Holy Week PDF

HOLY AND GREAT MONDAY
AT MATINS
The usual beginning, with the Six psalms, the Great Litany and then:
Deacon (Priest): Alleluia, in the eighth Tone:
Verse: Out of the night my spirit waketh at dawn unto Thee, O God, for
Thy commandments are light upon the earth.
Choir: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Verse: Learn righteousness, ye that dwell upon the earth.
Verse: Zeal shall lay hold upon an uninstructed people.
Verse: Add more evils upon them, O Lord; add more evils upon them that
are glorious upon the earth.
Then the Choir sings the Troparion in Tone VIII:
Behold the Bridegroom cometh in the middle of the night; * and blessed is the
servant whom He shall find watching, * but unworthy is he whom He shall find in
slothfulness. * Beware, then, O my soul, and be not overcome by sleep, * lest thou
be given over to death and shut out from the Kingdom. * But rise up and cry
aloud: Holy, holy, holy art Thou, O God: ** through the Theotokos have mercy
upon us. (Thrice)
Then follows the 1st reading from the Psalter (Kathisma IV) and:
Sessional hymn in Tone I:
On this day the Holy Passion shineth forth upon the world * as a light most
perfect; * for Christ in His goodness hasteneth to His sufferings. * He who
holdeth all things in the palm of His hand * hath consented to be hung upon the
Tree, ** that He may save mankind.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Repeat.
nd
Then follows the 2 reading from the Psalter (Kathisma V) and:
O Judge invisible, how art Thou seen in the flesh, * drawing near to be slain by
lawless men?, * condemning by Thy Passion our own condemnation? * Therefore
with one accord, O Word, ** we send up praise, majesty and glory to Thy power.
Glory ..., Both ..., Repeat
rd
Then follows the 3 reading from the Psalter (Kathisma VI) and:
Sessional hymn in Tone VIII:
The first-fruits of the Lord’s Passion fill this present day with light. * Come
then, all ye who love to celebrate the feasts, * and let us welcome it with hymns. *
For the Creator draweth near to take up the Cross; * He is questioned, beaten, and
brought to Pilate for judgment, * after which a servant struck Him on the face, *
and all this He hath endured that He may save mankind. * Wherefore let us cry
aloud to Him: * O Christ God the Lover of mankind, * grant remission of sins
unto those * who venerate in faith Thy Holy Passion.
Then follows the Gospel reading:
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATHEW (21: 18-43)
At that time, Jesus returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig
tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said
unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree
withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is
the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto
you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the
fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou
cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive. And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests
and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what
authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus
answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in
like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John,
whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves,
saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then
believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a
prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto
them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. But what think ye? A
certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day
in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and
went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I
go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say
unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the
publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came
unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans
and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward,
that ye might believe him. Hear another parable: There was a certain householder,
which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it,
and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And
when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that
they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat
one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more
than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his
son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son,
they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize
on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and
slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto
those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked
men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him
the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the
scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of
the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say
I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Psalm 50, Then: "Save O God thy people ... ", Lord have mercy (40 times):
Then follows the Three-canticled Canon by St. Kosmas. In each Ode the
Irmos is sung twice, and then the Troparia are repeated four or six times so as to
make up the number twelve. The Irmos is sung at the end of each canticle as
Katavasia. Before the Troparia we say: Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
The Tri-ode Canon, in Tone II:
OD E I
Irmos: Let us sing unto the Lord, * Who by His divine command * dried
up the billowing and impassable sea, * and through it led the Israelite
people on foot: * for gloriously hath He been glorified.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee;
Ineffable is the condescension of the Word of God, for Christ himself is both
God and man; as God he hid not this condescension, when He appeared unto His
disciples in the form of a servant: for gloriously hath He been glorified.
I who am rich in Godhead have come to minister to Adam who hath grown
poor. I who fashioned him have of Mine own will put on his form. I who am
impassable in My divinity have come to lay down My life as a ransom for him.
The Small Litany.
Kontakion in Tone VIII:
Jacob lamented the loss of Joseph, * but he was valorously seated in a chariot
and honored as a king. * For he was not enslaved to the pleasures of Egypt, * but
was glorified by God who seeth the hearts of all, ** and bestoweth upon them an
incorruptible crown.
Ikos: Let us now add our lamentation to the lamentation of Jacob, and let us
weep with him for his ever-memorable and chaste son Joseph, who was enslaved
in body but kept his soul free from bondage, and became lord over all Egypt. For
God doth grant unto his servants an incorruptible crown.
SYNAXARION READING
Verses to Joseph the All-Comely: The chaste Joseph proved to be a just
ruler And a provider of corn; O abundance of good things.
Verses to the withered fig tree: Christ likeneth the synagogue of the
Hebrews To a fig tree devoid of spiritual fruits and withered it with a curse;
let us avoid its fate.
On this day the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ begins; and first of all, Joseph
the All-Comely is interpreted as a type of Christ. Joseph was the eleventh son of
the Patriarch Jacob, born to him of Rachel. Envied by his brothers on account of
certain dreams that he had, he was first cast into a pit. Jacob was deceived by his
other sons into believing, on the basis of a bloodstained robe, that Joseph had
been devoured by a wild beast. Joseph was then sold to some Ishmaelite travellers
for thirty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites in turn sold him to Potiphar, the chief
eunuch of Pharaoh, the King of Egypt. When Potiphar’s wife conceived a mad
desire for the young man’s chaste comeliness, he, not wishing to commit the
iniquitous act that she proposed, left his clothing behind and fled. She slandered
Joseph to her husband, who had him fettered and imprisoned. Joseph was later set
free after explaining certain of Pharaoh’s dreams. On being presented to the king,
he was appointed Lord of all Egypt. While providing his brothers with corn during
a great famine, he once again made himself known to them. After living the whole
of his life in virtue, he reposed in Egypt, being highly esteemed for his chastity, in
addition to his other virtues. Joseph the All-Comely is an icon of Christ, since
Christ, too, was envied by the Jews, His own people, was sold by one of His
Disciples for thirty pieces of silver, and was enclosed in the dark and gloomy pit of
the tomb. Breaking forth thence by His sovereign will, He reigns over Egypt—that
is, He is victorious over all sin by His Divine power—and rules over the entire
world. In His love for mankind, He redeems us through the mystical provision of
corn, in that He offers Himself as a sacrifice for our sake, nourishing us with the
heavenly Bread of His life-giving Flesh. Such is the proper interpretation of Joseph
the All-Comely. On this day, we also commemorate the fig tree that was withered.
For the Divine Evangelists, namely Saints Matthew and Mark, after the narrative
concerning the Palms, add the following story. According to Saint Mark: “And on
the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: and seeing a fig
tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and
when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever”
(Mark 11:12-14). According to Saint Matthew: “In the morning as he returned into
the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and
found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee
henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away” (Matthew
21:18-19). Now, the fig tree is the Synagogue of the Jews, on which the Savior did
not find the appropriate fruit, but only the darkness of the Law. Taking even this
away from it, He rendered it completely fallow. If one were to ask why the
inanimate tree became dry when it received the curse, not having sinned in any
way, let him learn that the Jews, seeing Christ always doing good to all men and not
causing anyone even the slightest distress’, supposed that He had the power only
to do good, and not to chastise. In His love for mankind, the Master did not wish
to show that He had the ability to act thus towards any man. Therefore, in order to
convince the ungrateful people that He had sufficient power to chastise, but in His
goodness did not wish to chastise them, He inflicted a punishment on inanimate
and insentient nature. There is, at the same time, an apocryphal account that has
come down to us from wise Elders, as Saint Isidore of Pelousion says: that the tree
which caused the transgression of Adam and Eve was this fig tree, the leaves
whereof the transgressors used to cover themselves. Hence, since it had not
suffered this fate originally, it was withered by Christ in His love for mankind, lest
it any longer bear fruit that would be the cause of sin. That sin is likened to the fig
tree is quite clear; for the fig has the sweetness of pleasure, but the adhesiveness of
sin, and it subsequently stings the conscience by its harshness. The Fathers placed
the story of the fig tree here in order to arouse us to compunction, and the
commemoration of Joseph because he is a type of Christ. The fig tree is every soul
that is devoid of all spiritual fruit. The Lord, not finding any refreshment on it in
the morning, that is, during the present life, withers it through a curse and consigns
it to the eternal fire. It stands as a withered reminder, inspiring fear in those who
do not bring forth the appropriate fruit of virtue.
By the intercessions of Joseph the All-Comely,
O Christ God, have mercy on us. Amen.
ODE VIII
Irmos: The relentless fire, fed with endless fuel, * drew back in fear before
the pious Children, * pure in body and in soul; * and as the flame waned in
strength, * they sang an everlasting song: * O all ye works, praise ye the
Lord * and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.
‘All men shall know that ye are My disciples, if ye keep My commandments’,
saith the Savior to His friends, as He went to His Passion. ‘Be at peace one with
another and with all men; think humbly of yourselves and ye shall be exalted;
acknowledge Me as Lord, and praise and supremely exalt Me throughout all ages’.
Refrain: Let us bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: the Lord!
‘Let your rule over others be different from that of the Gentiles: it is not my
will that their tyranny and self-willed ways be followed. He therefore who would
be the first among you, let him be as the last, and acknowledge Me as the Lord, and
praise and supremely exalt Me throughout all ages’.
Now & ever ..., Repeat:
Verse: We praise, bless and worship the Lord, singing and exalting him
throughout all ages!
Katavasia: The relentless fire, fed with endless fuel, * drew back in fear
before the pious Children, * pure in body and in soul; * and as the flame
waned in strength, * they sang an everlasting song: * O all ye works, praise
ye the Lord * and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.
The Magnificat is not sung.
O D E IX :
Irmos: Thou hast magnified, O Christ, the Theotokos who bore Thee: *
from her, O our Creator, hast Thou taken a body of like passions to our
own, * and released us from all our transgressions. * Wherefore with all
generations * we call her blessed and Thee do we magnify.
‘Cast ye away all the impurity of the passions and thereby gain a wise
understanding, worthy of God’s Kingdom’, didst Thou say unto Thine apostles, O
Wisdom of all,; ‘and ye shall be glorified, and shine forth more brightly than the
sun’.
‘Look upon Me as your example,’ didst Thou say unto Thy disciples, O Lord,
‘think not highly but be content with what is humble, and drink ye of the cup that
I drink of, that ye be glorified with Me in the Kingdom of the Father.’
Katavasia: Thou hast magnified, O Christ, the Theotokos who bore Thee: *
from her, O our Creator, hast Thou taken a body of like passions to our
own, * and released us from all our transgressions. * Wherefore with all
generations * we call her blessed and Thee do we magnify.
