Day 8 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
There are no appointed psalms for this evening.
At Psalm 140
Tone 4
Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
I want to wash away with tears the record of my sins, O Lord,* and through the rest of my life to please You by repentance;* but the enemy deceives me and fights against my soul.* Before I utterly perish, save me, O Lord.
The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
If a man takes refuge from the tempest in this harbour, will he not be saved?* If in his agony he kneels before this house of healing, will he not be cured?* O Maker of all and Physician of the sick,* before I utterly perish, save me, O Lord.
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
Wash me with my tears, O Saviour,* for I am defiled by many sins.* Therefore I fall down before You:* I have sinned, have mercy on me, O God.
Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
I am a sheep of Your spiritual flock,* and to You I flee for refuge, O Good Shepherd.* I have gone astray, O God:* seek me and have mercy on me.
Tone 4
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Grant me compunction, and estrangement from evil,* and perfect amendment, for I am sunk in the depths of carnal passions* and separated far from You, O God, the King of all;* and I have no other hope but You.* In the abundance of Your goodness save me, the prodigal, O Jesus all-Powerful,* 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.
The great Moses, cleansed by fasting, saw the God for whom he longed.* Eagerly follow his example, O my humble soul;* make haste to cleanse yourself from evil in the day of abstinence,* and so you shall behold the Lord who grants you forgiveness,* for He is all-powerful and the Lover of mankind.
Tone 6
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Let us now set out with joy upon the second week of the Fast;* and from day to day, O brethren, let us fashion for ourselves,* a fiery chariot as did Elijah the Tishbite, from the four great virtues;* let us exalt our minds through freedom from the passions;* let us arm our flesh with purity,* putting to flight and gaining victory over the enemy.
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.
While living on earth you were joined to the incorporeal ones,* and with them you unceasingly minister to the Trinity, O divinely blessed father.* Therefore, ever dwelling in the Highest as a heavenly man,* you initiated them that are on earth* into the mysteries of God.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
O divinely blessed one,* you were shown to be a branch of the activity of Christ planted by God,* putting forth grapes of the divine Word,* whence we faithfully draw forth precious sweetness;* and with our whole heart* we offer your teaching to all the world.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Illumined with divine splendour, your body consumed by material fire,* you passed over to the immaterial radiance, O father.* Grant us remission by your prayers,* bringing light to the gloomy night of the passions of our souls,* O wise one.
Glory… Now…
Tempest-tossed on the deep of transgressions,* fleeing to the calm haven of your all-pure supplication,* I cry out to you, O Theotokos:* Save me, O all-immaculate one, extending your mighty right hand* to your servant!
Great Prokeimenon, Tone 8
You have given an inheritance, O Lord, to those who revere You.
verse: From the ends of the earth, I have cried to You.
verse: I will take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
verse: So, I will sing praises to Your Name forever.
Aposticha
Tone 8
Come, let us cleanse ourselves with almsgiving and acts of mercy to the poor,* not sounding a trumpet or making a show of our charity.* Let not our left hand know what our right hand does;* and let not vainglory scatter the fruits of our kindness;* but in secret let us call upon Him who knows all secrets:* Father, forgive us our trespasses, for You love mankind
To You have I lifted up my eyes, O You that dwell in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hands of their master, as the eyes of the handmaiden look to the hands of their mistress, so do our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until He take pity on us.
Come, let us cleanse ourselves with almsgiving and acts of mercy to the poor,* not sounding a trumpet or making a show of our charity.* Let not our left hand know what our right hand does;* and let not vainglory scatter the fruits of our kindness;* but in secret let us call upon Him who knows all secrets:* Father, forgive us our trespasses, for You love mankind
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we are utterly humiliated. Let shame come upon them that prosper, and abatement on the proud.
O martyrs of the Lord, you make holy every place* and heal all manner of infirmities;* and now we entreat you to pray on our behalf* that our souls be delivered from the snares of the enemy.
Glory… Now…
Those in heaven hymn you, O joyously blessed Mother unwedded,* and we glorify your inscrutable birthgiving, O Theotokos;* pray that our souls be saved!
After the Song of Simeon and the Trisagion Prayers, we follow the regular Lenten format for the end of Vespers.
MATINS ON MONDAY MORNING
Sessional Hymn I, Tone 4
Make my humble soul turn back, O Lord,* for I have wasted all my life in sin;* receive me as the harlot and save me.
O Lord, rebuke me not in Your anger, neither chasten me in Your wrath.
Sailing across the sea of this present life,* I lay to heart the depth of my many sins;* and lacking spiritual wisdom to guide me on my course, I cry to You like Peter:* Save me, Christ my God, save me in Your love for mankind.
