BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.3.3//EN TZID:America/Winnipeg X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Winnipeg BEGIN:VEVENT UID:431@liturgy.royaldoors.net DTSTART;TZID=America/Winnipeg;VALUE=DATE:20260416 DTEND;TZID=America/Winnipeg;VALUE=DATE:20260417 DTSTAMP:20260412T020320Z URL:https://liturgy.royaldoors.net/events/thursday-april-16-2026-the-holy- virgins-and-martyrs-agapia-irene-and-chionia/ SUMMARY:Thursday\, April 16\, 2026\; The Holy Virgins and Martyrs Agapia\, Irene\, and Chionia. DESCRIPTION:VESPERS ON WEDNESDAY EVENING\nAfter the priest has exclaimed\, Blessed be our God… and the people have responded\, Amen\, the clergy si ng the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then\, the clergy sing the first half\, and the people conclude it.\n\nKathisma Reading\n\nT he assigned psalms are chanted.\n\nAt Psalm 140\n\nTone 2\n\nIf You mark i niquities\, Lord\, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You ma y be revered.\n\nLeaving not the Father’s bosom\, You appeared on earth bearing flesh* in Your compassionate loving-kindness\, O Christ.* And acce pting both to suffer and to die\,* You arose on the third day.* And You en tered while the doors were shut\, since You are almighty.* Whereupon\, Tho mas rejoiced upon touching Your divine side\,* glorifying You as the Lord and Fashioner.\n\n I have waited for You as You have commanded\; my soul patiently relies on Your promise\,* for it has trusted in the Lord.\n\nYou were affixed upon the Cross with nails.* Your side was pierced with a spe ar\;* You\, O Christ\, tasted of gall.* Having suffered death\, You were l aid in a grave as one dead.* But as God\, You utterly destroyed Hades’ f etters\,* and raised up with Yourself the dead from all ages.* Wherefore\, without breaking the tomb’s seals\,* You were seen by Your disciples\,* thus making sure their faith in Your arising.\n\n From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.\n\nPascha is this present Feas t\;* a mystic Pascha\, a sacred Pascha\;* a saving Pascha\;* a Pascha whic h leads us to immortal life.* A Pascha which takes away all sorrow.* A Pas cha\, which has granted to the disciples joyous grace!* Wherefore\, Thomas cried aloud:* You are my Lord and God\,* Who has taken captive Hades’ r ealms.\n\nTone 1\n\n For with the Lord there is mercy\, and with Him ther e is plentiful redemption\;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniqu ities.\n\nIncorrupt virginity and most wondrous martyrdom* did you bring t o Christ\, O honoured virgins\,* casting down the ungodly arrogance of fal sehood* by the power of the Cross with manly mind.* Wherefore\, the whole Church of Christ celebrates* your holy\, radiant\, and renowned memory.\n\ n Praise the Lord\, all the nations\;* proclaim His glory\, all you peopl e.\n\nThe blessed choirs of the angels were manifestly astonished* by the suffering of Chionia\,* the opposition of Agape and the invincibility of I rene\,* how\, having bested the invisible foe with manly warfare\,* they r eceived in abundance crowns of victory from the hand* of the Bestower of l ife.\n\n Strong is the love of the Lord for us\;* eternally will His trut h endure.\n\nDying in the fire\, you extinguished the flame of vainglory w ith a mind aflame\;* and\, keeping the lamp of your souls ever alight\,* y ou entered with Christ into the bridal-chamber of heaven.* With sparks of miracles you have burned up the passions\, O passion-bearers\,* and with s uffering you have vanquished* the hordes of the demons.\n\n Tone 4\, Glor y… Now…\n\nO strange wonder\,* unbelief has given birth to steadfast f aith!* For Thomas said: Unless I see\, I shall not believe.* And when he t ouched the side of Christ\, he spoke with divine authority* concerning the Incarnate One who is the very Son of God\,* and recognized Him as the One who suffered in the flesh.* He proclaimed the Risen God\,* and cried with a radiant voice:* O my Lord and my God\, glory be to You.\n\n Aposticha\ n\nTone 1\n\nBy Your Passion\, O Christ\, we have been set free from passi ons\,* and by Your Resurrection we have been delivered from corruption.* O Lord\, glory be to You.\n\nI have lifted up my eyes to You enthroned in h eaven. 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.\n\nThe all-harmonious harp of the Apostles\, moved by the Holy Spirit\,* has abolished the rites of t he abominable demons.* And having proclaimed the one Lord\,* it has delive red the nations from the deception of idolatry\,* and has taught us to wor ship the Trinity one in essence.\n\n Have mercy on us\, O Lord\, have mer cy on us\; for we have been filled with shame\; our soul is all too full o f the mockery of the rich\, of the contempt of the proud.