Prostration to the ground.
The Small Litany, followed by the Svetilen
Sung slowly with compunction, in Tone III:
Thy bridal chamber do I see all-adorned, * O my Savior, * yet I have no
wedding garment that I may enter therein. * Make the robe of my soul * to shine
forth, O Giver of Light, * and save me. (Thrice)
At Lauds, 4 Stichera in Tone I:
Verse: Praise Him for His mighty acts, * praise Him according to the
multitude of His greatness.
As the Lord Went to His voluntary Passion, * He spake unto His apostles on
the way saying: * ‘Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, * and the Son of man shall be
betrayed, as it is written of Him.’ * Purified in mind let us also journey with Him, *
that we may be crucified with Him * and for His sake die to the pleasures of this
life, * that we may also live with Him and hear Him say: * ‘No longer do I ascend
to the earthly Jerusalem to suffer, * but I ascend to My Father and your Father, *
and to my God and your God; * and I shall raise you up together, even to the
Jerusalem on high, ** in the Kingdom of heaven’
Verse: Praise Him with the sound of trumpet, * praise Him with the
psaltery and harp.
Repeat: As the Lord Went to His voluntary Passion ...,
Verse: Praise Him with timbrel and dance, * praise him with strings and
flute.
Tone V: O faithful we have come to the saving Passion * of Christ God: * let
us glorify His ineffable longsuffering, * that in His compassionate mercy * He may
also raise up us who have been slain by sin, ** for He is exceedingly good and the
Lover of mankind.
Verse: Praise Him with tuneful cymbals, praise Him with cymbals of
jubilation. * Let every breath praise the Lord.
Repeat: O faithful we have come to the saving Passion ...,
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone V:
O Lord, coming to Thy Passion, * Thou didst strengthen Thy disciples, *
taking them aside and saying unto them: * ‘How is it that ye have forgotten that
which I told you beforehand? * That in accordance with the Scriptures, * it cannot
be that a prophet should perish save in Jerusalem. * Now is the time at hand, * of
which I spake unto you: * for see, I am betrayed into the hands of sinners who
shall mock Me * and nail Me upon the Cross * and deliver Me up for burial, * and
with loathing, look upon Me as a man dead. * Yet be of good cheer: * for on the
third day I shall arise, ** bringing unto the faithful joy and life eternal.’
At the Aposticha in Tone V:
O Lord, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, * not understanding the hidden
mystery of Thy plan, * asked of Thee to grant the honor of a temporal kingdom to
her sons. * But instead of this Thou didst promise unto Thy friends * that they
would drink of the cup of death; * and that before them, this cup would be
partaken of by Thee, * to cleanse mankind from their sins. * Wherefore we cry
aloud to Thee: ** O salvation of our souls, glory be to Thee.
First Verse: We were filled in the morning with Thy mercy, O Lord, and we
rejoiced and were glad. In all our days, let us be glad for the days wherein Thou
didst humble us, for the years wherein we saw evils. And look upon Thy servants,
and upon Thy works, * and do Thou guide their sons.
O Lord, teaching Thy disciples to think the most perfect thoughts, * Thou
didst say unto them: * ‘Be ye not like the Gentiles, who exercise authority over
those who are weak. * But it shall not be so among you, * O My disciples, * for of
mine own will I am a pauper. * Let him, then, who is first among you be the
servant of all. * Let him who ruleth be as one ruled, * and let the first be as the last.
* For I Myself have come to minister to Adam in his poverty, * and to give my soul
as a ransom for many * who cry aloud to Me: ** Glory be to Thee.’
Second Verse: And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, and the
works of our hand do Thou guide aright upon us, * yea, the works of our hands do
Thou guide aright.
Tone VIII: Let us fear the punishment of the fig tree, * which withered
because it was unfruitful, * O brethren; let us bring * fruits worthy of repentance
unto Christ, ** Who granteth us His great mercy.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone VIII:
A second Eve didst the serpent find in the words of the Egyptian woman, *
who with flattery sought to lead Joseph to succumb to sin. * But, leaving his
garment behind him, Joseph, * like the first created man before his disobedience, *
fled naked yet not ashamed. ** By his prayers, O Christ, have mercy on us.
Reader: It is good to give praise unto the Lord, and to chant unto Thy name,
O Most High, to proclaim in the morning Thy mercy, and Thy truth by night.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, ..., Our Father ...,
Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom, ....,
Reader: Amen. Standing in the temple of thy glory, we seem to stand in
heaven; O Theotokos, gate of heaven, open the door of thy mercy.
Lord have mercy. (40 Times)
Glory ..., Now & ever ...., Amen.
More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than
the Seraphim; who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very
Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
In the name of the Lord, father (master) bless.
Priest: He that is is blessed, Christ our God, always, Now & ever ..., and unto
the ages of ages.
Reader: Amen. O Heavenly King, strengthen Orthodox Christians, establish
the Faith, subdue the nations, give peace to the world, keep well this city (or
habitation, or town); settle our departed fathers and brethren in the tabernacles of
the righteous, and receive us in penitence and confession, for Thou art good and
the Lover of mankind.
Then the Prayer of St Ephraim:
Priest: O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, despondency,
ambition, and idle talking give me not. (Prostration)
But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love bestow
upon me Thy servant. (Prostration)
Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my own failings and not condemn my
brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen. (Prostration)
O God, cleanse me a sinner. (Twelve times)
O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition, and
idle talking give me not. But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness,
patience, and love bestow upon me Thy servant. Yea, O Lord King, grant me to
see my own failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the
ages of ages. Amen. (Prostration)
Then the reader immediately begins the first hour.
Note: Concerning the reading of the hours, and the reading of the Gospels:
On the first three days of Holy Week, the Psalter is read at the Third and Sixth
Hours, but not at the First and the Ninth, as follows:
Day 3rd Hour 6th Hour
Monday VII VIII
Tuesday XII XIII
Wednesday XIX XX
On these three days We read the four Gospels, as follows:

At the Third Hour, after the usual psalms and the appointed reading from the
Psalter We sing the Lenten Troparion: O Lord, Who at the third hour ..., with
three prostrations as usual. Then we say: O Theotokos, thou art the true vine ...,
Meanwhile the priest, Wearing a dark (black) Phelonion, opens the Royal Doors
and brings the Gospel Book to the centre of the church, placing it on an
Analogion; and one or more processional candlesticks With lighted candles are set
beside it. The priest then censes the Book of the Gospels, and the Whole church and people; and
the Gospel is read by the Priest as shown below. At the end of the Gospel reading,
We continue with the Third Hour, saying: Blessed be the Lord God...., and the
rest, with the usual bows and prostrations. After Our Father ..., we say the
Kontakion of the day:
was glorified by God who seeth the hearts of all ** and bestoweth upon them a
crown incorruptible.
The four Gospels are read at the hours in various ways, but the following is the
most common practice:
Day 3rd Hour 6th Hour 9th Hour

Monday Mathew 1-14 Mathew 15-28 Mark 1-8
Tuesday Mark 9-16 Luke 1-8 Luke 9-16
Wednesday Luke 17-24 John 1-6 John 7-13:32
At the end of the chanting of the hours on each day, the Gospel Book is
brought back into the Altar, proceeded by processional candles, and the Royal
Doors are closed, and the Typica is read.
SIXTH HOUR
After the Third Hour, We at once begin the Sixth Hour, saying: O come, let us
Worship ..., and the usual psalms, followed by the appointed reading from the
Psalter and the Troparion: O Thou who on the sixth clay and hour ..., with three
prostrations; and We say the Theotokion: We have no boldness on account ...,
Then the Troparion of the Prophecy:
Troparion of the prophecy in Tone VI:
With a contrite soul we fall down before Thee, * and pray to Thee, O Savior of
the world: ** for Thou art the God of those who repent.
Glory ..., Now & ever .... Repeat.
Prokeimenon in Tone IV:
Prokeimenon: When the Lord turned again * the captivity of Zion.
Verse: Then was our mouth filled with joy.
THE READING IS FROM THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIAL (1 : 1-20)
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day
of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens
were opened, and I saw visions of God. In the fifth day of the month, which was
the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity, The word of the LORD came
expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by
the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. And I looked,
and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding
itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of
amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness
of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a
man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet
were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and
they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man
under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they
went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had
the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the
face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were
their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were
joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every one
straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when
they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like
burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down
among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth
lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of
lightning. Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth
by the living creatures, with his four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their
work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their
appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When
they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were
full of eyes round about them four. And when the living creatures went, the
wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth,
the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither
was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit
of the living creature was in the wheels.
Prokeimenon in Tone VI:
Prokeimenon: Except the Lord build the house, * in vain do they labor
that build it.
Verse: Except the Lord keepeth the city, in vain doth the Watchman
Wake.
Note: At The Sixth Hour, during the reading of the Prophecy, the priest censes
the Book of the Gospels, hut not the church and people. Then, following the second
Prokeimenon, the reading of the Gospel is completed, after which We say: Let
Thy tender mercies, O Lord, speedily go before us..., and the rest of the Sixth
Hour With the usual bows and prostrations. After Our Father ..., the Kontakion
of the day:
hath been glorified by God who seeth the hearts of all ** and bestoweth upon
them an incorruptible crown.
Note: At the Ninth Hour there is no appointed reading from the Psalter, but
after the usual three Psalms We say: O Thou who at the ninth hour ..., with three
prostrations, followed by: O loving Lord, who for our sakes ..., Before the Gospel
reading, the priest censes the Gospel Book, the church and the people, as at the
Third Hour. After the Gospel Reading We say: Deliver us not up utterly unto the
end ..., and the rest of the Hour with the usual bows and prostrations. After Our
Father ..., the Kontakion of the day.
hath been glorified by God who seeth the hearts of all ** and bestoweth upon
them an incorruptible crown.
At the completion of the 9th Hour, we read the Typica, quickly as follows:
PSALM 102
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless
the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that He hath done for thee, Who is
gracious unto all thine iniquities, Who healeth all thine infirmities, Who redeemeth
thy life from corruption, Who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion, Who
fulfilleth thy desire with good things; thy youth shall be renewed as the eagle's. The
Lord performeth deeds of mercy, and executeth judgment for all them that are
wronged. He hath made His ways known unto Moses, unto the sons of Israel the
things that He hath willed. Compassionate and merciful is the Lord, longsuffering
and plenteous in mercy; not unto the end will He be angered, neither unto eternity
will He be wroth. Not according to our iniquities hath He dealt with us, neither
according to our sins hath He rewarded us. For according to the height of heaven
from the earth, the Lord hath made His mercy to prevail over them that fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our iniquities from us.