God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.
Today the angelic hosts are present at the memorial of the martyrs;* they enlighten the minds of the faithful and make the inhabited earth bright with grace.* O God, accept their intercessions, and grant us Your great mercy.
Glory… Now…
To you who were brought up in the temple, within the Holy of Holies,* to you who were clothed with faith and wisdom and blameless virginity,* the Archangel Gabriel brought greetings from heaven, and he cried: *‘Rejoice, All-blessed; rejoice, All-glorified, the Lord is with you.’
Sessional Hymn II, Tone 4
O Christ, I entreat You, that in Your compassion* You may restore my soul to life, through true fasting and repentance,* slain as it is by the fruit of disobedience.* Grant that I may ever walk on the straight path of Your venerable commandments;* that thereby I may share in Your divine glory in the company of all who love You,* and praise Your goodness toward all mankind, O Jesus.
Glory… Now…
Tempest-tossed by the threefold-waves of the passions,* I who lack a conscience fervently call upon you, O most pure one:* Disdain me not, lest I perish, wretch that I am,* O you who have given birth to the Abyss of mercy;* for I have no other hope than you.* Let me not become a joy to, nor ridiculed by my enemies, for I trust in you.* For whatsoever you desire you can do,* in that you are the Mother of the God of all.
Sessional Hymn III, Tone 6
As we set out upon the next week of the Fast,* direct our steps, O Lord:* shine upon us the sanctifying light of Your commandments,* that we may be counted worthy to offer on bended knee a prayer acceptable to You;* for You are our Father and we are Your sons,* and we chant to You with fear calling upon Your Name.
Glory… Now…
The announcement of Gabriel to the Virgin* was the beginning of our salvation;* for she heard Rejoice! and rejected not the salutation;* she doubted not, like Sarah of old,* but spoke thus saying:* Behold the handmaiden of the Lord!* Be it done to me according to your word!
Canon, Tone 4
Ode 1
Irmos: O You who were born of the Virgin,* I implore You, drown in the depth of dispassion* the triune nature of my soul,* as You did the mighty strongholds of the warriors,* that in the mortality of my flesh* as on a timbrel I may chant a hymn of victory.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
O You who alone are lovingly compassionate, the font of mercy and Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, save me, as one drowning in the waves of sin, and guide me to the haven of repentance.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
As Christ has taught in the Scriptures, a pure fast is one where we put aside sin, and reject the passions, showing love for God, attention in prayer, tears of compunction, and acts of mercy to the poor.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
My soul has been wounded by the sword of sin, and disfigured by the stain of a multitude of wicked deeds, but, O Physician of souls, heal us as You are good, applying the remedy of Your wise commandments, O Lover of mankind.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
O most holy Virgin, undefiled Tabernacle, by the fount of your tender mercy wash me clean of the defilement of wicked passions, and grant me abundant tears of compunction that thereby, you may destroy the sin that lies deep within me, O Lady.
Irmos: A helper and a protector has become my salvation.* My God, whom I will glorify,* the God of my fathers, and I will exalt Him* for gloriously has He been glorified.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Brethren, having divinely rejoiced in the feast which we kept yesterday, let us with eagerness enter upon the second week of the light-giving Fast; and with love let us sing in praise of Christ.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Having greeted the season of fasting and compunction, let us weep bitterly with groaning, stretching forth our arms to the only Redeemer, that He may save our souls.
Glory…
Unity in three Hypostases, sovereign Lord of all, Source of perfection, God without beginning, Father, Son, and Most holy Spirit, save us.
Now…
Who has ever begotten a son not sown by a father according to the laws of nature? Yet such a Son has the Father begotten without a mother. O most glorious wonder! For you, O pure One, have simultaneously given birth to both God and man.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.
How shall I bear Your anger, O my Christ, when You come to the Judgment? What words shall I offer then, for I have not obeyed Your will, O Christ? But before the end, take pity on me.
Katavasia: A helper and a protector has become my salvation.* My God, whom I will glorify,* the God of my fathers, and I will exalt Him* for gloriously has He been glorified.
Ode 8
Irmos: O almighty Redeemer of all,* having descended and bedewed the children in the midst of the flame,* You taught them to sing:* All you works bless and hymn the Lord.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Journeying upon the uncertain path of life, I have fallen among noetic thieves – my thoughts – and lay wounded. but, O Physician of the infirm, by the prayers of all Your saints grant me Your helping hand.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
My thoughts are confused by the storm of grievous sin; save me, O Jesus, as once You saved Peter, for I chant to You: “O all you works bless and praise the Lord.”
