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 46:6)

Instead of We have seen the true light we sing:

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, above all the earth be Your glory.

Instead of Let our mouths be filled we sing three times:

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, above all the earth be Your glory.