GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 4
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
We never cease to adore Your life-giving Cross, O Christ our God,* And we glorify Your resurrection on the third day.* For You, Almighty One, have thereby restored the corrupted nature of all* and reopened the way to heaven,* since You alone are gracious and You love mankind.
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O Saviour, You have absolved the penalty of disobedience,* committed through the tree of Eden,* by willingly being nailed to the tree of the Cross.* As Almighty God, You descended into Hades* and broke asunder the bonds of death.* We, therefore, venerate Your resurrection from the dead,* and joyfully cry out to You:* Almighty Lord, glory to You!
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
O Lord, You have battered down the gates of Hades,* and by Your death You have dissolved the realm of death.* You have freed mankind from corruption,* bestowing life, incorruption, and Your great mercy upon the world.
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Come, all you people,* let us sing the praises of our Saviour’s resurrection on the third day.* For we have, thereby, been delivered from the invincible bonds of Hades,* and we have received incorruption, together with eternal life.* Therefore, we cry out to You* after Your crucifixion, burial, and resurrection:* Save us by Your resurrection, for You love mankind.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
O Saviour, with the angels we sing the praises of Your resurrection on the third day.* For the very ends of the universe have, thereby, been enlightened,* and we have been saved from the deceit of the enemy.* Therefore, we cry out to You,* Almighty Saviour, Giver of Life, and Lover of Mankind:* Save us by Your resurrection.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O Christ our God, You have demolished the brazen gates of Hades.* You have broken asunder the bonds of death,* and lifted up the fallen human race.* Therefore, we cry out with one accord:* O Lord, Who arose from the dead, glory to You!
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
O Lord, Your birth from the Father is timeless and eternal;* Your incarnation from the Virgin is beyond the understanding of all,* and beyond the expression of our words.* Your descent into Hades and victory over Death* caused Satan and his angels to tremble with fear.* Your resurrection on the third day* brought to mankind incorruption and great mercy.
In Tone 1
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Blessed and divinely wise Aquila,* the great Paul, that sun upon earth,* sent you forth as a bright beam of light into the world,* to illumine with the clear radiance of your words,* the people of old who were in peril* in the night of ignorance!
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Aquila, preacher of God,* richly illumined with the bright rays of the divine Spirit,* your pure heart destroyed the fierce Hellenic darkness* through the grace of God,* revealing itself to be truly radiant!
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Those who hasten to your divine temple, Aquila,* and pray there to you with faith* are delivered by the holiness of your prayers* from every sickness, sorrow and misfortune.* Through your holy intercession they approach the presence of God!
In Tone 4, Glory… Now…
O Mother of God, because of You David the Prophet* became an ancestor of God;* he foretold and sang a joyous hymn of praise* and cried out to Him who worked wonders in you:* “The Queen stood at your right hand.”* God revealed you as a life-giving mother,* when He chose to be incarnate of you without a father.* He renewed in man His image which the passions had corrupted.* He found the lost sheep in the mountains, carried it on His shoulders,* offered it to the Father, generously numbered it among the powers of heaven,* and saved the whole world, since He is Christ of great and rich mercy.
Aposticha
In Tone 4
In being lifted upon the Cross, O Lord,* You abolished the curse which we had inherited from our ancestors.* By going down into Hades,* You freed from eternal captivity those imprisoned there,* and granted incorruption to the human race.* We, therefore, praise Your life-giving and redeeming resurrection.
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
By hanging on the Cross, O Almighty One,* You shook the whole creation to its foundations.* When You Yourself were laid in the grave,* You raised to life those who had been lying in the graves,* and You granted life and incorruption to mankind.* We, therefore, praise and glorify Your resurrection on the third day.
For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.
O Christ, the lawless people showed their ingratitude to You, their Benefactor,* by delivering You to Pilate who condemned you to be crucified.* But You willingly suffered death and burial;* and, as God, You rose by Your own power on the third day,* granting us everlasting life and great mercy.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.
The women, shedding bitter tears, came to see You in Your tomb;* and not finding Your body, they lamented, saying:* O Saviour and King of All, how were You stolen?* What place holds Your life-bearing body?* An angel answered them, saying:* Do not weep, but go and proclaim that the Lord is risen,* filling our hearts with joy;* for He alone is most compassionate.
Glory… Now…
O most pure Virgin, hear the petitions of your servants.* Remove the burdens which oppress us,* and deliver us from our sorrows;* for you are the only firm and constant support on whom we rely.* O Mother of God, never permit us who call upon you* to be overwhelmed by our cares.* Hasten to fulfil the supplications of all who, in faith, cry out to you:* Rejoice, O Lady, helper of all mankind,* the joy, the refuge, and the salvation of our souls.