\n\nO all-praised Martyrs of the Lord\,* the earth could not conceal you\;* but Heaven has received you\,* opening the gates of Paradise to you.* And dwelling now th erein\, you joyfully partake of the Tree of Life.* Thus\, we pray you to i ntercede with Christ\,* that He bestow peace and great mercy upon our soul s.\n\nTone 4\, Glory… Now…\n\nO strange wonder\,* that grass should to uch fire and be safe!* For Thomas thrust his hand into the fiery side of J esus Christ our God\,* and was not burned by touching.* For with fervour h e changed the obstinacy of his soul into fervent faith\,* and he cried out from the depths of his soul:* You are my Master and God\,* who arose from the dead.* Glory be to You.\n\nTroparion\n\nTone 1\n\nAs spiritual lambs\ , through martyrdom you came to Christ\, the Lamb and Shepherd\,* for you had finished the course and kept the faith.* And so\, today\, with spiritu al joy\, O wondrous women\,* we celebrate your holy memory* while magnifyi ng Christ.\n\nTone 7\, Glory… Now…\n\nWhile the tomb was sealed\, O Ch rist God\,* You dawned as life from the sepulcher\,* and while the doors w ere shut\,* You came to Your disciples\, the Resurrection of all\,* renewi ng a right spirit in us through them\,* according to Your great mercy.\nDI VINE LITURGY ON THURSDAY MORNING\nAfter the priest has exclaimed\, Blessed be the Kingdom… and the people have responded\, Amen\, the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then\, the clergy sin g the first half\, and the people conclude it.\n\nPaschal Troparion\n\nChr ist is risen from the dead\,* trampling death by death\,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.\n\nTroparia and Kontakia\n\nTroparion\, Tone 7: Wh ile the tomb was sealed\, O Christ God\,* You dawned as life from the sepu lcher\,* and while the doors were shut\,* You came to Your disciples\, the Resurrection of all\,* renewing a right spirit in us through them\,* acco rding to Your great mercy.\n\nGlory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit\, now and for ever and ever. Amen.\n\nKontakion\, Tone 8: With his searching hand\,* Thomas explored Your life-giving side\, O Chri st God.* For when You entered while the doors were shut\,* he called out t o You with the rest of the Apostles:* You are my Lord and my God!\n\nProke imenon\, Tone 3\n\nGreat is our Lord and great is His strength\;* and of H is knowledge there is no end.\n\nverse: Praise the Lord\, for a psalm is g ood\; may praise be sweet to our God. (Psalm 146:5\,1)\n\nEpistle\n\nActs 4:23-31\n\nAlleluia\, Tone 8\n\nverse: Come\, let us sing joyfully to the Lord\, let us acclaim God our Saviour.\n\nverse: For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth. (Psalm 94:1\,3)\n\nGospel\n\nJohn 5:24-30\n\nHymn to the Theotokos\n\nThe Angel cried out to the One full of Grace: O chaste Virgin\, rejoice! And again I say\, Rejoice! Your Son has risen from the tomb on the third day\, and raised the dead. Let all peopl e rejoice! Shine\, shine\, O new Jerusalem\, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Exult now and be glad\, O Sion! And you\, O chaste Mother of God\, take delight in the resurrection of your Son.\n\nCommunion Hymn\ n\nPraise the Lord\, O Jerusalem.* Praise your God\, O Sion.* Alleluia\, a lleluia\,* alleluia. (Psalm147:1)\n\nInstead of Blessed is He Who comes… we sing:\n\nChrist is risen from the dead\,* trampling death by death\,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.\n\nInstead of We have seen the tru e light… we sing:\n\nChrist is risen from the dead\,* trampling death by death\,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.\n\nInstead of May our mo uths be filled… we sing three times:\n\nChrist is risen from the dead\,* trampling death by death\,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.\n\nIn stead of Blessed be the name of the Lord… we sing three times:\n\nChrist is risen from the dead\,* trampling death by death\,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.\n\nAt the dismissal\, instead of Glory be to the Fath er and the Son and the Holy Spirit\, now and forever and ever. Amen. we ch ant:\n\nChrist is risen from the dead\, trampling death by death\,* and to those in the tombs giving life.\n\nAfter the final Amen\, the Troparion C hrist is risen is sung as at the beginning of the Liturgy\, but with the a ddition:\n\nAnd to us He has granted life eternal\;* we bow down before Hi s resurrection on the third day. END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Winnipeg X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Winnipeg BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR