VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

After the priest has exclaimed, Blessed be our God… and the people have responded, Amen, the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then, the clergy sing the first half, and the people conclude it.

Paschal Troparion

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Kathisma Reading

The assigned psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 2

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

The women disciples of Christ rejoiced upon hearing the words of the Angel.* From which they came to believe in the arising of the Lord,* who for our sake was counted among the dead.* For before this the myrrh-bearers stood before the Tomb lamenting over Christ,* and beholding the stone so quickly rolled away;* they were greatly perplexed wondering where He could be.

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

The sacred and divine disciples of Christ were granted unceasing and divine joy,* when the myrrh-bearing woman disciples of Christ* fulfilled the command spoken to them by the divine Angel.* For he who had amazed them in brilliant, white raiment,* spoke o them saying:* God the King who has died for us* has utterly vanquished, through His Resurrection, the dark realms of Hades.

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

Having poured forth streams of ardent grief as from a fount flowing with tears,* the divine women disciples of Christ* now declare glad words to the eye-witnesses of grace.* Telling them of the Word’s arising,* and that joy has issued forth from the tomb.* Therefore instead of sorrow,* they heard wondrous voices, bidding them all to rejoice.

Tone 5

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

O venerable father, sacred Theodore,* you were sanctified from your mother’s womb,* and like Jeremiah of old was known to God.* A star heralded your nativity,* the whole world has truly been enlightened by the splendour of your life,* and the darkness of the demons has vanished.* Infirmities have been driven away from men of every age,* and grace has poured forth all manner of healings.* Wherefore, we cry out to you:* ever entreat Christ, that He grant to the world great mercy.

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

O venerable father, right wondrous Theodore,* having consumed all the tinder of sin with mighty abstinence and the fire of prayer,* you received divine illumination, you caused the grace of the Trinity to abide in you,* and became wholly radiant, emitting rays of healing,* beholding things to come, as did Elisha of old,* sundering the bonds of barrenness,* driving away hordes of demons with the power of the divine Spirit,* and beseeching Him, that He grant peace and great mercy to the whole world.

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

O venerable father, most honoured Theodore,* sun who has illumined the earth with your works and countless signs, precious gift given to Christ God,* excellent foundation of the priesthood, model of monastics,* confirmation of those who have recourse to you with faith,* precious stone, house of the Trinity,* bowl pouring forth an abyss of healings:* pray ever to Christ, that He grant to the whole world peace and great mercy.

Tone 2, Glory… Now…

The myrrh-bearing women came to Your tomb;* and beholding the seals of the sepulchre yet not finding Your immaculate Body,* they came with haste, lamenting and saying:* Who has stolen our Hope?* Who has taken away a naked and anointed body,* the only comforting consolation of His Mother?* Alas! how has He that has quickened the dead been put to death?* And how has He who despoiled Hades been buried?* But after three days arise, O Saviour, by Your own authority, as You said,* and save our souls.

Prokeimenon, Tone 1

Your mercy, O Lord, shall follow me* all the days of my life.

verse: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In green pastures He gives me repose.

Aposticha

Tone 2

Save me, O Christ Saviour, by the power of the Cross,* O You who once saved Peter in the sea,* and have mercy on me, O God.

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.

With the Archangels let us hymn the Resurrection of Christ;* for He is the Redeemer and the Saviour of our souls;* and He is coming again with great glory and mighty power* to judge the world which He has fashioned.

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.

The choirs of the martyrs withstood the tyrants saying:* We have been enlisted by the King of hosts.* Even should you destroy us with fire and torments,* we will not deny the might of the Trinity.

Tone 6, Glory… Now…

Joseph asked for the Body of Jesus* and laid it in his own new sepulchre;* for it was meet that He should come forth from the grave, as from a bridal chamber.* O You who have crushed the might of death* and have opened the gates of Paradise to mankind,* glory be to You.

Troparia

Tone 2

The noble Joseph took down Your most pure Body from the tree.* He wrapped it with a clean shroud and aromatic spices,* and placed it in a new tomb.* But on the third day You arose, O Lord,* granting the world Your great mercy.

When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory be to You!

Tone 2, Glory…

Known to be sanctified from your earliest infancy, * and shown to be full of grace, you illumined the world with miracles, * and drove away a multitude of the demons, O sacred minister Theodore; ** wherefore, pray to the Lord on our behalf.

Tone 2, Now…

The angel stood by the tomb and cried out to the women bringing ointment:* Ointments are for the dead,* but Christ has shown Himself not subject to corruption.* So now cry out: The Lord is risen,* bestowing great mercy upon the world.

AT DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDENSDAY MORNING

After 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 sing the first half, and the people conclude it.

Paschal Troparion

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 2: When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* “O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory be to You!”

Troparion, Tone 2: The noble Joseph took down Your most pure body from the tree.* He wrapped it with a clean shroud and aromatic spices* and placed it in a new tomb.* But on the third day You arose, O Lord,* granting the world Your great mercy.

Troparion, Tone 2: The angel stood by the tomb and cried out to the women bringing ointment:* Ointments are for the dead,* but Christ has shown Himself not subject to corruption.* So now cry out: The Lord is risen,* bestowing great mercy upon the world.

Troparion, Tone 2: Known to be sanctified from your earliest infancy, * and shown to be full of grace, you illumined the world with miracles, * and drove away a multitude of the demons, O sacred minister Theodore; ** wherefore, pray to the Lord on our behalf.

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

Kontakion, Tone 3: Mounting the virtues as upon a fiery chariot O God-bearer, * you ascended to the heavenly abodes. * You dwelt like an angel with men, * and as a man you joined chorus with the angels.* Wherefore, you have been shown to be a divine receptacle of miracles, O venerable Theodore.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2: You commanded the myrrh-bearers to rejoice, O Christ God,* and ended the grief of our mother Eve by Your Resurrection.* You ordered the apostles to proclaim to all:* “The Saviour is risen from the tomb.”

Prokeimenon, Tone 6

Save Your people, O Lord, * and bless Your inheritance.

verse: Unto You I will cry, O Lord, my God, lest You turn from me in silence. (Psalm 27:9,1)

Epistle

Acts 8:18-25

Alleluia, Tone 8

verse: You have shown favour to Your land, O Lord; You brought back the captives of Jacob.

verse: Mercy and truth have met; righteousness and peace have embraced. (Psalm 84:2,11)

Gospel

John 6:35-39

Hymn to the Theotokos

The 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 people 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.

Communion Hymn

Receive the Body of Christ;* taste the fountain of immortality.* Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)

Instead of Blessed is He Who comes… we sing:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Instead of We have seen the true light… we sing:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Instead of May our mouths be filled… we sing three times:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

Instead of Blessed be the name of the Lord… we sing three times:

Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.

At the dismissal, instead of Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen. we chant:

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs giving life.

After the final Amen, the Troparion Christ is risen is sung as at the beginning of the Liturgy, but with the addition:

And to us He has granted life eternal;* we bow down before His resurrection on the third day.