Polyeleos Feast.
GREAT VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
Blessed is the man… is sung.
At Psalm 140
Tone 4
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
With song let us hymn the clarion of beaten gold,* the divinely inspired instrument, the unfathomable abyss of dogma,* the foundation of the Church, the heavenly mind,* the depth of wisdom, the cup all of gold* which pours forth rivers of most sweet teachings* and gives drink to creation.
Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
With song let us hymn the clarion of beaten gold,* the divinely inspired instrument, the unfathomable abyss of dogma,* the foundation of the Church, the heavenly mind,* the depth of wisdom, the cup all of gold* which pours forth rivers of most sweet teachings* and gives drink to creation.
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Let us honour as is meet John of golden discourse:* the star which wanes not,* enlightening all the world with the rays of his teachings,* the preacher of repentance, the sponge all of gold* which draws up all the dankness of grievous despair,* and bedews hearts which waste away through sin.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Let Chrysostom be magnified in hymns:* the earthly angel and heavenly man,* the golden-voiced lark most rich in song,* the treasury of the virtues, the unbreakable stone,* model for the faithful, like to the martyrs,* the equal of the holy angels, the peer of the apostles.
Tone 4
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Let us form a most sacred chorus,* for the golden crown of the Church of Christ comes today from Comana* to the Imperial City, into royal glory.* Radiant, he shines from on high in his return;* he leads the faithful into the immaterial kingdom and unites all to the King.* Therefore, let us cry aloud:* O father of golden name, O divine and golden Chrysostom,* entreat Him to save and enlighten our souls!
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Let us form a most sacred chorus,* for the golden crown of the Church of Christ comes today from Comana* to the Imperial City, into royal glory.* Radiant, he shines from on high in his return;* he leads the faithful into the immaterial kingdom and unites all to the King.* Therefore, let us cry aloud:* O father of golden name, O divine and golden Chrysostom,* entreat Him to save and enlighten our souls!
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
As the radiant sky of the Church declines toward the west, O Chrysostom,* you underwent imprisonment most cruel;* but now, rejoicing, you sine forth unwaningly upon creation;* you warm it, adorned with stars of miracles, O wise one;* you bear Christ, who outshines the sun in His form,* who now enlightens your return.* Therefore, we cry aloud:* O all-wise and most luminous golden mouth of radiant discourse,* entreat Him to save and enlighten our souls!
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Heaven and the angels now join chorus,* and the assemblies of men make merry with creation;* for he who is on earth, indicating all things of heavenly thought,* by the divine ladder of his honourable words,* ascending on high by divinely trodden steps,* like a new Jacob, points out the angels of God, who rejoice in his translation. Therefore, we cry aloud:* O most blessed one of golden discourse, converser with the immaterial angels,* entreat God, that our souls be saved!
Tone 4, Glory…
It was not fitting for you, O Chrysostom,* when you departed from the Imperial City, to dwell in Comana,* from where the royal banquet, set by God, has again brought you back to the Imperial City.* And the Church rejoiced on seeing you, and confessed, saying:* My glory magnifies the Lord, who has given me a bridal attendant,* the confirmation of the Faith and the reception of my dignities,* the peace of my temples, the height of humility of mind,* the depth of mercy, the breadth of my poverty and the length of repentance.* Therefore, we beseech you, O venerable father,* beg peace and mercy for our souls!
Now…
O Mother of God, because of You David the Prophet* became an ancestor of God;* he foretold and sang a joyous hymn of praise* and cried out to Him who worked wonders in you:* “The Queen stood at your right hand.”* God revealed you as a life-giving mother,* when He chose to be incarnate of you without a father.* He renewed in man His image which the passions had corrupted.* He found the lost sheep in the mountains, carried it on His shoulders,* offered it to the Father, generously numbered it among the powers of heaven,* and saved the whole world, since He is Christ of great and rich mercy.
Reading I
A reading from the Book of Proverbs.
The remembrance of the righteous is with eulogies, the blessing of the Lord is upon the head of a righteous man. Blessed is a man who finds wisdom, and a mortal who sees discernment; for the profits gained from wisdom are better than the treasures of gold and silver. And wisdom is more valuable than precious stones, and nothing evil will withstand her; She is well known to all who come near her, and no honour is worthy of her. Righteousness proceeds from her mouth, and she carries law and mercy upon her tongue. Now therefore, my son, hear me: Blessed is the man who shall hearken to me and the man who shall guard my ways; for my issues are the issues of life, and grace is prepared from the Lord. “You, O men, I exhort, and I utter my voice to the sons of men; I, wisdom, dwell with counsel, and I call upon knowledge and understanding. Counsel and safety are mine; discernment is mine, and strength is mine; I love those who love me, and those who seek me shall find me. Understand astuteness, O simple ones, and put it in your heart, O uninstructed ones. Obey me, for I speak sacred things, and from my lips I will bring forth things that are true. for my mouth shall speak the truth, but false lips are an abomination before me. All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; there is nothing in them crooked or twisted. All things are evident to those who understand and true to those who find knowledge. Therefore, I teach you a true word and good knowledge to be obeyed, that you might answer words of truth to those who question you. That your hope might be in the Lord, and His way might be known to you. And the one who guards it will be filled with the Spirit.”
