Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt.

Day 30 of the Great Fast.

MATINS ON TUESDAY MORNING

Sessional Hymn I, Tone 4

Let us make haste to enter the bridal chamber of Christ,* that we may hear the blessed voice of our God.* O come, you who love the heavenly glory,* and who follow the example of the wise virgins;* let us make our lamps shine brightly with faith.

O Lord, rebuke me not in Your anger, neither chasten me in Your wrath.

Reflect, my soul, how we shall stand before the Judge in that fearful hour,* when the dread thrones are set up and the deeds of each man are disclosed.* No entreaty then will sway the Judge;* there the fire of torment is prepared for you,* like an angry, raging sea, overwhelming all things.* Reflect on this, my soul:* weep and repent before the end is here.

God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.

As with scarlet and fine linen Your Church is adorned* with the blood of Your martyrs in all the world,* and through them she cries aloud to You, O Christ our God:* Have compassion on Your people, grant peace to Your flock,* and to our souls great mercy.

Glory… Now…

O you who are in very truth the Theotokos,* who intercedes with the boldness of a Mother before your Son and our God,* preserve your flock that turns to you for protection* and receives its strength from you;* you are a wall and haven,* and the only guardian of mankind.

Sessional Hymn II, Tone 3

With fervent faith let us burn up the passions with abstinence,* and flee from the precipice of sin;* and with the streams of our tears let us quench the everlasting flame,* crying aloud: O supremely good One,* we have sinned against You ‑ cleanse us* and grant us Your great mercy.

Glory… Now…

You became the divine dwelling of the Word, O only all-pure Virgin Mother,* with purity superseding that of the angels,* by your intercessions as if with divine water,* cleanse me for I have become more filthy than all mankind,* defiled by the sins of the flesh:* grant me great mercy.

Sessional Hymn III, Tone 2

Supremely glorious is the grace of the most honourable Fast,* for by it the Prophet Elijah discovered the chariot of fire,* and Moses received the Tablets of the Law;* Daniel was magnified, and Elisha raised the dead;* the Children quenched the fire, and all of mankind has been reconciled to God.* partaking thereof, let us cry aloud: Blessed are You, O Christ our God, whose good pleasure this is:* glory be to You.

Glory… Now…

Having in my wretchedness obtained your unassailable intercession,* past all hope I have been miraculously delivered* from all that besets me, O Mother of God.* For you are always swift to help those who entreat you in faith,* delivering them from every temptation of the enemy.* Wherefore with thanksgiving we cry to you:* Accept, O Lady, this small offering of thanksgiving,* and be my helper in all things.

Canon

Ode 2

Irmos: Hearken, O earth and heaven, and give ear to my words:* for I shall tell those on earth the wonders of God.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

With unceasing prayer, abstinence, and contemplation, let us give wings to our souls and raise them up to desire divine things.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Fleeing from the precipice of self-indulgence, let us enlighten ourselves with the light of abstinence and the Holy Spirit.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

With the salt of the divine virtues, O my soul, drive away the filth of sin, and cleave to God.

Most holy Theotokos, save us.

Christ came to dwell in you who alone are blessed, and from you He has assumed the flesh with which He is clothed.

Irmos: Attend, O my people, to my law; incline your ear to the words of my mouth,* for I have called upon Your Name, O Lord.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Pure fasting, prayer, tears, divine meditations, and every other virtue; Let us make them all our own and ever bring them as an offering to God our Master.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Eve was taken captive by the fruit, O my soul, consider this and be not deceived lest the serpent tempt and seduce you, urging you to eat of the fruit of sensual pleasures.

Glory…

I glorify three Hypostases in one Nature, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, one Power of the Godhead, one Kingdom over all and one Godhead.

Now…

Your child-bearing, O pure One, was strange, for it was God who became a man, begotten outside time from the Father and in the last days brought forth from you through a birth without a man.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

You healed the woman with an issue of blood, O my Christ, when she touched but the hem of Your garment. Trusting in Your mercy, I also stretch out my hand to touch You; heal me from the passions.

Katavasia: Attend, O my people, to my law; incline your ear to the words of my mouth,* for I have called upon Your Name, O Lord.

Ode 8

Irmos: The heaven of heavens, the mountains, and the hills,* the oceans and all the human race,* praise in hymns the One whom the angels in heaven glorify unceasingly as God,* blessing your Creator and exalting Him forever.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Secretly does the evil one lay in wait for me every day, seeking to catch me and devour me; deliver me from his malice, O Saviour, as You saved Jonah from the whale.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Having cleansed ourselves through fasting, let us draw near to the mountain of the virtues, in order to clearly hear what God says within us; for He will speak to us of peace and enlightenment, and the healing of our broken souls.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Every day I am blinded by the darkness of my sins, and cannot perceive Your wonders, O Lord: but open the eyes of my heart, O Jesus, Giver of Light.

