Friday of the Second Week of the Great Fast – Presanctified
English Source: Royal Doors www.royaldoors.net
LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS
At Psalm 140
Tone 4
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.
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.
Tone 4
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
You are glorified in the memory of your saints, O Christ God.* Through their intercessions,* send upon us Your great mercy.
Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
O God, who has accepted the long-suffering of the holy martyrs,* accept our song, O Lover of humankind,* and, through their prayers, grant us Your great mercy.
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
O saints, who have the boldness to approach the Saviour,* pray without ceasing for us sinners,* asking remission for our transgressions,* and great mercy for our souls.
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 of the Lord,* you are living sacrifices and spiritual offerings* and perfect incense burnt to God.* You are sheep that know God and are known to Him,* and wolves cannot break into His fold.* Pray that we may be led with you* to pasture beside the still waters.
Tone 4
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Desiring a blessedness which is past understanding,* you reckoned abstinence to be food, poverty to be wealth,* lack of acquisitiveness to be abundant possessions,* and humility to be glory, O wondrous one.* Therefore, you also received your desire in accordance with your understanding,* abiding in the tabernacles of the saints, O Basil.
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Desiring a blessedness which is past understanding,* you reckoned abstinence to be food, poverty to be wealth,* lack of acquisitiveness to be abundant possessions,* and humility to be glory, O wondrous one.* Therefore, you also received your desire in accordance with your understanding,* abiding in the tabernacles of the saints, O Basil.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
You completed the immutable course of abstinence, and kept the Faith.* Therefore, you have been adorned with a crown of righteousness, O father,* which Christ has prepared for you,* awarding you recompense in accordance with your merits,* and bestowing upon you honours and rewards for your pangs.* Beseech Him, O divinely inspired one, that He save our souls.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
You cast off all love of pleasure which enslaved your body, O divinely wise one,* harrowing your senses with the pangs of abstinence,* with terrible living conditions, the endurance of temptations,* and the withstanding of evil circumstances;* and thereby you have received never-ending delight,* everlasting sweetness and ineffable joy.
Tone 4
Glory…
Where is the attachment to the world?* Where is the allurement of all that is temporal?* Where is silver and gold?* Where is the multitude of servants and anxieties?* All is dust, all is ashes, all is shadow.* Come, let us cry out to the Immortal King.* O Lord, deem worthy of Your eternal blessings those who have departed from us,* granting them rest in Your ageless bliss.
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.
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