Like as a father hath compassion upon his sons, so hath the Lord had compassion
on them that fear Him; for He knoweth whereof we are made, He hath
remembered that we are dust. As for man, his days are as the grass; as a flower of
the field, so shall he blossom forth. For when the wind is passed over it, then it
shall be gone, and no longer will it know the place thereof. But the mercy of the
Lord is from eternity, even unto eternity, upon them that fear Him. And His
righteousness is upon sons of sons, upon them that keep His testament and
remember His commandments to do them. The Lord in heaven hath prepared His
throne, and His kingdom ruleth over all Bless the Lord, all ye His angels, mighty in
strength, that perform His word, to hear the voice of His words. Bless the Lord, all
ye His hosts, His ministers that do His will. Bless the Lord, all ye His works, in
every place of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Glory ..., PSALM 145
Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord in my life, I will chant unto
my God for as long as I have my being. Trust ye not in princes, in the sons of men,
in whom there is no salvation. His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return unto his
earth. In that day all his thoughts shall perish. Blessed is he of whom the God of
Jacob is his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who hath made heaven and
the earth, the sea and all that is therein, Who keepeth truth unto eternity, Who
executeth judgment for the wronged, Who giveth food unto the hungry. The Lord
looseth the fettered; the Lord maketh wise the blind; the Lord setteth aright the
fallen; the Lord loveth the righteous; the Lord preserveth the proselytes. He shall
adopt for His own the orphan and widow, and the way of sinners shall He destroy.
The Lord shall be king unto eternity; thy God, O Sion, unto generation and
generation.
Now & ever ...,
O only-begotten Son and Word of God, * Thou Who art immortal, * yet didst
deign for our salvation * to be incarnate of the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin
Mary, * and without change didst become man, * and was crucified, O Christ God,
* trampling down death by death. * Thou Who art one of the Holy Trinity, *
glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us.
Then:
In Thy kingdom remember us, O Lord, * when Thou comest in Thy kingdom.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, * for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn, * for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, * for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, * for they shall be
filled.
Blessed are the merciful, * for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, * for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, * for they shall be called the sons of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, * for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, * and shall say all
manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, * for great is your reward in the heavens.
Glory ..., Now & ever ...,
Remember us, O Lord, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom!
Remember us, O Master, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom!
Remember us, O Holy One, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom!
The choir of angels hymneth Thee, and saith: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of
Sabaoth! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory!
Verse: Come unto Him, and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be
ashamed.
Glory ...,
The choir of the holy angels and archangels, with all the heavenly hosts, doth
hymn Thee and saith: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of Sabaoth! Heaven and earth are
full of Thy glory!
Now & ever ...,
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, * Maker of heaven and earth and of
all things visible and invisible. * And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, *
the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; * Light of Light, true
God of true God; * begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by Whom
all things were made; * Who for us men and for our salvation came down from the
heavens, * and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became
man; * And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, * and suffered and was
buried; * And arose again on the third day according to the Scriptures; * And
ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; * And shall
come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; * Whose kingdom
shall have no end. * And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life; Who
proceedeth from the Father; * Who with the Father and the Son together is
worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the prophets. * In One, Holy, Catholic,
and Apostolic Church. * I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. * I look
for the resurrection of the dead, * and the life of the age to come. Amen.
Then, the prayer:
Remit, pardon, forgive, O God, our offenses, both voluntary and involuntary,
in deed and word, in knowledge and ignorance, by day and by night, in mind and
thought; forgive us all things, for Thou art good and the Lover of mankind.
Then, Our Father ...,
Our Father, Who art in the Heavens, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom
come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil-one.
After which we read the Kontakion of the day:
was glorified by God who seeth the hearts of all, ** and bestoweth upon them a
crown incorruptible.
Lord, have mercy! (40 times)
And this prayer:
O most Holy Trinity, the consubstantial dominion, the indivisible Kingdom,
and cause of every Good: Show Thy good will even unto me a sinner; make
steadfast my heart and grant it understanding, and take away mine every
defilement; enlighten my mind that I may glorify, hymn, worship, and say: One is
holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and for evermore. (Thrice)
Glory ..., Now & ever ...
I will bless the Lord at all times, * His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
* In the Lord shall my soul be praised; * let the meek hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me, * and let us exalt His name together. * I sought
the Lord, and He heard me, * and delivered me from all my tribulations.
Come unto Him, and be enlightened, * and your faces shall not be ashamed. *
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, * and saved him out of all his
tribulations.
The angel of the Lord will encamp round about them that fear Him, * and will
deliver them. * O taste and see that the Lord is good; * blessed is the man that
hopeth in Him.
O fear the Lord, all ye His saints; * for there is no want to them that fear Him.
* Rich men have turned poor and gone hungry; * but they that seek the Lord shall
not be deprived of any good thing.
Come ye children, hearken unto me; * I will teach you the fear of the Lord. *
What man is there that desireth life, * who loveth to see good days?
Keep thy tongue from evil, * and thy lips from speaking guile. * Turn away
from evil, and do good; * seek peace, and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, * and His ears are opened unto
their supplication. * The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, * utterly to
destroy the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, * and He delivered them out of
all their tribulations. * The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart, *
and He will save the humble of spirit. *
Many are the tribulations of the righteous, * and the Lord shall deliver them
out of them all. * The Lord keepeth all their bones, * not one of them shall be
broken.
The death of sinners is evil, * and they that hate the righteous shall do wrong. *
The Lord will redeem the souls of His servants, * and none of them will do wrong
that hope in Him.
Then the Megalynarion:

It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos, ever-blessed and most blameless,
and Mother of Our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond
compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to
God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
Choir: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both Now &
ever ..., and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Choir: Father (Master), Bless.
Priest: May Christ our true God, the Lord Who for our salvation went to His
voluntary Passion, ...
Choir: Amen.
Typica is followed by Vespers and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

AT VESPERS
After the Psalm of Introduction (Psalm 103) and the Great Litany, the
Kathisma XVIII is read as usual. On "Lord, I have cried ...", 10 Stichera:
Verse: Bring my soul out of prison * that I may confess Thy name.
Tone I: As the Lord went to His voluntary Passion, * He spake unto His
apostles on the way saying: * ‘Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, * and the Son of man
shall be betrayed, as it is written of Him.’ * Purified in mind let us also journey with
Him, * that we may be crucified with Him * and for His sake die to the pleasures
of this life, * that we may also live with Him and hear Him say: * ‘No longer do I
ascend to the earthly Jerusalem to suffer, * but I ascend to My Father and your
Father, * and to my God and your God; * and I shall raise you up together, even to
the Jerusalem on high, ** in the Kingdom of heaven’
Verse: The righteous shall wait patiently for me * until Thou shalt reward me.
Repeat: As the Lord Went to His voluntary Passion ...,
Verse: Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; * O Lord, hear my
voice.
Tone V: O faithful we have come to the saving Passion * of Christ God: * let
us glorify His ineffable longsuffering, * that in His compassionate mercy * He may
also raise up us who have been slain by sin, ** for He is good and the Lover of
mankind.
Verse: Let Thine ears be attentive * to the voice of my supplication.
Repeat: O faithful we have come to the saving Passion
Verse: If Thou shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, O Lord, who
shallstand? * For with Thee there is forgiveness.
Tone V: O Lord, coming to Thy Passion, * Thou didst strengthen Thy
disciples, * taking them aside and saying unto them: * ‘How is it that ye have
forgotten that which I told you beforehand? * That in accordance with the
Scriptures, * it cannot be that a prophet should perish save in Jerusalem. * Now is
the time at hand, * of which I spake unto you: * for see, I am betrayed into the
hands of sinners who shall mock Me * and nail Me upon the Cross * and deliver
Me up for burial, * and with loathing looking upon Me as a man dead. * Yet be of
good cheer: * for on the third day I shall arise, ** bringing unto the faithful joy and
life eternal.’
Verse: For Thy name’s sake have I patiently waited for Thee, O Lord; my
soul hath patiently waited for Thy word, * my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
Repeat: O Lord, coming to Thy Passion ...,
Verse: From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch * let
Israel hope in the Lord.
Tone V: O Lord, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, * not understanding the
hidden mystery of Thy plan, * asked of Thee to grant the honor of a temporal
kingdom to her sons. * But instead of this Thou didst promise unto Thy friends *
that they would drink of the cup of death; * and that before them, this cup would
be partaken of by Thee, * to cleanse all from their sins. * Wherefore we cry aloud
to Thee: ** O salvation of our souls, glory be to Thee.
Verse: For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous
redemption; * and He shall redeem Israel out of all his iniquities.
Repeat: O Lord, the mother of the sons of Zebedee ...,
Verse: O praise the Lord, all ye nations; * praise Him, all ye peoples.
Tone V: O Lord, teaching Thy disciples to think the most perfect thoughts, *
Thou didst say unto them: * ‘Be ye not like the Gentiles, who exercise authority
over those who are weak. * But it shall not be so among you, * O My disciples, *
for of mine own will I am a pauper. * Let him, then, who is first among you be the
servant of all. * Let he who ruleth be as one ruled, * and let the first be as the last.
* For I Myself have come to minister to Adam in his poverty, * and to give my soul
as a ransom for many, * who cry aloud to Me: ** Glory be to Thee.’
Verse: For He hath made His mercy to prevail over us, * and the truth of
the Lord abideth forever.
Tone VIII: Let us fear the punishment of the fig tree, * which withered
because it was unfruitful, * O brethren; let us bring * fruits worthy of repentance
unto Christ, ** Who granteth us His great mercy.
A second Eve didst the serpent find in the words of the Egyptian woman, *
who with flattery sought to lead Joseph to succumb to sin. * But, leaving his
garment behind him, Joseph, * like the first created man before his disobedience, *
fled naked yet not ashamed. * By his prayers, O Christ, have mercy upon us.
Entrance with the Gospel: O joyous Light ...,
Prokeimenon: The Lord bless thee out of Zion: * and mayest thou see
the good things of Jerusalem.
Verse: Blessed are all they that fear the Lord; that walk in His ways.
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF EXODUS (1: 1-20)
Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt;
every man and his household came with Jacob. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
Issachar, Zebulon, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. And all the
souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in
Egypt already. And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. And
the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and
waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose up a
new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people,
Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come
on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when
there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and
so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to
afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom
and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and
grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians
made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter
with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the
field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. And the
king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was
Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the office of
a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then
ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared
God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men
children alive. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them,
Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? And the
midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian
women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and
waxed very mighty.
Prokeimenon:. We have blessed you * in the Name of the Lord
Verse: Many a time they have warred against me from my youth, let
Israel now say.
