LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS ON FRIDAY EVENING

At Psalm 140

In Tone 7

10. Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.

Like the prodigal, I have turned away from Your grace;* I have wasted the riches of Your goodness, O Lord.* I now run to You and cry out:* I have sinned , O Lord, have mercy on me.

9. The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.

Like the prodigal, I have turned away from Your grace;* I have wasted the riches of Your goodness, O Lord.* I now run to You and cry out:* I have sinned , O Lord, have mercy on me.

In Tone 1

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

Through the supplication of all the saints and of the Theotokos,* grant us Your peace, O Lord, and save us,* since You alone are compassionate.

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

O saints, your confession of faith in the arena* destroyed the strength of devils and set us free from delusion.* When you were beheaded, you cried out:* O Lord, may the sacrifice of our souls be acceptable in Your sight;* for in our love for You, the Lover of humankind,* we have despised this temporal life.

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

How beautiful is the manner of your exchange, O saints;* for you have given your blood and received heaven.* Truly, you have done well!* You have obtained immortality by forsaking corruptible things.* Making a single choir with the angels,* you sing unceasingly the praises of the consubstantial Trinity.

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

O martyrs, worthy of praise,* though the earth may not have covered you, heaven received you,* opening to you the gates of Paradise, where you dwell,* delighting in the Tree of Life.* Beseech Christ to grant our souls* peace and great mercy.

In Tone 4

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

Having received the illumination of the knowledge of God,* the eyes of your heart were enlightened.* you wisely abandoned the darkness of delusion, wise one!* You confessed Christ, the Lord Who took flesh for all.* Therefore, most praised Chrysanthus,* you were made strong by the might of the Spirit,* and were shown to be stronger than your torturers.

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

Having received the illumination of the knowledge of God,* the eyes of your heart were enlightened.* you wisely abandoned the darkness of delusion, wise one!* You confessed Christ, the Lord Who took flesh for all.* Therefore, most praised Chrysanthus,* you were made strong by the might of the Spirit,* and were shown to be stronger than your torturers.

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

You counted the bait of the enemy and the burning of pleasures to be like a cobweb. * As you stood in the dark dungeon,* you were illumined with the light of God* and filled with spiritual fragrance* though you were surrounded by the stench of filth.* As a most excellent escort,* you led as a blameless bride to Christ* the woman who had sought to defile you!

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

Daria of glorious fame,* you were wounded with the sweetest love of the Creator* and turned away from all ungodliness.* Through the many torments of your body,* you found within yourself a bridal chamber of God.* You were a divine vessel of the Spirit,* the adornment of athletes and the ornament of virgins!* You betrothed yourself to Christ by the many torments of your body!

In Tone 1

Glory…

What earthly delight endures unmingled with grief?* What earthly glory remains immutable?* All things are less than a shadow, more deluding than a dream.* In a single moment all these are effaced by death.* But in the light of Your countenance, O Christ, and in the enjoyment of Your beauty,* grant rest to those whom You have chosen;* for You love humankind.

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 the 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 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!

Prokeimenon I, Tone 4
Give us Your help against the foe,* for human help is vain.”
verse: O God, You have rejected us and broken us. You have been angry; come back to us.

Reading I: Genesis 8:4-21

Prokeimenon II, Tone 6
O God, hear my cry!* Listen to my prayer!
verse: So I will always praise Your name; day after day I will fulfil my vows.

Reading II: Proverbs 10:31-11:12