Polyeleos Feast. Saint with Six Stichera. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.

GREAT VESPERS ON THURSDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

Blessed is the man… is chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 4, Podoben “As ones one valiant among the martyrs…”

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

Your memory dawns like the sun, holy Olha.* The mother of Russian kings, you pointed the way to Christ.* Teaching the angelic way, you overthrew the idol,* and the devil you countered with strength from the Holy Spirit.* You led the whole land to God from the darkness of ignorance.* pray to Him for those who remember you.

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

Your memory dawns like the sun, holy Olha.* The mother of Russian kings, you pointed the way to Christ.* Teaching the angelic way, you overthrew the idol,* and the devil you countered with strength from the Holy Spirit.* You led the whole land to God from the darkness of ignorance.* pray to Him for those who remember you.

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

With wisdom of things divine* you overcame the one who tempted Eve.* Eliminating the devil’s way * you fostered a God-given paradise for the Church;* there you planted the life-giving Cross* so that the heavenly bread and blood of Christ* will grant those who partake angelic life.* Pray for all those who remember you.

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

With wisdom of things divine* you overcame the one who tempted Eve.* Eliminating the devil’s way * you fostered a God-given paradise for the Church;* there you planted the life-giving Cross* so that the heavenly bread and blood of Christ* will grant those who partake angelic life.* Pray for all those who remember you.

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

We spiritually rejoice in remembering you, holy Olha.* Together with miracle-workers and martyrs, pray fervently to Christ.* With the holy Theotokos as your helper,* free us from harm and sadness as we sing to you.

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

Come, you Christian people of Rus’* and in praises let us magnify our first mother,* who showed great wisdom and courage,* who spurned the glory of this world and loved Christ our true God more than all others;* and let us cry out thus to her:* O all-glorious favourite of Christ, pray for the people of Rus’,* that they might not be turned away from the orthodox faith by any of the wiles of the enemy,* but may remain unshaken in piety.

Tone 4, Glory…

Come, you generations of Rus’ and with hymns let us praise the all-wise Olha!* Come, and, enriched in understanding, learn from her* how to bring our understanding to the obedience of faith!* Come, O you men, and render honour to an all-glorious woman!* Come, you women, and emulate her great manliness!* Come, you rulers, and understand an incorrupt glory which surpasses all earthly things!* Come, all you her descendants, and celebrate with splendour on her day!* For she prays fervently to the Lord, that our souls be enlightened.

Now…

O Mother of God, because of You* David the Prophet became an ancestor of God;* he foretold and sang a joyous hymn of praise* and cried out to Him who worked wonders in you:* “The Queen stood at your right hand.”* God revealed you as a life-giving mother,* when He chose to be incarnate of you without a father.* He renewed in man His image* which the passions had corrupted.* He found the lost sheep in the mountains,* carried it on His shoulders,* offered it to the Father,* generously numbered it among the powers of heaven,* and saved the whole world, since He is Christ of great and rich mercy.

Readings

(1) Judges 4:1-5:12; (2) 13:2-20; (3) Proverbs 31:10-12.

Aposticha

Tone 8, Podoben “O all-glorious wonder…”

O all-glorious wonder!* Through a woman the Lord who loves mankind all-wondrously restored the human race,* which had fallen through a woman,* and in later times He sent a woman for the conversion of the race of Rus’:* the all-glorious Olha, whose baptism laid the foundation for the enlightenment of the land of Rus’* to the salvation of our souls.

The Lord is close to all that call upon Him, to all that call on Him in truth.

Rejoice, O divinely saved city of Kyiv,* who have poured forth the light of Christ upon all the ends of our land,* and showed forth therein the first saint, the all-honoured Olha!* Rejoice, O Vyshhorod, her honoured inheritance!* Rejoice, O assembly of the women of Rus’, who have provided our boast,* to the salvation of our souls!

The will of those who fear Him shall He do, and their supplication shall He hear, and He shall save them.

Be glad, O barren land of Rus’!* Dance, O you who never felt the pangs of childbirth,* for you have now given birth to your child, the blessed Olha!* And to the Lord she calls our father Volodymyr,* and by her struggles moves to emulation the choirs of God’s saints,* and your cities and groves, to the salvation of our souls.

Tone 8, Glory…

Great is your glory, and your memorial is celebrated with praises, O all-wise Olha,* who disdained the emptiness of the idols and understood the truth of the Gospel.* In your old age you bound your mind to Christ in obedience,* and have shown the true path of life to all the generations of Rus’.* In our behalf entreat Him who alone loves mankind.

Now…

O unwedded Virgin who ineffably conceived God in the flesh,* Mother of God Most High:* accept the entreaties of your servants, O most immaculate one,* granting to all cleansing of transgressions;* and, accepting now our supplications, pray that we all be saved.

Troparion

Tone 1

On the wings of the knowledge of God* you lifted your mind, O glorious Olha* and soared beyond the visible* attaining to God, the Creator of all.* You found Him and in baptism received the new life* abiding forever in incorruption* and enjoying the fruits of the life-giving Tree.

Glory… Now…

O Holy Tabernacle, when Gabriel cried out to you:* Rejoice O Virgin, full of grace,* the Lord of all became incarnate of you,* as the righteous David had foretold.* In bearing your Creator, you have shown yourself to surpass the vastness of the heavens.* We, therefore, cry out: Glory to Him who dwelt in you!* Glory to Him who came forth from you!* Glory to Him who has set us free through your life-giving birth!

 

DIVINE LITURGY ON FRIDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 1: On the wings of the knowledge of God* you lifted your mind, O glorious Olga* and soared beyond the visible* attaining to God, the Creator of all.* You found Him and in baptism received the new life* abiding forever in incorruption* and enjoying the fruits of the life-giving Tree.

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

Kontakion, Tone 4: Today, let us praise God* Who gives blessings to all,* for in Rus’-Ukraine He glorified* Olga the divinely wise.* Let us ask Him to grant our souls* pardon of sins through her prayers.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

God is wonderful in His saints,* the God of Israel.

verse: In the churches bless God, the Lord from the fountains of Israel. (Psalm 67:36,27)

Epistle

Galatians 3:23-29

Alleluia, Tone 1

verse: With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and He was attentive to me, and He heard my prayer.

verse: He brought me out of the pit of misery and the mud of the swamp. (Psalm 39:2,3)

Gospel

Matthew 25:1-13

Communion Hymn

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