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Let us kill the passions by abstinence, and through fasting let our spirit ascend on wings to heaven; and let us cry with compunction of heart: “We have sinned against You, O God; but since You are compassionate, forgive us.”
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
Coming to dwell within your womb, the Most High rendered you more spacious than the heavens, and has shown you, O Virgin, to be an invincible protection to those who cry: “O all you works, bless and praise the Lord.”
Irmos: Him whom the hosts of heaven glorify,* and before whom tremble the Cherubim and Seraphim,* let every breath and all creation praise, bless, and supremely exalt,* throughout all ages.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
O Lord, show not my soul to be enslaved to the tyranny of the passions, that rejoicing I may freely do Your will and glorify Your sovereign power throughout the ages.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
O my soul, hate the incontinence of Esau and emulate the virtues of Jacob; ensnare Beelzebub through abstinence, and thereby grow rich in things divine chanting praises throughout the ages.
We bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Lord.
I worship God, one in Essence, and sing the praises of three Hypostases, distinct in Hypostasis yet not differing in Essence for there is one Godhead and one Power in the three, that is: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
Now…
From your radiant womb, Christ has issued forth as a bridegroom from the bridal-chamber, illumining those in darkness, shining forth as the Sun of righteousness, O pure One, enlightening the world.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.
No man has became foolish by drinking water, but Noah exposed his nakedness after tasting wine; and through drunkenness Lot sowed the seeds of evil. O my soul, flee their example and sing in praise of Christ.
We praise, we bless, and we worship the Lord, hymning and supremely exalting Him throughout all ages!
Katavasia: Him whom the hosts of heaven glorify,* and before whom tremble the Cherubim and Seraphim,* let every breath and all creation praise, bless, and supremely exalt,* throughout all ages.
Ode 9
Irmos: By her sin and transgression, Eve brought about the curse;* but you, O Virgin Mother of God, have made the blessing flourish* by the fruit of your womb.* And now we all extol you.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Let us fast from the raging of the passions and let us delight in unfeigned love; let us feed the poor with bread; and nourished by divine Grace, let us with weeping quench the tears of future punishment.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
O wretched soul, groan aloud, be contrite, and show forth an image of repentance, for the day approaches when the Judge will sit upon His throne and assign to each their due reward, as it is written.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
I have acquired no good works but have rather stained the robe with which I was clothed in Holy Baptism and walking in the darkness of ignorance I beseech You: “By the light of Your countenance, O Lord, raise me up from despair and guide me.”
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
O Mary, Sovereign Lady of all creation, I am enslaved by every manner of sin: O Virgin, set me free, for you have inexpressibly given birth to the Lord, the true and living Goodness.
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,* therefore all generations rightly worship and magnify you* as the Bride and Mother of God.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
As soldiers of Christ let us now suffer hardships: for time shall pass by ever so quickly, and Christ, when He shall come in glory to judge all the world, shall bestow crowns upon those who have struggled bravely.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
I am all wounded, O my Christ, I am all covered with sores, heal the sores and fetid rot of my sins, that like the leper may I hear You say: “I will, be thou clean.”
Glory…
O Father, single only-Begetter of the only-Begotten Son; and You 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: Divine Three in One, save me as I theologize Your divinity.
Now…
The marvel of your childbearing fills me with wonder, O all-immaculate One. How have you conceived without seed Him whom none can comprehend? Tell me! how have you remained a Virgin and yet become a Mother? I 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.
O my soul, by fasting Moses beheld God; Elijah rode in the chariot of fire, and Paul was taken up to heaven. Therefore, let us also fast from evil that we may be taken up on high, having gained freedom from the passions.
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,* therefore all generations rightly worship and magnify you* as the Bride and Mother of God.
Aposticha
Tone 5
Marvelous is the weapon of prayer and fasting,* through them Moses was manifest as the writer of the Law,* and Elijah an enemy of pagan sacrifice.* Let us persevere in them, O faithful,* and cry to the Saviour:* “Against You only have we sinned; have mercy on us”.
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.
Marvelous is the weapon of prayer and fasting,* through them Moses was manifest as the writer of the Law,* and Elijah an enemy of pagan sacrifice.* Let us persevere in them, O faithful,* and cry to the Saviour:* “Against You only have we sinned; have mercy on us”.
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.
Blessed is the army of the heavenly King:* for though the passion-bearers were born of this earth,* despising their bodies they hastened to attain to the angelic state;* and by their sufferings were deemed worthy of the honour of the bodiless ones.* By their prayers, O Lord, save our souls.
Glory… Now…
To you do we pray, as the Mother of God:* O blessed one,* pray for the salvation of our souls!