Nativity Fast.

VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 2

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

О Christ, who alone are without sin,* who alone are without guile, who alone are the Wellspring of goodness:* Behold my oppression, behold my tribulation.* Wash all the wounds of my stripes, and in Your mercy save Your servant,* that, having driven the clouds of slothfulness far from me,* I may glorify You, my supremely good Saviour.

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

Look, О my lowly soul!* Behold your works, which are all-defiled!* Behold your nakedness and, alas, your isolation!* For you shall be separated from God and the angels,* and cast into endless torment.* Come to your senses, arise, make haste and cry aloud:* I have sinned, О Saviour!* Grant me forgiveness, and save me!

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

I have grievously defiled my body* and brought corruption upon my soul and heart by my vile thoughts;* I have wounded all my senses, have blinded my eyes,* have stopped up mine ears with filth, and have defiled my tongue;* and all that I have is shameful.* Therefore, falling down before You, I cry aloud:* О Master Christ, I have sinned against You!* I have sinned; forgive and save me!

Tone 8

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

Having become a dwelling-place and animate temple of your Lord* through the splendour of your life and your sojourn, O most honoured one,* you raised up to Him who reigns over the whole world* the inanimate temple which had fallen of old.

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

Beseech Him with your supplications, that He grant great mercy to all.* You were a vessel of the Spirit, pleasing in lustre,* receiving effulgence imparted to you from the heavens;* you prophesied the deliverance of all men by the Saviour.* Beseech Him with your supplications,* that He grant great mercy to all.

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

Bathed in luminous radiance, vouchsafed vision,* and shown to be full of the most pure enlightenment which never wanes, O blessed one,* preserve those who hymn you, entreating the one Lord,* that He grant great mercy to all.

Tone 8, Glory… Now…

Alas! Woe is me, who have angered my God,* remaining in ignorance, despondency, and slothfulness, as I have!* O Virgin Mistress, help me who am benighted,* and entreat your Son and Creator,* that He grant me forgiveness of my offenses.

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 2

Like the prodigal son I have sinned against You, О Saviour.* Accept me who am penitent, О Father.* Have mercy upon me, О God!

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.

With the cry of the publican I cry out to You, О Christ my Saviour:* Cleanse me as You did him,* and have mercy on me, О God!

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.

When the holy martyrs pray for us and hymn Christ,* all delusion ceases, and the race of mankind is saved by faith.

Tone 2, Glory… Now…

All of my hope do I place on thee, O Mother of God;* keep me under your protection.

Troparia

Tone 2

As we celebrate the memory of Your prophet, Haggai,* O Lord, we beseech You through him: “Save our souls!”

Glory… Now…

O Mother of God and virgin forever,* through you we have been made to share the divine nature;* you have given birth for us to the incarnate God.* Therefore, we all exalt you with great devotion.

DIVINE LITURGY ON TUESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 2: As we celebrate the memory of Your prophet, Haggai,* O Lord, we beseech You through him: “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: Enlightened by the spirit* your pure heart, having seen the distant in the present* became a vessel of brilliant prophecy;* and so we honour you, O blessed and glorious prophet, Haggai.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

You are a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.

verse: The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.” (Psalm 109:4,1)

Epistle

2 Timothy 3:16-4:4

Alleluia, Tone 5

verse: Moses and Aaron are among His priests and Samuel among those who call upon His name.

verse: Light is risen for the just and joy for the righteous of heart. (Psalm 96:11)

Gospel

Luke 19:45-48

Communion Hymn

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