Post-feast of the Dormition. Great Doxology.

VESPERS ON FRIDAY 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.

With unworthy lips we praise the Theotokos* who is more venerable than all creation* and more holy than the Cherubim and all the angels in heaven.* She is the unshakable throne of the King.* She is the house in which the Eternal One made His abode.* She is the salvation of the world and the sanctuary of God.* In her holy memory He richly gives great mercy to the faithful.

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

O Virgin, what awesome hymns did the apostles of the Word,* standing around your bier, offer up at that time to you?* They cried out in amazement:* The palace of the King is departing.* The holy Tabernacle is being exalted.* Lift up, O you gates, for the Portal of God will enter in joy,* and, without ceasing, she beseeches great mercy for all the world.

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

What spiritual hymns shall we offer to you today, O all-holy One?* The whole world has been sanctified by your Dormition.* You have departed into heaven to contemplate the beauty of the Almighty.* As Mother you rejoice together with Him.* The angelic ranks solemnly accompanied you, O pure One.* Together with them, ask for peace and great mercy* for us and for the souls of the just.

Tone 2

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

With what eyes shall we earth-dwellers gaze upon Your image, O Christ?* The hosts of angels cannot look upon it without fear;* it flashes with rays of divine lightning.* It triumphs over the assaults of godlessness today.* It sojourns among a royal priesthood, a pious people.* Its coming brings joy to all Orthodox Christians,* who fall before it in faith and fear!

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

How shall we creatures of dust look upon Your image, Word?* How shall we, polluted in sin, dare to gaze upon the face of our sinless God?* How shall we, paralyzed in corruption,* come before the unapproachable One?* The cherubim veil their faces, not daring to look upon You;* the seraphim who carry You cannot gaze upon Your glory!* In fear they serve You, Creator!* Do not condemn us, merciful Christ,* for we embrace Your image in faith.

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

The praiseworthy day of the Master has come again!* He Who is enthroned on high now looks down upon us,* through the eyes of His most pure image.* He Who is above the cherubim, upon Whom none may gaze,* is made visible, as the scriptures say,* to those with whom He shares His own likeness,* for You wondrously fashioned us in Your image,* by the most pure finger of the Father,* and by worshipping You in faith, we are made pure.

Tone 8, Glory…

O Master and Lover of mankind,* Your creation has been blessed for generations of generations* through the great depth of Your providence.* You sent to Abgar the icon of Your most venerable face* which had been fashioned by You* who are invisible to the Cherubim in Your divinity.* May we who gaze upon the icon be inflamed with Your love;* for You became incarnate,* suffered the passion willingly for our sake,* and poured out great mercy upon us.

Now…

Out of his love for mankind* the King of heaven appeared on earth and dwelled with men,* for He assumed a human body from the pure Virgin* and was seen in the flesh He received from her.* He is the One and only God* having two natures but not two persons.* Therefore we profess and declare the truth* that Christ our God is perfect God and perfect Man.* O Mother, who knew not carnal union,* intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.

Prokeimenon

Tone 7

O God, You are my defender* and Your mercy goes before me.

verse: Deliver me from my enemies, O God; save me from those who rise up against me.

Aposticha

Tone 4

It was not a fiery chariot that carried you from the earth,* as it did the righteous Elias,* but the Son of Justice himself.* He gives rest to your holy and most pure soul.* O pure One, He has gloriously transported and rewarded you* with joy beyond understanding.

Go up, Lord, to the place of Your rest, You and the ark of strength.

Come, O faithful, and celebrate!* Today we shall gloriously observe the holy transporting of the Mother of God.* She truly rejoices* and entrusts her holy and most pure soul* into the hands of Christ our God,* who came forth first from the eternal father* and in these latter times from her womb.* She now prays for our salvation.

The Lord has sworn an oath to David; He will not go back on His word.

O most awesome marvel!* She who bore in her womb the uncontainable King* is now placed into a tomb.* The assembly of angels and apostles buries her with reverence.* Jesus, her Son and the Saviour of our souls,* has exalted her God-bearing and precious body,* and He has enthroned her in heaven.

Tone 6, Glory…

You became incarnate as You willed, Lord:* You desired to assume our poverty* to show forth the riches of compassion,* by which You have deified me, who am dust!* We glorify You, Lover of mankind,* as we gaze upon the image of Your countenance.* Grant Your servants unhindered entry into Eden, Saviour,* overlooking all our transgressions.

Tone 8, Now…

Jesus, your Son and our God, O Theotokos,* confirming His two natures,* dies as a Man and arises as God!* It was His good pleasure, Mother of God,* that you also die lest unbelievers consider His dispensation a fantasy!* You were translated to the Kingdom of heaven, celestial Bride* taken up from the earth as from your dwelling chamber.* The air was sanctified by your passage* as the earth was illumined by your giving of birth.* The apostles send you forth and the angels bear you up.* As they buried your all-pure body, singing funeral hymns for you* they gazed in awe and spoke with fear:* This change is from the right hand of the Most High,* for He dwelt within you,* and you shall never be shaken!* All-hymned Mother, do not cease to watch over us,* for we are your people and the sheep of your pasture:* We call on your name,* asking salvation and great mercy for your sake.

Troparia

Tone 2

We bow before Your most pure image, O kind Lord,* and beg pardon for our sins, O Christ our God.* Of Your own will You consented to ascend the Cross in the flesh to free Your handiwork from enslavement to the enemy.* In thanksgiving we cry aloud to You:* by coming to save the world, our Saviour, You filled all things with joy.

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 LI|TURGY ON SATURDAY 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: We bow before Your most pure image, O kind Lord,* and beg pardon for our sins, O Christ our God.* Of Your own will You consented to ascend the Cross in the flesh to free Your handiwork from enslavement to the enemy.* In thanksgiving we cry aloud to You:* by coming to save the world, our Saviour, You filled all things with joy.

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

Kontakion, Tone 8: The uncircumscribed Word of the Father* became circumscribed when He took flesh of you, O Mother of God,* and when He restored the divine image to its ancient glory,* He suffused it with the beauty of God.* Therefore, confessing our salvation in deed and word,* we portray it in images.

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

Romans 15:30-33

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 17:24-18:4

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)