Apostle’s Fast.

AT VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 8

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

I have acquired neither compunction, nor a wellspring of tears,* nor fervent confession, nor weeping which washes me clean, nor humility of heart;* I have been neither an emulator of the publican, nor of the harlot, nor of the prodigal son*. How, therefore, shall I find remission for my many sins?* But in the judgments which You know, save me, О Christ.

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

I have made myself foreign to every commandment of God;* in every way I have neglected higher virtue;* I have mindlessly wasted my whole life in slothfulness;* and I have committed every unseemly and iniquitous act in fornication.* Wherefore, since You are compassionate, О Christ, have pity, and freely save me.

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

In Your anger rebuke me not who am the work of Your hands,* and who with my foolish mind have torn myself away from goodness, О Lover of mankind,* and who in the abyss of Your ineffable compassion* was for my sake well-pleased to become like to me.* But through the supplications of Your ever-Virgin Mother, О Word,* grant me divine conversion, in that You are God.

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.

O divinely inspired one, manifest in sanctity,* we know you to be the ground of the Truth,* the confirmation of the Faith, the expounder of dogmas, the advocate of piety,* the abode of purity, the chosen receptacle,* the sweet savour of the Spirit, the great treasury of doctrines,* the foundation of the Church of Christ.

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

O all-wise, blessed and holy hierarch,* we praise you, the successor of the apostles,* who shared in the ways of the martyrs,* the emulator of the fasters, the seal of teachers,* the divine model, the initiate of the mysteries of Christ,* the divinely flowing river of understanding,* drowning the thoughts of the iniquitous and blasphemous.

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

Having increased the talent of wisdom, O you who are most rich,* you were vouchsafed the joy of your Lord.* Adorned with the grace of divine radiance,* and shining noetically with the brilliant radiance of the Spirit,* you stand now at the right hand of the Bestower of life,* ever illumined, O glorious one,* with the rays that emanate therefrom.

Tone 8, Glory… Now…

With faith I hasten to your protection, О pure Theotokos.* Save me from perils and misfortunes, from the confusion of the passions and the malice of the demons.* For, possessed of an abyss of mercy,* you have been shown to be a mediatress of salvation,*О Lady,* who has given birth to the only merciful, all-compassionate and abundantly kind-hearted God.

Prokeimenon

Tone 4

The Lord hears me* when I cry out to Him.

verse: Whenever I called, the God of my justice heard me.

Aposticha

Tone 8

The angels unceasingly hymn You, the King and Master;* and I fall down before You, crying like the publican:* Cleanse me, О God, and have mercy upon me!

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.

As you are immortal, О my soul,* let not the waves of life engulf you,* but rise up, crying out to your Benefactor:* Cleanse me, О God, and save me!

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 martyrs of the Lord, entreat our God,* and ask for our souls a multitude of compassions* and the cleansing of our many transgressions, we beseech you.

Glory… Now…

Rejoice, praise of the universe!* Rejoice, temple of the Lord!* Rejoice, mountain overshadowed!* Rejoice, refuge of all!* Rejoice, golden candlestick!* Rejoice, honoured glory of the Orthodox!* Rejoice, Mary, Mother of Christ God!* Rejoice, paradise! Rejoice, divine table!* Rejoice, tabernacle! Rejoice, golden jar!* Rejoice, hope of all!

AT DIVINE LITURGY ON TUESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: The truth of your deeds made you for your flock a rule of faith* and an image of meekness,* a teacher of continence.* And so you gained the heights through humility,* riches through poverty,* father and bishop, Nicephorus.* Intercede with Christ, our God,* for the salvation of our souls.

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

Kontakion, Tone 2: O thunder of justice, spiritual trumpet,* planter of faith and destroyer of heresies,* servant of the Trinity, great hierarch Nicephorus,* forever standing in the company of the angels,* pray without ceasing for all of us.

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

Romans 4:4-12

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

Matthew 7:15-21

Communion Hymn

The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)