Nativity Fast.

VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 8, Podoben “O all-glorious wonder…”

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

Full of valiant wisdom,* with a most courageous resolve endured the severing of your limbs and the dismemberment of your body,* unbearable fire, starvation and death,* in expectation of the glory which ages not with time,* which lies eternally before you,* and foreseeing everlasting blessedness.

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

Having transcended every sense and directed your mind toward life on high,* with divinely wise thought and great wisdom of soul* you spurned the baseness and lowliness of visible things.* Wherefore, lacerated and burned with fire for Christ, O martyr,* you endured valiantly.

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

By grace you set at nought every assault of the enemy* and the onslaughts of the persecutors;* and you were crowned with the wreath of victory,* O you who are most rich,* being vouchsafed incorruptible gladness and ineffable and divine radiance.* And as you are now in the midst thereof,* ask remission of sins for those who praise you well.

Tone 4, Podoben “As one 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.

Consumed by fasting, hardened by ascetic endeavour,* and tormented with manifold tortures,* you became a two-edged sword, cutting down hordes of demons, O Roman,* adornment of athletes, divine boast, precious ornament of the Church* of those who died shedding their own blood, O most lauded one.

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

Lacerated and rent asunder, imprisoned in a dungeon,* your tongue cut out, O glorious athlete,* your jaw broken, receiving a blessed end through violent suffocation,* you were shown to be unshakable and steadfast* through the activity of the divine Spirit, O Roman;* wherefore, we praise you with faith.

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

A child speaks eloquently and amazes the mindless:* he is adorned with honourable opposition and is illumined by his death;* he is enriched by the goodly fame of the holy athletes, whose zeal he acquired.* O right wise Roman, pray with them, that remission of debts be sent down upon us all.

Tone 6, Glory…

Awesome and all-glorious are the victories of Your martyr, O Lord!* For, emulating the boldness of the fishermen, by his words and deeds he rent asunder* the mythology and historical blasphemy of Plato with the nets of theology;* and when his skin was flayed and his head cut off,* he choked the enemy with the outpouring of his blood.* O most blessed wonderworker Plato, adornment of the martyrs,* who preached the great name of Christ with boldness,* ask that great mercy be given our souls.

Now…

О most holy Virgin, show forth upon me, the wretched one,* the depths of your love for mankind,* the abyss of your tender compassion, and the countless compassions of thy goodness.* Mow down the stubble of sin, granting me chastity,* and preserve my body and soul undefiled,* О you who have given birth to the Saviour.

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 6

At Your fearful Coming, O Christ, may we not hear the words: I know you not.* For though, O Saviour, we have put our trust in You,* from negligence we have not kept not Your commandments;* yet we entreat You, spare 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.

I have no repentance and I have no tears.* Wherefore I entreat You, O Christ God:* before the end is here turn me back and grant me compunction,* that I may be delivered from the torments of Hades.

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 martyred passion-bearers,* citizens of heaven, who suffered on the earth,* you endured many torments.* By their supplications and entreaty, О Lord, preserve us all.

Glory… Now…

No one that flees to you, O most pure Virgin Theotokos,* departs from you ashamed;* for those that ask grace of you,* ever receives a gift for their profitable petition.

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… 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: 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 4: Your holy memory delights the universe* and brings us together in your holy temple.* Since we are now gathered together in our joy,* praise your great deeds with hymns, O Plato and Roman,* and we cry out to you with faith:* O holy ones, save your city from its enemies.

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

Epistle

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

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 11:34-41

Communion Hymn

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