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF JOB (1: 1-12)
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was
perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were
born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven
thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and
five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the
greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses,
every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with
them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent
and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings
according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have
sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. Now there was a
day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and
Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest
thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the
earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast
thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect
and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan
answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou
made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every
side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the
land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse
thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy
power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the
presence of the LORD.
Choir: Let my prayer be set forth ..., Then the Gospel reading:
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATHEW (24: 3-35)
At that time, Jesus sat upon the mount of Olives, and the disciples came unto
him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign
of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto
them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name,
saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours
of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the
end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All
these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted,
and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then
shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity
shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the
end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in
all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye
therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let
them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the
housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which
is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with
child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not
in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such
as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the
elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo,
here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were
possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.
Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth:
behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out
of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the
moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in
heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son
of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall
send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a
parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye
know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know
that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not
pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
And the rest of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
Note: If the Presanctified Liturgy is not served, Vespers is chanted as follows:
At (Lord I have cried ...,) 6 Stichera:
In Tone I: As the Lord Went to His voluntary Passion ..., (Twice)
In Tone V: O faithful we have come to the saving Passion ..., (Twice)
In Tone V: O Lord, the mother of the sons of Zebedee ..., (Twice)
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone V: O Lord, coming to Thy Passion,
The Entrance with the Gospel: O Joyous Light ...,
Then the Prokeimenon, and the Old Testament Lessons, and straightway the
Gospel reading.
Then: Vouchsafe O Lord ...,
The litany: Let us complete our evening prayer ...,
At the Aposticha in Tone V:
O Lord, teaching Thy disciples to think the most ...,
Verse: Unto Thee O Lord have I lifted up mine eyes ...,
O Lord, teaching Thy disciples to think the most ...,
Verse: Have mercy upon me ...,
In Tone VIII: Let us fear the punishment of the fig tree ...,
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone VIII: A second Eve didst the serpent find ...,
Then the usual Lenten Vesperal ending as follows:
Reader [or the Choir]: Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O
Master, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which
Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light of revelation for the
Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.
Reader: Holy God, Holy Mighty, ..., Our Father ...,
in Tone V:
O Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice, O Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, for thou
hast borne the Savior of our souls. (Prostration)
Glory ...,
O Baptist of Christ, be mindful of us all, that we may be delivered from our
iniquities, for unto thee is given the grace to pray on behalf of us all. (Prostration)
Both Now & ever ...;
Pray for us, holy apostles and all ye saints, that we may be delivered from perils
and afflictions: for ye are our fervent supplicants before the Savior. (Prostration)
We take refuge beneath thy tender mercy O Theotokos: despise not our
supplications in distress: but deliver us from perils, for thou alone art pure and
blessed. (no Prostration)
Lord Have Mercy (40 Times)
Glory ..., Now & ever ...;
More honorable than the cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than
the seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the word, the very
Theotokos thee do we magnify.
In the name of the Lord father (master) bless!
Priest: He that is blessed, Christ our God, always, Now & ever ..., and unto the
ages of ages.
habitation, or town); settle our departed fathers and brethren in the tabernacles of
the righteous, and receive us in penitence and confession, for Thou art good and
the Lover of mankind.
But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love bestow
upon me Thy servant. (Prostration)
O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition, and
idle talking give me not. But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness,
see my own failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the
ages of ages. Amen. (Prostration)
Reader: Holy God, Holy Mighty, ... Our Father ...
Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom, ....
.Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ our God and our hope, glory be to Thee
Choir: Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Amen., Lord, have mercy (Thrice), Father
(Master), Bless.
Priest: May Christ our true God, the Lord Who for our salvation went to His
voluntary Passion, ...
GREAT COMPLINE
HOLY AND GREAT MONDAY EVENING
Priest: Blessed is our God, ...
Reader: Amen. Glory to Thee our God ..., Heavenly King ..., Holy God ...,
Our Father.
Priest: For thine is the kingdom ....
Reader: Lord Have Mercy (12 times)... Glory ..., Now & ever ..., O come let
us worship ..., The rest of Great Compline up to the Small Doxology, After the
Small Doxology we use the following three-canticled Canon by St. Andrew of
Crete. The Irmoi are sung twice. Before each of the Troparia we say: Glory to
Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
ODE II, in Tone VIII:
Irmos: Attend, O heaven, and I shall speak, * and sing in praise of Christ,
* who took flesh from a Virgin * and came to dwell among us.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Let us go with Christ to the Mount of Olives, and mystically joining the
apostles let us abide with Him.
Understand, O my humble heart, the Parable of the millstone of which Christ
spoke, and be watchful.
Prepare thyself for thy leave-taking, O my soul. Near at hand is the coming of
the Judge who showeth favor to none.
Theotokion: O Theotokos undefiled, Virgin alone worthy of all praise, pray to
thy Son on behalf of us thy servants.
Another canon in Tone VIII:
Irmos: Behold now, and see that I am your God, * begotten of the Father
before all ages, * conceived without a man in these latter times from the
Virgin, * abolishing the sin of the forefather Adam, * as the Lover of
mankind.
See now, see that I am God: before the world was made, before the earth and
heaven were established, I knew all things, for I dwell wholly within the Father and
bear His fullness within Myself.
By My word I have established both heaven and the earth, for I have always
been with the Father; and with My word I uphold all that is, for I am the Word and
the Wisdom and the Power, of the Father’s Image, being His co-creator and His
equal in might.
Who hath appointed the times of the year? Who keepeth watch over the ages?
Who hath ordered all things and rendered them animate, other than He who is
ever with the Father from all eternity, as a ray doth exist in light?
O Jesus, beyond measure is Thy love for mankind! For Thou hast made
known unto us the time of the end, but hast hidden the hour, yet plainly revealed
its signs.
All things are understood, and all things are known by Thee O Jesus, for in
Thee is all the divine glory of the Father, and the fullness of the Spirit is also borne
within Thee, being coeternal with the Father.
O Master and Lord, Maker of the ages, grant that we also may hear Thy holy
voice, calling the chosen of the Father into the Kingdom of heaven.
Glory ..., O Trinity uncreated and beginningless, O undivided Unity, Three
and One, the Father, the Son and the Spirit, but a single God, do Thou accept
from tongues of clay this our hymn, as from mouths of flame.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Thou art manifest, O Virgin, as the holy
Tabernacle of God: for in thee the King of heaven made His abode in the flesh,
and from thee He hath beauteously came forth, having divinely refashioned man
within Himself.
Sessional Hymn in Tone II:
Moved by compassion, O Christ, * Thou didst willingly go forth to meet Thy
Passion, * wishing thereby to deliver us from the passions * and from
condemnation in Hades. * Wherefore we sing the praises of Thy holy sufferings O
Savior, ** and we glorify Thine extreme self-abasement.
ODE VIII
Irmos: O ye angels and ye powers of heaven, * sing unto Him who sitteth
upon the throne of glory, * and as God is glorified unceasingly: * bless ye,
praise ye, and supremely exalt Him * throughout all ages.
Thou hast heard, O my soul, how Christ prophesied to His holy disciples,
foretelling the end, Make ready, and understand that the time of thine end
approacheth.
Thou knowest, O unfruitful soul, the parable of the wicked servant. Fear,
then, and neglect not the gift which hath been given thee, that it not to be hidden
in the earth, but be put to good use.
May thy lamp shine brightly, and may it overflow with the oil of compassion as
once did the virgins', O my soul, that thou mightest find the door of Christ’s bridal
chamber open for thee.
The Teacher spoke of flight on the Sabbath and in the winter, foretelling the
storm of the present age, the seventh day, in which the end shall come as doth the
winter.
Thou hast heard, O my soul, that as swift as is the passing of lightning, so shall
the fearful coming of thy Master be, make haste then and prepare thyself.
When the Judge cometh with thousands and ten thousands of the immaterial
hosts and powers, O my soul, then woe is me!, what fear and what trembling shall
be thine, when all shall stand naked before Him.
Refrain: We bless the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Lord.
The Trinity is one God: the Father is not begotten as is the Son, nor doth the
Son proceedeth as does the Spirit, but each keepeth its own distinctive
characteristics, and I glorify the Three as light and God for ever.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: By the prayers of the Theotokos receive our
prayer, O God, and send down upon us Thine abundant mercy, and grant Thy
peace to Thy people.
We praise, bless and worship the Lord ...,
Katavasia: O ye angels and ye powers of heaven, * sing unto Him who
sitteth upon the throne of glory, * and as God is glorified unceasingly: *
bless ye, praise ye, and supremely exalt Him * throughout all ages.
O D E IX
Irmos: The prophetic vision of the lawgiver on the mountain, * in the fire
of the burning bush, * prefigured thy birthgiving O Ever-Virgin, * the
salvation of us the faithful, * wherefore with never silent hymns we magnify
thee.
O my soul, thou hast heard the Judge foretelling and teaching thee about the
time of the end. By thine acts prepare for thy leave-taking, lest thou be rejected by
God as unworthy.
From the fig tree, O my soul, learn of the end, for when its leaves are tender
and it puteth forth branches, the time is at hand; and beholding these things, know
that the end is near, even at the doors.
Who besides Thee knoweth Thy Father? Who besides Thee knoweth the hour
or the day? For in Thee are all the treasures of wisdom, O Christ God.
The books shall be opened and the thrones shall be set up; all shall stand
naked and their deeds shall be examined. Neither witness nor accuser will be there,
for everything is known to God.
The judge of all is led to judgment. He who sitteth upon the throne of the
cherubim standeth before Pilate as one accused, and suffereth all things that
Adam may be saved.
Our mighty and divine Passover approacheth: after two days it shall have
come, thus taught Christ, foretelling the day of the Passion on which He shall be
offered as a sacrifice to the Father.
Thy Mother stood beside Thy Cross, O Savior, and seeing Thine unjust death
she cried aloud: 'Woe is me, O my Child, Thou never-waning Light! Shine Thou O
Sun of glory, with Thy brightness upon all'.
Glory ..., O Holy Unity, Trinity in a single Godhead, God, one in three, one
Nature in three Hypostases, equal in honor and undivided in glory, save our souls
from all dangers.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: O Christ, accept the intercessions of Thy
Mother, and by her prayers grant peace to the world, strengthen the power of our
rulers, and unite in unity Thine Orthodox Churches.
Katavasia: The prophetic vision of the lawgiver on the mountain, * in the
fire of the burning bush, * prefigured thy birthgiving O Ever-Virgin, * the
salvation of us the faithful, * wherefore with never silent hymns we magnify
thee.
