Day 12 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 THURSDAY 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.
Pierced in Your side and hung upon the Tree,* You have poured out life upon me,* who before was slain by the malice of the serpent through eating from the Tree.* Therefore I glorify You, O Christ,* and entreat Your loving-kindness:* grant me to venerate Your Passion and Your arising,* and to complete the Fast with compunction.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
The fruit of the Tree brought sorrow to the first-formed man,* for which cause You banished him from Paradise.* But, nailed upon the Tree as a man, O Saviour,* You have called him back to Paradise.* Therefore I cry out to You, O Redeemer:* “Free me from all sorrow, cleansing me by fasting, tears, and penitence,* O supremely good Jesus, Saviour of our souls.
Tone 5
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
W chant the praises of Your lifegiving Cross, O Lord,* for it has slain death and blossomed forth life throughout the world.* And now we bring forth in intercession this Your Cross before You;* in these holy days fortify us who are fasting,* and according to the multitude of Your compassions* grant us strength against the passions and the victory of peace,* O Lover of mankind.
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.
With most pious thought, with purity, and holiness of mind,* by restraining the passions, and by observing the commandments of Christ and piety,* O most blessed one who are most rich,* you strove to preserve the dignity of the image* which was, in the beginning,* fashioned according to the image and likeness of God.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Having first undertaken ascetic endeavour,* and followed it afterwards with suffering in divinely wise manner,* in both you were well pleasing to the Creator,* who alone requires of us purity and nobility of soul.* And glorifying His advent in the flesh,* you venerated the holy image of His divine manhood.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Denouncing, O venerable one,* those who wickedly rejected the incarnation of the Word,* you perfected the truth, upholding it by enduring wounds and all manner of afflictions,* by your fetters and imprisonment;* therefore, you became an heir to the kingdom of Christ,* to ineffable joy and everlasting radiance.
Glory… Now…
As she beheld You, the Lamb and Shepherd, upon the Tree,* the ewe-lamb who gave birth to You lamented* and exclaimed to You maternally:* “O most desired and long-suffering Son,* how is it that You are suspended upon the Tree of the Cross?* How is it that Your hands and feet have been pierced with nails by the iniquitous, O Word?* How is it that You have shed Your blood, O Master?”
Prokeimenon I, Tone 4
O Lord, Your mercy is in heaven:* and Your truth reaches to the clouds.
verse: Your righteousness is as the mountains of God, Your judgments are a great abyss.
Reading I
Genesis 5:1-24
This is the book of the genesis of mankind in the day God made Adam, whom He made in God’s image. He made them male and female, and blessed them; and the day He made them He called his name Adam. Now Adam lived two hundred and thirty years, and begot a son according to his form and image, and named him Seth. After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were seven hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters. So all the days Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.
Now Seth lived two hundred and five years, and begot Enosh. After he begot Enosh, Seth lived seven hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters. So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.
Now Enosh lived one hundred and ninety years, and begot Cainan. After he begot Cainan, Enosh lived seven hundred and fifteen years, and begot sons and daughters. So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.
Now Cainan lived one hundred and seventy years, and begot Mahalalel. After he begot Mahalalel, Cainan lived seven hundred and forty years, and begot sons and daughters. So all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.
Now Mahalalel lived one hundred and sixty-five years, and begot Jared. After he begot Jared, Mahalalel lived seven hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters. So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.
Now Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Enoch. After he begot Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.
Now Enoch lived one hundred and sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch was well-pleasing to God for two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Thus Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and was not found, for God translated him.
Prokeimenon II, Tone 6
Wait on the Lord and keep His way:* and He shall exalt you to inherit the earth.
verse: Fret not yourself because of evildoers, nor envy them that work iniquity.
Reading II
Proverbs 6:3-20
My son, do what I command you, and you will save yourself;
For you came into the hands of evil things through your friend;
Do not be faint,
But provoke even your friend, for whom you assumed a debt;
Do not give sleep to your eyes
Nor slumber to your eyelids
That you may be saved, as a gazelle from the snares,
And as a bird from a trap.
Compare yourself with the ant, O sluggard,
And be zealous when you see his ways,
And become wiser than he.†
For although he has no tilled land,
Neither anyone to compel him,
Nor any master to rule him,
Yet he prepares all his food in the summer
And makes his provisions abundant in the winter.
