Saint with Six Stichera.

VESPERS ON MONDAY 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 finished the course of faith,* the valiant-minded Nazarius, the great Protasius,* the wise Celsius and the divinely wise Gervasius* received the crown of victory as witnesses.* Let us hymn them as valiant warriors,* as heirs to the kingdom on high,* as voluntary sacrifices.

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

Illumined by the sense of the effulgence of the Spirit, O sacred Nazarius,* with divine grace you shone forth more brightly than the sun* upon the souls of those in darkness,* teaching, enlightening, instructing them most splendidly* to believe in and worship the one Lord* who was all-gloriously incarnate of the Virgin* and has enlightened those on earth.

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

With Nazarius the ever-memorable Celsius shone forth,* and the glorious Protasius and Gervasius, who suffered with valiant mind* and manfully vanquished on earth all the hordes of the demons.* Therefore, they pour forth streams of healings* and richly water the hearts of the pious* with grace divine.

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

Let Nazarius be praised, and let Protasius be honoured* with the godly Celsius and Gervasius,* who suffered right gloriously and diminished falsehood,* who are honoured in sacred manner by the angelic choirs* and are deified by divine communion,* receiving crowns of victory* from the hand of the Bestower of life.

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

In that you finished the race and kept the faith, O divine martyrs,* you have been crowned with wreaths of suffering* and numbered among the angels,* having fought splendidly and trampled the deceitful enemy underfoot with the help of Christ.* Therefore, assembling together,* in gladness we celebrate your radiant memory.

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

Passing through cities, the divinely wise Nazarius illumined them with his Godly preaching.* And Celsius, emulating him, acquired the glory of the athletes of God,* trampling the deceitful one underfoot.* Let us all honour them with praises as stars and luminaries for those in darkness* and physicians for our souls.

Tone 8, Glory…

Let us praise Nazarius, Gervasius, Protasius and Celsius, the reason-endowed sacrifices,* for they set at nought all the savagery of the tyrants and the idols.* Therefore, through their supplications, O Christ God,* grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls. :

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 1

Great is the abyss of my many transgressions, О Saviour,* and I am grievously engulfed because of my offenses.* Grant me Your hand, as You did to Peter, О God.* Save me 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.

In that I have been condemned for wicked thoughts and deeds, О Saviour,* grant me the thought of returning to You, О God,* that I may cry aloud: Save me, О good Benefactor,* and have mercy upon 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.

The confession you made before the tribunal reviled the power of the demons,* and freed mankind from delusion, О saints.* Therefore, when you were beheaded you cried aloud:* О Lord, may the sacrifice of our lives be well-pleasing to You,* for having loved You, we have spurned this transitory life,* О Lover of mankind.

Glory… Now…

O all-hymned Virgin,* in whom Moses beheld a mystery with prophetic eyes* the bush that burned yet remained unconsumed;* for the fire of the Godhead did not burn your womb, O pure one.* Therefore, we beseech you, as the Mother of our God:* beg peace and great mercy for the world.

Troparia

Tone 4

This quartet of martyrs illumines the Church* like a brilliant star in the sky.* By the suffering of Nazarius and confession of the others,* the Church has been made to sing:* Glory to God, the strength of martyrs!

Glory…

You followed closely in the steps of Christ, your spouse,* loving the silent desert life.* As a young woman you took up his yoke* and armed yourself with the cross against the enemy.* By fasting and prayer, by tears and penance,* you utterly quenched the fires of passion.* Now you stand with the wise virgins in Christ’s presence* and pray for those who honour your memory, O Paraskevia.

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: This quartet of martyrs illumines the Church* like a brilliant star in the sky.* By the suffering of Nazarius and confession of the others,* the Church has been made to sing:* Glory to God, the strength of martyrs!

Troparion, Tone 4: You followed closely in the steps of Christ, your spouse,* loving the silent desert life.* As a young woman you took up his yoke* and armed yourself with the cross against the enemy.* By fasting and prayer, by tears and penance,* you utterly quenched the fires of passion.* Now you stand with the wise virgins in Christ’s presence* and pray for those who honour your memory, O Paraskevia.

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

Kontakion, Tone 6: Let us all sing of holy Paraskevia, patroness of those in peril.* She spurned the crown of corruption and received the lasting one;* therefore, God has given her glory and the grace of miracles.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: O heavenly martyrs, you have become brilliant stars.* By your miracles you shed light on the world.* You dispel the murky darkness and free us from sickness.* Pray unceasingly to Christ for all of us.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

God is wonderful in His saints,* the God of Israel.

verse: Bless God in the churches, the Lord from the fountains of Israel. (Psalm 67:36,27)

Epistle

Philippians 1:8-14

Alleluia, Tone 1

verse: With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me, and He heard my prayer.

verse: He brought me out of the pit of misery and the mud of the swamp. (Psalm 39:2,3)

Gospel

Luke 5:12-16

Communion Hymn

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