According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.

VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 2

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

When You set upon the Cross, О Word,* the luminaries, not bearing to shine, dimmed their rays;* the earth quaked, and the rocks split asunder;* the majesty of the temple was rent in twain;* the graves opened, and the dead arose;* Hades released all who were below, and the demons were vanquished;* and death was reckoned by all to be but sleep.

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

When the good-hearted thief beheld You, the fruitful Vine, О Christ,* he became a better thief and more skilled,* for with a few words he quite naturally stole the forgiveness of the ancient offenses.* Let us all, then, make haste to emulate him, crying aloud:* Remember us also, О Lover of mankind!

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

Truly Your divine Cross shines like a star in the sky, О Christ,* burning up the demons, shedding light upon the faithful,* and casting shame upon the faces of those who crucified You.* By it You lead our first parents forth from the slavery caused by the tree* which was the image of the Cross,* and in the desert caused Your people to suck forth honey from the rock.

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 summit of the virtues and foundation of the faithful,* the glory of hierarchs and the boast of the martyrs* with splendour summon all the faithful to his holy memorial,* to chant to him as a victor* who glorified God on earth.

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

Moved by a vision of Christ,* the Angel of Great Counsel,* when you beheld behold the council of the iniquitous, O wise martyr,* you proceeded straightway to the tribunal,* taking the trophies of victory in your hand;* and you dwell now in the heavens,* O all-sanctified one.

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

With the drops of your blood, O martyr Blaise,* you wove a beautiful robe for the Church,* embroidered by your well anointed fingers* and dyed with your manifold pangs;* and she is arrayed therein like a comely bride,* hymning Christ the Bridegroom.

Tone 4, Glory…

As a good tutor of children and a teacher of piety,* by the divine power of your godly words* you led the God-loving women to the struggle of martyrdom,* thereby strengthening for Christ the weakness of their nature;* and with them having finished well the course of sufferings,* you rejoiced with splendour in the bridal chamber of heaven,* adorned with a twofold crown of divine glory,* and making entreaty with them,* that peace and great mercy be imparted to us.

Now…

Beholding Christ, the lover of mankind, crucified, His side pierced by a spear,* the all-pure one cried out, lamenting:* What is this, O my Son?* How have these thankless people rewarded you* for the good things You have done for them?* Do You hasten to leave me childless, O most Beloved?* I marvel, O Compassionate One, at Your voluntary crucifixion!

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.

Aposticha

Tone 1

With great joy let us accept, O faithful, the godly inspired tidings of the Fast,* as did the Ninevites of old,* and also the harlots and the publicans* who hearkened to the preaching of repentance by John.* Through abstinence let us prepare ourselves to attend the Master’s divine mystery in Sion.* With tears let us wholly cleanse ourselves before the sacred washing of the feet;* and let us pray that we may behold the fulfilment and revelation of the true Passover.* Let us make ready to worship the Cross and resurrection of Christ God,* that we may cry aloud to Him:* Deprive us not of our expectation, O Lover of mankind.

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.

With great joy let us accept, O faithful, the godly inspired tidings of the Fast,* as did the Ninevites of old,* and also the harlots and the publicans* who hearkened to the preaching of repentance by John.* Through abstinence let us prepare ourselves to attend the Master’s divine mystery in Sion.* With tears let us wholly cleanse ourselves before the sacred washing of the feet;* and let us pray that we may behold the fulfilment and revelation of the true Passover.* Let us make ready to worship the Cross and resurrection of Christ God,* that we may cry aloud to Him:* Deprive us not of our expectation, O Lover of mankind.

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.

Wise was the trade that you made, O saints!* Giving your blood, and inheriting heaven as your reward;* having suffered tribulation for a time, you now rejoice eternally.* Truly wisely have you traded:* forsaking things corruptible, you have received things incorruptible;* and rejoicing with the choirs of angels you now continually hymn the praises* of the consubstantial Trinity.

Glory… Now…

Once, when the unblemished Virgin beheld on the Tree* Him to whom she had given birth from her seedless womb,* unable to endure the wounding of her womb, she said, rending her hair:* “O You who sustain all creation,* how have You been uplifted upon the Cross as one condemned,* desiring to save mankind in every way?”

Song of Simeon

Trisagion Prayers

And then:

Tone 1

Rejoice, Mother of God, Virgin Mary, full of grace!* The Lord is with you.* Blessed are you among women,* and blessed is the fruit of your womb.* For you have borne Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of our souls.

(full prostration)

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

O Baptist of Christ, remember us all,* that we may be delivered from all our iniquities,* for to you is given grace to intercede for us!

(full prostration)

Now and for ever and ever.

Pray for us, O holy apostles and all the saints,* that we may be delivered from perils and sorrows,* for you are our fervent intercessors before the Saviour!

(full prostration)

Beneath your compassion we take refuge, O Theotokos,* do not reject our supplication in adversity, but deliver us from perils,* O only pure and only blessed one!

Kyrie, eleison. (40)

Priest: Blessed is He-Who-Is, Christ our God, at all times both now and for ever.

All: Amen.

Priest: O Heavenly King, strengthen the Church, uphold the faith, calm the nations, give peace to the world, protect this holy city, grant our departed fathers and brethren a share in the dwelling of the just, and lead us to repent and confess our sins, for You are good and You love mankind.

All: Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (3)

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

More honourable than the cherubim, and by far more glorious than the seraphim, ever a Virgin you gave birth to God the Word; O true Mother of God, we magnify you!

Give the blessing, Father, in the Name of the Lord!

Priest: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us.

All: Amen.

Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian

O Lord and Master of my life! Keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power, and idle chatter.

(full prostration)

Instead, grant to me, your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love.

(full prostration)

O Lord and King! Grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brothers and sisters; for You are blessed, now and forever and ever. Amen.

(full prostration)

God, be merciful to me a sinner!
God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me!
I have sinned without number, forgive me, O Lord! (4)

O Lord and Master of my life! Keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power, and idle chatter. Instead, grant to me, your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love. O Lord and King! Grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brothers and sisters; for You are blessed, now and forever and ever. Amen.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)

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

Trinity most holy, have mercy on us. Cleanse us of our sins, O Lord* pardon our transgressions, O Master; look upon our weaknesses and heal them, O Holy One; for the sake of Your Name.

Lord, have mercy. (3)

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

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Priest: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (12)

Priest: Glory be to You, O Christ our God, our hope, glory be to You.

All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,* now and for ever and ever. Amen.* Lord, have mercy. (3)* Give the blessing.

Priest: Christ our true God…

All: Amen.