Or go to the honeybee,
And learn how she is a worker
And how solemnly she does her work,
Whose labors kings and common people use for health;
And she is desirable to all and glorious;
And although she is weak in bodily strength,
She leads the way in honoring wisdom.
How long, O sluggard, will you be idle,
And when will you arise from sleep?
You sleep a little; you sit down a little; you doze a short while;
And you fold your hands on your chest a little;
Then poverty comes to you as an evil traveler
And neediness as a swift runner.
But if you are diligent, your harvest shall come to you as a fountain,
And neediness as an evil runner shall desert you.
A man who is without discernment and is lawless does not walk in good ways.
But he winks with an eye; he makes a sign with his foot,
And teaches with the wave of his hand.
And with a perverse heart, he constantly schemes evil things;
Such a man causes trouble in a city.
Therefore his destruction comes suddenly,
A deep and incurable wound.
For he rejoices in everything the Lord hates,
And he shall be broken because of his soul’s uncleanness.
Aposticha
Tone 5
Fasting not from the Tree of Knowledge as the Creator had commanded them,* our first parents, because of their disobedience, harvested the fruit of death* and were banished from the Tree of Life and the delight of Paradise.* Therefore, O faithful, let us abstain from an excess of the food that perishes* and from the self-destructive passions,* that we may reap life from the divine Cross,* returning with the Good Thief to our ancient fatherland* and receiving great mercy from Christ God.
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.
Fasting not from the Tree of Knowledge as the Creator had commanded them,* our first parents, because of their disobedience, harvested the fruit of death* and were banished from the Tree of Life and the delight of Paradise.* Therefore, O faithful, let us abstain from an excess of the food that perishes* and from the self-destructive passions,* that we may reap life from the divine Cross,* returning with the Good Thief to our ancient fatherland* and receiving great mercy from Christ God.
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.
Despising every earthly thing, bravely withstanding torture,* you were not deprived of the blessedness for which you had hoped,* but were made heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, O all-praised martyrs.* Since you have boldness before God, the Lover of mankind,* pray that peace be granted to the world,* and to our souls great mercy.
Glory… Now…
Upon seeing her Lamb hastening to the slaughter* the Ewe-lamb eagerly followed Him crying aloud:* “To where do You go, O my sweetest Child?* O most beloved Jesus, sinless Lord, rich in mercy,* O longsuffering Christ, why do You so swiftly and so fearlessly proceed?* Speak to me Your handmaiden, O my well-beloved Son:* pass not by me, Your Mother, without a word, O all-compassionate One,* who grants the world great mercy.”
MATINS ON FRIDAY MORNING
Sessional Hymn I, Tone 4
The Jews nailed You to the Cross, O Saviour,* and through this Cross, O loving Lord,* You have called us Gentiles back to You.* In the abundance of Your tender mercies,* You have of Your own will stretched out Your hands upon it,* and have consented that the lance should pierce Your side.* O long-suffering Lord, glory to You.
Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool for He is holy.
Looking now upon Your most pure Cross,* that is the light of our souls, O Christ,* and venerating it with joy, we cry aloud to You:* Glory be to You, whose will it was to be exalted upon it;* glory be to You, who through the Cross has granted light to all creation.* Rejoicing in the Cross, with hymns that never cease, we give You glory.
God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.
The solemn feast of those who suffered martyrdom* has made the Church into an earthly heaven,* and the angels now rejoice with men.* At Your martyrs’ intercessions,* save our souls, O Christ our God.
Glory… Now…
When Your all-pure Mother saw You raised upon the Cross, O Word of God,* with a mother’s grief she cried:* ‘What is this new and strange wonder, O my Son?* How can You suffer death, O Life of all?* It is because in Your compassion You will bring the dead to life.’
Sessional Hymn II, Tone 4
Having raised ourselves above the carnal and earthly passions through fasting,* let us exalt the Lord who has been exalted upon the Cross,* and has thereby raised up the world.* Let us attentively drink of the cup of contrition;* and let us reflect upon that day and hour* at which we shall stand before the eternal Judge.
Glory… Now…
When Your unwedded Mother beheld You hanging upon the Cross,* she lamented bitterly and cried out to You:* “What is this strange and new wonder, O my Son?* How is it that the lawless people have nailed You, the Life of all, to the Cross,* O my sweetest Light,?”
