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

VESPERS ON THURSDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The prescribed 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.

In fulfilment of the Law, the Lover of mankind now is brought to the Temple.* Symeon takes Him in his aged arms and cries out:* Now let me depart to the blessedness of the world to come;* for I have beheld on this day, clothed in mortal flesh,* the One who is Lord of life and Master of death.

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

As a light of revelation to the Gentiles, You manifested yourself, O Lord.* The Sun of Justice sits upon a light cloud.* You fulfilled the shadow of the Law and showed the beginning of the new grace.* Therefore, beholding You, Symeon cried out:* Release me from corruption, for I have seen You today.

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

When You became incarnate as You willed,* You did not separate yourself from the bosom of the Father.* You uphold the whole world with your hand, yet You were held in the arms of the ever-Virgin,* and You were handed over to the arms of Symeon, the servant of God.* Therefore, he cried out with joy:* Now You may dismiss your servant in peace, O Lord, for I have seen You.

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.

The namesake of virginity, the beacon of Lampsacus,* the radiant morning-star of miracles,* the great Parthenius calls us all together by his memorial,* that we who hymn Christ the Saviour* may keep spiritual festival.

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

Bearing God within yourself from childhood,* with the fire of your prayers, O all-blessed and wise one,* you burned up legions of the demons* and guided the flock of Lampsacus;* for, casting down the temples of the idols,* you renewed yourself for God.

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

The fish which was cast forth, a breathless thing which yet imparted life,* proclaimed your wonder, as did the fruit of the barren field and vineyard* and the generous rain promised to those who wept.* Wondrous are your works, O performer of sacred rites!* Pray that we be saved.

Tone 6, Glory… Now…

Invoked this day, O Christ God whose good pleasure it was* to lower Yourself to be held in the arms of the elder as in the chariot of the cherubim,* deliver from the tyranny of the passions us who hymn you,* and save us, as You love mankind.

Prokeimenon, Tone 6

My help is from the Lord,* Who made heaven and earth.

verse: I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help shall come.

Aposticha

Tone 6

Receive in your arms, O Symeon, the Creator of all things!* O elder, take up Christ, to whom the Virgin Maiden gave birth without seed,* to the joy of our race.

Now You may dismiss your servant, O Lord, according to your word, in peace.

Assembling, O people, let us hymn God, the Creator of the law,* before whom the multitudes of angels tremble, the only Benefactor and Bestower of the law,* for the salvation of our souls.

A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people, Israel.

Now let Your servant depart in peace, O Master, as You said;* for I have beheld You, the pre-eternal Light of revelation for the nations and Israel, O Christ,* and of my bodily union.

Tone 6, Glory… Now…

Let the portal of heaven be opened today,* for the unoriginate Word of the Father,* receiving a beginning in time without being separated from His divinity,* is of His own will borne as a forty-day old babe* into the temple of the law by the Virgin;* and the elder receives Him in his arms, crying:* Let Your servant depart, O Master;* for my eyes have beheld Your salvation!* O Lord who has come into the world to save the race of man,* glory to You!

Troparia

Tone 4

O God of our fathers,* You always deal with us according to your everlasting compassion,* take not your mercy away from us;* but through the prayers of our fathers,* guide our lives along the ways of peace.

Tone 1, Glory… Now…

Rejoice, full of grace, Virgin Mother of God!* From you there dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,* who enlightens those who dwell in darkness.* And you, O righteous Elder, be glad!* You received in your embrace* the Liberator of our souls,* who grants us resurrection.

DIVINE LITURGY ON FRIDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 1: Rejoice, full of grace, Virgin Mother of God!* From you there dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,* who enlightens those who dwell in darkness.* And you, O righteous Elder, be glad!* You received in your embrace* the Liberator of our souls,* who grants us resurrection.

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, Parthenius.* 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.

Kontakion, Tone 2: O thunder of justice, spiritual trumpet,* planter of faith and destroyer of heresies,* servant of the Trinity, great hierarch Parthenius,* forever standing in the company of the angels,* pray without ceasing for all of us.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 1: By Your birth, You sanctified a virgin womb* and fittingly blessed the hands of Simeon.* You have come also now and saved us, O Christ our God;* give peace to Your community in time of war,* and strengthen its rulers, whom You love,* for You alone,* are the Lover of mankind.

Prokeimenon, Tone 3

My soul magnifies the Lord,* and my spirit has rejoiced in God, My Saviour.

verse: Because he has regarded the humility of His handmaid; for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. (Luke 1:46,48)

Epistle

2 Peter 1:1-10

Alleluia, Tone 8

verse: Now, O Master, You dismiss Your servant in peace according to Your word.

verse: For my eyes have seen Your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people, Israel. (Luke 2:29,32)

Gospel

Mark 13:1-8

Hymn to the Mother of God

O God-bearing Virgin, hope of Christians, protect and guard and save all those who put their trust in you.

and the Irmos, Tone 3: In the law, the shadow, and the scriptures, we the faithful see a figure: every male child that opens the womb shall be sanctified to God. Therefore do we magnify the first-born Word and Son of the Father who is without beginning, the first-born Child of a Mother who had not known man.

Communion Hymn

I will take the chalice of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 116:13)