VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

There are no appointed psalms to be chanted tonight.

At Psalm 140

Tone 3, Podoben “Great is the power of Your martyrs…”

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

O heavenly father, accept me as You did the repentant prodigal son,* though I sin greatly and embitter You,* the good Master who are merciful by nature;* and make me one of Your hirelings.

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

I have passed the time of my life in slothfulness* and have drawn nigh to the end, wretch that I am.* I give no thought to the judgment which awaits me,* nor to my falling away from God.* But, having turned me back to You, О Saviour,* rescue me from them.

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

From Gehenna, from the gnashing of teeth and every other eternal retribution* deliver my lowly soul, О supremely good Lord;* that with faith I may hymn the merciful God,* who by nature is the Lover of mankind.

Tone 8, Podoben “O most glorious wonder…”

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

O wondrous sufferer Nestor,* you arrayed yourself in all the armour of Christ;* and, locked in mortal combat with Lyaeus, you destroyed him,* and with invisible arrows you brought down the invisible Belial and slayed him.* Therefore, the Bountiful One has crowned you with a wreath of victory.

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

Strengthened with divine words, O wise Nestor,* with true courage you slayed the proud tormentor of the martyr, Demetrius;* and confessing the immortal God who died and harrowed hell,* you received an unjust death, O glorious one.* Rejoicing, you have inherited life everlasting.

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

You were a godly youth, shining forth in comeliness of body* and adorned with grace divine, O wise one, and invested with power.* Having cast down the power of Lyaeus by the power of the Almighty,* you suffered, rejoicing, and have been numbered among the choirs of sufferers.* Rejoicing with them, remember us.

Glory… Now…

We entreat you, our intercessor, O all-pure one:* Do not overlook us, your servants,* who are troubled amid grief, that we utterly perish;* but make haste to remove us from this present wrath and grief,* O divinely joyous, all-holy and pure one,* for you are our rampart  and our unassailable assistance.

Prokeimenon, Tone 8

And now bless the Lord,* all you servants of the Lord.

verse: Who stand in the temple of the Lord, in the courtyards of the house of our God.

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 Cross, О Lord!* For it was planted in one place, yet works throughout the whole world;* making apostles of fishermen and martyrs of the heathen,* that they might pray for our souls.

Tone 3, Glory… Now…

О Lady, intercessor for all who pray to you:* in you we find boldness, of you do we boast, and in you have we place all our hope.* Entreat Him who was born from you* on behalf of your unprofitable servants.

Troparia

Tone 4

Your martyr, Nestor, 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… Now…

To the One who was reared in the Temple,* close to the Holy of Holies,* and who was full of faith, wisdom, and perfect virginity,* Gabriel, the captain and leader,* offered esteem and greetings from heaven when he said:* Rejoice, O blessed One! Rejoice, O glorified One!* The Lord is with you.

DIVINE LITURGY ON MONDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

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

Philippians 4:10-23

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 7:36-50

Communion Hymn

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