Nativity Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.

VESPERS ON THURSDAY 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 were nailed to the Cross, О Saviour,* the sun beheld and dimmed its rays in fear of You,* and the veil of the temple was rent in two;* the earth quaked, and the stones likewise split asunder with trembling,* unable to bear the sight of their Creator and God willingly suffering unjustly upon the Tree,* and reviled by men.

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 Cross was set up and You were pierced in the side with the spear, О Sinless Saviour,* the sun hid itself, unable to bear the sight;* the earth trembled, and when You were reviled, the rocks split asunder in fear;* and all creation cried out to You:* Glory be to Your crucifixion whereby You have saved all,* О Word and Lover of mankind!

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

Wholly cast down to the ground, wholly wounded,* the most wicked serpent was brought low by a strange fall* when You were uplifted upon the Tree, О Lover of mankind.* And Adam who before was condemned* was loosed from the curse and became saved.* Therefore, we also pray: Save us all, О Compassionate One,* and grant us Your kingdom!

Tone 4

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

You desired the goodly name given to martyrs, O much suffering passion-bearer,* and endured pangs with bold resolve, O most blessed one,* expecting to be translated to the rest which is devoid of pain,* and seeking to receive heavenly honours,* a dwelling-place in paradise,* never-waning light and everlasting life.

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

You endured the most savage of pangs:* the tearing away of your finger-nails, cruel piercing,* molten lead and the severing of your head,* and joined the choir of athletes, rejoicing, O much suffering one.* We celebrate your annual memorial, O athlete Boniface,* converser with the angels.

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

Sending you, her manservant, before her, O Boniface,* Aglais acquired a divine master who tamed the passions,* attained mastery over tyrants, cast down the enemy,* and was arrayed in a crown of victory.* Having constructed for you a holy temple all-adorned,* she enshrined you therein, praising you in sanctity.

Tone 4, Glory… Now…

Beholding Christ, who loves mankind, crucified, O all-pure one,* His side pierced by a spear, you cried aloud, weeping:* What is this, O my Son?* How have the ungrateful people rewarded You for the good You did do them?* And do You hasten to leave me childless, O most Beloved?* I marvel, O Compassionate One, at Your voluntary crucifixion!

Prokeimenon, Tone 6

My help is from the Lord,* Who made heaven and earth.

verse: I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help shall come.

Aposticha

Tone 2

О Christ God my Saviour, who saved Peter in the sea,* save me by the power of the Cross,* and have mercy on me.

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.

They who ever enjoyed Your gifts cried aloud, “Crucify Him!”;* they who slew the righteous ones asked that a malefactor be released to them in place of the Benefactor.* But You kept silence, О Christ, enduring their savagery,* desiring to suffer and thus save us,* in that You love 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.

Having hated the pleasures of life,* the passion-bearers were deemed worthy of the good things of heaven* and have made their abode together with the angels.* By their prayers, О Lord, have mercy and save us.

Tone 2, Glory… Now…

When iniquitous men raised You, the Life of all, up upon the Tree, О Saviour,* Your pure and most immaculate Mother,* standing forth and lamenting, exclaimed:* “O my sweet Child, light of my eyes, woe is me!* How have You suffered to be nailed to the Cross between two evildoers,* О You who have suspended the earth upon the waters?”

Troparia

Tone 4

O Lord our God, your holy martyr Boniface* has deserved the crown of immortality* on account of his good fight.* Armed with your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors* and crushed Satan’s dreadful might.* Through his supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.

Glory… Now…

O Virgin, all immaculate Mother of Christ God,* a sword pierced your all-holy soul* when you saw your Son and God willingly crucified.* Therefore, O blessed One,* never cease to pray to Him* that He may grant us forgiveness of our sins.

DIVINE LITURGY ON FRIDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: Your martyr, Boniface, O Lord,* by his passion acquired the crown of incorruptibility from You, our God.* For possessing Your power he overcame the torturers* and shattered the feeble insolence of demons.* By his supplications, save our souls.

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

Kontakion, Tone 2: As a bright and unerring star you appeared to the world* proclaiming with your rays the Sun, that is, Christ, O martyr, Boniface,* and you have extinguished all error.* But to us you give light, praying without ceasing for all of us.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

The just man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him.

verse: Hear, O God, my voice, when I make my petition to You. (Psalm 63:11,2)

Epistle

Titus 1:15-2:10

Alleluia, Tone 4

verse: The just man shall flourish like the palm tree; and he shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon.

verse: They who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish the courts of our God. (Psalm 91:13,14)

Gospel

Luke 20:19-26

Communion Hymn

The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)