The Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (321-23) – March 09.
Text from “The Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship”; Pg. 817
Troparion (Tone 1): Be swayed by the pains that the saints have suffered for You, O Lord,* and heal all our pains,* O Lover of mankind, for this we pray.
+Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion (Tone 6): Leaving behind every army on earth,* you cleaved to the Master in heaven,* O Forty passion-bearers of the Lord.* For passing through fire and water,* you rightly received glory from heaven and a myriad of crowns, O blessed saints.
Prokimenon (Tone 5): You, O Lord, will guard us and will keep us* from this generation, and for ever (Ps 11:8).
verse: Save me, O Lord, for there is no longer left a just man (Ps 11:2).
Epistle (Hebrews 12:1-10): Brethren, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.’ Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness.
Alleluia (Tone 4): Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
verse: Shout to the Lord, all the earth, sing now to His name, give glory to His praise (Ps 65:2).
verse: For You, O God, have tested us, You have tried us by fire as silver is tried (Ps 65:10).
Gospel: (Matthew 20:1-16): The Lord said: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’
Communion Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous (Ps 32:1). Alleluia! (3x).
Divine Liturgy:
PDF – 40 Martyrs of Sebaste – ENGLISH
PDF – 40 Martyrs of Sebaste – ENG-UKR
PDF – 40 Martyrs of Sebaste – UKRAINIAN
PDF – Mar Liturgical Booklet – ENG/UKR