Proverbs 10:8a, 7a. 3:13-16, 18. 8:32, 34, 4, 12, 14, 17, 5-9. 22:24, 22. 15:4b
Reading II
A reading from the Book of Wisdom
When the righteous are praised, the people shall rejoice, for immortality is in its memory; because it is known both by God and by man. For his soul was pleasing to the Lord; therefore long for my words; yearn for them, and you will be instructed. Now this love is the keeping of her laws, honour wisdom, that you may reign forever. And I will hide no mysteries from you; for He is also the guide of wisdom and the corrector of the wise. For both we and our words are in His hand, for wisdom, the artisan of all things, taught me. So in herself, wisdom is a spirit that is rational, for she is the radiance of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the operative power of God and the image of His goodness. And makes them friends of God and prophets. For wisdom is more beautiful than the sun and more than every constellation of stars. Compared with light she is found to be superior. Wisdom rescued from troubles those who served her. She guided a righteous man on straight paths and gave him knowledge of holy things. She protected him from his enemies, kept him safe from those who plotted against him, and arbitrated a strong contest for him, so he might know that godliness is more powerful than anything. But evil cannot overcome wisdom. Nor will justice, when it cross-examines, pass him by. For they said among themselves, as they reasoned incorrectly: let us oppress the righteous poor man; let us not spare a widow, nor respect the aged gray hair of an old man. Let our might be our law of righteousness, let us lie in ambush for the righteous man, because he is useless to us and opposes our deeds; and accuses us of sins against our upbringing. He claims to have knowledge of God, and he calls himself a child of the Lord. He has become for us as a refutation of our purposes; even seeing him is a burden to us, because his life is unlike that of others; for his paths go in a different direction. We are considered by him as a hybrid, and he avoids our ways as something immoral. He considers the last things of the righteous as blessed. Let us see if his words are true, and let us put these last things to the test at the end of his life. Let us test him with insult and torture that we may know his gentleness and test his patient endurance. Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for there shall be a visitation because of his words. So they reasoned these things and were led astray, for their malice blinded them. But they did not know the mysteries of God. For You have authority over life and death. He forgives sins and saves in time of affliction by which You called and glorified us. Because the Lord is compassionate and merciful. The Lord opposes the arrogant, but He gives grace to the humble.
Proverbs 29:2a. Wisdom 4:1b-c, 14a. 6:11, 18a, 21b, 22b. 7:15c, 16a, 21b, 22a, 26, 27d, 29. 10:9, 10a, 10d, 12. 7:30b. 1:8c. 2:1a, 10-11a, 12a, 12b, 12d, 13-16c, 17, 19-22a/ 16:13a. Sirach 2:11b. Wisdom 18:8b. Sirach 2:11a. Proverbs 3:17.
Reading III
The mouth of a righteous man distills wisdom, the lips of righteous men distill grace, but the mouth of the humble meditates on wisdom. The righteousness of upright men delivers them, when a righteous man dies, his hope does not perish. A righteous son is begotten unto life, a good man eats from the fruits of righteousness. Light is with the righteous continually, The tongue of the wise understands good things. There is wisdom in the good heart of a man. The Lord loves holy hearts, and all the blameless are acceptable to Him; Wisdom is radiant and unfading. She comes upon those who long to know her beforehand. And is easily perceived by those who love her; he who rises early in the morning to seek her is the perfection of discernment, because she goes about seeking those worthy of her. But evil cannot overcome wisdom. And I became a lover of her beauty. I loved her and sought her from my youth, and desired to take her as a bride for myself; and the Master of all loves her. For she is the initiate of the knowledge of God and one who chooses His works. The products of righteousness are the virtues. For wisdom teaches self-control, discernment, righteousness and courage, concerning which things there is nothing more valuable in the life of man. But also, if anyone longs for great experience, She knows the things of old and portrays the things to come; She understands subtlety of words and the solution of riddles; She has foreknowledge of signs and wonders and the outcomes of times and seasons. That in kinship with wisdom there is immortality, and in the fellowship of her words there is good repute. So I entreated the Lord and besought Him. O God of our fathers and the Lord of mercy, who made all things by Your word and in Your wisdom built a man, that by You He might be the master of what is created, and manage the world in holiness and righteousness, give me the wisdom that sits by Your throne, and do not reject me from among Your servants; because I am Your servant and the son of Your maidservant. Send her forth from Your holy heavens, and send her from Your glorious throne, that she might be present with me and labour and that I might know what is well-pleasing to You. For she knows and understands all things, and she will guide me wisely in my actions and guard me with her glory. For the reasoning of mortals is cowardly, and our intents are unsafe.
