GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma
“Blessed is the man…” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 1
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
When the doors were closed and the disciples were gathered together* You suddenly appeared in their midst, Jesus our Almighty God.* You granted them peace and filled them with the Holy Spirit;* You commanded them to wait and not depart from Jerusalem* until they were clothed with power from on high.* Therefore, we cry You, O Lord:* Glory to You, our Light, our Resurrection, and our Peace.
- Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Eight days after Your Resurrection, Lord,* You appeared Your disciples in the room where they were gathered; You greeted them, saying: Peace be with you! *Then You showed Your hands and side to the doubting disciple.* therefore, cried out in an act faith:* Lord and my God, glory to You!
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Even though the doors were closed, You came to Your disciples, O Christ,* and Thomas, called the Twin, was not with them.* Therefore, he did not believe what they told him. *You did not deem him unworthy for his lack of faith,* but in Your goodness, You confirmed his faith* by showing him Your pure side* and the wounds in Your hands and feet.* He touched them, and when he saw You,* he confessed You to be neither an abstract God nor merely human;* and he cried out: My Lord and my God, glory to You!
In Tone 1
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
Come, faithful, let us sing praises to Mark.* He is the wise writer of the Gospel!* The greatest of Egypt’s cities heard his inspired words.* Apostle, by your prayers and teachings,* guide our lives in the way of peace!
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
You became a fellow traveller of Paul, the chosen vessel.* you accompanied him through all Macedonia;* then you followed Peter to Rome.* You were welcomed as his secretary and interpreter.* But it was in Egypt, all-wise Mark,* that you finished your course in a manner well-pleasing to God!
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
You gave life to barren souls,* watering them with the radiant stream of your Gospel.* Because of you, holy Mark,* Alexandria rejoices with us today,* celebrating your blessed memory!
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Most blessed Mark,* you drank from the fountain of delight;* you became a river of peace, flowing from Eden,* surrounding us as a sea of protection.* The proclamation of your Gospel waters the face of the earth.* By your divinely-inspired teaching the Church is established!
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Most praised Apostle Mark,* Moses once drowned the Egyptians in the sea,* but you, wise one, have drawn them up from the depths of error!* You lived with them, and showed them power,* destroying their idols with your strong right arm!
In Tone 6
Glory…
Grace is poured out upon your lips,* Apostle Mark.* you became a shepherd of Christ’s Church.* You taught the sheep whom God endowed with reason* to believe in the consubstantial Trinity, one Godhead!
In Tone 1
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 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 up 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!
Readings
(1) James 1:1-12; (2) James 1:13-27; (3) James 2:1-13
Aposticha
In Tone 1
Mark, learned in divine wisdom,* you became the pen of a skilful scribe,* writing of Christ’s life with inspired words.* You clearly proclaim the good news of unending life!* We beseech you: inscribe in the book of life* the names of all those who glorify and praise your memory!
Their proclamation has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the universe!
Mark, you are worthy of highest praise!* You traversed the earth, preaching the Gospel of Christ!* Like the sun, you enlightened men with the rays of faith,* driving away the darkness of idolatry.* Entreat Christ to grant peace and great mercy to our souls!
The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork!
Most blessed Apostle Mark,* you preached to people bound by the madness of idolatry.* Egypt’s darkness was dispelled by the light of your words!* Entreat Christ, whose Gospel you preached,* to grant peace and great mercy to our souls!
In Tone 8, Glory…
Come, all you faithful,* let us praise Mark in psalms and hymns!* He is the herald of heavenly mysteries and interpreter of the Gospel.* He is a river of the spiritual paradise!* He waters the earth with living streams,* that it may bear fruit for Christ our God.* Through his intercession,* forgiveness and great mercy are granted to all!
In Tone 5
Now..
How great is Your infinite compassion, O Lover of mankind;* for because of Your long-suffering You were struck by Your enemies;* You were touched by an Apostle* and deeply pierced by those who denied You.* How did You become incarnate?* How were You crucified, O Sinless One?* Teach us to cry out as Thomas:* My Lord and my God, glory to You!
Troparia
In Tone 3
Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all/ to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
In Tone 7
Glory… Now…
While the tomb was sealed, O Christ God, You dawned as life from the sepulchre, and while the doors were shut, You came to Your disciples, the Resurrection of all, renewing a right spirit in us through them, according to Your great mercy.
DIVINE LITURGY
After the priest has exclaimed, Blessed be the Kingdom… and the people have responded, Amen, the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then, the clergy sing the first half, and the people conclude it.
Paschal Troparion
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 7: While the tomb was sealed, O Christ God, You dawned as life from the sepulchre, and while the doors were shut, You came to Your disciples, the Resurrection of all, renewing a right spirit in us through them, according to Your great mercy.
Troparion, Tone 3: Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark, divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 2: You received from on high the grace of the Spirit,* and destroyed the snares of the orators,* O Mark, most glorious apostle.* You caught the nations and brought them to the Master* by preaching to them the divine Good News.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8: With his searching hand, Thomas explored Your life-giving side, O Christ God. For when You entered while the doors were shut, he called out to You with the rest of the Apostles: You are my Lord and my God!
Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Great is our Lord and great is His strength;* and of His knowledge there is no end.
verse: Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good; may praise be sweet to our God. (Psalm 146:5,1)
Prokeimenon, Tone 8
verse: Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their word unto the ends of the world.
Epistle
Acts 5:21-33; 1 Peter 5:6-14
Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God our Saviour.
verse: For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth. (Psalm 94:1,3)
verse: The heavens shall confess our wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints. (Psalm 88:6)
Gospel
John 6:14-27; Mark 6:7-13
Hymn to the Mother of God
The Angel cried out to the One full of Grace: O chaste Virgin, rejoice! And again I say, Rejoice! Your Son has risen from the tomb on the third day, and raised the dead. Let all people rejoice! Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Exult now and be glad, O Sion! And you, O chaste Mother of God, take delight in the resurrection of your Son.
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem.* Praise your God, O Sion. (Psalm 147:1)* Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their word unto the ends of the world.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 18:5)
Instead of “Blessed is He Who comes…” we sing:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Instead of “We have seen the true light…” we sing:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Instead of “May our mouths be filled…” we sing three times:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Instead of “Blessed be the name of the Lord…” we sing three times:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
At the dismissal, instead of “Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.” we chant:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
After the final Amen, the Troparion “Christ is risen” is sung as at the beginning of the Liturgy, but with the addition:
And to us He has granted life eternal;* we bow down before His resurrection on the third day.