VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 8, Podoben “O all-glorious wonder…”

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

Shedding your blood, O blessed one,* you presented yourself to Christ, the Bestower of life,* who shed His blood for your sake,* and who has made you to participate in His glory* and to share in His kingdom,* in that you prevailed over the deceiver* and utterly reduced his cruel snares to ashes.

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

You were a pillar of piety set firmly upon the rock of faith,* unshaken by temptations or misfortunes, O blessed one,* for the great tempest and tumult and the waves which buffeted you* did not cast down your unbreakable strength;* for you desired to be adorned with the crown of martyrdom.

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

Following the life-bearing steps of our incarnate God* who, by His suffering on the Cross, cast down the tyrant, O athlete,* rejoicing, you entered the arena of martyrdom,* and, lacerated with wounds, with your flesh, O martyr,* you wounded him who boasted that he would destroy the sea,* and you cast him down to the ground.

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 most honoured father John,* withdrawing from the tumultuous confusion of the world,* you hastened to the serenity of Christ, O most venerable one;* and you were manifestly enriched in truth* with the most rich effulgence of vision and divine activity,* and, made splendid by your godly life,* imparted them to the faithful.

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

O most honoured father John,* honourably adorned with vestments like another Aaron,* you now behold the Holy of holies beyond the second veil.* O, the ineffable brilliance of your mind,* which passes understanding, O divine adornment of hierarchs,* whom you have now joined in fellowship!

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

O most wise father John,* becoming godly in the simplicity of your character,* you stand now before God, united with Him through a higher unity,* deified at His continual behest, filled with His light,* O divine and most sacred adornment of hierarchs.

Tone 2, Glory…

At the table of God you were set like a newly planted olive-tree,* the child of those who walk the path of the Lord.* For the sake of your martyrdom the Lord has blessed you,* and you look upon the good things of the heavenly Sion,* ever delighting with your parents in divine joy. *O right laudable Mamas, by your entreaties make us partakers thereof.

Tone 2, Now…

Tribulation, cruel assaults, and diverse passions* bestorm my lowly soul, О Maiden who knew not wedlock, Mother of Christ God.* Show yourself to be my pilot on the sea of life,* and still the tempest that assails me,* steering me to the calm harbours of repentance and coolness,* for I have recourse to your divine protection.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

The Lord hears me* when I cry out to Him.

verse: Whenever I called, the God of my justice heard me.

Aposticha

Tone 3

Our evening hymn do we bring to You, O Christ,* with incense and spiritual songs,* have mercy on us and save our souls.

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.

Save me, O Lord my God for You are the salvation of all:* The storm of the passions disquiets me,* and the yoke of my transgressions weighs heavily upon me.* Stretch out Your helping hand and lead me up to the light of compunction,* for You alone are compassionate and the 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.

Great is the power of Your martyrs, О Christ;* for while lying in their graves they drive evil spirits away;* and, having struggled for piety with their faith in the Trinity,* they abolished the authority of the enemy.

Tone 4, Glory…

Come together, O faithful, and let us celebrate the memory of the martyr Mamas,* for he has been shown to be a new Abel;* for as Abel, being a shepherd of sheep, brought a lamb as a sacrifice* and was the first to receive the crown of martyrdom,* so did the glorious athlete, who presided over feeding flocks,* bring himself to Christ as a right acceptable sacrifice through martyrdom.* And as he has boldness before the Lord, he asks peace for the world and great mercy for our souls.

Now…

Deliver us from our needs, O Mother of Christ God,* you who have given birth to the Creator of all,* that we all may cry out to you:* Rejoice, O you who alone are the intercessor for our souls!

Troparia

Tone 4

Your martyr, Mammas, 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.

Tone 4, Glory…

The truth of your deeds made you for your flock a rule of faith* and an image of meekness,* a teacher of continence.* And so you gained the heights through humility,* riches through poverty,* father and bishop, John* Intercede with Christ, our God,* for the salvation of our souls.

Tone 4, Now…

Let us poor sinners hasten with fervour to the Mother of God;* let us humbly kneel before her and say from the depth of our hearts:* O Lady, be kind to us and help us.* Hasten, for we are perishing under a multitude of sins.* Do not turn away your servants empty-handed,* for you are their only hope and protection.

DIVINE LITURGY ON TUESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: Your martyr, Mammas, 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.

Troparion, Tone 4: The truth of your deeds made you for your flock a rule of faith* and an image of meekness,* a teacher of continence.* And so you gained the heights through humility,* riches through poverty,* father and bishop, John* Intercede with Christ, our God,* for the salvation of our souls.

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

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, Mammas,* and you have extinguished all error.* But to us you give light, praying without ceasing for all of us.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: O thunder of justice, spiritual trumpet,* planter of faith and destroyer of heresies,* servant of the Trinity, great hierarch John,* forever standing in the company of the angels,* pray without ceasing for all of us.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him. (Psalm 63:11)

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

Epistle

2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5

Alleluia, Tone 4

verse: The just man shall flourish like the palm tree; and he shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon. (Psalm 91:13)

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

Gospel

Mark 3:13-19

Communion Hymn

Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous. (Psalm 32:1)