VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

There are no appointed psalms to be chanted tonight.

At Psalm 140

Tone 8, Podoben “O most glorious wonder…”

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

Most glorious wonder!* The handsome Acepsimus who ministered to the martyrs* today is crowned with a wreath of hymns.* He puts before us the suffering he endured for his worship of God* and wounds the bodiless enemy!* What great gifts of grace he received!* Through his prayers, save our souls, O Christ,* since You are great in love and mercy!

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

Most glorious wonder!* Joseph shines forth as a star from Persia!* He destroyed the outrage of sorcery through the Spirit;* he extinguished the impious worship of fire with the streams of his blood!* How great is the strength by which he cast down the demons!* Through his prayers, save our souls, O Christ,* since You are compassionate!

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

Most glorious wonder!* The steadfast Aithalas, a champion of suffering,* is revealed as an ever-blossoming garden.* Cut down, it brings forth the flower of wounds;* slain, it then begins to live! What great strength of nature through which he endured!* Through his prayers, save our souls, O Christ,* since You are compassionate!

Tone 4, Podoben “As valiant among the martyrs…”

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

O passion-bearer George, converser with the angels, dweller with the martyrs,* who are ever the refuge of the sorrowful:* Be a haven of tranquillity!* Preserve me as I sail upon the sea of life, and pilot my life, I implore you,* that with unwavering faith* I may bless your supernatural struggles.

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

As I sleep at night;* and when I am awake* illumine my mind, O George,* and instruct me to do the will of the Lord,* that on the day of Judgment* I may find remission of the sins I have committed in my life,* by fleeing to your protection, O glorious one.

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

Arrayed in the breastplate of faith,* armed with the shield of grace and the spear of the Cross,* you were invincible to the adversary, O George.* And as a divine warrior, having conquered legions of demons,* you hold chorus with the angels,* and, entreated by the faithful,* you sanctify and save them, preserving them,

Tone 6, Glory…

You lived in accordance with the meaning of your name, as is meet, O warrior George;* for, taking the Cross of Christ upon your shoulders,* you worked well the ground which had been made barren by the deceit of the devil,* and, having uprooted the thorns of idolatrous worship,* thou planted the vine of the Orthodox Faith.* Therefore, you pour forth healings upon the faithful throughout all the world,* and have been shown to be a righteous labourer of the Trinity.* We entreat you, pray for peace for the world and the salvation of our souls.

Now…

О Theotokos, who at the sound of the archangel’s voice* conceived in your womb the Word,* who with the Father and the Spirit is equally beginningless,* you have been revealed to be more exalted than the cherubim, seraphim, and thrones.

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 4

I wish to wash away the record of my sins with tears, O Lord,* and please You the rest of my life through repentance;* but the enemy deceives me and fights against my soul.* Before the end and I utterly perish, save me, O Lord.

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.

Who, among the tempest-tossed, having taking refuge in Your harbour,* will not be saved, O Lord?* Or who, that ails and falling down in Your infirmary, will not be healed?* O Maker of all that is, and Physician of the ailing,* before the end, may I not utterly perish, save me, O Lord.

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.

О Christ God, who are glorified in the memorials of Your saints,* be entreated by them,* and send down upon us great mercy.

Tone 6, Glory…

The three children preserved unharmed by the Persian fire* mystically foreshadowed your thrice-radiant unity of mind* and your martyrdom in Christ!* Athletes of the ineffable Trinity and supernatural Unity,* as they stood in the midst of the flames and did not cry out against God,* so also you did not refuse to die* when your lives were not spared by the love of Christ.* As in their midst, a fourth appeared who sprinkled them with dew,* so also Christ, one of the Trinity,* received you into a place of refreshment!* Acepsimus, Joseph and Aithalas, chosen by God,* ever pray for our souls!

Now…

Like the Archangel, let us the faithful* hymn the bridal-chamber of heaven, the portal truly sealed:* Rejoice, for whose sake have budded forth to us Christ the Saviour of all,* the Bestower of life and God!* With your arm O Lady cast down the tyrants, our godless foes,* O most pure one, O hope of Christians!

Troparia

Tone 4

O Lord our God, your holy martyrs* have deserved the crown of immortality* on account of their good fight.* Armed with your strength, they have vanquished their persecutors* and crushed Satan’s dreadful might.* Through their supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.

Glory…

You are a liberator of captives and a defender of the poor,* a physician for the sick and a champion for kings.* O triumphant great-martyr George,* beg Christ our God to save our souls.

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 1: Be swayed by the pains that the saints have suffered for You, O Lord,* and heal all our pains,* O Lover of mankind, for this we pray.

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

Kontakion, Tone 2: Appearing as radiant lights, O godly martyrs,* you illumine all creation with the brilliance of your miracles,* healing infirmities, always dispelling deep darkness* and praying unceasingly to Christ our God for all of us.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

To the saints who are in His land,* the Lord has made wonderful all His desires in them.

verse: I foresaw the Lord always in my sight, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. (Psalm 15:3,8)

Epistle

Colossians 2:13-20

Alleluia, Tone 4

verse: The just cried out and the Lord heard them, and delivered them out of their afflictions.

verse: The afflictions of the just are many, and out of them all will the Lord deliver them. (Psalm 33:18,20)

Gospel

Luke 9:18-22

Communion Hymn

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