VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

There are no psalms appointed to be chanted tonight.

At Psalm 140

Tone 8

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

О Lord who came into the world to call sinners to You,* and who accepted the thief, the publican and the harlot:* in Your love for mankind, О my Christ, call me also to You,* though I have sinned against You more than all others, and never repent.

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

О Lord, who ordained publicans as pastors for Your Church,* and made a helper now of him who before was a persecutor:* By their supplications show me to be Your lamb, О Saviour,* and let me not, who am useless, fall prey to the alien one.

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

Weep before the end, О my wretched and most vile soul,* and cleave to God, crying out to him with groans from the depths of your heart:* I have sinned against You, О Christ!* Revile me not, I pray,* but turning me back to You, grant me forgiveness,* in that You are merciful.

Tone 2

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

Shining forth in glory of soul,* you illumined yourself with almsgiving and faith;* for, rejoicing, you distributed your wealth to the poor,* and your righteousness abides forever* in the unwaning light which shone forth from you, O father,* where you behold your children and her that gave them birth,* dwelling in the heavenly city.

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

Having disdained corruptible glory,* you have been accounted worthy of incorruptible and divine glory;* for, having trampled down all the comeliness of life, O God-bearers,* you in truth greatly desired the all-comely Christ,* who saved you from the threefold waves and the tempest of the world* and guided you to the calm and radiant life, O you that are most rich.

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

Having slain the passions of the flesh,* you arrayed yourselves in garments of dispassion,* having woven them of the purity of your life;* and having manifested while yet in the body* a life equal to that of the angels, O you of mighty wisdom,* you have all been accounted worthy of the glory of the angels in the highest,* O you that delight in radiance divine.

Tone 2, Glory… Now…

The one uncontainable God, who became man in His goodness,* you bore in your womb without limiting Him, O all-holy Bride of God.* Therefore, I beseech you: Release me from the passions which constrict me,* that, having trod the straight and narrow path,* I may attain to that which leads to life, O Virgin.

Prokeimenon, Tone 8

And now bless the Lord,* all you servants of the Lord.

verse: Who stand in the temple of the Lord, in the courtyards of the house of our God.

Aposticha

Tone 8

The angels unceasingly hymn You, the King and Master;* and I fall down before You, crying like the publican:* Cleanse me, О God, and have mercy upon me!

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.

As you are immortal, О my soul,* let not the waves of life cover you,* but rise up, crying out to your Benefactor:* Cleanse me, О God, and save me!

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.

О martyrs of the Lord, you sanctify every place and heal every infirmity.* Pray now, we beseech you,* that our souls be delivered from the snares of the enemy.

Glory… Now…

Taking up the cry of the Archangel Gabriel, let us say:* Rejoice, O Mother of God, who has given birth to Christ,* the bestower of life upon the world!

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.

Glory… Now…

To the One who was reared in the Temple,* close to the Holy of Holies,* and who was full of faith, wisdom, and perfect virginity,* Gabriel, the captain and leader,* offered esteem and greetings from heaven when he said:* Rejoice, O blessed One! Rejoice, O glorified One!* The Lord is with you.

DIVINE LITURGY ON MONDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, 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.

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

Kontakion, Tone 4: You were attentive to the commandments of the Master,* distributing your wealth secretly to the poor, O blessed one,* with your wife and children.* Therefore, you dwell in the divine paradise.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones.

verse: What shall I render to the Lord for all the things He has rendered to me? (Psalm 115:15,12)

Epistle

2 Peter 1:20-2:9

Alleluia, Tone 6

verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.

verse: His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth. (Psalm 111:1,2)

Gospel

Mark 13:9-13

Communion Hymn

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