Day 39 of the Great Fast. Leave-taking of the Annunciation. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.

VESPERS WITH DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

There are no appointed psalms for this evening.

At Psalm 140

Tone 5

Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

I am rich in the passions* and have clothed myself in the robe of hypocrisy,* and I rejoice in the wicked deeds of self-indulgence,* endlessly unmerciful, I have neglected my noetic mind,* which has been cast out by the gates of repentance,* starved of all good things, sickened through my lack of care.* O Lord, make me like the beggar Lazarus, but poor in sin,* that I be not tormented in the unquenchable flames,* and pray in vain for a finger to be dipped in water* and laid upon my tongue,* grant me to dwell with the Patriarch Abraham,* since You are the Lover of mankind.

The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

I am rich in the passions* and have clothed myself in the robe of hypocrisy,* and I rejoice in the wicked deeds of self-indulgence,* endlessly unmerciful, I have neglected my noetic mind,* which has been cast out by the gates of repentance,* starved of all good things, sickened through my lack of care.* O Lord, make me like the beggar Lazarus, but poor in sin,* that I be not tormented in the unquenchable flames,* and pray in vain for a finger to be dipped in water* and laid upon my tongue,* grant me to dwell with the Patriarch Abraham,* since You are the Lover of mankind.

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

Possessing an insatiable love in your souls, O holy martyrs,* you did not deny Christ, for whose sake you endured great sufferings and torments,* casting down the pride of the tyrant.* Having kept the faith unblemished and unharmed,* you have gone to dwell in the heavens.* Wherefore having gained great boldness before Christ,* pray that our souls be granted great mercy.

Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

Journeying in the flesh, O Jesus, on the far side of the Jordan,* You said to those who were with you:* “My friend Lazarus has already died, and has been placed in a tomb.* Wherefore I rejoice for your sakes, my friends,* for by this you shall know that I know all things,* since I am God, inseparable from the Father,* though I appear as a man.* Let us hasten then, to bring him back to life,* that death may know defeat and utter destruction which I shall bring upon it,* bestowing My great mercy upon the world.”

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

O faithful, let us follow the example of Martha and Mary,* and let us send our acts of righteousness to the Lord as an offering of prayer,* that He may come to resurrect our noetic understanding,* which lies insensible within the tomb of slothful negligence,* lacking all sense of the reverent fear of God,* void of the activity of the irascible energy,* wherefore let us cry aloud:* Behold O Lord, as once by Your divine authority,* You raised up Your friend Lazarus,* so now, O compassionate One, confer life upon us all,* and grant us Your great mercy.

Tone 4

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

In the sixth month, the archangel was sent to the pure Virgin.* Telling her to rejoice, he announced the good tidings* that the Saviour would be born of her.* Having accepted his greeting, she conceived the eternal God* who ineffably deigned to become incarnate* for the salvation of our souls.

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

The Mother of God, upon hearing, did not understand* the message of the archangel* because he was speaking the words of glad tidings to her.* She accepted his greeting with faith* and conceived You, the eternal God.* Therefore, we joyfully sing to You:* O God, You became incarnate, without change, from her;* and You grant peace and great mercy to the world.

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

Behold, the promised One now manifests himself to us.* It is beyond comprehension that God unites himself to the human race.* At the word of the archangel, deceit is cast out* because the Virgin receives the Joy.* The things of the earth become like heaven;* the world is freed of the original curse.* Let creation rejoice,* and may voices cry out:* O our Creator and Deliverer,* O Lord, glory to You!

Tone 1

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

The archangel Gabriel, the spirit who sees God face to face,* gazes upon the brilliant, saving, and gleaming Light.* He sings heavenly and awesome hymns with the ranks on high.* He implores God to grant peace and great mercy to our souls.

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

The great mystery, previously unknown to the angels and hidden from eternity,* is made known to you alone, O Gabriel.* When you came to Nazareth, you told it to the pure One.* Together with her, implore God to grant peace* and great mercy to our souls.

You made the winds your messengers, and flaming fire your ministers.

O prince of angels, all-perfect Gabriel, * you are filled with the divine brightness.* You fulfill the wishes and commands of the Almighty.* Save those who lovingly venerate you.* Always ask God to grant peace and great mercy to our souls.

Tone 6, Glory… Now…

The archangel Gabriel was sent from heaven* to bring to the Virgin glad tidings of her conception.* When he came to Nazareth,* he marvelled at the miracle and thought to himself:* How is it that He whom the heavens cannot comprehend* is now being born of a virgin?* The One who has heaven for a throne and earth for a footstool * is being enclosed within a virgin’s womb.* He, upon whom the six-winged Seraphim and the many-eyed Cherubim cannot gaze,* wills to become incarnate of her by a single word.* The Word of God is at hand. * Then why do I stand by and not say to the Virgin:* Rejoice, O Full of Grace; the Lord is with you!* Rejoice, O pure Virgin and maiden bride!* Rejoice, O Mother of the Life!* Blessed is the fruit of your womb.

