Nativity Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.

VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 8

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

When You were nailed to the Cross, Your hands and feet run through,* Your holy side was pierced, pouring forth drops of blood and water,* divine salvation, supremely good One,* that You might wash away my defilement and pollution.* Glory to Your goodness, О all-Compassionate One!

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

You endured suffering, О Master,* that You might bestow dispassion upon all who worship Your sufferings and voluntary sacrifice:* the spear, nails and reed, which You willingly endured with long-suffering:* that for the sake of Your sufferings, О Lord, You might win dispassion for me.

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

The unblemished heifer, beholding her Bullock willingly lifted up upon the Tree,* cried out with compunction, lamenting:* “Woe is me, О my most beloved Child!* How have the ungrateful assembly of the Jews rewarded You,* desiring to leave me bereft of You, О all-Beloved!”

Tone 4 [optional Podoben “Called from on high…”]

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

As a divine prophet, a proclaimer and herald of the words of God,* having received the radiance of the splendour of the Godhead* through the purity of your mind,* you were shown to be the divinely inspired mouth of the Spirit.* Proclaiming the things shown to you by Him* and relating to all the nations the salvation given to men* and the kingdom of Christ, O most honoured one,* entreat Him to save and enlighten our souls.

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

As a divine prophet, a proclaimer and herald of the words of God,* having received the radiance of the splendour of the Godhead* through the purity of your mind,* you were shown to be the divinely inspired mouth of the Spirit.* Proclaiming the things shown to you by Him* and relating to all the nations the salvation given to men* and the kingdom of Christ, O most honoured one,* entreat Him to save and enlighten our souls.

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

You have shown forth, O Immortal One, Your prophet* as an animate cloud pouring forth water to life which is truly everlasting,* having sent him forth and richly bestowed upon him the all-holy Spirit,* who is consubstantial with You, the Almighty Father, and Your Son,* who shone forth from Your Essence,* whereby he prophesied the saving Advent of Christ our God* and proclaimed salvation to all the nations.

Tone 4… Glory… Now…

Lament Me not, O Mother,* beholding your Son and God hanging upon the Tree,* who suspended the earth freely upon the waters and fashioned all creation;* for I shall arise and glorify Myself,* and shall break the might of the kingdom of hell,* destroy its power,* and deliver them that have been bound*by its villainy,* in that I am compassionate;* and I shall lead them to my Father, as I love mankind.

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 8

О Christ God who was lifted up upon the Cross,* You saved the race of mankind.* We glorify Your sufferings!

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.

You were nailed to the Cross, О Christ God,* opening the gates of paradise.* We glorify Your divinity!

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.

Your martyrs, О Lord, were no longer mindful of the things of life,* but ignored their tortures for the sake of the life which is to come,* and were shown to be inheritors thereof;* therefore, they rejoice with the angels.* By their supplications grant great mercy to Your people.

Glory… Now…

O Lord, when the sun beheld You the Sun of righteousness, hanging upon the Tree,* it hid its rays, and the light of the moon was changed to darkness;* and Your all-immaculate Mother was pierced in the depths of her soul.

Troparia

Tone 2

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

Glory… Now…

O Virgin and all-glorious Mother of God,* we sing to you a hymn of praise,* for Hades has been destroyed by your Son’s cross;* Death has been put to death,* and we, the dead, have been made to rise and become worthy of life.* We have obtained paradise, the original bliss.* Therefore, we glorify you by giving thanks to Christ our God,* for He alone is almighty and all-merciful.

DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 2: As we celebrate the memory of Your prophet, Zephaniah,* 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, Zephaniah.

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

1 Timothy 1:18-20; 2:8-15

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 15:1-10

Communion Hymn

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