Proverbs 10:32a, 33a. 11:2b, 5a, 6a, 18a. 13:2a, 9a. 15:2a. 14:34a. 22:12. Wisdom 6:12a, 13, 12b, 14a, 15b, 16a. 7:30b. 8:2c, 2a-b, 3b-4, 7b-d, 8, 17c, 18d, 21e. 9:1-3a, 4-5a, 10-11, 14.
Aposticha
Tone 5
The Church of Christ rejoices, gazing upon you, the sacred candlestick,* the light-bearing luminary whom your enemies, having cast down, hid beneath the bushel of silence;* she honours you upon the mountain of the virtues, O venerable father,* as a divine light illumining the ends of the whole world,* more than the sun, with miracles.* Today the impartial judgment of God shows your righteousness from on high* like the great brilliance of the noonday,* and gives peace and great mercy to those in the world.
My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart understanding!
The distributor of grain for the world,* who nourishes the hearts of all with the heavenly sweetness of the Spirit,* comes not from Egypt, O faithful;* showing himself to be a new Joseph, he comes forth today from Comana in his precious relics,* by his supplications parting the tempest and the deep of grievous sorrows.* Therefore, let us bless him and cry out with faith:* Come among them that celebrate your memory, O blessed one,* richly granting them salvation and great mercy.
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom and his tongue speaks justice.
Your shrine, O Chrysostom,* pours forth the divine myrrh of miracles upon the world, like a beautiful vial,* and with streams of healings it perfumes the souls of them that honour you.* With the grace of Christ, as with immaterial scents, have you enriched them,* and you impart an ever-living fragrance to them that have recourse to it with faith.* Therefore, delighting in your graces, O all-wise one,* and having nourished ourselves on your all-pure and divine relics,* we ask with faith, that you grant great mercy to our souls.
Tone 6, Glory…
O venerable, thrice-blessed and most holy father,* good shepherd and disciple of Christ, the Chief Shepherd,* who laid down your life for your sheep:* by your supplications, O most laudable John Chrysostom, ask that we be given great mercy.
Now…
O Theotokos, you are the true vine who has budded forth for us the Fruit of life.* We entreat you: Pray, O Lady, with the holy apostles,* that He have mercy upon our souls.
Troparia
Tone 8
The divine Church rejoices* and the whole world keeps feast with radiance* at the transfer of your relics, O venerable hierarch John Chrysostom.* Your life as a bishop was godly* and you willingly became a martyr.* Therefore we cry to you, O martyr, passion-bearer and hierarchs’ companion:* Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Glory… Now…
O gracious Lord, for the sake of mankind You were born of a virgin;* through Your death on the cross You conquered death;* and through Your resurrection You revealed yourself as God.* O merciful Lord, do not disdain those whom You have created with Your own hands,* but show forth Your love for mankind.* Accept the intercession which the Mother, who bore You, makes in our behalf.* O Saviour, save Your despairing people!
DIVINE LITURGY ON TUESDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 8: The divine Church rejoices* and the whole world keeps feast with radiance* at the transfer of your relics, O venerable hierarch John Chrysostom.* Your life as a bishop was godly* and you willingly became a martyr.* Therefore we cry to you, O martyr, passion-bearer and hierarchs’ companion:* Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 1: The precious Church rejoices mystically* at the transfer of your holy relics* and treasuring them as costly gold* it lavishly grants to those who hymn you the grace of healing,* by your prayers, O John the Golden-mouthed.
Prokeimenon, Tone 1
My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart understanding.
verse: Hear these things, all you nations; give ear all you inhabitants of the world. (Psalm 28:4,2)
Epistle
Hebrews 7:26-8:2
Alleluia, Tone 2
verse: The mouth of the just man shall meditate wisdom and his tongue shall speak judgment.
verse: The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps will not falter. (Psalm 36:30,31)
Gospel
John 10:9-16
Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)