The Repose of our Venerable Father Theodosius, Hegumen of the Monastery of the Caves at Kyiv and Organizer of the Cenoebitic (Common) Life in Rus’ (1074) and the Holy Martyrs Timothy and Maura (286-305)

Polyeleos Feast.

 

GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading

Blessed is the man… is sung.

At Psalm 140

In Tone 5

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

Today the Feast of mid-Pentecost appears in its grace and brightness,* and as the noon hour divides the day,* so this Feast stands in the middle of the Paschal season.* It radiates the light of the Resurrection of Christ* and reflects the signs of eternal life.* It discloses the Ascension into heaven,* and it foretells the coming of the most beloved Spirit,* the glorious feast of Pentecost.* And so it bestows upon our souls peace and great mercy.

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

Today we have come to the midweek of the festal season.* As a river of divine glory,* the Lord gives streams of goodness to all and calls out:* All who thirst, come to Me and drink deeply,* because I am the Fountain of compassion and the Ocean of mercy.* From Him flows forgiveness to the peoples;* He washes away sin and cleanses infirmities.* He saves those who celebrate His Resurrection,* embraces with love those who honour His glorious Ascension,* and bestows upon our souls peace and great mercy.

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

He stood in the centre of the Temple, the infinite Lord God.* He is God in essence, yet became incarnate for our sakes,* taking upon Himself the limits of the flesh,* from which the living water of His word comes to everyone, saying:* Come and purify your hearts* and quench the heat of your passions.* Let no one be deprived of drink.* The water that I give is the grace of God* by which you partake of the better and eternal life.* Whoever drinks of it will share with Me, the Creator,* the kingdom and the glory of God.

In Tone 5

  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 venerable father, God-bearing Theodosius!* You laboured greatly during this earthly life:* with hymns, fasting, and persistent prayer* you became a model for your disciples.* Today you celebrate with the bodiless ones the angels,* unceasingly glorifying Christ, the Word of God, the Redeemer,* Who died on the cross and delivered the human race from deceit.* Pray to Him, venerable father,* that He grant peace and great mercy to the world.

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

O venerable father, God-bearing Theodosius!* You laboured greatly during this earthly life:* with hymns, fasting, and persistent prayer* you became a model for your disciples.* Today you celebrate with the bodiless ones the angels,* unceasingly glorifying Christ, the Word of God, the Redeemer,* Who died on the cross and delivered the human race from deceit.* Pray to Him, venerable father,* that He grant peace and great mercy to the world.

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

O venerable father, God-bearing Theodosius!* You truly merited the divine life,* having obtained it through purity and fasting;* for while still alive you renounced everything,* and passed over to the true life.* You now are glorifying with the heavenly hosts Him,* Who mystically took flesh from the Virgin and overthrew Hades* and raised those who had fallen asleep from time beyond memory.* Intercede with Him, O venerable father,* that He may grant peace and great mercy to the world.

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

O venerable father, God-bearing Theodosius!* You truly merited the divine life,* having obtained it through purity and fasting;* for while still alive you renounced everything,* and passed over to the true life.* You now are glorifying with the heavenly hosts Him,* Who mystically took flesh from the Virgin and overthrew Hades* and raised those who had fallen asleep from time beyond memory.* Intercede with Him, O venerable father,* that He may grant peace and great mercy to the world.

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

O venerable father, God-bearing Theodosius!* You found life because you loved purity,* and the grace of the Holy Spirit dwelled in within you,* like a most pure light shining upon you.* You now are unceasingly glorifying Christ, Who is one God in two natures,* Who suffered on the cross in the flesh,* but as God was incapable of suffering.* Pray to Him, , O venerable father,* that He may grant peace and great mercy to the world.

In Tone 8, Glory…

Come, let us all gather together and extol our father, Theodosius!* For already in his youth he received a calling from above,* and was given the name Theodosius which means, “God’s gift.”* To Christ-loving princes He was a teacher of the true faith,* to the nobles an unwavering intercessor,* to orphans a merciful father,* to widows an unwearied defender,* to the afflicted a consolation,* to the poor a treasure,* to the monastics a ladder leading to the heavenly heights;* and to those who directly go to him a sprig of ever-flowing water.* He prays unceasingly for the salvation of our souls.

