GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 4
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
O Archangel Michael, you manifested yourself* to be the greatest defender of the thrice-holy Source of Light.* Together with the Powers on high, you joyfully call out:* Holy are You, O Father.* Holy are You, O Co-eternal Word.* Holy are You, O Holy Spirit.* You are the one glory, the one kingdom, and one nature;* You are the one Divinity and Power.
- Let Yours ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
O Archangel Michael, you manifested yourself* to be the greatest defender of the thrice-holy Source of Light.* Together with the Powers on high, you joyfully call out:* Holy are You, O Father.* Holy are You, O Co-eternal Word.* Holy are You, O Holy Spirit.* You are the one glory, the one kingdom, and one nature;* You are the one Divinity and Power.
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
O Archangel Michael, you are like a flaming fire,* and your godliness is awesome.* By your bodiless nature you cross the ends of the earth,* fulfilling the commands of the Creator of all.* You also make your Church a fountain of healings.* You are venerated because of your holy calling.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O Archangel Michael, you are like a flaming fire,* and your godliness is awesome.* By your bodiless nature you cross the ends of the earth,* fulfilling the commands of the Creator of all.* You also make your Church a fountain of healings.* You are venerated because of your holy calling.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
You made the winds Your messenger* and flaming fire Your servant, just as it is written.* Among the ranks of Your archangels, O Lord,* You have shown Michael the Archangel to be the leader.* He is obedient to Your commands, O Word.* With fear he sings the thrice-holy hymn to Your glory.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
By divine grace, O Gabriel,* the eternal intelligence created you to be a second light.* You were to illumine the whole world* that you might reveal a divine and truly great mystery* which had been hidden from eternity:* that God Who is bodiless was made flesh in a virgin womb* and became man to save mankind.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
O Gabriel, you stand before the throne of the thrice-holy Source of Light.* Glistening with celestial splendour.* We on earth joyfully dance and sing your praises.* O leader of the heavenly hosts,* O intercessor for our souls,* deliver us from the darkness of our passion* by illuminating us with your light.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
O Gabriel, leader of the heavenly hosts* and intercessor for our souls,* crush the boldness of those who attack your flock.* Put an end to schisms within the Church.* Calm the storm of numberless temptations.* Deliver from trial and tribulation* those who lovingly venerate you* and hasten to protect us with the shadow of your wings.
In Tone 6, Glory…
Rejoice with us, all you leaders of the angels;* for the great Archangel, your captain and our guardian,* appears today in his holy church.* He wondrously watches over us and truly sanctifies this place.* Therefore, singing his praises daily,* let us cry out to him:* Keep us safe by the protection of your wings,* O great Archangel Michael.
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 mercy on our souls.
Readings
(1) Joshua 5:13-15; (2) Judges 6:7, 11-24; (3) Isaiah 14:6-20
Litiya
In Tone 1
The leaders of the heavenly hosts* stand unceasingly before the throne of the Master.* They pray to the Lord to grant peace to the world* and great mercy to our souls.
As the leader of the Powers on high,* Michael has summoned us today for the feast.* He is always by our side* and preserves us today from every attack of the devil.* Come, therefore, O lovers of the feasts and lovers of Christ,* let us carry the flowers of virtue;* and with a pure mind and a clear conscience,* let us venerate the feast of the Archangel.* For he stands unceasingly before God, singing the thrice-holy hymn,* interceding for our souls to be saved.
In Tone 2
O bodiless Powers, you intercede for us.* O Leaders of the heavenly hosts,* by the brightness of your thrice-radiant glory* you give light to the whole world;* with unceasing voices you sing the thrice-holy hymn.* Pray, therefore, that our souls may be saved.
O intelligent, celestial, and bodiless Powers,* you surround the heavenly throne* and with flaming lips sing the thrice-holy hymn to God the ruler:* O holy God, O eternal Father;* O holy, mighty, and co-eternal Son;* O holy and immortal Spirit having the same nature,* and glorified together with the Father and the Son.