Sessional Hymn, Tone 5
The grace of Your Cross shines forth, O Lord, enlightening all the inhabited earth;* utterly destroying the power of devils, adorning the season of fasting;* strengthened thereby have mercy on us.
Glory… Now…
When the Mother who bore You without the pangs of childbirth* beheld You lifted up upon the Cross,* weeping, she lamented crying aloud:* “Woe is me, O my sweetest Son!* I am wounded in the depths of my soul,* seeing You now nailed upon the Cross* as a malefactor, between two thieves.”
Canon
Ode 5
Irmos: The wicked will not behold Your glory, O Christ,* but we who rise early to hymn You shall behold You,* the Only-Begotten effulgence of Your Father’s divinity,* O Lover of mankind.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
Of Your own will, O Master, You were exalted upon the Cross, casting down the enemy. Of Your own will also, raise me up in Your compassion, for I am cast down into the pit of sensual pleasure.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
My soul has been darkened by corrupt passions, enlighten me, O Jesus, as when stretched out upon the Cross, having darkened the sun, You gave light to the whole of the inhabited world.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
Grant me, O Christ, a peaceful voyage across the sea of the Fast; still the troubled waters of my mind, and anchor me in the haven of the Resurrection.
Most holy Theotokos, save us.
With pure minds, let us noetically honour the pure One, the beauty of Jacob; and adorning ourselves with spiritual struggles, let us praise her with reverence as the Mother of our God.
Irmos: Upon those who worship You by night, O Christ,* have mercy, and grant them peace,* for Your commandments are light and healing to Your servants,* O Lover of mankind.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
Crucified, You released me from corruption; and pierced by a lance, You have made me immortal. I glorify Your ineffable mercy, O Christ, for You have come to save me.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
Stretching out Your arms upon the Cross, O Lord, You slew the invisible Amalek and thereby rescued Your people: therefore we hymn Your might.
Glory…
A Godhead in three Hypostases, one Sovereignty above all essence. Let us praise the beginningless Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Now…
Him whom the heavens could not contain, have you conceived within your womb and given birth as a child; O awesome wonder transcending speech! Therefore we all sing in praise of you, O most pure One.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.
For my sake You endure crucifixion, partake of vinegar, and cry aloud “It is finished:” help me to finish the course of the season of the Fast and deem me worthy to behold Your arising.
Katavasia: Upon those who worship You by night, O Christ,* have mercy, and grant them peace,* for Your commandments are light and healing to Your servants,* O Lover of mankind.
Ode 8
Irmos: The Offspring of the Theotokos saved the holy children in the furnace.* He who was then prefigured has now been born on earth,* and He gathers all creation to hymn you:* all you works praise the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
Nailed to the Cross for the sake of Your loving-kindness, You opened Paradise to the Thief, and now I have fallen among thieves through the cunning of the evil one; heal my soul and my whole body which have been grievously wounded, and in Your love for mankind open to me the gates of repentance.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
Through fasting let us sanctify our flesh and enrich our souls with the virtues. Let us feed the poor and thus acquire unfailing wealth in the heavens, and so let us cry: “O all you works of the Lord, praise the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.”
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
At Your Passion all creation shook with fear, seeing You nailed upon the Cross, O supremely good Saviour, and since My mind is also shaken by the assaults of the serpent: I pray You, O compassionate One, establish it firmly upon the rock of Your will.
Most holy Theotokos, save us.
You are the Portal of God that has remained closed, and through which the Lord alone has passed: direct me on the divine path of piety and open to me the gates of salvation, O Virgin who are full of the grace of God, for you alone are the Protection of all, and to you do I flee for refuge.
Irmos: The Fashioner of all creation, whom the angels fear:* let us praise, O people, and supremely exalt throughout all ages!
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
The all-holy Tree upon which You, O my Christ, were crucified, do I hymn, and supremely bless throughout all ages.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
The transgressors crucified and killed You on Golgotha, O Christ: but You live and save us throughout the ages.
We bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Lord.
In a strange manner the Trinity is divided yet remains undivided as God. Him do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Now…
Intercede for those who sing your praises, O Most pure One, that they may be delivered from every danger and temptation.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.
Having strengthened me by the power of the Cross, O Lord, grant me to courageously complete the course of the Fast.
We praise, we bless, and we worship the Lord, hymning and supremely exalting Him throughout all ages!
Katavasia: The Fashioner of all creation, whom the angels fear:* let us praise, O people, and supremely exalt throughout all ages!