We make a full prostration, and Continue with the Trisagion ..., through ..., Our
Father ..., Then the Kontakion of the day in Tone VIII:
was glorified by God who seeth the hearts of all ** and bestoweth upon them an
incorruptible crown.
Also: O Lord of hosts, be with us, for beside Thee ...,
and the rest of Great Compline.
HOLY AND GREAT TUESDAY
AT MATINS
Verse: Add more evils upon them, O Lord; add more evils upon them
that are glorious upon the earth.
Behold the Bridegroom cometh in the middle of the night; * and blessed is
the servant whom He shall find watching, * but unworthy is he whom He shall
find in slothfulness. * Beware, then, O my soul, and be not overcome by sleep,
* lest thou be given over to death and shut out from the Kingdom. * But rise up
and cry aloud: Holy, holy, holy art Thou, O God: ** through the Theotokos
have mercy upon us. (Thrice)
Then follows the 1st reading from the Psalter (Kathisma IX) and:
Sessional hymn in Tone IV:
Let us love the Bridegroom, O brethren, * and prepare our lamps, * shining
with the virtues and a right faith; * that, like the wise virgins of the Lord, * we
may be ready to enter with Him into the wedding feast. * For as God He
granteth unto all ** the Bridegroom's gift; an incorruptible crown.
nd
Then follows the 2 reading from the Psalter (Kathisma X) and:
With envy, the priests and scribes wickedly gathered * a lawless council
against Thee, O Savior, * and inspired Judas to betray Thee. * Wherefore he
shamelessly left, having spoken against Thee * to the transgressing people,
saying: * ‘What will ye give me, and I will betray Him into your hands?’ * Do
Thou O Lord deliver our souls, ** from the condemnation that was his.
Then follows the 3rd reading from the Psalter (Kathisma XI) and:
Sessional hymn in Tone VIII:
Judas, with avaricious thoughts, schemeth as an enemy against the Master, *
pondering how he will betray Him; * and falling away from the light he
accepteth the darkness; * agreeing upon a price, he selleth Him that is above all
price; * and as the reward for his actions, * in his wretchedness he hath received
a hangman’s noose and an agonizing death. * O Christ God, deliver us from
such a fate, * and grant the forgiveness of sins ** unto those who with love
celebrate Thy most pure Passion.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATHEW (22:15 - 23:39)
At that time: the Pharisees, took counsel how they might entangle Jesus in
his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying,
Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth,
neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell
us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or
not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye
hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto
him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the
things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. When they
had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way. The
same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection,
and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his
brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Likewise the
second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died
also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for
they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the
scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry,
nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as
touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken
unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And when
the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. But when the
Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were
gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question,
tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. While
the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye
of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith
unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD
said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy
footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was
able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him
any more questions. Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever
they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for
they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne,
and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with
one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they
make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And
love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And
greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye
called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And
call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in
heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But
he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt
himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But
woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that
are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall
receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye
make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye
blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but
whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and
blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth
by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater,
the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the
altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the
temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear
by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and
anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the
other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the
cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou
blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the
outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful
outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even
so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the
righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not
have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be
witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the
prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation
of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send
unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill
and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and
persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous
blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of
Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are
sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as
a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your
house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me
henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
The small litany, and the Kontakion of the day, in Tone II:
Think, O soul, upon the hour of thine end; * and recall with fear how the fig
tree was hewn down. * Work diligently, O wretched one, with the talent that
hath been granted thee; * be vigilant and cry aloud: ** May we not be left
outside the bridal chamber of Christ.
Ikos: Why art thou melancholic, O my wretched soul? Why dost thou waste
thy days consumed by unprofitable cares? Why art thou cumbered about much
with things fleeting? The very last hour approacheth and we shall soon be
parted from this vale of tears. While time doth remain, return to soberness and
cry: I have sinned against Thee, O my Savior, cut me not down like the
unfruitful fig tree; but since Thou art compassionate and exceedingly good, O
Christ, be merciful to me who in Fear calleth upon Thee: May we not be left
outside the bridal chamber of Christ!
SYNAXARION READING
Verse: Holy and Great Tuesday bringeth us ten Virgins.
Verse: Who win a victory from the impartial Master.
On Holy and Great Tuesday, we commemorate the parable of the ten
virgins, because the Lord related this parable to His disciples as He was going
toward Jerusalem to His Holy Passion. He told the parable of the ten virgins to
call attention to almsgiving, at the same time teaching that every man must be
ready before the end comes. He had spoken many times to them about chastity.
Virginity is held in great honor, because it is indeed a great thing. Yet, lest
anyone, while practicing this one virtue, neglect the others, and particularly love,
by which the lamp of virginity is given light, he will be put to shame by the
Lord. The Holy Gospel introduces this parable, calling five of the virgins wise,
because they represent readiness to practice both love and virginity, and five of
them foolish because, though they had virginity, they did not have love
commensurate with it. They are foolish, therefore, because they practiced a
great virtue yet neglected one that is easier and were reckoned as being no
better than harlots; the latter were defeated by bodily pleasures, whereas the
former, by possessions. As the night of the present life was going by, all the
virgins fell asleep, that is, they died, for death is called a sleep. While they were
sleeping, a cry rang out in the middle of the night, "Behold, the Bridegroom is
coming; go out to meet Him!" (Matt. 25:6). Those who had their oil ready and
lamps trimmed went inside to the Bridegroom when the doors were opened.
Earlier, the others, who had insufficient oil after their sleep, had asked the first
for oil. The wise virgins wished to give them some, but could not. Before they
went inside, they replied, "No, lest there should not be enough for us and you;
but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves" (Matt. 25:9). While they
went to buy, the Bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with
Him to the wedding, and the door was shut (See Matt. 25:10). The foolish
virgins knocked on the doors and called out, "Lord, Lord, open to us" (Matt.
25:11). But the Lord Himself uttered the terrible reply: "Assuredly, I say to you,
I do not know you" (Matt. 25:12). For how can you see the Bridegroom if you
lack the dowry of mercy? On account of this depiction, the parable of the ten
virgins was given its place here by our God-bearing Fathers to teach us always
to be watchful and ready to meet the true Bridegroom with good works,
especially almsgiving, because the day and hour of the end are unknown to us.
Therefore, it is made quite clear that after death, correction of mistakes and
wicked acts shall be impossible, a teaching which is also found in the parable of
the rich man and Lazarus the beggar. (See Luke 16:19-31) In the same way, we
are taught by the All-comely Joseph to practice chastity and by the fig tree to
produce spiritual fruit at all times. He who practices one virtue - and a great one
indeed - but neglects the others, especially love, does not enter into eternal life
with Christ but is turned back and is put to shame. There is nothing sadder and
more shameful than to see virginity set at naught by possessions.
O Christ our Bridegroom, unite us with the wise virgins and join us to Thy
chosen flock, and have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Then follows the Two-canticled Canon by St. Kosmas. In each Ode the
Irmos is sung twice, and then the Troparia are repeated four or six times so as
to make up the number twelve. The Irmos is sung at the end of each canticle as
The Canon, in Tone II:
ODE VIII
Irmos: The three holy children were not obedient * to the decree of the
tyrant; * and cast into the furnace they confessed God, singing: * O all ye
Works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.
Let us cast far from us slothfulness, and with brightly shining lamps meet
Christ the immortal Bridegroom with hymns, crying: 'O all ye works of the
Lord, bless ye the Lord'.
May there be a sufficiency of the oil of fellowship in the vessels of our soul,
that we need not purchase any at the time of the reward, as we sing: 'O all ye
works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord'.
Ye have all received an equal talent of grace from God; cultivate it, with the
help of Christ who hath given it unto you, and sing: 'O all ye Works of the
Lord, bless ye the Lord'.
Katavasia: The three holy children were not obedient * to the decree of
the tyrant; * and cast into the furnace they confessed God, singing: * O
all ye Works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.
ODE IX:
Irmos: Thou didst contain within thy Womb * the God whom nothing
can contain, * and hast brought forth joy to the world, * wherefore we
sing thy praises, * O Virgin Theotokos.
‘Watch’, didst Thou say unto Thy disciples, O good One. ‘For ye know not
what hour the Lord shall come to give every man his due reward.’
At Thy fearful second coming, O Master, number me with the sheep on Thy
right hand, overlooking the multitude of my sins.
Katavasia: Thou didst contain within thy Womb * the God whom
nothing can contain, * and hast brought forth joy to the world, *
wherefore we sing thy praises, * O Virgin Theotokos.
The Small Litany, followed by the Svetilen
Sung slowly with compunction; in Tone III:
I behold Thy bridal chamber all-adorned, * O my Savior, * yet I have no
wedding garment that I may enter therein. * make Thou the robe of my soul *
radiant, O Giver of Light, ** and save me. (Thrice)
At Lauds, 4 Stichera in Tone I:
Into the splendor of Thy saints * how shall I who am unworthy enter? * For
if I dare to draw nigh unto the bridal chamber, * my vesture betrayeth me, for it
is not a Wedding garment; * and I shall be bound and cast out by the angels. *
Cleanse, O Lord, the filth from my soul ** and save me as Thou art the Lover
of mankind.
psaltery and harp.
Repeat: Into the splendor of Thy saints ...,
flute.
Tone II: I slumber in slothfulness of soul, * O Bridegroom Christ I have not
a lamp aflame with the virtues, * and like the foolish virgins I have wandered
off when it hath been time for action. * Close not the depths of thy compassion
against me, O Master, * but dispel the darkness of sleep from me, and awaken
me, * and lead me with the wise virgins into Thy bridal chamber, * where those
who unceasingly keep festival, sing with pure voices: ** O Lord, glory be to
Thee.
Repeat: I slumber in slothfulness of soul ...,
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone IV:
Thou hast heard the condemnation of him * who hid his talent, * O soul,
hide not the word of God, * rather, proclaim His wonders, * that the gifts of
grace entrusted to thee may multiply, ** and thou shalt enter into the joy of thy
Lord.
At the Aposticha in Tone VI:
Come, ye faithful, and let us eagerly serve the Master, * for He giveth riches
unto His servants. * To each according to the measure received, * let him
increase his talent of grace. * Let one gain wisdom through good deeds; * let
another liturgize with beauty; * let another share with preaching the mysteries to
the unlearned faithful; * let another distribute his wealth to the poor. * Thus let
us multiply that which hath been entrusted to us, * that as faithful stewards of
His grace * we may be deemed worthy of the Master’s joy. * O Christ God,
bestow this joy upon us, ** as Thou art the Lover of mankind.
