The Passing of Our Venerable Father Abraham, Archimandrite and Wonderworker of Rostov; The Holy Venerable-Martyr Anastasia of Rome; Our Venerable Father Abraham the Recluse.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: Your lamb, Anastasia, O Jesus, cries in a loud voice:* “You, O my Bridegroom, I love; and, seeking You, I undergo martyrdom.* And with You I am crucified and buried in Your baptism,* and I suffer for Your sake that I may reign with You.* And I die on Your behalf that I may live in You.* Receive me as a spotless sacrifice,* sacrificed for You with love.”* Through her intercession in Your mercy save our souls.

Troparion, Tone 8: In you, O holy father Abraham, the faithful image of God shone forth,* for you carried your cross and followed Christ.* You taught by your deeds how to spurn the body, for it passes away;* and how to value the soul, for it is immortal. *Therefore, your soul is forever in happiness with the angels.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 3: In the body, you were like an angel on earth,* and by your asceticism, you were like a tree well-rooted.* You grew in beauty, being watered with self-renouncement.* O father Abraham, you exorcised the devil by your tears;* therefore, you resembled a vessel of the Holy Spirit.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 3: O venerable Anastasia, you were purified by the waters of virginity* and washed by the blood of your martyrdom.* Therefore, you grant healing to those who suffer from sickness* and salvation to those who come to you with love.* It is Christ who bestows upon you this power* because He is ever-generous with his grace.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

The venerable ones will exult in glory* and they shall by joyful in their beds.

verse: Sing to the Lord a new song; let His praise be in the assembly of the venerable ones. (Psalm 149:5,1)

Epistle

1 Thessalonians 2:9-14

Brothers and Sisters, you remember our labor and toil we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews.

Alleluia, Tone 6

verse: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.

verse: His seed shall be mighty upon the earth. (Psalm 111:1,2)

Gospel

Luke 11:14-23

At that time, Jesus was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

Communion Hymn

Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)