Ode 9
Irmos: A cornerstone not cut by hand, O Virgin,* was cut from you the unhewn mountain:* even Christ, who has joined together the disparate natures;* therefore rejoicing we magnify you, O Theotokos.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
The prophet saw You, O Saviour, as a stone quarried from the mountain of the Virgin; and at Your Crucifixion You rend stones asunder. O all-merciful One, free me who am weighed down by the heavy stones of spiritual inattentiveness.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
Fast, O my soul, from wickedness, and take delight in divine love. Open wide the door to every virtuous thought, and by abstinence and prayer guard your entrance against evil.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
O my Master and Saviour, through Your Cross You condemned the enmity that made me an enemy of God. Save me, defiled as I am by passions and darkened by sins, that I be not sent to the punishment of Gehenna.
Most holy Theotokos, save us.
When You shall come in glory to judge the world, spare me, O Christ, destroy the dark mist of my wickedness by the prayers of her who gave birth to You, and make me an inheritor of Your heavenly Kingdom.
Irmos: O Isaiah, rejoice and be glad!* The Virgin has conceived in her womb,* and has borne a Son, Emmanuel,* who is both God and man;* and Orient is His name;* we magnify Him and we call the Virgin blessed.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
By Your Crucifixion You opened Paradise again and deliver me from the eternal death of disobedience, therefore rejoicing I partake of life, and magnify You as my God, O Lover of mankind.
Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord.
O Lord, Your life-creating Cross has turned the seal of the curse into a seal of blessing, for beholding You raised upon it, we who before were dead are raised to life, and chanting Your praises, we magnify You as our Master.
Glory…
O honoured Trinity, consubstantial, beginningless, source of life, undivided Unity, I sing Your praises: The Father unbegotten, the Word and Son begotten, and the Holy Spirit, save us who glorify You.
Now…
Beyond understanding is your childbearing, O Mother of God. For without a man, you conceived, and in virginity you gave birth; and the Child borne from you is God, therefore we magnify Him, O Virgin, and you we call blessed.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.
O precious Cross, my strength and refuge, bestow upon me light and joy; purify me through abstinence and deliver me from temptation, that I may glorify You, and magnify Christ the Master.
Katavasia: O Isaiah, rejoice and be glad!* The Virgin has conceived in her womb,* and has borne a Son, Emmanuel,* who is both God and man;* and Orient is His name;* we magnify Him and we call the Virgin blessed.
Aposticha
Tone 8
Slaying the passions, the present Fast brings the promise of healing* to those grievously wounded by sin.* God has bestowed the Fast upon us to help us:* let us honour and accept it* as if it were the divinely-written tablets of the Law, given through Moses.* Let us not choose wanton self-indulgence, through which the tablets were once shattered;* let us not perish with those whose carcasses fell in the wilderness.* Let us not be like the Jews, of a sad countenance,* rather, let us rejoice with the Church.* Let us not be hypocrites like the Pharisees,* but in the spirit of the Gospels let us put on the beauty of holiness,* glorying in the Cross of Christ the Redeemer of our souls.
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.
Slaying the passions, the present Fast brings the promise of healing* to those grievously wounded by sin.* God has bestowed the Fast upon us to help us:* let us honour and accept it* as if it were the divinely-written tablets of the Law, given through Moses.* Let us not choose wanton self-indulgence, through which the tablets were once shattered;* let us not perish with those whose carcasses fell in the wilderness.* Let us not be like the Jews, of a sad countenance,* rather, let us rejoice with the Church.* Let us not be hypocrites like the Pharisees,* but in the spirit of the Gospels let us put on the beauty of holiness,* glorying in the Cross of Christ the Redeemer of our souls.
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.
What shall we call you, O saints?* Cherubim, for Christ has rested upon you?* Seraphim, for without ceasing you have glorified Him?* Angels, for you have renounced the flesh?* Powers, for you perform miracles?* Manifold are your names, but greater are your gifts of grace:* pray that our souls be saved.
Glory… Now…
“What is this strange wonder?” cried the Virgin to the Lord, as a mother to her child.* “The bitter pangs I knew not when I bore You, O my Son,* have now pierced my heart.* O Light of my eyes, I cannot bear to see You nailed upon the Cross.* But hasten to arise, as You have promised,* that with all the world I may glorify Your dread and salvific dispensation.”