VESPERS ON FRIDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
The appointed psalms are chanted.
At Psalm 140
Tone 4, Podoben “As one valiant among the martyrs…”
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Having completed the course and kept the faith,* Marcian and Martyrius,* you have been wreathed with a crown of martyrdom!* You are unshakable pillars of the Church,* breasts flowing with wholesome milk,* beacons and shining pearls,* you have enlightened creation with the splendour of your piety!
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 godly twins,* sharing a single heart and mind!* You destroyed the division of Arius,* by teaching worship of the unoriginate Son, co-eternal with the Father,* and worship of the Spirit:* the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity,* one Essence in three undivided Persons!
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
You showed yourselves to be followers of Paul,* the preacher of holy truths:* You were like him in zeal; one with him in mind and heart:* You drowned the adversaries with your outpoured blood* drying up the torrent of wicked heresies!* You were revealed, Marcian and Martyrius,* to be rivers of true worship watering the Church of Christ!
Tone 2, Podoben, “When from the Tree…”
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Giving your flesh over to wounds* and enduring most bitter torments and violent death, О all-praised martyrs,* you put the tyrants to shame and truly abolished the worship of idols,* preaching Christ, the one God and Master,* before Whom ye stand crowned, О glorious ones,* together with the angelic hosts.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Giving your flesh over to wounds* and enduring most bitter torments and violent death, О all-praised martyrs,* you put the tyrants to shame and truly abolished the worship of idols,* preaching Christ, the one God and Master,* before Whom ye stand crowned, О glorious ones,* together with the angelic hosts.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
You revealed yourselves to be divine preachers of the Word who appeared on earth,* and taught piety to all, setting forth the orthodox faith in divine words,* whereby you drove heresy far from the Church of Christ.* Therefore, you ever dwell in the habitations of God, О blessed ones,* as sacred ministers of the Trinity,* leading into it all mankind.
Tone 2, Glory… Now…
O Virgin, the shadow of the Law passed away* with the realization of grace.* For as the bush had burned without being consumed,* so you gave birth while a virgin* and you remained a virgin.* Instead of the pillar of fire there rose the Sun of Justice.* Instead of Moses, Christ God came forth,* the Saviour of 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 2
O you saints great is the glory,* that you have gained through your faith.* For not only by your sufferings were you victorious over the enemy;* but even after death, as physicians of body and soul,* you drive out evil spirits and bring healing to the infirm.* Intercede before the Lord,* that mercy be granted to our souls.
Blessed are they whom You have chosen* and taken to Yourself, О Lord
As a flower withers and a dream passes away,* so does the flesh of each man dissipate upon death.* But at the sound of the trumpet* all the dead as if in an earthquake shall rise up again to meet You, O Christ our God.* Grant then, O Master, to all Your servants* whom You have taken from us,* to eternally dwell in the tabernacles of Your saints.
Their souls shall dwell* amid good things.
Woe is me! How great a struggle does the soul endure at its parting from the body.* Woe is me! How many tears does it shed,* but there is no one to take pity.* Turning its eyes to the angels, it supplicates in vain;* stretching out its hands to men, it finds none to help.* Therefore, my beloved brethren,* reflecting upon the shortness of our life,* let us ask Christ to grant rest to the departed* and to our souls great mercy.
Tone 3, Glory…
Marcian and Martyrius* conquered heresies with the shield of faith,* enlightening the world with the light of orthodoxy!* They are champions of the Trinity and spiritual beacons of the Church!* Obedient to Paul, the equal of the apostles,* they cast down the division of Arius and Nestorius,* refuting also the mingling of Sabellius and Severus.* They theologized about the Unity in Trinity,* the God Who was incarnate of the Virgin!* The most blessed ones preached to all one Christ in two natures!* Now that they have received crowns of victory from heaven,* these heralds of God pray for great mercy for our souls!
Now…
O Theotokos, holy among women, O Mother unwedded:* entreat the King and God whom you bore,* that He save us, insofar as He is the Lover of mankind.
Troparia
Tone 1
O Marcian and Martyrius, a pair of martyrs worthy of each other,* have crushed the infamy of Arius.* Obeying Paul the teacher of accurate statements,* they taught that the Son is consubstantial with the Father and the Spirit.* They died under the sword and have joined Christ.* They intercede with Him to save our souls.
Glory… Now…
O Holy Tabernacle, when Gabriel cried out to you:* Rejoice O Virgin, full of grace,* the Lord of all became incarnate of you,* as the righteous David had foretold.* In bearing your Creator, you have shown yourself to surpass the vastness of the heavens.* We, therefore, cry out: Glory to Him who dwelt in you!* Glory to Him who came forth from you!* Glory to Him who has set us free through your life-giving birth!
DIVINE LITURGY ON SATURDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 1: O Marcian and Martyrius, a pair of martyrs worthy of each other,* have crushed the infamy of Arius.* Obeying Paul the teacher of accurate statements,* they taught that the Son is consubstantial with the Father and the Spirit.* They died under the sword and have joined Christ.* They intercede with Him to 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 4: You lived piously since your childhood, O Marcian and Martyrius,* and you came to crush Arius.* You preserved the teachings of the faith intact* by following the wise teacher, Paul.* You have found life in his company as defenders of the Trinity.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
God is wonderful in His saints,* the God of Israel.
verse: In the churches bless God, the Lord from the fountains of Israel. (Psalm 67:36,27)
Epistle
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
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 5:27-32
Communion Hymn
Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)