First Verse: We were filled in the morning with Thy mercy, O Lord, and we
rejoiced and were glad. In all our days, let us be glad for the days wherein Thou
didst humble us, for the years wherein we saw evils. And look upon Thy
servants, and upon Thy works, * and do Thou guide their sons.
When Thou shalt come, O Jesus, * in glory with the angelic hosts * and shalt
sit upon the throne of judgment, * cast me not away from Thy presence, O
good Shepherd. * For thou dost accept those who stand on the right, * but
reject those on the left, * who have turned away from Thee. * Destroy me not
with the goats, * though I am deadened in sin, * but number me with the sheep
on Thy right hand, * and save me ** insofar as Thou art the Lover of mankind.
Second Verse: And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, and
the works of our hand do Thou guide aright upon us, * yea, the works of our
hands do Thou guide aright.
O Bridegroom, surpassing all mankind in comeliness, * Thou hast called us
to the spiritual feast of Thy bridal chamber. * Through participation in Thy
sufferings; * take from me the disfigurement of sin, * and clothe me in the
glorious robe of Thy comeliness, * and insofar as Thou art compassionate **
grant me to feast with Thee in Thy Kingdom.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone VII:
Behold O my soul the Master hath entrusted thee with a talent. * Receive
the gift with fear; * that it gain interest for Him Who hath given it to Thee; *
distribute to the needy, * and make thyself a friend of the Lord, * and thus shalt
thou stand on His right hand * when He cometh in glory, * thou shalt hear His
blessed words: * ‘Enter, my faithful servant, into the joy of thy Lord.’ * of this
O Savior do Thou deem me worthy, * who have gone astray ** for the sake of
Thine exceedingly great mercy.
Reader: It is good to give praise unto the Lord, and to chant unto Thy
name, O Most High, to proclaim in the morning Thy mercy, and Thy truth by
night.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Amen.
More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious
than the Seraphim; who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the
very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
Priest: He that is is blessed, Christ our God, always, Now & ever ..., and
unto the ages of ages.
habitation, or town); settle our departed fathers and brethren in the tabernacles
of the righteous, and receive us in penitence and confession, for Thou art good
and the Lover of mankind.
But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love
bestow upon me Thy servant. (Prostration)
O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition,
and idle talking give me not. But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness,
see my own failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto
the ages of ages. Amen. (Prostration)
Note: The following is repeated for convenience:

On the first three days of Holy Week, the Psalter is read at the Third and
Sixth Hours, but not at the First and the Ninth, as follows:

Monday VII VIII
Tuesday XII XIII
Wednesday XIX XX

At the Third Hour, after the usual psalms and the appointed reading from
the Psalter We sing the Lenten Troparion: O Lord, Who at the third hour ...,
with three prostrations as usual. Then we say: O Theotokos, thou art the true
vine ..., Meanwhile the priest, Wearing a dark (black) Phelonion, opens the
Royal Doors and brings the Gospel Book to the centre of the church, placing it
on an Analogion; and one or more processional candlesticks With lighted
candles are set beside it. The priest then censes the Book of the Gospels, and the Whole
church and people; and the Gospel is read by the Priest as shown below. At the
end of the Gospel reading, We continue with the Third Hour, saying: Blessed
be the Lord God...., and the rest, with the usual bows and prostrations. After
Our Father ..., we say the Kontakion:
Kontakion of the day, in Tone II:
hath been granted thee; * be vigilant and cry aloud: * May we not be left outside
the bridal chamber of Christ.
The four Gospels are read at the hours in various ways, but the following is
the most common practice:

SIXTH HOUR
After the Third Hour, We at once begin the Sixth Hour, saying: O come, let
us Worship ..., and the usual psalms, followed by the appointed reading from
the Psalter and the Troparion: O Thou who on the sixth day and hour ..., with
three prostrations; and We say the Theotokion: We have no boldness on
account ..., Then the Troparion of the Prophecy:
Troparion of the prophecy in Tone I:
To those who sin without measure, * grant plenteous forgiveness, O Savior.
and grant that uncondemned * we may venerate Thy holy Resurrection, * by the
intercessions of Thy most pure Mother, ** O Thou Who art plenteous in
mercy.
Prokeimenon: For with the Lord there is mercy, * and with Him is
plenteous redemption.
Verse: Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord, hear my voice.
THE READING IS FROM THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIAL (1:21 - 28)
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when
those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them:
for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. And the likeness of the
firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible
crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. And under the firmament were
their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which
covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their
bodies. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of
great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of
an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. And there was a voice
from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let
down their wings. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the
likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the
likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon
it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about
within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the
appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire,
and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the
cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Prokeimenon: Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth and for
evermore.
Verse: Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are mine eyes lofty.
Note: At The Sixth Hour, during the reading of the Prophecy, the priest
censes the Book of the Gospels, but not the church and people. Then, following the
second Prokeimenon, the reading of the Gospel is completed, after which We
say: Let Thy tender mercies, O Lord, speedily go before us..., and the rest of the
Sixth Hour With the usual bows and prostrations. After Our Father ...,
Note: At the Ninth Hour there is no appointed reading from the Psalter, but
after the usual three Psalms We say: O Thou who at the ninth hour ..., with
three prostrations, followed by: O loving Lord, who for our sakes ..., Before the
Gospel reading, the priest censes the Gospel Book, the church and the people,
as at the Third Hour. After the Gospel Reading We say: Deliver us not up
utterly unto the end ..., and the rest of the Hour with the usual bows and
prostrations. After Our Father ..., the Kontakion:
Think, O soul, upon the hour of thine end; ...,
At the completion of the 9th Hour, we read the Typica, quickly as follows:
PSALM 102
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that He hath done for thee, Who
is gracious unto all thine iniquities, Who healeth all thine infirmities, Who
redeemeth thy life from corruption, Who crowneth thee with mercy and
compassion, Who fulfilleth thy desire with good things; thy youth shall be
renewed as the eagle's. The Lord performeth deeds of mercy, and executeth
judgment for all them that are wronged. He hath made His ways known unto
Moses, unto the sons of Israel the things that He hath willed. Compassionate
and merciful is the Lord, longsuffering and plenteous in mercy; not unto the
end will He be angered, neither unto eternity will He be wroth. Not according
to our iniquities hath He dealt with us, neither according to our sins hath He
rewarded us. For according to the height of heaven from the earth, the Lord
hath made His mercy to prevail over them that fear Him. As far as the east is
from the west, so far hath He removed our iniquities from us. Like as a father
hath compassion upon his sons, so hath the Lord had compassion on them that
fear Him; for He knoweth whereof we are made, He hath remembered that we
are dust. As for man, his days are as the grass; as a flower of the field, so shall
he blossom forth. For when the wind is passed over it, then it shall be gone,
and no longer will it know the place thereof. But the mercy of the Lord is from
eternity, even unto eternity, upon them that fear Him. And His righteousness is
upon sons of sons, upon them that keep His testament and remember His
commandments to do them. The Lord in heaven hath prepared His throne, and
His kingdom ruleth over all Bless the Lord, all ye His angels, mighty in strength,
that perform His word, to hear the voice of His words. Bless the Lord, all ye
His hosts, His ministers that do His will. Bless the Lord, all ye His works, in
every place of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Glory ..., PSALM 145
Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord in my life, I will chant
unto my God for as long as I have my being. Trust ye not in princes, in the sons
of men, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit shall go forth, and he shall
return unto his earth. In that day all his thoughts shall perish. Blessed is he of
whom the God of Jacob is his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who
hath made heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is therein, Who keepeth
truth unto eternity, Who executeth judgment for the wronged, Who giveth food
unto the hungry. The Lord looseth the fettered; the Lord maketh wise the blind;
the Lord setteth aright the fallen; the Lord loveth the righteous; the Lord
preserveth the proselytes. He shall adopt for His own the orphan and widow,
and the way of sinners shall He destroy. The Lord shall be king unto eternity;
thy God, O Sion, unto generation and generation.
Now & ever ...,
O only-begotten Son and Word of God, * Thou Who art immortal, * yet
didst deign for our salvation * to be incarnate of the Holy Theotokos and Ever-
Virgin Mary, * and without change didst become man, * and was crucified, O
Christ God, * trampling down death by death. * Thou Who art one of the Holy
Trinity, * glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us.
Then:
In Thy kingdom remember us, O Lord, * when Thou comest in Thy
kingdom.
filled.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, * for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, * and shall say
all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
ashamed.
Glory ...,
The choir of the holy angels and archangels, with all the heavenly hosts,
doth hymn Thee and saith: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of Sabaoth! Heaven and
earth are full of Thy glory!
Now & ever ...,
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, * Maker of heaven and earth and
of all things visible and invisible. * And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, * the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; * Light of
Light, true God of true God; * begotten, not made; of one essence with the
Father, by Whom all things were made; * Who for us men and for our salvation
came down from the heavens, * and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the
Virgin Mary, and became man; * And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate,
* and suffered and was buried; * And arose again on the third day according to
the Scriptures; * And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of
the Father; * And shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the
dead; * Whose kingdom shall have no end. * And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,
the Giver of life; Who proceedeth from the Father; * Who with the Father and
the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the prophets. * In
One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. * I confess one baptism for the
remission of sins. * I look for the resurrection of the dead, * and the life of the
age to come. Amen.
Then, the prayer:
Remit, pardon, forgive, O God, our offenses, both voluntary and
involuntary, in deed and word, in knowledge and ignorance, by day and by
night, in mind and thought; forgive us all things, for Thou art good and the
Lover of mankind.
come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against
us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil-one.
After which we read the Kontakion of the day:
hath been granted thee; * be vigilant and cry aloud: * May we not be left outside
the bridal chamber of Christ.
And this prayer:
O most Holy Trinity, the consubstantial dominion, the indivisible Kingdom,
defilement; enlighten my mind that I may glorify, hymn, worship, and say: One
is holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and for evermore.
(Thrice)
I will bless the Lord at all times, * His praise shall continually be in my
mouth. * In the Lord shall my soul be praised; * let the meek hear and be
glad.
O magnify the Lord with me, * and let us exalt His name together. * I
sought the Lord, and He heard me, * and delivered me from all my tribulations.
Come unto Him, and be enlightened, * and your faces shall not be ashamed.
* This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, * and saved him out of all his
tribulations.
The angel of the Lord will encamp round about them that fear Him, * and
will deliver them. * O taste and see that the Lord is good; * blessed is the man
that hopeth in Him.
O fear the Lord, all ye His saints; * for there is no want to them that fear
Him. * Rich men have turned poor and gone hungry; * but they that seek the
Lord shall not be deprived of any good thing.
