Polyeleos Feast.

GREAT VESPERS

Kathisma Reading: “Blessed is the man…” is sung.

At Psalm 140

In Tone 1

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

A heavenly angel was sent beforehand to announce your birth, father Euthymius.* Like John, you came from the womb of a barren woman* and you showed yourself to be his follower.* You were a homeless one who spurned possessions,* sharing his way of life.* Like the Baptist, you sustained yourself in the mountains,* shining forth with boundless miracles!

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

A heavenly angel was sent beforehand to announce your birth, father Euthymius.* Like John, you came from the womb of a barren woman* and you showed yourself to be his follower.* You were a homeless one who spurned possessions,* sharing his way of life.* Like the Baptist, you sustained yourself in the mountains,* shining forth with boundless miracles!

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

You brought forth fruit from barrenness, father Euthymius.* You were shown to have many children indeed,* for the desert that once was trackless was filled with monastics,* your spiritual offspring.* Pray now that our souls may be granted peace and great mercy!

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

You excelled in your life, father Euthymius,* and your faith was truly orthodox.* Through activity you reached the highest vision* and became a dwelling of wisdom.* You worshipped Christ in two natures as one of the Trinity.* Pray to Him on our behalf!

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

You shared in the sufferings of Him* who was stretched upon the cross, father Euthymius.* Through asceticism you conformed yourself indeed to His resurrection and glory!* Entreat Him now that he may grant our souls* peace and great mercy!

In Tone 4

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

You were sanctified from your mother’s womb* when the eye of Him who sees all things perceived* your purpose and desire ever leading towards higher things.* Most blessed one, He declared you to be a gift of God,* the namesake of good courage.* He loosed the sorrow of your parents.* You advanced from infancy pleasing God, our Benefactor.* Beseech Him that He may save and enlighten our souls!

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

Christ found you to be a clear mirror of divine revelations.* He enlightened you with the radiant splendour of His light.* He filled you with divine gifts, father.* You were revealed to be a source flowing with healings,* a feeder of the hungry,watering with rains the desire of those who thirst.* Looking upon souls as pledges, wise one,* by your teaching, you helped them towards God.* Entreat Him that He may save and enlighten our souls!

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

Your angelic life shone with vision and activity* as a standard and excellent model of virtue* for those who desire to worship God in perfection!* Your divinely-wise teaching, Euthymius,* taught all to worship the Trinity,* that Christ is known to be one in two natures* and that the councils were equal in number to Christ’s four gospels.* Entreat Him that He may save and enlighten our souls!

In Tone 3

Glory…

As another Samuel, father Euthymius,* you were dedicated to God from your mother’s womb.* Indeed, you were fittingly called by your name,* for you are good courage to all believers,* a foundation and pillar of the monastic way,* a sanctified temple of the Holy Spirit.* Pray for us who honour you,* that we may be granted great mercy!

Now…

O Lady most honourable,* how can we but be rapt in wonder* at you giving birth to the Incarnate God* who, without a mother, was born of the Father before all ages?* You gave Him birth in the flesh without a father,* without a man instrumentality.* He is God and man whose two natures are intact,* neither one losing any of its properties.* Therefore, O Virgin Mother,* intercede with Him to save the souls* of  those who believe and confess in true faith* that you are the Mother of God.

Readings

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

Aposticha

In Tone 5

Rejoice, venerable father,* for you are the cause of good courage for the Church!* By your birth all the assaults of heretics were repelled by the providence of God!* Therefore he named you Euthymius, or good courage.* You filled the ranks of heavenly beings with joy by the brilliance of your life!* Now as you make your dwelling with them, filled with light,* and enjoy the most blessed and divine radiance,* entreat Christ that He may grant great mercy to our souls.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints!

Made firm by the staff of the cross,* you dried up the sea of iniquity.* Spiritually watered by the stream of divine sweetness and the rivers of paradise,* you revealed springs of salvation in the desert!* You were watered like a palm tree with streams of the divine Spirit.* You hastened to the heights of heaven, venerable one,* showing yourself a fiery pillar of light-bearing radiance.* Therefore, divinely wise one,* entreat Christ that He may grant great mercy to our souls!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; who greatly delights in is commandments!

You have passed over indeed with joy and gladness of soul* to the wonderful tabernacle, the house of God.* There, most blessed father, you listen to the beautiful voices,* the sweet hymns and ineffable delight of those who keep the feast.* You share in their beauty, Euthymius.* This alone you desired as you crucified your flesh and you reached it,* adorned with the righteousness of God.* Entreat Christ that He may grant the world great mercy!

Glory…

You gave your eyes no sleep, righteous father,* nor your eyelids slumber, until you freed your soul and body of passions.* You prepared yourself to be the dwelling of the Holy Spirit,* for you became the companion of the consubstantial Trinity,* for Christ who alone shows us the Father,* came to live in you, all-praised Euthymius.* Pray to Him that our souls may be saved!

Now…

We faithful bless you, Theotokos;* we fittingly glorify you, the unshaken city, the fortified wall,* the fervent intercessor and protector of our souls!

Troparia

In Tone 4

Be glad, O barren desert;* take heart, you who have never known labor.* For a man of the desires of the Spirit* has multiplied your children.* He planted them in godliness* and reared them with self-mastery to perfection in virtues.* By his prayers, Christ God, grant peace to our lives.

Glory… Now…

O Mother of God, the mystery hidden from all eternity* and unknown even to the angels,* was revealed through you to those on earth:* God took on our human nature* and united it to His divine nature in a perfect but unconfused union.* Then, He willingly accepted the cross for our sake* and thereby raised again the first created man,* and saved our souls from death.

DIVINE LITURGY

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: Be glad, O barren desert;* take heart, you who have never known labour.* For a man of the desires of the Spirit* has multiplied your children.* He planted them in godliness* and reared them with self-mastery to perfection in virtues.* By his prayers, Christ God, grant peace to our lives.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 8: Creation found joy in your precious birth* and in your divine memorial it takes courage from your many miracles.* Grant a rich share of your wonders to our souls, O Venerable Father,* and cleanse the stains of sin that we may sing: Alleluia.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones.
verse: What shall I render to the Lord for all the things He has rendered to me? (Psalm 115:15,12)

Epistle: Hebrews 13: 17-21

Alleluia, Tone 6
verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.
verse: His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth. (Psalm 111:1,2)

Gospel: Luke 6: 17-23

Communion Hymn
The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)