Apostles’ Fast.

VESPERS ON FRIDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 4

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

Perceiving thee, O blessed martyr Julian, as a brilliant sun* illumining the fullness of the world with noetic splendours,* we celebrate your radiant and divine memory,* and bow down before the shrine of your relics,* drawing forth health for 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.

Beaten, wounded and grievously scourged,* imprisoned in a dungeon, O blessed one,* driven from place to place, caged with wild beasts,* brought to the abyss and drowned in the sea,* you received receive a blessed end,* refusing to deny the Master of all,* O glory of the martyrs, who are most rich.

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

Cast up upon dry land out of the bosom of the sea* by the action of the Spirit,* you were seen by an honourable woman,* who faithfully took you up, O martyr Julian,* and committed to burial your immaculate and much-suffering body,* which had vanquished the tyranny of the devil* through the workings of grace.

Tone 8

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

O martyrs of the Lord, you sanctify every place and heal every manner of infirmities:* and now we entreat you to intercede on our behalf* that our souls may be delivered from the snares of the enemy.

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

Your martyrs, O Lord, having put aside the temporal things of this life,* despised not torture for the sake of the life to come,* wherefore they rejoice with the angels.* By their supplications bestow upon Your people great mercy.

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

If there be any virtue and if there be any praise,* rightly are these things ascribed to the saints.* Who for the sake of Thee Who didst bow the heavens and descend to us,* bowed their necks beneath the sword.* They shed their blood for Thee,* Who didst empty Thyself and take the form of a servant;* they humbled themselves even unto death,* following the example of Thy poverty.* By their prayers have mercy upon us, O God,* according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies!

Glory… Now…

Out of his love for mankind* the King of heaven appeared on earth and dwelt with men,* for He assumed a human body from the pure Virgin* and was seen in the flesh He received from her.* He is the One and only God* having two natures but not two persons.* Wherefore we profess and declare the truth* that Christ our God is perfect God and perfect Man.* O Mother, who knew not carnal union,* intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.

Prokeimenon

Tone 7

O God, You are my defender* and Your mercy goes before me.

verse: Deliver me from my enemies, O God; save me from those who rise up against me.

Aposticha

Tone 8

O ye martyrs of the Lord,* we beseech you to offer intercession before our God:* pray that abundant mercy be granted to our souls* and the forgiveness of our many sins.

Blessed are they whom You have chosen* and taken to Yourself, О Lord.

I lament and weep whenever I see death* and look upon our beauty, fashioned according to God’s image,* lying in the grave disfigured and inglorious,* its outward form destroyed.* O strange wonder! What mystery is this that concerns us?* How have we been delivered over to corruption?* How have we been conjoined to death?* All this, so it is written, is by the ordinance of God,* who doth grant rest to the departed.

Their souls shall dwell* among good things.

Thy death, O Lord, hath enabled us to be immortal.* For hadst Thou not been laid in the tomb,* Paradise hadst not been opened.* Therefore grant rest to the departed* as Thou art the Lover of mankind.

Glory… Now…

O pure Virgin, portal of the Word,* Mother of our God:* pray thou that we be saved.

Troparion

Tone 4

Your martyr, Julian, 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.

DIVINE LITURGY ON SATURDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: Your martyr, Julian, 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, Julian,* 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

Romans 3:19-26

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

Matthew 7:1-8

Communion Hymn

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