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4

I walk in the presence of the Lord* in the land of the living.

verse: I love the Lord, for He has heard the cry of my appeal.

Reading I

Genesis 43:26-31 and 45:1-16

When Joseph came home, they brought the present in their hand to him in the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” So they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” Then he said, “Blessed be that man in God”; and they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.

Then Joseph lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother you said you would bring to me?” So he said, “May God grant you mercy, my son.” Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. Then he went into his inner chamber and wept there. He then washed his face and came out; and he composed himself, and said, “Serve the bread.”

Now Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. Then he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph then said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were stunned in his presence.

But Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now therefore, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to save life. For this is the second year of famine in the land, and five years still remain in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. For God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth, and to sustain you as a great remnant. So now, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

“Hurry then and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your sheep and oxen, and all you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all you have, come to poverty; for five years of famine still remain.’ ” And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see it is my mouth that speaks to you. Therefore, you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after this his brothers talked with him.

Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.

Prokeimenon II, Tone 4

I will pay my vows to the Lord,* in the presence of all His people.

verse: I trusted, even when I said: I am sorely afflicted.

Reading II

Proverbs 21:23-22:4

A troublemaker is called rash, arrogant, and boastful,
And he who bears malice is called lawless.
Desires kill a slothful man,
For his hands choose not to do anything.
The ungodly man desires evil all day long,
But the righteous man shows mercy and compassion unsparingly.
The sacrifices of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord,
For they offer them lawlessly.
A false witness shall perish,
But an obedient man will speak guardedly.
An ungodly man resists shamelessly to the face,
But the upright man himself understands his ways.
There is no wisdom, there is no courage,
There is no counsel for the ungodly.
The horse is prepared for the day of war,
But help is from the Lord.
A good name is to be chosen more than much wealth,
And good grace more than silver and gold.
The rich man and the poor man meet with one another,
But the Lord made both.
An astute man, seeing an evil man severely punished, is himself instructed,
But those passing by without discernment suffer loss.
The fear of the Lord and riches and glory and life
Are the offspring of wisdom.

Reading III

Exodus 3:1-8

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Mid′ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here am I.” Then he said, “Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, “I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per′izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb′usites.

Reading IV

Proverbs 8:22-30

The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always.

Small Ektenia

Trisagion Hymn

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: Today is the crown of our salvation,* and the unfolding of the eternal mystery;* the Son of God becomes the Virgin’s Son,* and Gabriel brings the good tidings of grace.* With him let us also cry to the Mother of God:* Rejoice, Full of grace! The Lord is with you.

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

Kontakion, Tone 8: To You, O Mother of God,* the invincible leader,* we, your servants, ascribe these victory hymns* in thanksgiving for our deliverance from evil.* With your invincible power free us from all dangers* that we may cry out to you:* Hail, O Bride and pure Virgin!

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

Proclaim from day to day* the good tidings of our God’s salvation.

verse: Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. (Psalm 95:2,1)

Epistle

Hebrews 2:11-18

Alleluia, Tone 1

verse: He will descend like rain on a fleece, and like drops dripping on the earth.

verse: Let His name be blessed through the ages; His name exists before the sun. (Psalm 71:6, 17)

Gospel

Luke 1:24-38

Hymn to the Theotokos

O earth, announce good news of great joy; praise God’s glory, O heavens.

and the Irmos:

Let no hand of the profane touch God’s living ark,* but instead let the lips of those who are believers* sing out ceaselessly in the words of the angel,* crying out with great joy to the Mother of God:* Hail, O Full of Grace! The Lord is with you.

Communion Hymn

For the Lord has chosen Sion;* He has chosen it for His dwelling. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Psalm 131:13)

MATINS ON THURSDAY MORNING

Sessional Hymn I, Tone 8

Blessed are You, O Christ our God,* who made the fishermen wise by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit;* and through them You have drawn the inhabited earth into Your net.* O Lord who loves mankind, glory to You.

Their voice is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.

Let us sing the praises of the holy disciples of our God.* They are burning torches, guides to all the world, first-fruits of our salvation.* They have caused the Light to shine on us in darkness,* and to all they have made known the Sun of glory.* They have destroyed the error of idolatry, preaching the Trinity in one Godhead.* Therefore, we entreat them: O apostles of Christ our God,* intercede for the forgiveness of our sins,* as we celebrate with love your holy memory.

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

Contending bravely to the end, O holy martyrs, you withstood the tyrants.* You put to death your bodies on this earth,* and so you were rewarded with the life of heaven.

Glory… Now…

Rejoice, for through the Angel you received the Joy of the world!* Rejoice, for you have borne your Maker and your Lord!* Rejoice, for you were counted worthy to become the Mother of Christ our God!

