AT VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

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.

Having finished the course of faith,* the valiant-minded Nazarius, the great Protasius,* the wise Celsius and the divinely wise Gervasius* received the crown of victory as witnesses.* Let us hymn them as valiant warriors,* as heirs to the kingdom on high,* as voluntary sacrifices.

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

Illumined by the sense of the effulgence of the Spirit, O sacred Nazarius,* with divine grace you shone forth more brightly than the sun* upon the souls of those in darkness,* teaching, enlightening, instructing them most splendidly* to believe in and worship the one Lord* who was all-gloriously incarnate of the Virgin* and has enlightened those on earth.

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

With Nazarius the ever-memorable Celsius shone forth,* and the glorious Protasius and Gervasius, who suffered with valiant mind* and manfully vanquished on earth all the hordes of the demons.* Therefore, they pour forth streams of healings* and richly water the hearts of the pious* with grace divine.

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

Let Nazarius be praised, and let Protasius be honoured* with the godly Celsius and Gervasius,* who suffered right gloriously and diminished falsehood,* who are honoured in sacred manner by the angelic choirs* and are deified by divine communion,* receiving crowns of victory* from the hand of the Bestower of life.

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

Having finished the race and kept the faith, O divine martyrs,* you have been crowned with wreaths of suffering* and numbered among the angels,* having fought splendidly and trampled the deceitful enemy underfoot with the help of Christ.* Therefore, assembling together,* in gladness we celebrate your radiant memory.

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

Passing through cities, the divinely wise Nazarius illumined them with his Godly preaching.* And Celsius, emulating him, acquired the glory of the athletes of God,* trampling the deceitful one underfoot.* Let us all honour them with praises as stars and luminaries for those in darkness* and physicians for our souls.

Tone 8, Glory…

Let us praise Nazarius, Gervasius, Protasius and Celsius, the reason-endowed sacrifices,* for they set at nought all the savagery of the tyrants and the idols.* Therefore, through their supplications, O Christ God,* grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls. :

Now…

Weeping, the Virgin whom we magnify said:* O my Child, I cannot bear to see You asleep upon the Tree,* who give watchfulness to all! But grant Your divine and saving vigilance to those who of old fell into the sleep of perdition* by eating of the fruit of disobedience!

Aposticha

Tone 3

I bow down, О Christ, before Your precious Cross:* the guardian of the world, the salvation of us sinners,* the great purification and boast of the whole world.

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.

The tree of disobedience put forth death for the world;* but the Tree of the Cross put forth life and incorruption.* Wherefore, we worship the crucified Lord, crying:* Let the light of Your countenance be signed upon us!

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 prophets, the apostles of Christ and the martyrs* enlightened and taught the erring nations to hymn the consubstantial Trinity,* and made the children of mankind companions of the angels.

Tone 3, Glory… Now…

When Your Mother, the unblemished Ewe-lamb who gave You birth,* saw You lifted up upon the Cross, О my Christ,* she lamented and cried out, weeping: “Show me not to be childless,* whom You preserved pure even after giving birth!”

Troparia

Tone 4

This quartet of martyrs illumines the Church* like a brilliant star in the sky.* By the suffering of Nazarius and confession of the others,* the Church has been made to sing:* Glory to God, the strength of martyrs!

Glory…

You followed closely in the steps of Christ, your spouse,* loving the silent desert life.* As a young woman you took up his yoke* and armed yourself with the cross against the enemy.* By fasting and prayer, by tears and penance,* you utterly quenched the fires of passion.* Now you stand with the wise virgins in Christ’s presence* and pray for those who honour your memory, O Paraskevia.

Now….

O Virgin, all immaculate Mother of Christ God,* a sword pierced your all-holy soul* when you saw your Son and God willingly crucified.* Therefore, O blessed One,* never cease to pray to Him* that He may grant us forgiveness of our sins.

AT DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: This quartet of martyrs illumines the Church* like a brilliant star in the sky.* By the suffering of Nazarius and confession of the others,* the Church has been made to sing:* Glory to God, the strength of martyrs!

Troparion, Tone 4: You followed closely in the steps of Christ, your spouse,* loving the silent desert life.* As a young woman you took up his yoke* and armed yourself with the cross against the enemy.* By fasting and prayer, by tears and penance,* you utterly quenched the fires of passion.* Now you stand with the wise virgins in Christ’s presence* and pray for those who honour your memory, O Paraskevia.

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

Kontakion, Tone 6: Let us all sing of holy Paraskevia, patroness of those in peril.* She spurned the crown of corruption and received the lasting one;* therefore, God has given her glory and the grace of miracles.

Kontakion, Tone 2: O heavenly martyrs, you have become brilliant stars.* By your miracles you shed light on the world.* You dispel the murky darkness and free us from sickness.* Pray unceasingly to Christ for all of us.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

God is wonderful in His saints,* the God of Israel.

verse: Bless God in the churches, the Lord from the fountains of Israel. (Psalm 67:36,27)

Epistle

Colossians 1:18-23

Alleluia, Tone 1

verse: With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me, and He heard my prayer.

verse: He brought me out of the pit of misery and the mud of the swamp. (Psalm 39:2,3)

Gospel

Luke 8:22-25

Communion Hymn

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