Come ye children, hearken unto me; * I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
* What man is there that desireth life, * who loveth to see good days?
their supplication. * The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, * utterly
to destroy the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, * and He delivered them out
of all their tribulations. * The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite
heart, * and He will save the humble of spirit. *
broken.
The death of sinners is evil, * and they that hate the righteous shall do
wrong. * The Lord will redeem the souls of His servants, * and none of them
will do wrong that hope in Him.
It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos, ever-blessed and most
blameless, and Mother of Our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and
beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption
gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
Choir: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both Now
& ever ..., and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Priest: May Christ our true God, the Lord Who for our salvation went to
His voluntary Passion, ...
Choir: Amen.
Typica is followed by Vespers and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
AT VESPERS
Tone I: Into the splendor of Thy saints * how shall I who am unworthy
enter? * For if I dare to draw nigh unto the bridal chamber, * my vesture
betrayeth me, for it is not a Wedding garment; * and I shall be bound and cast
out by the angels. * Cleanse, O Lord, the filth from my soul ** and save me
since Thou art the Lover of mankind.
Verse: The righteous shall wait patiently for me * until Thou shalt
reward me.
Repeat: Into the splendor of Thy saints ...,
Verse: Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; * O Lord,
hear my voice.
Tone II: I slumber in slothfulness of soul, * O Bridegroom Christ I have not
a lamp aflame with the virtues, * and like the foolish virgins I have wandered
off when it is time to be active. * Close not the depths of thy compassion
against me, O Master, * but dispel the darkness of sleep from me, and awaken
me, * and lead me with the Wise virgins into Thy bridal chamber, * where those
who unceasingly keep festival sing with pure voices: * 'O Lord, glory be to
Thee'.
Repeat: I slumber in slothfulness of soul ...,
Verse: If Thou shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, O Lord, who shall
stand? * For with Thee there is forgiveness.
Tone IV: Thou hast heard the condemnation of him * who hid his talent, *
O soul, hide not the word of God, * rather, proclaim His wonders, * that the
gifts of grace entrusted to thee may multiply, ** and thou shalt enter into the joy
of thy Lord.
Verse: For Thy name’s sake have I patiently waited for Thee, O Lord;
my soul hath patiently waited for Thy word, * my soul hath hoped in the
Lord.
Repeat: Thou hast heard the condemnation of him ...,
Verse: From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch *
let Israel hope in the Lord.
Tone VI: Come, ye faithful, and let us eagerly serve the Master, * for He
giveth riches unto His servants. * To each according to the measure received, *
let him increase his talent of grace. * Let one gain wisdom through good deeds;
* let another liturgize with beauty; * let another share with preaching the
mysteries to the unlearned faithful; * let another distribute his wealth to the
poor. * Thus let us multiply that which hath been entrusted to us, * that as
faithful stewards of His grace * we may be deemed worthy of the Master’s joy. *
O Christ God do Thou bestow this joy upon us, ** as Thou art the Lover of
mankind.
Repeat: Come, ye faithful, and let us eagerly serve the Master ...,
Tone VI: When Thou shalt come, O Jesus, * in glory with the angelic hosts
* and shalt sit upon the throne of judgment, * cast me not away from Thy
presence, O good Shepherd. * For thou dost accept those who stand on the
right, * but reject those on the left, * who have turned away from Thee. *
Destroy me not with the goats, * though I am deadened in sin, * but number
me with the sheep on Thy right hand, * and save me ** since Thou art the
Lover of mankind.
Tone VI: O Bridegroom, surpassing all mankind in comeliness, * Thou hast
called us to the spiritual feast of Thy bridal chamber. * Through participation in
Thy sufferings, * take from me the disfigurement of sin; * and clothe me in the
glorious robe of Thy comeliness, * and since Thou art compassionate ** grant
me to feast with Thee in Thy Kingdom.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone VII:
Behold O my soul the Master hath entrusted thee with a talent. * Receive
the gift with fear; * that it gain interest for Him Who hath given it to Thee; *
distribute to the needy, * and make thyself a friend of the Lord, * and thus shalt
thou stand on His right hand * when He cometh in glory, * and hear His
blessed words: * ‘Enter, my faithful servant, into the joy of thy Lord.’ * of this
O Savior do Thou deem me worthy, * who have gone astray ** for the sake of
Thy great mercy.
Prokeimenon: Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest: * Thou and the Ark of Thy
holiness.
Verse: Remember O Lord, David and all his meekness.
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF EXODUS (2: 5-10)
And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and
her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among
the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the
child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said,
This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter,
Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the
child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and
called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child
away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took
the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto
Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses:
and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
Prokeimenon: Behold now, what is so good or so joyous * as for
brethren to dwell together in unity?
Verse: It is like the oil of myrrh upon the head, which runneth down
upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron.
And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and
drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And there came a messenger unto
Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And
the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the
servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is
fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and
consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet
speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three
bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the
servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy
daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And,
behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four
corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I
only am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and
shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said,
Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the
LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the
LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATHEW (24: 36 - 26:2)
The Lord said unto His disciples: of that day and hour knoweth no man, no,
not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so
shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before
the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until
the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and
took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall
two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall
be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch
therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that
if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come,
he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken
up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of
man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made
ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto
you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant
shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his
fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant
shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not
aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the
hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the
kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and
went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were
foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But
the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried,
they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the
bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and
trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for
our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not
enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that
were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward
came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered
and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know
neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. For the kingdom
of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants,
and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to
another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability;
and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents
went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise
he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one
went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the
lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had
received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents
more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou
hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came
and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two
other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful
servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received
the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man,
reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast
that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful
servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have
not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers,
and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take
therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For
unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from
him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the
unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with
him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be
gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand,
but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand,
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was
thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and
ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto
me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a
stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee
sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto
them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least
of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto
them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no
meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me
not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or
athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto
thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye
did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go
away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. And it
came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his
disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son
of man is betrayed to be crucified.
Note: If the Presanctified Liturgy is not served, Vespers is chanted as follows:
At (Lord I have cried ...,) 6 Stichera:
in Tone I: Into the splendor of Thy saints..., (Twice)
in Tone II: I slumber in slothfulness of soul..., (Twice)
in Tone II: Thou hast heard the condemnation of him..., (Twice)
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone II: Come, ye faithful, and let us eagerly
serve the Master ...,
The Entrance with the Gospel: O Joyous Light ...,
Then the Prokeimenon, and the Old Testament Lessons, and straightway the
Gospel reading.
Then: Vouchsafe O Lord ...,
The litany: Let us complete our evening prayer ...,
At the Aposticha in Tone II:
When Thou shalt come, O Jesus ...,
Verse: Unto Thee O Lord have I lifted up mine eyes ...,
When Thou shalt come, O Jesus ...,
Verse: Have mercy upon me ...,
O Bridegroom, surpassing all mankind in beauty...,
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone VII: Behold O my soul the Master hath
entrusted thee ...,
Then the usual Lenten Vesperal ending as follows:
Reader [or the Choir]: Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O
Master, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which
Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light of revelation for the
Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.
Reader: Holy God, Holy Mighty, ... Our Father ...
Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom, ....
In Tone V:
O Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice, O Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with
thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, for
thou hast borne the Savior of our souls. (Prostration)
Glory ...,
O Baptist of Christ, be mindful of us all, that we may be delivered from our
iniquities, for unto thee is given the grace to pray on behalf of us all.
(Prostration)
Both Now & ever ...;
Pray for us, holy apostles and all ye saints, that we may be delivered from
perils and afflictions: for ye are our fervent supplicants before the Savior.
(Prostration)
We take refuge beneath thy tender mercy O Theotokos: despise not our
supplications in distress: but deliver us from perils, for thou alone art pure and
blessed. (no Prostration)
Glory ..., Now & ever ...;
More honorable than the cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious
than the seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the word, the
very Theotokos thee do we magnify.
In the name of the Lord father (master) bless!
Priest: He that is blessed, Christ our God, always, Now & ever ..., and unto
the ages of ages.
O All-Holy Trinity, the consubstantial dominion, the indivisible Kingdom,
is Holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the Glory of God the Father, Amen.
Choir: Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and forevermore.
(Thrice)
Psalm 33
mouth. *In the Lord shall my soul be praised; * let the meek hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me, * and let us exalt His name together. * I
sought the Lord, and He heard me, * and delivered me from all my tribulations.
tribulations.
that hopeth in Him.
Come ye children, hearken unto me; * I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
* What man is there that desireth life, * who loveth to see good days?
heart, * and He will save the humble of spirit. *
broken.
It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos, * ever-blessed and most
blameless, and Mother of Our God. * More honorable than the Cherubim, *
and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, * who without
corruption gavest birth to God the Word, * the very Theotokos, thee do we
magnify.
Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ our God and our hope, glory be to Thee
(Master), Bless.
His voluntary Passion, ...
GREAT COMPLINE
HOLY AND GREAT TUESDAY EVENING
Our Father.
us worship ..., The rest of Great Compline up to the Small Doxology, After the
Small Doxology we use the following Three-canticled Canon by St. Andrew of
Crete. The Irmoi are sung twice. Before each of the Troparia we say: Glory to
Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
ODE III, in Tone II:
Irmos: My mind hath not brought forth good fruit, * but do Thou show
me to be fruitful * in Thy compassion O God, * Thou husbandman of all
good things.
It is the time of the end: let us turn back, for Christ teacheth us that He shall
come in the twinkling of an eye and shall not tarry, to judge His world.
To illustrate the suddenness of His Coming, Christ spoke of the unforeseen
destruction that overwhelmed the earth in the days of Noah.
The bridal chamber is open; the divine feast hath been prepared within; the
Bridegroom is there and beckons all, let us therefore prepare ourselves.
The house of Simon contained Thee whom nothing can contain, O Jesus
our King, and the sinful woman anointed Thee with oil.
The woman was filled with a mystical fragrance, and delivered from the
foulness of her many former sins, O Savior: for from Thee floweth the myrrh
of life.
Though Thou Thyself art the heavenly food and life of those who hunger,
O Christ, Thou didst eat with mortal men thereby revealing Thy self-abasement,
The ungrateful disciple rejected Thee, O Christ; and taking the whole band
of lawless men, he betrayed Thee and brought them to seize Thee.
Glory ..., I worship Thee, O Son, with the Father and the Spirit of
righteousness, and praise the one Nature, distinguished in Persons but united in
Essence.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: The Ewe-lamb that hath given birth to Thee
the lamb and shepherd, O Jesus my God, ever intercedeth on behalf of all those
who put their trust in Thee.
Sessional Hymn in Tone V:
Lo, the evil council hath gathered in hatred * to condemn the Lord who
sitteth on high as Judge of all. * They gather together with Herod and Pilate, *
Ananias and Caiaphas, ** to judge Him who alone is longsuffering.
