Apostles’ Fast

VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 8

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

I have acquired neither compunction, nor a wellspring of tears,* nor fervent confession, nor weeping which washes me clean, nor humility of heart;* I have been neither an emulator of the publican, nor of the harlot, nor of the prodigal son*. How, therefore, shall I find remission for my many sins?* But in the judgments which You know, save me, О Christ.

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 made myself foreign to every commandment of God;* in every way I have neglected higher virtue;* I have mindlessly wasted my whole life in slothfulness;* and I have committed every unseemly and iniquitous act in fornication.* Wherefore, since You are compassionate, О Christ, have pity, and freely save me.

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

In Your anger rebuke me not who am the work of Your hands,* and who with my foolish mind have torn myself away from goodness, О Lover of mankind,* and who in the abyss of Your ineffable compassion* was for my sake well-pleased to become like to me.* But through the supplications of Your ever-Virgin Mother, О Word,* grant me divine conversion, in that You are God.

Tone 4

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

Like stars of surpassing splendour, O all-praised passion-bearers,* you illumine the ends of the world with divine radiance,* dispelling the darkness of the demons, the corrupting passions and misfortunes.* Therefore, assembling today, O glorious ones,* we praise your luminous, light-bearing and holy festival.

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

With sacred hymns let the wondrous Manuel,* the blessed Sabel and the all-wise Ismael, be honoured;* for, confessing the uncreated Trinity in sacred manner in the face of the enemy,* they extinguished the falsehood of polytheism with the outpouring of their blood,* and have received glory which does not fade away.

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

O blessed Manuel, Ismael and Sabel of great renown,* you wisely put to shame the lawless king who iniquitously commanded you* to worship and render honour to his mindless, inanimate gods;* and, having suffered patiently and lawfully,* you have woven for yourselves wreaths of victory, praying for the world.

Tone 8, Glory… Now…

With faith I hasten to your protection, О pure Theotokos.* Save me from perils and misfortunes, from the confusion of the passions and the malice of the demons.* For, possessed of an abyss of mercy,* you have been shown to be a mediatress of salvation,*О Lady,* who has given birth to the only merciful, all-compassionate and abundantly kind-hearted God.

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 8

The angels unceasingly hymn You, the King and Master;* and I fall down before You, crying like the publican:* Cleanse me, О God, and have mercy upon me!

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.

As you are immortal, О my soul,* let not the waves of life engulf you,* but rise up, crying out to your Benefactor:* Cleanse me, О God, and save me!

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 martyrs of the Lord, entreat our God,* and ask for our souls a multitude of compassions* and the cleansing of our many transgressions, we beseech you.

Glory… Now…

Rejoice, praise of the universe!* Rejoice, temple of the Lord!* Rejoice, mountain overshadowed!* Rejoice, refuge of all!* Rejoice, golden candlestick!* Rejoice, honoured glory of the Orthodox!* Rejoice, Mary, Mother of Christ God!* Rejoice, paradise! Rejoice, divine table!* Rejoice, tabernacle! Rejoice, golden jar!* Rejoice, hope of all!

Troparion

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.

DIVINE LITURGY ON TUESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

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

Kontakion, Tone 2: O blessed martyrs, because of your perfect faith in Christ,* you drank of the cup of sufferings with generous hearts.* You renounced the idols of Persia* and proclaimed your belief in the Holy Trinity.* O trinity of martyrs, intercede for us at all times.

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

Romans 4:4-12

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

Matthew 7:15-21

Communion Hymn

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