LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS
ON FRIDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

In Tone 4

10. 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.

9. 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 8

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

O martyrs of the Lord,* you sanctify all places,* and you heal all diseases.* Therefore, we implore you:* Pray that our souls be delivered from the snares of the Enemy.

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

O martyrs of the Lord,* we entreat you to beseech our God* and ask great mercy for our souls* and forgiveness for our many offences.

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

Your martyrs, O Lord,* forgetting the things of this life* and despising torture for the sake of the life to come,* were shown to be inheritors of the eternal life.* Therefore, they rejoice exceedingly with the angels.* Through their supplications, bestow great mercy upon Your people.

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

What honour and praise can fittingly be ascribed to the saints?* They bowed their necks under the sword for You, who left the heavens and came down.* They shed their blood for You, who emptied Yourself taking the form of a servant.* By emulating Your poverty, they humbled themselves unto death.* By their prayers, have mercy on us, O Lord, according to Your great compassion.

In Tone 6

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

You were arrayed in the vestments of a bishop,* thrice-blessed one:* You entered the holy of holies,* with pure lips, like an angel, sending up praise to your Master! * As the godly shepherd of Rome,* enlightened with deifying splendour,* you taught the faithful the theology of the faith,* divinely radiant Gregory:* teacher of the church* and initiate of the mysteries of the grace of God!

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

Ever cleaving to the Lord,* and united to the divine fire in purity, hierarch,* you set down the liturgy of the presanctified gifts,* thus sanctifying the faithful during the days of the fast;* rescuing them from the snares of the enemy.* You guided them into the fold of heaven,* revealing yourself to be a pillar a fire* through the splendour of your piety * and the brightness of your divine teachings,* God-bearing Father Gregory!

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

Holy Gregory,* you preserved blamelessly the bishop’s holy anointing.* By the grace of Christ you caused its gifts to increase like talents, * in all things you were well pleasing to the only Lord of glory: * in love and meekness, in ardour of faith,* in compassion and prayer.

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

Thus, divinely eloquent one, in the meadow of salvation,* you faithfully shepherded the reason-endowed flock of Christ.* Today your divine memorial, most honoured one,* shines forth like the sun to the ends of the earth,* joyfully enlightening all the faithful with mystical splendours!* We assemble to honour it with holy psalms and hymns,* entreating you to beseech Christ, divinely glorious one,* on behalf of those who sing your praises.

In Tone 8

Glory…

I weep and lament as I consider death,* and behold our beauty fashioned in the image of God,* resting in the tombs, disfigured and deprived of glory and expression.* O, what a wonder!* What is this mystery?* Why have we been delivered to corruption?* Why subjected to death?* Indeed, as it is written, by the command of God,* for He grants rest to the departed.

Now…

Out of His love for mankind* the King of heaven appeared on earth and dwelt with men,* for He assumed a human body from the pure Virgin* and was seen in the flesh He received from her.* He is the One and only God having two natures but not two persons.* Wherefore we profess and declare the truth that Christ our God is perfect God and perfect Man.* O Mother, who knew not carnal union,* intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.

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