Post-feast of Pentecost.

AT VESPERS ON WENDESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 1

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

Behold this is the day of joy and rejoicing,* for today from on high the Holy Spirit has appeared to the sacred Apostles,* coming from the Father in the form of fire, and enlightening all:* The fisherman have became orators of Wisdom,* as Luke the divine Trumpet wrote,* all things have been filled with the Spirit.* Wherefore with faith we stand amazed, offering praise to the abundance of mercy* and self-emptying of Christ our God.

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

Let us celebrate the solemn festival of Holy Pentecost, and the power of the Spirit,* and the truly joyous consummation of our divine hope,* for the mystery from all ages has been revealed to us,* wherefore we cry aloud to You:* O Creator of all things, take not Your Holy Spirit from us O Word,* rather send it down from the heavens, O Saviour,* by the prayers of the Saints, and of Your all-famed and glorious apostles,* we beseech You to grant peace to our souls.

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

Today Heaven declares the vivifying power of the Saviour,* and the might of the Divine Comforter,* which has clearly been preached throughout all the world,* enlightening all of creation with its teachings,* of the Unity of the undivided Trinity,* in three uncommingled Hypostases.* Wherefore let us celebrate in faith the coming of the Holy Spirit,* which has appeared from on high,* enlightening the ends of the earth.

Tone 4

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

Emulating the hospitality of Abraham, * Isaac’s love for God and the guilelessness of Jacob, * you also emulated the suffering of Job of Uz, * the meekness of David and the innocence of Moses, * and having been anointed with holy chrism as Aaron was of old, O God-bearing hierarch, ** you were manifest as a sacred wonder-worker.

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

Your great innocence dispelled the malice of the demons with the grace of the divine Spirit, * gladdening with your suffering God, Whom you desired, * and your spirit was illumined by the indwelling of prayer. * Wherefore, you have received the grace of miracles, * to heal the infirmities, O Nicetas, ** of those who piously have recourse to you.

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

Bound by kinship, * you kept the laws of the Holy Spirit, O priests, * and, following the steps of the divinely wise Shepherd * Who emitted rays of most glorious healings, * you were adorned similarly with the power of healing, * O most glorious Nicetas and divinely wise Ignatius.

Tone 8, Glory… Now…

The Comforter, having come from the Father through Christ God,* has come to us on earth today,* therefore with faith we worship the Holy Spirit.

Prokeimenon, Tone 5

O Lord, save me by Your name,* and in Your power be a judge for me.

verse: O God, hear my prayer; listen to the words of my mouth.

Aposticha

Tone 1

The Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father, and glorified in the Son,* which supports and rules over all that is,* maintaining life, and by which we live and are saved,* You do we bless: O unfailing Comforter,* grant peace to Your world.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,* and renew a right spirit within me.

The Holy Spirit, the wellspring of every good thing,* has come to all the ends of the earth, in its essential noetic power,* filling the Apostles with joy, and divine virtue.* Wherefore we cry aloud, O ineffable Comforter,* grant peace to Your world.

Cast me not away from Your presence,* and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

The Holy Spirit is God,* equal in sovereignty and co-enthroned with the Father,* and manifest through the Son,* most supremely pure light shining forth from the Light,* of the beginningless perfect Father, and proceeding from the Son.* To Him do we cry aloud: O Life-giving Comforter, grant peace to Your world.

Tone 8, Glory… Now…

When You sent down Your Spirit, O Lord,* while the Apostles were seated,* the children of the Jews beheld and were astonished with amazement;* for they heard them speaking in other, foreign tongues,* according as the Spirit bestowed on them;* for though they were unlearned, they were made wise;* and in catching and bringing the nations to the Faith,* they preached of things divine.* Wherefore, we also cry to You:* O You who were seen on earth and saved us from error,* O Lord, glory be to You.

Troparion

Tone 8

Blessed are You, O Christ our God who revealed the fishermen as most wise* by sending them the Holy Spirit;* through them You caught the entire world.* Loving Master, glory to You.

AT DIVINE LITURGY ON THURSDAY MORNING

At the beginning of the Liturgy, immediately after Blessed be the Kingdom… and Amen we all kneel and sing the following in Tone 6, samohlasnyj:

Heavenly King, Advocate, Spirit of Truth, Who are everywhere present and fill all things, Treasury of Blessings, Bestower of Life: come, and dwell within us; cleanse us of all that defiles us, O Good One, save our souls.

Antiphon 1

The heavens tell the glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of his hand.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Day to day pours forth the message and night proclaims this knowledge to night.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.

Glory… Now… Only-begotten Son…

Third Antiphon

Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord,* let us acclaim God, our Saviour.

O good Advocate,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Let us come before His face with praise,* and acclaim Him in psalms.

O good Advocate,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

For God is the great Lord,* the great king over all the earth.

O good Advocate,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Entrance

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ.

O good Advocate,* save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 8: Blessed are You, O Christ our God who revealed the fishermen as most wise* by sending them the Holy Spirit;* through them You caught the entire world.* Loving Master, glory to You.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 8: When the Most high descended and confused the tongues,* He parted the nations.* He called all to unity;* and with one voice* we glorify the all-Holy Spirit.

Prokeimenon, Tone 8

Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their words unto the ends of the world.

verse: The heavens tell the glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of His hand. (Psalm 19:5,2)

Epistle

Romans 1:28-2:9

Alleluia, Tone 1

verse: By the Lord’s words the heavens were established, and by the Breath of His mouth all their host.

verse: The Lord has looked down from heaven and beheld the whole human race.

Gospel

Matthew 5:27-32

Hymn to the Theotokos

O my soul, magnify the one Divinity in three Persons.

and the Irmos: Rejoice, O Queen, boast of the virgins and mothers, for every tongue, though capable and eloquent, cannot hymn you as is your due, and every mind is confounded in seeking to comprehend the way in which you gave birth. Wherefore with one accord we glorify you.

Communion Hymn

Your good Spirit will lead me* to the land of righteousness.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 142:10)