Sessional Hymn II, Tone 5

As if coupling contemplation and action,* let us hasten to offer up our prayers to Christ,* that like another reposed Lazarus,* He may call our deadened mind back to life, by His awesome authority,* and we shall bring Him palms of righteousness crying aloud:* Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.

Glory… Now…

Quickly heal my much-afflicted soul of the passions,* and my flesh of its infirmities.* Establish my mind in firmness, O all-immaculate one,* and grant me quietude of thought,* that I may offer pure prayers to the King of all, O Theotokos,* and ask for the remission of sins.

Sessional Hymn III, Tone 6

Lazarus has been dead for two days,* and his sisters Martha and Mary have shed tears of grief for him,* gazing upon the tombstone before them.* But the Creator comes with His disciples,* to despoil death and bestow life.* Therefore let us cry out to Him:* O Lord, glory be to You.

Glory… Now…

O holy Sovereign Lady, pure Mother of our God,* who ineffably gave birth o the Creator of all;* with the sacred apostles ever entreat His goodness,* that He deliver us from the passions* and grant us remission of sins.

Canon

Ode 4

Irmos: Habbakuk, prophetically apprehending Your divine self-emptying, O Christ,* cried out to You with trembling:* You have come for the salvation of Your people;* to save Your anointed Ones.

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

By the comforting rays of your intercessions, illumine us who are imprisoned by our sins; for with reverence we praise you, O light-bearing apostles.

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

Coupling love with compassion, O faithful, let us hasten to offer up our supplication to Christ, that He may raise us up from the grave of our secret passions.

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

Let us not enkindle love for the flesh which kills the soul, rather let us befriend the Redeemer that He may deliver us from the dread condemnation of Hades.

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

You foretold the falling asleep of Lazarus, whom You raised up shortly thereafter, accepting the praise of babes and sucklings, as an image of Your passion, O my Saviour.

Most holy Theotokos, save us.

From you, O pure and all-immaculate Birthgiver of God, has flowed the divine water of immortality and life; and all who partake thereof shall be delivered from the thirst that brings death.

Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the report of You* and was afraid;* I have seen Your works and was amazed.* Glory to Your power, O Lord.

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

Lazarus has been buried, and Martha and those with her lament and weep at the grave; longing for You, the Giver of Life.

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

Death has begun to quake, awaiting Your descent to him, O Christ, for You are Life, and shall reveal his impotence to the ends of the earth.

Glory…

O simple Unity praised in a Trinity of Hypostases, uncreated beginningless Nature, save us who in faith worship Your sovereignty.

Now…

O Birthgiver of God, without having known a man, you have given birth within time to the Son who came forth outside time from the Father; and, strange wonder! You give suck while yet remaining a Virgin.

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

Come down all you who dwell in the desert places and caves and greet with hymns Him who comes to you seated upon the foal of an ass, the Lord of glory.

Katavasia: O Lord, I have heard the report of You* and was afraid;* I have seen Your works and was amazed.* Glory to Your power, O Lord.

Ode 8

Irmos: To You, the Fashioner of all,* the children in the furnace chanted a hymn:* All you works of the Lord,* supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.

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

O divinely inspired apostles of the Lord, you have been manifest as stones built upon the Chief Corner Stone, intercede with Him who is exceedingly compassionate, that He take away the heavy stone from my heart.

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

“Let us go,” You said beforehand to Your friends. “My friend Lazarus has already fallen asleep. But by his awakening, I shall put to sleep the wicked and destructive power of death throughout the ages.”

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

Let us become meek in soul and humble-minded, that by grace, we may receive the meek Master of all, who comes to utterly humble the arrogance of the evil one.

Most holy Theotokos, save us.

The Prophet saw you, O all-immaculate one, as a shining Gate of light. For in a manner beyond all telling you have given birth to the Giver of Light, who has become like us; whom we supremely exalt throughout all ages.

Irmos: Your venerable children in the furnace likened to the cherubim* chanted the thrice-holy hymn* Bless, praise, and supremely exalt the Lord* throughout all ages.

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

Mary and Martha now lament, beholding Lazarus laid in the tomb, and suffering they cry aloud: “Had Christ been here, our brother had not died.”

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

Let Hades await its own destruction. For Life comes to raise up Lazarus, who cries aloud: “Bless, praise, and supremely exalt the Lord throughout all ages.”

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

Without beginning are the begetting and the procession. I worship the Father who has begotten, I glorify the Son who has been begotten, and I sing the praises of the Holy Spirit who shines forth with the Father and the Son.

Now…

Cease not to pray, O Virgin, to Him whom you have born in a manner beyond all telling, for as the Lover of mankind, He saves from danger all who flee to you for refuge.

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

With virtues as branches and palms, let all the faithful prepare to meet the King, and cry aloud: Bless, praise, and supremely exalt the Lord throughout all ages.

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

Katavasia: Your venerable children in the furnace likened to the cherubim* chanted the thrice-holy hymn* Bless, praise, and supremely exalt the Lord* throughout all ages.

Ode 9

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.

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

Deliver me from friendship with the deceitful one O Master Christ, who has made wise Your disciples and friends, coming with them, O Saviour, to raise Your faithful friend Lazarus, who in thanksgiving hymns You.

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

With the fulfilment of the Fast, O Lord, fill our hearts and minds with joy, O lovingly compassionate One, by the prayers of Your apostles who sincerely loved You, the Saviour of our souls.

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

Stinking from the festering wounds of sin, I live in the tomb of sloth, O Christ, wherefore I cry to You: Raise me up and save me, that I may come to meet You with branches of virtue, crying aloud: Hosanna to God in the highest.

Most holy Theotokos, save us.

O Virgin Maiden, You have born to us the only-begotten Son of the Father, who became incarnate with two wills and natures. Transcendent in His Godhead, O most pure and divine one, He has made us communicants of the divine nature.

Irmos: Ineffable is the birthgiving of a seedless conception,* from a mother who knew not a man; an undefiled childbearing.* For the birth of God has renewed nature,* wherefore all generations rightly worship and magnify you as the Bride and Mother of God.

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

Today Lazarus has been two days in the tomb, and Mary and Martha, his sisters, shed tears for him. But Christ with his holy apostles comes to him, to manifest a great wonder.

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

O all-destroying death, accept your destruction, let the doorkeepers keep watch over your locks, for by His word, Christ shall come and shatter your gates raising up Lazarus, wherefore with the Prophet we cry out to you, “O Hades, be the first to partake of this.”

Glory…

O Father, single only-Begetter of the only-Begotten Son; O only Light and Brightness from the one and only Light; and You, one and only Holy Spirit from the one God, true Lord from the Lord: O holy Three in One, save me who theologizes concerning You.

Now…

The marvel of your childbearing has filled me with wonder, O all-immaculate one. How have you seedlessly conceived Him whom none can comprehend? Tell me, how have you remained a Virgin and yet become a Mother? “Accept the miracle with faith and worship the Child that has been born: for all that He wills, He accomplishes.”

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

The Lord comes seated upon a foal, as it is written. O peoples, make ready to receive in reverent fear the King of all, and to welcome Him with palms as the Victor over death and Hades; for He has raised Lazarus.

Katavasia: Ineffable is the birthgiving of a seedless conception,* from a mother who knew not a man; an undefiled childbearing.* For the birth of God has renewed nature,* wherefore all generations rightly worship and magnify you as the Bride and Mother of God.

Aposticha

Tone 5

Come, all you brethren,* and before the end let us with pure hearts draw near* to the lovingly compassionate God,* and casting aside the cares of this life,* let us take care of our souls,* that by abstinence we may loath the pleasures of food,* and busy ourselves with acts of compassion;* for by this, as it is written,* some have entertained angels unaware.* By providing for the paupers,* let us feed Him who has fed us with His own flesh.* Let us clothe ourselves in Him who clothes Himself in light as in a garment,* that by the supplications of the most pure Theotokos and Virgin Mother,* we shall receive the forgiveness of our sins,* that with compunction we may cry to Him:* O Lord, deliver us from the condemnation of those on Your left hand,* and deem us worthy to stand on Your right,* for You are merciful and the Lover of mankind.

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.

Come, all you brethren,* and before the end let us with pure hearts draw near* to the lovingly compassionate God,* and casting aside the cares of this life,* let us take care of our souls,* that by abstinence we may loath the pleasures of food,* and busy ourselves with acts of compassion;* for by this, as it is written,* some have entertained angels unaware.* By providing for the paupers,* let us feed Him who has fed us with His own flesh.* Let us clothe ourselves in Him who clothes Himself in light as in a garment,* that by the supplications of the most pure Theotokos and Virgin Mother,* we shall receive the forgiveness of our sins,* that with compunction we may cry to Him:* O Lord, deliver us from the condemnation of those on Your left hand,* and deem us worthy to stand on Your right,* for You are merciful and the Lover of mankind.

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 their torments, the saints cried out rejoicing:* “This is the exchange that we have made with the Master* in return for the wounds inflicted upon our bodies,* He shall clothe us with a garment of light at the Resurrection;* in return for dishonour, we shall receive crowns;* in return for imprisonment, Paradise;* and in return for condemnation with evildoers,* life with the angels.”* By their prayers, O Lord, save our souls.

Glory… Now…

Chosen from all generations,* hearken to us who call upon you,* and grant us the petitions of our souls:* that we may be delivered from our passions and from sufferings,* for the sake of the apostles;* for you can do all things as you are the Mother of God.