Most holy Theotokos, save us.

By the sprinkling of your mercy, O undefiled Ever-Virgin, wash from my heart the defilement of the passions, and grant me streams of tears, O Bestower of spiritual cleansing, that I may cleanse my soul.

Irmos: Of old the Hebrew children were bedewed in the flames of the furnace,* and gloriously were the Chaldeans burnt up by the Lord therein,* let us sing to Him saying:* bless and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

The fire shall not be quenched and the worm, so it is said, shall not die. O my soul, fear and serve Christ, that you may find delight in the dwelling place of all those who rejoice.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

My soul burns with the fever of lust: raise it up, I pray You, as You raised Peter’s mother-in-law by Your touch; that I also may serve You in a God-pleasing manner, confessing You throughout all ages.

We bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Lord.

O faithful, let us sing a song in praise of the Father, eternal and beginningless, and His coeternal Son, and the Spirit that shines forth from the Father, three consubstantial Hypostases, but one Sovereign power and rule.

Now…

O Mary, called by God, truly are you the amendment of the faithful: for through you, forgiveness has been freely bestowed upon all. Cease not to intercede before your Son and Lord, on behalf of us who ever hymn you.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

Open the deaf ears of my soul, O Christ, that my tongue may speak clearly, as You did once to the deaf and dumb man: that I may hearken to Your voice and with my tongue sing to You, praising You throughout the ages.

We praise, we bless, and we worship the Lord, hymning and supremely exalting Him throughout all ages!

Katavasia: Of old the Hebrew children were bedewed in the flames of the furnace,* and gloriously were the Chaldeans burnt up by the Lord therein,* let us sing to Him saying:* bless and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages.

Ode 9

Irmos: O holy Virgin and unconsumed bush, O Mother of God and of the divine Brightness,* our hope, we extol you.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Bringing to mind the unquenchable flame of fire, with fervent thoughts let us draw near to the fire of repentance and thereby burn up the passions.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

From the mouth of him who fasted of old came forth fiery words, overwhelming the elements. Emulate his zeal, O my soul, and live rightly.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Keeping in mind the fearful judgment seat, O my wretched soul, ever guide your steps to fulfil the Redeemer’s will.

Most holy Theotokos, save us.

My soul has been darkened by sensual pleasures; enlighten it, O pure one, who gave birth to the Light, that with fear and faith I may ever magnify you.

Irmos: In a manner surpassing nature,* the Word who timelessly shone forth from the Father,* has been conceived within a womb, according to the flesh,* O faithful, with never silent hymns, let us magnify Him.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Let us offer to Christ all the members of our body as weapons of righteousness, “lifting up,” as it is said, “holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

As once You came to the disciples in the boat, O my Christ, come to me and still also, the raging sea of the tempest of my thoughts.

Glory…

I worship one Nature, I sing the praises of three Hypostases, one God of all, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the ever-existing Sovereignty.

Now…

Though pure you bore a child, and though a virgin you gave suck. How can these things be shared? How can you give birth and yet remain a virgin? “It is God who has brought this to pass; ask me not how.”

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

The passions have defiled my soul, but heal me, O my Christ, and pour Your mercy upon me as You did to him who fell among thieves.

Katavasia: In a manner surpassing nature,* the Word who timelessly shone forth from the Father,* has been conceived within a womb, according to the flesh,* O faithful, with never silent hymns, let us magnify Him.

Aposticha

Tone 7

Visit, O Lord, my wounded and humbled soul,* O Physician of the sick, the storm-free haven of the hopeless.* For You have come to redeem the world,* and raise the fallen from corruption.* In Your great mercy raise me also for I have fallen down before You.

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.

Visit, O Lord, my wounded and humbled soul,* O Physician of the sick, the storm-free haven of the hopeless.* For You have come to redeem the world,* and raise the fallen from corruption.* In Your great mercy raise me also for I have fallen down before You.

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.

In the midst of the arena, before the lawless pagans,* the victorious passion-bearers cried aloud rejoicing:* “O Lord, glory be to You.”

Glory… Now…

We sing your praises, O most pure Theotokos;* we glorify God the Word whom you bore,* and we cry: “Glory be to you.”

VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

Tone 8

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

O faithful, taking love as our sustenance,* let us gain control over our passions through abstinence;* and let us strive to live a God-pleasing life,* for the sake of Him who for our sakes was raised upon the Cross,* His side pierced by a spear.* That we may partake of that which is better, the eternal food,* and glorify the Saviour of our souls.

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

Of old, through a tree we found death,* but now we have found life again through the Tree of the Cross.* Let us ,O faithful, slay the impulses of the passions;* and pray that we may reach the salvific Resurrection of the benefactor of all,* radiant with divine deeds,* that adorned with the virtues,* we may glorify the Saviour of our souls.

Tone 2

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

We praise Your life-giving Cross, O Lord,* and the holy sufferings of Your flesh endured for our sake;:* the spear, the immolation, the derision and the spitting,* the blows and buffetings, the purple robe and crown of thorns,* by which You have redeemed us from the curse.* Wherefore we entreat You:* Grant us to complete the time of the Fast in peace.

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.

Your formerly neglected pollution by impurity* hindered you from gazing upon precious things,* but your good sense, O divinely wise one,* and your awareness of what you had done* wrought your conversion to that which is better;* for, lifting up your eyes to gaze upon the icon of the blessed and divine Maiden,* and repenting, O all-praised one, of all your past transgressions,* you bowed down in worship before the precious Tree with boldness.

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

Having joyfully worshipped at the holy places,* from there you received the most saving viaticum of virtue,* and set out with exceeding great haste on a good journey;* and having passed beyond the stream of the Jordan,* you zealously made your abode in the habitation of the Forerunner,* and by your dwelling there subdued the savagery of the passions,* laying waste to the carnal uprisings of your body through abstinence,* O ever-memorable mother.

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

Having made your abode in the wilderness,* you piously defaced the images of your passions,* inscribing within your soul the depiction of the most divine likeness;* and so greatly you shone forth that you easily traversed the waters on foot* and were elevated above the ground in your supplications to God.* And now with boldness you stand before Christ, O all-glorious Mary.* Entreat Him in behalf of our souls.

Tone 2, Glory…

With the sword of abstinence you cut apart the spiritual nets of the carnal passions,* and with the stillness of fasting you smothered mental offenses;* with the streams of your tears you watered the whole desert,* and have budded forth for us the fruits of repentance.* Therefore, we celebrate your memory. O venerable one.

Now…

Beholding You nailed to the Tree of the Cross. O Jesus,* weeping, she that knew not wedlock said:* O sweet Child, have You therefore abandoned me who alone gave birth to You,* O unapproachable Light of the all-unoriginate Father?* Make haste and glorify yourself* that they that glorify your divine sufferings may receive divine glory!

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4

O Lord, You have been our refuge* from generation to generation.

verse: Before the mountains came to be, and the earth was formed and the world, You are, even from everlasting to everlasting.

Reading I

Genesis 15:1-15

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4

He that dwells in the help of the Most High:* shall abide in the shelter of the God of heaven.

verse: He shall say to the Lord: You are my helper and my refuge.

Reading II

Proverbs 15:7-19

Aposticha

Tone 5

Having wandered far from Your righteous path,* because of my passions, wretched as I am, I have fallen headlong into the pit.* The Levite and the Priest, upon seeing me, passed me by;* but You, O Christ, have been merciful to me,* and with the weapon of the Cross, You have torn up the record of my sins,* freeing me from the passions,* and seating me beside the Father.* Wherefore I cry to You:* O Lord beyond understanding, glory be to You.

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.

Tone 8

Having gone down from Jerusalem, wandering far from Thy commandments;* I journeyed on to Jericho,* yielding to my lusts like those who dwelt there of old,* whom You gave over to be slaughtered by Your people because of their wickedness.* Through disobedience I have fallen into soul-destroying passions as if among thieves;* and having beaten me, they have left me almost dead.* O Lord, who for the sins of mankind willingly suffered the wounding of Your body* by the nails and the spear,* who brought to pass the salvation of all through the Cross in Jerusalem,* heal me O Lord, 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.

The martyrs, O Lord, putting aside the things of this present life,* and despising not torture in their longing for the life to come,* were granted eternal life as their inheritance,* and now they rejoice with the angels.* By their supplications bestow upon Your people Your great mercy.

Glory… Now…

O Lord, when the sun beheld You, the Sun of righteousness, hanging upon the Tree,* it hid its rays, and the light of the moon was changed to darkness;* and Your all-immaculate Mother* was pierced in the depths of her soul.