In Tone 8

Now…

In the middle of the Feast,* before Your Passion and glorious Resurrection,* You taught the unbelievers in the Temple, O gracious Lord.* You cried out to the Scribes and Pharisees:* Let all who thirst come to Me and drink!* From the hearts of those who believe in Me,* rivers of living water, the Spirit of God, shall flow!* Your wisdom and understanding are far beyond our words.* Glory to You, our God, who perfects all things!

Readings

(1) Wisdom 4:7-15; (2) Wisdom 3:1-9; (3) Wisdom 5:15-6:3

Aposticha

In Tone 8

O God-wise Theodosius!* From childhood you have been drawn to God* and have completely dedicated yourself to the almighty King.* You brought to Him the fruits of your ascetical labours* crowned with the garlands of virtue.* For this, O glorious one, you have gained a reward* for your good deeds.

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful.

You are a teacher of ascetics a most radiant star of the land of Rus’* which illuminates the whole nation with miracles.* from your youth God chose you as a pastor of spiritual sheep.* For this reason, the assembly of venerable ascetics accepted you.* We beseech you: pray with them,* that the sins of your flock may be forgiven.

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in all His commandments.

Rejoice, O ever-praised Virgin,* who by means of a pillar of fire pointed out the pasture,* where the spiritual flock was to graze.* There, Theodosius erected in your honour a beautifully adorned church* where the faithful, standing before the relics of your ambassador,* honour your falling-asleep, O most pure Mother of God.

In Tone 8, Glory…

Countless monks honour you, father Theodosius, as their teacher,* following in your footsteps,* we have truly learned to live righteously.* Blessed are you who have toiled for Christ and have brought low the power of the enemy,* O friend of the angels and companion of the venerable ascetics.* pray with them to the Lord,* that He may have mercy on our souls.

In Tone 6

Now…

The midweek of the festal season has arrived, O Christ,* the midpoint of Your Resurrection and the coming of Your Holy Spirit.* Coming together, we glorify the mystery of Your miracles;* and filled with fear, we cry out to You:* Send down upon us Your great mercy!

Troparia

In Tone 8

Raised in virtue, O father Theodosius,* from childhood you loved the monastic life* and attained your desire courageously.* You lived in a cave adorning your life with fasting and radiance* and abided in prayer like the bodiless powers.* You shone like a beacon in the land of Rus’.** Entreat Christ God to save our souls.

In Tone 8

Glory… Now…

At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* O Source of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!

 

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 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.”

Troparion, Tone 8: At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* O Source of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!

Troparion, Tone 8: Raised in virtue, O father Theodosius,* from childhood you loved the monastic life* and attained your desire courageously.* You lived in a cave adorning your life with fasting and radiance* and abided in prayer like the bodiless powers.* You shone like a beacon in the land of Rus’.* Entreat Christ God to 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: Today we revere the star of Rus’, blessed Theodosius,* who shone from the east and came to the west;* for he enriched this whole land and all of us* with gentleness and miraculous wonders* by the practice and the grace of the monastic rule.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 8: Drawn to the well by faith,* the Samaritan woman beheld You, the Water of Wisdom,* and drinking abundantly of You,* she inherited the heavenly Kingdom for ever,* becoming everlastingly glorious.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4: At the mid-point of the Feast according to the Law,* Maker of all things and Master,* You said to those present, O Christ God:* Come, and draw the water of immortality.* And so we fall before You crying out with faith: Grant us Your mercies , for You are the source of our life.

Prokeimenon, Tone 3

Sing to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing.

verse: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout unto God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 46:7,2)

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

verse: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones.

Epistle

Acts 12:12-17; Hebrews 13:7-16

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)

verse: Your priests shall clothe themselves with justice, and Your venerable ones shall rejoice.

verse: For the Lord has chosen Sion; he has chosen it for His dwelling.

Gospel

John 8:42-51; Matthew 11:27-30

Hymn to the Mother of God

Virginity is alien to mothers and child-bearing is foreign to virgins; yet in you, O Mother of God, both of them came together. Therefore, we and all the nations of the earth without ceasing magnify you.

Communion Hymn

Receive the Body of Christ;* taste the fountain of immortality.* Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1)* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)

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.