Troparia
In Tone 4
When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,*granting to the world great mercy.”
In Tone 3, Glory…
Holy Apostle, Aquila, intercede with the merciful God* to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Now…
We sing your praises, O Virgin;* for, as the Mother of God, you always intercede for the salvation of the human race.* It is from you that our God and Your Son took flesh. * Then, by suffering the passion on the Cross,* and out of love for mankind, He delivered us from corruption.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,* granting to the world great mercy.”
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 4: My Saviour and Deliverer from the grave* as God raised out of bondage the children of the earth* and shattered the gates of Hades;* and as Master, He rose on the third day.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone 4: By your birth, O immaculate one,* Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness,* and Adam and Eve* from the corruption of death.* And your people, redeemed from the guilt of their sins,* celebrate as they cry out to you:* “The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God* and nourisher of our life.”
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
How great are Your works, O Lord* You have made all things in wisdom.
verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, You are exceedingly great. (Psalm 103:24,1)
Epistle
Romans 10:1-10
Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: Poise yourself and advance in triumph and reign in the cause of truth, and meekness, and justice.
verse: You have loved justice and hated iniquity. (Psalm 44:5,8)
Gospel
Matthew 8:28-9:1
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 148:1)
5-а Неділя по Зісланні Св. Духа.
Troparia and Kontakia
Тропар (глас 4): Світлу про воскресіння розповідь від ангела почувши* і від прадідного засуду звільнившись,* Господні учениці, радіючи, казали апостолам:* Здолано смерть, воскрес Христос Бог,* що дає світові велику милість.
+Слава Отцю, і Сину, і Святому Духові.
Кондак (глас 4): Спас і мій визволитель,* як Бог, із гробу воскресив землян від узів* і розбив брами адові* та воскрес на третій день, як Владика.
І нині, і повсякчас, і на віки вічні. Амінь.
Богородичний (глас 4): Йоаким і Анна народженням Твоїм, Пречиста, з неслави бездітности,* Адам же і Єва від тління смерти, визволилися.* Звільнений від вини за гріхи, Твій народ святкує, взиваючи: Неплідна народжує Богородицю і кормительку Життя нашого.
Прокімен (глас 4):
Які величні діла Твої, Господи! Все премудрістю сотворив Ти (Пс 103,24).
Стих: Благослови, душе моя, Господа! Господи, Боже мій, Ти вельми великий (Пс 103,1).
Апостол: (Рм 10,1-10):
Браття і Сестри, маючи, згідно з даною нам благодаттю, різні дари: коли то дар пророцтва, виконуймо його мірою віри; хто має дар служіння, нехай служить; хто навчання, нехай навчає; хто напоумлення, нехай напоумляє. Хто дає – у простоті; хто головує – дбайливо; хто милосердиться – то з радістю. Любов нехай буде нелицемірна; ненавидівши зло, приставайте до добра. Любіть один одного братньою любов’ю. Пошаною один одного випереджайте. В ревності не будьте ліниві, духом горіть, Господеві служіть;
веселі в надії, в горі терпеливі, в молитві витривалі; святих у потребах спомагайте і дбайте про гостинність. Благословляйте тих, що вас гонять; благословляйте, не проклинайте.
Алилуя (глас 4):
Стих: Натягни лук і наступай, і пануй істини ради, лагідности і справедливости (Пс 44,5).
Стих: Ти полюбив правду і зненавидів беззаконня (Пс 44,8).
Євангеліє: (Мт 8,29-9:1):
Одного разу, коли Ісус прибув на той бік, до землі Гадаринської, перестріли Його два біснуваті, що вийшли з могильних печер, дуже люті, так що ніхто не міг переходити тією дорогою. І ось, вони стали кричати, говорячи: Що Тобі, Сину Божий, до нас? Прийшов Ти сюди передчасно нас мучити? А оподаль від них пасся гурт великий свиней. І просилися демони, кажучи: Коли виженеш нас, то пошли нас у той гурт свиней. А Він відповів їм: Ідіть. І вийшли вони, і пішли в гурт свиней. І ось кинувся з кручі до моря ввесь гурт, і потопився в воді. Пастухи ж повтікали; а коли прибули вони в місто, то про все розповіли, і про біснуватих. І ось, усе місто вийшло назустріч Ісусові. Як Його ж угледіли, то стали благати, щоб пішов Собі з їхнього краю! І, сівши до човна, Він переплинув, і до міста Свого прибув.
Причасний: Хваліте Господа з небес,* хваліте Його на висотах (Пс 148,1). Алилуя (х3).