March 13; Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts for Wednesday of the Second Week of Great Lent

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 1

  1. Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

O faithful, to undertake a spiritual fast,
we must speak no deceit with our tongues
nor place obstacles in the path of each other.
But by repentance let us brighten the lamp of our souls,
that with tears we may call out to Christ:
Forgive our trespasses, for You love humankind.

  1. The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

O faithful, to undertake a spiritual fast,
we must speak no deceit with our tongues
nor place obstacles in the path of each other.
But by repentance let us brighten the lamp of our souls,
that with tears we may call out to Christ:
Forgive our trespasses, for You love humankind.

  1. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

O martyrs, worthy of praise,
though the earth may not have covered you, heaven received you,
opening to you the gates of Paradise, where you dwell,
delighting in the Tree of Life.
Beseech Christ to grant our souls peace and great mercy.

In Tone 3

  1. Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

Through the prayers of the divine apostles, O righteous Lord,
grant that this time of the Fast may be well spent.
In Your kindness grant repentance to our hearts,
that we all may be saved and give glory to You.

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

Your coming will be great and fearful, O Lord,
when You shall sit in just judgment.
Do not pass sentence on me,
for I am already condemned;
but show Your divine favour toward me,
through the intercession of Your apostles.

In Tone 6

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

O apostles of Christ who shine your light on all mortals,
you are the treasuries of the holy knowledge of God.
Through your prayers deliver from temptation those who praise you.
Guide us successfully through the course of this Fast;
direct our lives in peace,
so that with our eyes lifted up to the Passion of Christ,
we may with courage give praise to our God.

In Tone 2

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

Father, you denied the world from your youth.
You were joyful with true faith and love
as you followed the crucified Christ!
You mortified your flesh through many tasks of obedience
and received richly the gift of healing:
You alleviated various illnesses and drove out evil spirits
to their great astonishment!

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

Father, you denied the world from your youth.
You were joyful with true faith and love
as you followed the crucified Christ!
You mortified your flesh through many tasks of obedience
and received richly the gift of healing:
You alleviated various illnesses and drove out evil spirits
to their great astonishment!

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

You were the adornment of monastics, Benedict,
assembling a countless multitude to hymn the Lord.
You guided the steps of all to heaven
who rightly followed your divine teachings
and imitated your virtuous life, Father!
With them, we fittingly honour you,
rejoicing in your dormition.

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

You called down rain from the skies, Father, by your divine prayers,
like Elijah of old!
You caused a vessel to pour forth with oil, venerable one;
you raised the dead and worked many other miracles
to the glory of the God and Saviour of all!
Therefore with love we celebrate your glorious memory, Benedict!

In Tone 1, Glory… Now…

We are caught in the stormy sea of temptations and sins,
striving in the tempest to reach your tranquil haven.
O Mother of God, we beg you, hear our cry;
stretch out your steady hand to your servants,
and rescue us from the raging of the enemy.

Prokeimenon I, Tone 8
Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord,* exult, O you just!
verse: Blessed are those whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is remitted.

Reading I
Genesis 4:16-26

Prokeimenon II, Tone 1
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us* as we have hoped in You.
verse: Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.

Reading II
Proverbs 5:15-6:3


 

March 15; Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts for Friday of the Second Week of Great Lent

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

  1. Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

Behold, this is the acceptable time,
this is the day of salvation.
Visit my soul in the abundance of Your love,
and in Your unique goodness, lighten the load of my sins.

  1. The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

Behold, this is the acceptable time,
this is the day of salvation.
Visit my soul in the abundance of Your love,
and in Your unique goodness, lighten the load of my sins.

In Tone 1

  1. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

Through the supplication of all the saints and of the Theotokos,
grant us Your peace, O Lord, and save us,
since You alone are compassionate.

  1. Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

O saints, your confession of faith in the arena
destroyed the strength of devils and set us free from delusion.
When you were beheaded, you cried out:
O Lord, may the sacrifice of our souls be acceptable in Your sight;
for in our love for You, the Lover of humankind,
we have despised this temporal life.

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

How beautiful is the manner of your exchange, O saints;
for you have given your blood and received heaven.
Truly, you have done well!
You have obtained immortality by forsaking corruptible things.
Making a single choir with the angels,
you sing unceasingly the praises of the consubstantial Trinity.

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

O martyrs, worthy of praise,
though the earth may not have covered you, heaven received you,
opening to you the gates of Paradise, where you dwell,
delighting in the Tree of Life.
Beseech Christ to grant our souls
peace and great mercy.

In Tone 8

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

What shall we call you, glorious one?
Warrior of the mighty King and God?
For you courageously destroyed the impiety of bodiless demons!
Beacon shining with spiritual light?
A powerful destroyer of idols?
A most fervent athlete and lawful sufferer?
Pray that our souls may be saved!

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

What shall we call you, glorious one?
Warrior of the mighty King and God?
For you courageously destroyed the impiety of bodiless demons!
Beacon shining with spiritual light?
A powerful destroyer of idols?
A most fervent athlete and lawful sufferer?
Pray that our souls may be saved!

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

What shall we now name you, Sabinas?
A river of living waters pouring out on us a spiritual flood?
a truly inexhaustible fount of healing,
for us who are cruelly oppressed?
A cup overflowing with spiritual drink;
a most true wonder-worker, equal in honor to the bodiless ones?
1. Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

What shall we call you, holy one?
Guide to those who are going astray?
An intercessor for sinners storm-tossed with evil,
and a true physician for them?
A precious and fragrant lily of paradise?
The first-fruit among martyrs and their confirmation?
An ever-flowing source of miracles;
a valiant struggler?
Pray that our souls may be saved!

In Tone 1

Glory…

What earthly delight endures unmingled with grief?
What earthly glory remains immutable?
All things are less than a shadow, more deluding than a dream.
In a single moment all these are effaced by death.
But in the light of Your countenance, O Christ, and in the enjoyment of Your beauty,
grant rest to those whom You have chosen;
for You love humankind.

Now…

Let us sing a hymn of praise to the Virgin Mary,
glory of the whole world!
She was herself formed by human seed,
yet she became the Mother of the Master,
the Gate of heaven, the theme of the angels’ hymn and the beauty of the faithful.
She was seen as being heavenly and the Tabernacle of the Godhead.
She indeed tore down the wall of enmity between God and man, and brought peace in its place.
She opened the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let us therefore cling fast to her for she is the anchor of faith,
and let us receive as our stronghold the Lord who was born of her.
Be of good cheer, then, and have confidence, O people of God,
for He will fight our enemies for us;
He is all-powerful!

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4
Your merciful love and Your truth* will guard me forever.
verse: I waited, I waited for the Lord and He stooped down to me; He heard my cry.

Reading I
Genesis 5:32-6:8

Prokeimenon II, Tone 6
As for me, I said: Lord, have mercy on me;* heal my soul for I have sinned against You.
verse: Blessed are those who consider the poor and the weak. The Lord will save them in the evil day.

Reading II
Proverbs 6:20-7:1