Post-feast of the Dormition.

VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 6, Podoben “Having set all aside…”

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

Today the all-immaculate Theotokos who gave birth to Life,* has passed on to everlasting life,* bestowing mercy upon the faithful;* and all creation now rejoices, leaping up;* companies of angels now escort her as their Queen,* making festive hymnody in songs;* and her only Son, the King of all,* has made her to dwell with Him,* as one who has dominion over all.

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

Born on clouds from all the ends of the earth,* the divinely eloquent apostles arrived,* born up in Sion, to behold* the glorious and truly holy dormition of the Mother of the Lord,* and to offer her splendid words* and to perform her wondrous burial,* in that she gave birth to the Lord,* and is the refuge of all the faithful,* and their truly mighty, divine and invincible protection on earth.

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

Let us all radiantly celebrate* on the divine dormition of her who is more highly exalted than all created beings,* offering to her gifts of light truly divine,* and those things which are fit for her:* faith, hope and serene love,* purity, sanctity, and righteousness, wherein she delights.* May she vouchsafe us a portion with her* and count us worthy of the kingdom on high.

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

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

Having received you as a worthy fruit of prayer, O Samuel,* and given you to God her Benefactor as she had promised,* she who gave birth to you* made of you a right acceptable gift with her maternal hands.* Wherefore, the grace of the Spirit rested upon you, O glorious one,* causing you to grow in guilelessness,* and adorning you with wisdom.

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

Invested as a priest with sacred chrism,* and shown to be a prophet,* you foresaw things which were to come,* and at the command of God anointed a king;* you foretold the future,* judging with justice the people of Israel who sinned without ceasing* and withdrew themselves from their God,* O right wondrous Samuel, all-rich God-bearer.

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

Having put aside the gloom and heaviness of the flesh,* you now behold Him whom you desired,* not in reflections, nor in shadows, as before, but face to face;* and going about the heavens, you rejoice, O most honoured prophet,* who are the peer of the other prophets of God,* converser with the righteous,* who share in the portion of the angels.

Tone 6, Glory… Now…

O Theotokos, Mother of Life,* the apostles, who were scattered throughout the world,* were caught up in the air by clouds and borne to your dormition;* and in a single choir they stood before your all-holy body;* and, burying it with honour, they sang,* chanting to you the cry of Gabriel:* Rejoice, you who are full of grace,* Virgin Mother unwedded,* the Lord is with you!* With them entreat your Son and our God, that our souls be saved.

Prokeimenon, Tone 1

Your mercy, O Lord, shall follow me* all the days of my life.

verse: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In green pastures He gives me repose.

Aposticha

Tone 6

Following the words of the divine Gabriel, we cry out to you:* Rejoice, O pure one!* Therefore, O all-holy Mother of the Lord,* having passed on to Him,* be mindful of them that hymn you.

Arise, O Lord, into Your rest,* You and the ark of Your holiness.

Through the Holy Spirit, the immeasurable Wisdom of God* made of you a temple for Himself,* in manner past understanding, O Theotokos;* and now He has brought you over to the immaterial mansions of heaven,* O all-hymned one.

The Lord has sworn in truth to David,* and He will not annul it.

A servant, I now approach you, the Mother of the God of all,* praying to be delivered from all temptations.* O Theotokos, who reign with your Son,* preserve the Christian race.

Tone 6, Glory… Now…

When the repose of your all-pure body drew nigh,* the apostles, standing about your bed, looked upon you with trembling;* and they, gazing at your body, were seized with awe.* And Peter cried aloud to you, weeping:* O Virgin, I behold you clearly stretched out, the life of all,* and I am amazed, for in your body* the Delight of the life to come made His abode!* O all-pure one, earnestly entreat your Son and God,* that your flock be saved unharmed.

Troparia

Tone 2

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

Tone 1, Glory… Now…

In giving birth you retained your virginity,* in falling asleep you did not abandon the world, O Mother of God.* You passed into life, for you are the Mother of Life,* and by your prayers* you deliver our souls from death.

DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 1: In giving birth you retained your virginity,* in falling asleep you did not abandon the world, O Mother of God.* You passed into life, for you are the Mother of Life,* and by your prayers* you deliver our souls from death.

Troparion, Tone 2: As we celebrate the memory of Your prophet, Samuel,* O Lord, we beseech You through him: “Save our souls!”

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

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, Samuel.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: The tomb and death could not hold the Mother of God,* unceasing in her intercession and unfailing hope of patronage,* for, as the Mother of Life, she was transferred to life* by Him Who had dwelt in her ever-virgin womb.

Prokeimenon, Tone 3

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.

verse: Because he has regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, all generations shall call me blessed. (Luke 1:46-48)

Epistle

2 Corinthians 3:4-11

Alleluia, Tone 8

verse: Rise up, O Lord, to the place of Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness.

verse: The Lord swore an oath to David, and will not go back on His word. (Psalm 131:8,11)

Gospel

Matthew 23:29-39

Hymn to the Mother of God

Seeing the pure one’s falling asleep, angels marvelled in wonder how the Virgin could ascend from earth to heaven.

And the Irmos: O pure Virgin, in you are conquered the bounds of nature,* for childbirth remains virginal and death is betrothed to life.* Virgin after childbearing and alive after death, O Mother of God,* never cease to save your inheritance.

Communion Hymn

I will take the chalice of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 115:13)