With immaterial lips and spiritual mouths,* the angelic ranks offer hymns to Your unapproachable divinity, O Lord.* Both the pure spirits and ministers of Your glory,* together with the incorporeal Michael and Gabriel, praise You, O Lord.* The leaders of the heavenly powers,* and the chiefs of the angels welcome us today.* They invite us to sing to Your unapproachable glory.* O Lover of Mankind,* they pray unceasingly for our souls.
In Tone 4, Glory…
With flaming lips, the Cherubim extol You, O Christ God;* and with immaterial mouths, the choirs of Archangels* loudly extols Your glory.* Michael, the captain of the heavenly powers,* unceasingly offers a song of victory to Your glory.* He has prepared us today for this feast,* so that even with lips of clay,* we may worthily sing aloud the thrice-holy hymn* as it is in the psalms.* All creation is filled with the praise of You, O Christ.* For this reason You give great mercy to the world.
Now…
Today the Theotokos, the Temple that is to contain God,* is being escorted into the Temple of the Lord,* and Zechariah receives her.* Today the Holy of Holies greatly rejoices,* and the choir of angels mystically celebrates this feast.* Let us also celebrate with them today* and cry out with Gabriel:* Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you,* and He grants us great mercy.
Aposticha
In Tone 1
While solemnly celebrating on earth,* let us sing as the angels to God* Who is seated on the throne of glory:* Holy are You, O heavenly Father;* holy are You, O co-eternal Word;* holy are You, O all-holy Spirit.
You made the winds your messengers and flaming fire your ministers.
O eyewitness of ineffable things,* because of your great courage* you are the leader of the heavenly beings.* You gloriously stand before the awesome throne, O Michael.* By your prayers, save those who are suffering* because of trials and tribulations.
Praise the Lord, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts.
You are the chief of the bodiless angels* and a minister of the Divine Splendour.* You are an eyewitness and a mystic, O Michael.* Save us who devoutly honour you each year* and who faithfully extol the Trinity.
In Tone 8, Glory… Now…
O Archangel, since you are a soldier* and leader of the heavenly hosts* and the captain of the angels, O glorious one,* deliver from every care and worry,* from illnesses and bitter sins,* those who faithfully extol and beseech you.* You see the Lord Who is Spirit;* you are illumined by the unapproachable light of the Master’s glory.* For He, out of love for all people,* became incarnate of the Virgin for our sake.* By this, He wished to save mankind.
Troparia
In Tone 4
Princes of the heavenly hosts,* we, though unworthy, beg you* to encircle us through your prayers* under the shelter of the wings of your spiritual glory.* Guard us as we come to you and sincerely cry: * “Deliver us from dangers,** O princes of the powers on high!” (twice)
In Tone 1
Rejoice, Virgin Mary, Mother of God, full of grace,* the Lord is with you.* Blessed are you among women* and blessed is the fruit of your womb,** for you have given birth to Christ, the Saviour and Deliverer of our souls.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: Princes of the heavenly hosts,* we, though unworthy, beg you* to encircle us through your prayers* under the shelter of the wings your spiritual glory.* Guard us as we come to you and sincerely cry:* Deliver us from dangers,* O princes of the powers on high!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2: Princes of God’s hosts, ministers of divine glory,* leaders of angels and guides of men,* pray for our welfare and for great mercy,* O princes of the incorporeal powers.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
He makes spirits His angels and flaming fire His ministers.
verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, you are very great (Psalm 103:4,1)
Epistle
Hebrews 2:2-10
Alleluia, Tone 5
verse: Praise the Lord, all you His angels; praise Him, all you powers.
verse: For He spoke, and they came into being; He commanded and they were created (Psalm 148:2,5)
Gospel
Luke 10:16-21
Communion Hymn
He makes spirits His angels,* and flaming fire His ministers.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 103:4)