Tuesday, August 25, 2026; The Return of the Relics of the Holy Apostle Bartholomew; The Holy Apostle Titus

When

August 25, 2026    
All Day

AT VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

Tone 4, Podoben “As one valiant among the martyrs…”

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

Earnestly let us bless the glorious Bartholomew,* the never-setting star of the Sun of great splendour,* the animate heaven which proclaims the saving glory of God,* the divine preacher, the beacon of the nations,* the river which pours forth a stream of understanding* and waters the hearts of 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.

Your paths were revealed in the sea, O apostle,* and shown to be beyond the understanding of men;* for, cast into the sea in a casket,* you made your way to the West, O most renowned Bartholomew,* right glorious martyrs following you from the East on either side,* and rendering homage to you, at the behest of the Master of all.

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

With your wondrous ascents you purified the water,* and arrived at the island of Lipari,* pouring forth myrrh, O glorious one,* and healing incurable diseases;* and you became for the faithful in that place a saviour and refuge,* a deliverer and intercessor before the King and Saviour of all,* O Apostle Bartholomew.

Tone 4, Podoben “You have given a sign…”

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

Proclaiming the one Godhead in three Hypostases, you roiled the sea of polytheism,* and those drowning in the abyss of ungodliness you guided to calm havens, O blessed one.* Wherefore, you have received heavenly recompense,* entreating Him who loves mankind, in behalf of those who hymn you.

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

Having illumined your mind with divine radiance,* you travelled with the sun like a ray thereof, with Paul illumining the benighted, O godly Titus;* and with him you delivered the world from deepest night.* Wherefore, we call you blessed, as a God-pleasing hierarch,* a divine apostle and fervent intercessor.

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

Hailing from Crete and returning to there,* you established the true faith there as an unshakable foundation,* and edified the faithful there by the divine power of heaven, O blessed Titus,* first hierarch of your homeland, companion of Paul* and consolation of the faithful.

Tone 1, Glory…

Forsaking earthly things, followed after Christ;* and having been marked by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,* you were sent by Him to the nations who were perishing,* to turn the people to the light of the knowledge of God, O Apostle Bartholomew.* And having completed the divine feats of your suffering and undergone divers tortures,* you surrendered your soul to Christ, whom you entreat, O most blessed one,* that He grant us great mercy.

Now…

She who knew not wedlock,* beholding You nailed to the tree of the Cross, O Jesus, said, weeping:* O my sweet Child, O unapproachable Light of the all-unoriginate Father,* why have You forsaken me who alone gave You birth?* Make haste and glorify Yourself,* that those who glorify Your divine sufferings* may receive divine glory!

Aposticha

Tone 4

I wish to wash away the record of my sins with tears, O Lord,* and please You the rest of my life through repentance;* but the enemy deceives me and fights against my soul.* Save me, O Lord, before the end and I utterly perish.

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.

Who, among the tempest-tossed, having taking refuge in Your harbour,* will not be saved O Lord?* Or who, that ails and falling down in Your infirmary, will not be healed?* O Maker of all that is, and Physician of the ailing,* save me, O Lord, before the end and I utterly perish

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.

О Lover of mankind,* as One who has accepted the patience of the holy martyrs,* by their prayers, grant us great mercy.

Tone 4, Glory… Now…

Deliver us from our needs, O Mother of Christ God,* you who have given birth to the Creator of all,* that we all may cry out to you:* Rejoice, O you who alone are the intercessor for our souls!

Troparia

Tone 3

Holy apostles, intercede with the merciful God* to grant to our souls forgiveness of sins.

Glory… Now…

O Mother of God, powerful protectress of the world,* you are our shelter and you are our strength.* Through your intercession, protect your servants against all dangers,* for you are the only blessed One!

AT DIVINE LITURGY ON TUESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 3: Holy apostles, intercede with the merciful God* to grant to our souls forgiveness of sins.

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

Kontakion, Tone 4: As a star most bright the Church forever possess you,* O Apostle Bartholomew,* for she is illumined by the frequent gift of your miracles.* And so we call out to Christ:* “Save those who venerate in faith the memory of Your apostle,* O most merciful One!”

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: As a companion of Paul, you declared the word of divine grace to us. * Ever-memorable and truly great Titus, * we render a song of honour to you. * Now pray unceasingly for all of us.

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 hands. (Psalm 18:5,2)

Epistle

2 Corinthians 12:20-13:2

Alleluia, Tone 1

verse: The heavens shall confess our wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints.

verse: God is glorified in the assembly of the saints. (Psalm 88:6,8)

Gospel

Mark 4:24-34

Communion Hymn

Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their words unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 18:5)