The Holy Apostle James, Brother of Saint John the Theologian.

When

April 30, 2025

All Day

Polyeleos Feast.

VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Paschal Beginning

Kathisma Reading

The assigned psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 1

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

The Lover of mankind, who after three days had arisen, said to Thomas:* Touch and see My hands and the wounds upon My feet,* and the laceration in My side,* and recognize that I am the eternal God,* that has assumed human nature,* and have undergone the Passion in an earthen form.

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

The Twin was in doubt as he beheld the imprints on the Master’s feet and hands;* and was struck with awe at the fearful wonder,* stretching forth his hand to touch the pure side,* he saw clearly and without doubt showed to the nations,* the three-day arising from the tomb.

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

I take great delight as I behold Your arising, O my Saviour,* confirmed by that which You deemed the Twin worthy to touch.* Hence, we now proclaim that You are both God and man,* comprised in one single Person yet inseparable,* with two uncommingled natures and energies.

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.

With the rod of grace, you drew men forth* from the deep of vanity, O right wondrous James,* obedient to the behest of your Teacher,* Who illumined your whole mind* and showed You forth as an apostle and an honoured and divine herald* of His unapproachable divinity, O all-blessed one.

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

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

The effulgence of the Spirit descended upon you in the guise of fire* and made of you, O blessed one, a habitation of God* who dispels the darkness of ungodliness with might* and enlightens the world with the radiance of your all-wise words,* O James, initiate of the mysteries, leader of the apostles,* who beheld Christ with your own eyes.

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

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

Illumining those who sleep in the darkness of ignorance* with the splendours of your preaching, O glorious James,* you showed them forth as children, by faith, of our Master and God,* Whose suffering and death you emulated;* and, as you are an all-wise herald of God and His true disciple,* you have a share in His glory.

Tone 8, Glory…

Come, let us all praise James with hymns of psalms:* the preacher of the mysteries of heaven and recounter of the Gospel;* for he has been shown to be a river of the noetic paradise,* watering the furrows of men’s souls with heavenly showers* and showing them to be fertile for Christ God* Who granted cleansing, enlightenment and great mercy* to all through his supplications.

Tone 4, Now…

O Lord, by the unendurable brilliance of Your Divinity,* You came while the doors were shut;* and standing in the midst of the disciples,* You laid bare Your side and showed to them the wounds of Your hands and feet,* thereby dispelling their melancholy,* and You clearly cried aloud:* As you behold in Me the assumption of the flesh, O friends,* so in like manner I bear not the nature of a spirit.* And You compelled the doubting disciple to touch with fear, saying to him:* Now that you have examined all, come, therefore and be not doubting.* And when with his hand he perceived Your twofold nature,* he, drawn by faith, cried out in faith and fear:* O my Lord and my God,* glory be to You.

Prokeimenon, Tone 1

Your mercy, O Lord, shall follow me* all the days of my life.

verse: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In green pastures He gives me repose.

Readings

(1) James 1:1-12; (2) James 1:13-27; (3) James 2:1-13

Aposticha

Tone 1

The Cross was affixed on Calvary* and blossomed forth incorruption for us* from the ever-flowing well-spring,* from the side of the Saviour.

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.

Come, O peoples, let us hymn and worship Christ* glorifying His Resurrection from the dead:* for He is our God, who has redeemed the world* from the wiles of the adversary.

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.

O how excellent is the trade you made, O Saints,* for having given your blood you inherited the Heavens;* and tried but for a season, you rejoice eternally.* Truly good is the trade you made!* For disdaining things corruptible, you received things incorruptible;* and rejoicing now with the angels,* you unceasingly praise the consubstantial Trinity.

Tone 1, Glory…

You followed after Christ, O godly James, and despised the world,* hiding His teachings in your treasury,* and were shown to be His apostle.* Wherefore, going to the nations, with the commandments of the Saviour* you enlightened souls benighted by deception and the passions,* that they might believe in the consubstantial Trinity.

Tone 8, Now…

O Thomas, touch My side with your hand, says Christ,* and come, feel the imprints of the nails.* Examine them in faith;* believe in Me, and be not unbelieving.* And when Thomas touched the Master with his finger, he cried out with a great voice:* You are my God and Lord;* O compassionately loving One, glory be to You.

Troparion

Tone 3

O James, worthy of all praise,* chosen apostle of Christ and only brother of the beloved theologian;* ask God to bestow on those who hymn you forgiveness of sins* and to grant our souls great mercy.

Tone 7, Glory… Now…

While the tomb was sealed, O Christ God, You dawned as life from the sepulcher, and while the doors were shut, You came to Your disciples, the Resurrection of all, renewing a right spirit in us through them, according to Your great mercy.

DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING

After the priest has exclaimed, Blessed be the Kingdom… and the people have responded, Amen, the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then, the clergy sing the first half, and the people conclude it.

Paschal Troparion

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

First Antiphon

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,* sing now to His name, give glory to His praise.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Say unto God, “How awesome are Your works!* Because of the greatness of Your strength Your enemies will flatter You.”

Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Let all the earth worship You and sing to You,* let it sing to Your name, O Most High!

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, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.

Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth.

Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 7: While the tomb was sealed, O Christ God, You dawned as life from the sepulchre, and while the doors were shut, You came to Your disciples, the Resurrection of all, renewing a right spirit in us through them, according to Your great mercy.

Troparion, Tone 3: O James, worthy of all praise,* chosen apostle of Christ and only brother of the beloved theologian.* Ask God to bestow on those who hymn you forgiveness of sins* and to grant our souls great mercy.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 2: When you heard God’s voice calling out to you,* you spurned the love of your father* and fled to Christ with your kinsman, O glorious James.* With him you were favoured to see the Lord’s divine transfiguration.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 8: With his searching hand, Thomas explored Your life-giving side, O Christ God. For when You entered while the doors were shut, he called out to You with the rest of the Apostles: You are my Lord and my God!

Prokeimenon, Tone 3

Great is our Lord and great is His strength;* and of His knowledge there is no end.

verse: Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good; may praise be sweet to our God. (Psalm 146:5,1)

Prokeimenon, Tone 8

Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Epistle

Acts 4:13-22; Acts 12:1-11

Alleluia, Tone 8

verse: Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God our Saviour.

verse: For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth. (Psalm 94:1,3)

verse: The heavens shall confess our wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints. (Psalm 88:6)

Gospel

John 5:17-24; Luke 5:1-11

Hymn to the Mother of God

The Angel cried out to the One full of Grace: O chaste Virgin, rejoice! And again I say, Rejoice! Your Son has risen from the tomb on the third day, and raised the dead. Let all people rejoice! Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Exult now and be glad, O Sion! And you, O chaste Mother of God, take delight in the resurrection of your Son.

Communion Hymn

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem.* Praise your God, O Sion.* Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their words unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.

Instead of Blessed is He Who comes… we sing:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Instead of We have seen the true light… we sing:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Instead of May our mouths be filled… we sing three times:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Instead of Blessed be the name of the Lord… we sing three times:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

At the dismissal, instead of Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen. we chant:

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs giving life.

After the final Amen, the Troparion Christ is risen is sung as at the beginning of the Liturgy, but with the addition:

And to us He has granted life eternal;* we bow down before His resurrection on the third day.