AT VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

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

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

Rome presents you as a garden of sweet-smelling flowers, O much suffering Paraskevi,* perfuming the thoughts of the faithful with the fragrance of the virtues,* and ever dispelling the stench of the passions with grace, O glorious one,* beauty of the martyrs, boast of virgins,* and abyss of miracles.

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

You have been given to all as glory beyond price by Christ our God,* having suffered in Rome; and, abiding therein, O glorious martyr,* you drive away from men the wickedness of the demons by your assistance.* Therefore, we all bless you and praise your holy sufferings today,* O much suffering Paraskevi.

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

Preserved by the power of Christ, O most glorious Paraskevi,* you ignored the pain of your body* and entered upon your struggles with faithful resolve,* paying no heed to your human weakness;* and, strengthened by hope, you have received illumination* with those who came before you.

Tone 6

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

Assembling, we, the faithful, praise you with love* and bless your struggles, O martyr Paraskevi.* Entreat Christ your Bridegroom,* that by your supplications He deliver us* from misfortunes and perils.

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

Desiring to follow after Christ, your Bridegroom, O all-praised Paraskevi,* you zealously drained the true cup of your blood,* like a melodious swallow giving voice* to a hymn to Christ God, the Creator of all,* for those who celebrate your memory.

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

Honouring the sufferings of Christ,* your parents made you the namesake of the day on which they are commemorated;* and when you reached maturity, you withstood sufferings, enduring wounds;* and, dancing in prison as in a splendid bridal chamber, you cried out:* “I shall never be separated from You, O Lord!* Send me Your aid, and save me in Your great mercy!”

Tone 6, Glory…

The Queen stood at the right and of the Saviour, as David sang;* and your soul, adorned as with vesture of gold,* you set before your Lord as a sacrifice,* and you offered Him the blood of your body like incense of sweet savour.* O all-praised martyr Paraskevi,* pray for us to Christ God, the Master of all,* that He save our souls.

Now…

Who would not call you blessed, O Virgin most holy?* Who would not sing a hymn of praise* to the glory of your giving birth without pain or travail?* The Only-begotten Son Himself,* begotten of the Father before all ages,* was made flesh out of you in a manner* that cannot be explained, O Woman most pure!* And for our sake, He who is God by nature* assumed the nature of a man.* He is not divided into two persons;* He is understood to have two natures* without commixion or confusion.* O noble and blessed Woman,* intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.

Aposticha

Tone 5

О Lord, of old, in the time of Moses the Prophet,* the image of Your Cross, precisely revealed, vanquished Your enemies;* and now, possessed of that same Cross, we ask Your help:* Strengthen Your Church, for the sake of Your great mercy, О Lover of mankind!

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.

Though a tree visible by nature, Your Cross, О Christ, is invested with divine power;* and tangibly revealed to the world,* it wondrously and noetically works our salvation.* Bowing down before it, we glorify You, О Saviour.* Have mercy on 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.

Pray for us, О holy martyrs,* that we may be delivered from our iniquities;* for to you have been given the grace* to make supplication on our behalf.

Tone 8, Glory…

These things did Paraskevi say to the tyrant,* “O ungodly and perverse governor, why do you rage against the Christians?* I have neither deprived you of a kingdom, nor destroyed your city,* yet you think to persuade me with foolish words.* I shall pay no heed to you or to your mindless words;* for I will not spare my flesh for my Christ, for He loves me* and shall bestow kingdom upon me.

Now…

O Virgin, You have never known wedlock,* Yet You conceived God in the flesh* in a manner which words can never describe.* You thus became the Mother of God on high.* O Immaculate Lady, receive the supplication of your servants* and grant us the cleansing of our sins.* Accept now our prayers and beseech God to save all of us.

Troparia

Tone 4

O all-wise and most lauded Paraskevi, martyr of Christ,* having received the strength of faith and set aside your human weakness,* you vanquished the devil and put the tyrant to shame,* crying out and saying: “Come, cut my body asunder with your swords and burn me with fire;* for, rejoicing, I shall go to Christ my Bridegroom!”* Through her supplications, O Christ God, save our souls.

Glory… Now…

O Mother of God, the mystery hidden from all eternity* and unknown even to the angels,* was revealed through you to those on earth:* God took on our human nature* and united it to His divine nature in a perfect but unconfused union.* Then, He willingly accepted the cross for our sake* and thereby raised again the first created man,* and saved our souls from death.

AT DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: O all-wise and most lauded Paraskevi, martyr of Christ,* having received the strength of faith and set aside your human weakness,* you vanquished the devil and put the tyrant to shame,* crying out and saying: “Come, cut my body asunder with your swords and burn me with fire;* for, rejoicing, I shall go to Christ my Bridegroom!”* Through her supplications, O Christ God, save 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 3: You poured out your blood like the finest wine for Christ your spouse.* You pleased the angelic choirs in their songs and vanquished the devil.* Because of this, O long-suffering Paraskevi, we honour you in faith.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

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

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

Epistle

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

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 11:9-13

Communion Hymn

Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)