Saint with Six Stichera.

VESPERS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 4, Podoben “You have given a sign…”

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

The divinely-eloquent Paul ordains you, most blessed one,* as his namesake and follower!* You are adorned with his character and piety,* his endurance through tribulations!* Aflame with his zeal, you are a champion of orthodoxy!* Now you are glorified with him in the heavenly mansions!

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

The divinely-eloquent Paul ordains you, most blessed one,* as his namesake and follower!* You are adorned with his character and piety,* his endurance through tribulations!* Aflame with his zeal, you are a champion of orthodoxy!* Now you are glorified with him in the heavenly mansions!

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

You strangled the ungodly Arius and the impious Macedonius* with the strong cords of your teachings!* With your true words of doctrine,* you strengthened multitudes of the orthodox faithful, hieromartyr and father!* Therefore, the Lover of mankind accepted your brilliant confession,* revealing you to be a dweller in His Kingdom!

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

You strangled the ungodly Arius and the impious Macedonius* with the strong cords of your teachings!* With your true words of doctrine,* you strengthened multitudes of the orthodox faithful, hieromartyr and father!* Therefore, the Lover of mankind accepted your brilliant confession,* revealing you to be a dweller in His Kingdom!

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

Christ has crowned you with a bright wreath of righteousness, blessed bishop!* You have kept the faith; you have finished your course,* and He has adorned your confession, truly wondrous one!* Therefore, since you have received your inheritance in heaven,* Pray to the Saviour for those who sing praises to you!

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

Most blessed Paul, the namesake of confession,* you are the intercessor for those who praise you in faith:* deliver us from all misfortune and every sin,* from the storm of the passions and from tyranny,* for you are an invincible martyr, father, a rightly-accepted bishop!* You have acquired boldness before Christ our God!

Tone 1, Glory…

Clothed in the vestments of a bishop, venerable father,* you imitated your namesake, Paul.* You endured persecution and tribulations;* by constant toil you overthrew the blasphemous teachings of Arius!* You suffered for the Unoriginate and Consubstantial Trinity;* you cast down the impious Macedonius who fought against the Spirit!* You gave a clear explanation of the orthodox faith to all,* for you are united with the immaterial angels.* Together with them, pray that our souls may be saved!

Now…

Tempest-tossed on the abyss of transgressions,* fleeing to the calm haven of your most pure supplication,* I cry out to you, O Theotokos:* Save me, O all-immaculate one, extending your mighty right hand* to your servant!

Prokeimenon, Tone 5

O Lord, save me by Your name,* and in Your power be a judge for me.

verse: O God, hear my prayer; listen to the words of my mouth.

Aposticha

Tone 4

You enlightened the choir of the apostles with the Holy Spirit, О Christ God.* By them wash away the defilement of our sin, and have mercy on us.

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.

Thy Holy Spirit revealed the illiterate disciples to be teachers, О Christ God,* and set at naught the deception of the pagans with their greatly eloquent harmony,* in that He is almighty.

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.

O martyrs of the Lord,* you animate sacrifices, noetic whole-burnt offerings, perfect offerings to God,* you lambs who know God and are known of Him,* and to whose fold the wolves have no entry:* Pray that with you we also may be tended by the water of peace.

Tone 1

Your priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Your righteous shall rejoice.

O venerable father Paul, invested with virtue by Christ God,* strengthened by the faith you valiantly conquered every horde of demons and barbarians,* and established your flock upon a rock, unassailed by any heresy.* Joining the angels in chorus, pray to the Saviour* that our souls be preserved in peace.

Tone 2, Glory…

Sailing the deep of fasting with the sail of abstinence,* you escaped the storm of the passions, O venerable one.* Being the namesake of the divine Paul, you endured persecution and tribulations,* maltreated amid the blasphemies of the heretics.* You cast down the opinions of Arius,* and, vanquishing the heresy of Nestorius, you have been shown to be a zealot of the Church of Christ.* Entreat Him, O blessed hierarch, that our souls be saved.

Now…

Like a fruitful olive tree,* the Virgin brought You forth as the Fruit of life,* bearing to the world, the fruit of rich and great mercy.

Troparia

Tone 3

The Church sees you as another Paul* because of your confession of the divine faith.* The blood of Abel and Zechariah calls for you to the Lord.* O father, beg Christ our God to have mercy on us.

Glory… Now…

The prophets foretold, the apostles taught, the martyrs professed,* and we have believed that you are, indeed, the Mother of God.* Therefore, we exalt your inexpressible birthgiving.

DIVINE LITURGY ON THURSDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 3: The Church sees you as another Paul* because of your confession of the divine faith.* The blood of Abel and Zechariah calls for you to the Lord.* O father, beg Christ our God to have mercy on us.

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

Kontakion, Tone 2: You shone over the earth like a heavenly star,* and now you enlighten the universal Church.* for her sake you shed your blood and made a gift of your soul, O Paul.* Just like the blood of Abel and Zechariah,* your blood cried out to the Lord with might.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

The venerable ones will exult in glory* and they shall be joyful in their beds.

verse: Sing to the Lord a new song; let His praise be in the assembly of the venerable ones. (Psalm 149:5,1)

Epistle

Colossians 4:2-9

Alleluia, Tone 6

verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.

verse: His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth. (Psalm 111:1,2)

Gospel

Luke 9:49-56

Communion Hymn

Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.