Post-feast of the Ascension; Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.

VESPERS ON THURSDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

There no appointed psalms for this evening.

At Psalm 140

Tone 1

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

As You ascended into the heavens, from where You also descended,* leave us not orphaned, O Lord;* let Your Spirit come, bringing peace to the world;* show to the sons of men the works of Your might,* O Lord and Lover of mankind.

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

Though You were not parted from His uncircumscribable bosom,* You ascended to Your beginningless Father, O Christ,* and the hosts on high accepted no addition to the thrice-holy praise.* But even after You became man they recognized You as the one Son,* only-begotten of the Father, O Lord.* In the multitude of Your compassions, have mercy on us.

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

Your Angels said to the Apostles, O Lord:* O men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven?* This is Christ God, who has been taken up from you into Heaven.* He shall come again in the manner you have seen Him going into Heaven.* Worship Him in holiness and righteousness.

Tone 1

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

Beholding the beauties of paradise,* and richly delighting in the flowers of incorruption,* you poured forth for the world the knowledge of God,* partaking whereof with spiritual love, O venerable Isaac,* we cause our souls to grow.

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

Protecting your body with abstinence, O father,* with your prayers and vigils you mortified the uprisings of the passions.* Therefore, the power of the Spirit within you, covering you,* showed you to be a spiritual and universal luminary.

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

Shining forth upon the city from the desert like to the sun, O father,* you adorned the monastic life;* therefore, with your teachings you have enlightened the faithful* to bless the Father and the Son,* and the consubstantial Spirit.

Tone 2, Glory… Now…

You were born as you willed;* Your appeared of Your own choice;* You suffered in the flesh, O our God.* You arose from the dead, trampling down death;* and You ascended in glory, O You who fills all things,* and sent to us the Divine Spirit,* that we may praise and glorify Your Divinity.

Great Prokeimenon

Tone 7

But our God is in the heavens and on earth;* He does whatever He wills.

verse: When Israel came forth from Egypt; Jacob’s sons from an alien people.

verse: The sea fled at the sight; the Jordan turned back on its course.

verse: Why was it, sea, that you fled; that you turned back, Jordan, on your course?

Aposticha

Tone 2

As they went up to Olivet,* He that fills all things then spoke to His disciples saying:* O My friends, the time of My ascent draws nigh.* Go forth to every nation* and teach that which you have heard me speak.* Then the Lord ascended in glory as upon a chariot.* Whereupon, the Apostles trembled and were seized with awe.

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

When Your Mother with the disciples* travelled with You, O Christ on the way to Bethany.* You raised up Your hands to bless them,* and having blessed them, a cloud of light came and took You from their sight.* Thus You ascended in glory* and take Your seat at the right hand of the Father,* where with Him You are truly worshiped.

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

Come, O you faithful, let us go now together to the summit of the Mount of Olives,* that together with the apostolic choir,* we may lift up our hearts and minds toward the heavens,* where we shall see the Lord being carried aloft.* Therefore, with heartfelt thanksgiving, let us all rejoice and cry aloud:* Glory be to Your Ascension, O greatly Merciful One.

Tone 6, Glory… Now…

Having beheld Your ascents on the holy mountains, O Christ,* O effulgence of the Father’s glory,* we praise the radiant likeness of Your countenance.* We worship Your passion,* we honour Your Resurrection,* and we glorify Your glorious Ascension.* Have mercy on us.

Troparion

Tone 8

The divine image was faithfully preserved in you, O father,* 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 Isaac,* your spirit rejoices with the angels.

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 FRIDAY 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 19:1-8

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 14:1-11

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.