ODE VIII
Irmos: Unto Him Who of old prefigured the miracle of the Virgin, * unto
Moses in the burning-bush * on Mount Sinai, * let us sing, bless and
supremely exult throughout all ages.
Not unknowing of the time of our end, He who watcheth over all the ages
hath said that He knew not that day; thus setting a bound on what can be
known, that we be humble-minded.
When Thou sittest in judgment, like a shepherd dividing the sheep from the
goats, O Savior, deprive us not of a place at Thy blessed right hand.
O Christ, Thou art our Pascha, sacrificed on behalf of all, as both Lamb and
Victim; for the forgiveness of our sins; wherefore we supremely exalt Thy
divine Passion throughout all ages.
All thy life is like a mill, a field, and a house, O my soul, therefore acquire a
heart ready for God, that the corruption of the flesh may not hold thee back.
Not only with Pharisees, nor only with Simon, O Savior wast Thou pleased
to enter and eat; but the publicans and harlots also partook of Thy compassion.
In his love for money the traitor Judas, seeing the ointment poured forth,
was troubled, as also he was about the manner by which he might sell the
Master; and going unto wicked men he agreed on a price with them.
O the blessed hands, O the blessed hair and lips of the chaste harlot! For
with them, O Savior, she hath poured out the ointment on Thy feet wiping
them, and copiously kissing them.
O Word, a woman came to Thee at supper, and weeping at Thy feet, she
took the alabaster box and poured myrrh upon the head of Thee, who art the
Myrrh of immortality.
With the Father we glorify the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity one
in Godhead, and we cry aloud: Holy, holy, holy art Thou throughout the ages.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: By the prayers O Savior, of Thy most pure
Mother and of Thine apostles, send down Thine abundant mercy upon us and
grant peace to Thy people.
We praise, bless and worship the Lord ...,
Katavasia: Unto Him Who of old prefigured the miracle of the Virgin, *
unto Moses in the burning-bush * on Mount Sinai, * let us sing, bless
and supremely exult throughout all ages.
ODE IX
Irmos: In a manner surpassing nature, * the Word who timelessly shone
forth from the Father, * hath been conceived within a womb, * according
to the flesh, * O ye faithful with never silent hymns let us magnify Him.
It is the time to take action, for the purpose of salvation; take thy talent, the
image that was given thee of old, O my soul, and gain eternal life.
Let us adorn our souls like shining lamps, that when the Bridegroom
cometh, He may let us enter with Him into the eternal marriage banquet, before
the door is shut.
Wishing to show Thine extreme humility unto all, O Jesus, Thou who art
the bread of those who hunger, didst eat in the house of Simon.
Thou who art the life-giving bread, didst eat with Simon the Pharisee, O
Jesus, that the harlot might gain Thy priceless grace, through the pouring of the
ointment upon Thy head.
‘My hands are filthy and I have the lips of a harlot; my life is impure and my
body corrupt; but do Thou release and forgive me’, cried the harlot unto Christ.
The woman drew near to Thy feet, O Savior, and poured upon them
fragrant ointment; and was thereby filled with the myrrh of forgiveness.
‘Rich in sweet scents, yet meager in virtues, I offer Thee what I have: grant
me in return that which Thou hast, and release and forgive me’, cried the harlot
to Christ.
‘My myrrh is corruptible, Thine is the myrrh of life, for Thy Name myrrh is
poured forth upon those who are worthy of remission. Do Thou release and
forgive me’, cried the harlot to Christ.
Glory ..., Thou art beginningless O Father, and Thou O Son art Uncreated,
co-enthroned art Thou O Spirit, Three in one Essence, and three Hypostases in
one true God.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: O Theotokos, thou art our ever present hope,
cease not to beseech Him who was born of thee, to deliver from all perils, and
from every temptation, those who honor thee.
Katavasia: In a manner surpassing nature, * the Word who timelessly
shone forth from the Father, * hath been conceived within a womb, *
according to the flesh, * O ye faithful with never silent hymns let us
magnify Him.
Father ..., Then the Kontakion of the day in Tone II:
Also: O Lord of hosts, be with us, for beside Thee ...,
and the rest of Great Compline.
HOLY AND GREAT WEDNESDAY
AT MATINS
Behold the Bridegroom cometh in the middle of the night; * and blessed is
the servant whom He shall find watching, * but unworthy is he whom He shall
find in slothfulness. * Beware, then, O my soul, and be not overcome by sleep,
* lest thou be given over to death and shut out from the Kingdom. * But rise up
and cry aloud: Holy, holy, holy art Thou, O God: ** through the Theotokos
have mercy upon us. (Thrice)
Then follows the 1st reading from the Psalter (Kathisma XIV) and:
Sessional hymn in Tone III:
The harlot drew near to Thee, and poured myrrh onto Thy feet * mingled
with her tears, O Lover of mankind, * and at Thy command she was delivered
from the foul stench of her wicked deeds. * But the ungrateful disciple, though
he breathed Thy grace, * rejected it and clothed himself in filth, * out of love of
money, selling Thee. ** Glory to Thy loving-kindness O Christ.
nd
Then follows the 2 reading from the Psalter (Kathisma XV) and:
Deceitful Judas, consumed by his love of money, * pondered how he might
betray Thee, O Lord, * the Treasury of Life. * Intoxicated by this madness he
hastened to the Jews * and said to the transgressors: ** ‘What will ye give me,
and I will deliver Him ** unto you to be crucified ?’
Then follows the 3rd reading from the Psalter (Kathisma XVI) and:
To Thee the harlot lamented, O compassionate Lord; * ardently wiping Thy
pure feet with the hair of her head, * and groaning from the depth of her heart
saying: * ‘Cast me not from Thee, O my God, nor loathe me, * but accept me in
penitence. and save me, ** for Thou alone art the Lover of mankind.’
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN (12: 17-50)
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came unto Bethany where he had called
Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead. For this cause the
people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. The
Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing?
behold, the world is gone after him. And there were certain Greeks among
them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip,
which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see
Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell
Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man
should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall
into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much
fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world
shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and
where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my
Father honour. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me
from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy
name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it,
and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said
that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said,
This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of
this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death
he should die. The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that
Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted
up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the
light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for
he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light,
believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake
Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. But though he had done
so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of
Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed
our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore
they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their
eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor
understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These
things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. Nevertheless
among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees
they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they
loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Jesus cried and said, He
that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he
that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that
whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear
my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world,
but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath
one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in
the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he
gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I
know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore,
even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
Then follows the Three-canticled Canon by St. Kosmas. In each Ode the
Irmos is sung twice, and then the Troparia are repeated four or six times so as
The Tri-ode Canon, in Tone II:
ODE III
Irmos: On the rock of faith hast Thou established me, * and Thou hast
emboldened my mouth against mine enemies. * For my spirit rejoiceth
when I sing: * There is none as holy as our God * and none more
righteous than Thee, O Lord.
In vain doth the Sanhedrin of the transgressors gather together with evil
intent, to sentence Thee the Redeemer to be condemned O Christ, unto Whom
we sing: Thou art our God, and there is none more holy than Thee, O Lord.
The wicked assembly of the transgressors, with souls filled to overflowing
with hatred for God, contemplates how to kill the righteous Christ, unto Whom
we sing: Thou art our God, and there is none more holy than Thee, O Lord.
The Small Litany.
Kontakion in Tone IV:
More than the harlot have I sinned, O Good One, * yet never have I
offered Thee flowing tears. * But in silence I fall down before Thee, * and
beseeching Thee with love I kiss Thy most pure feet, * that as Master, Thou
mayest grant me remission of sins; * Wherefore I cry to Thee, ** O Savior,
from the filth of my works do Thou Deliver me.
Ikos: The Woman who was once a harlot, became suddenly chaste, and
hating the shameful works of sin and the pleasures of the flesh, she thought
upon her deep disgrace and the judgment of torment that awaiteth harlots and
those defiled, Of whom I am the first, wherefore I am afraid, yet mindlessly I
continue in my evil ways. But the Woman who was a harlot, filled with fear,
made haste and came crying to the Redeemer: ‘O Lord, Thou merciful Lover of
mankind, from the filth of my Works deliver me.’
SYNAXARION READING
Verse: The woman who pours Myrrh on the body of Christ
Verse: Anticipated the Myrrh and Aloes of Nikodemos
On Holy and Great Wednesday, the Divine Fathers decreed that we should
commemorate the harlot who anointed the Lord with myrrh, because this took
place shortly before His saving Passion. As the Lord was going up to Jerusalem,
He came to the house of Simon the leper, where a woman who was a harlot
approached Him and poured precious myrrh upon His head. This episode is
placed here, in order that, according to the word of the Savior, her act of
fervent devotion might be proclaimed everywhere. What moved her to come to
Simon’s house? Because she saw His compassion and the fact that He kept
company with all people, and especially now, when she noticed that He had
entered the house of a leper, with whom, being unclean, it was forbidden by the
Law to associate. The woman reckoned that, just as He had put up with
Simon’s leprosy, so also He would tolerate the disease of her soul. Thus, as
Christ was reclining at supper, she poured on His head myrrh that was worth
three hundred denarii. The Disciples, and Judas in particular, rebuked her for
this. But Christ came to her defense, lest they thwart her good intention. He
then alluded to His entombment, deterring Judas from betraying Him and
deeming the woman worthy of honor, saying that her good deed would be
proclaimed throughout the world. It should be known that some are of the
opinion that one and the same woman is mentioned by all of the Evangelists;
but such is not the case. As the Divine Chrysostomos says, the same woman is
cited by three of the Evangelists, and she is thus called a harlot. It is not she
who is mentioned by Saint John, but another woman, admirable and of chaste
life, Mary the sister of Lazarus, whom Christ would not have loved had she
been a harlot. Of these women, Mary performed the act of pouring out myrrh
six days before the Passover, at her house in Bethany, while the Lord was
reclining at supper. She poured out the myrrh on His beautiful feet and wiped
them with her hair, showing Him exceeding honor and offering the myrrh as to
God. For she knew very well that at sacrifices olive oil was offered to God, that
priests were anointed with myrrh, and that Jacob of old had anointed a pillar
with oil and dedicated it to God. Thus, she offered the myrrh to Christ,
honoring her teacher as God in return for the resuscitation of her brother. For
this reason, she is not promised any reward. On that occasion, Judas alone,
being a lover of money, murmured against her. The other woman, that is, the
harlot, two days before the Passover, when Christ was still in Bethany, in the
house of Simon the leper, likewise reclining at supper, poured very costly myrrh
upon His head, as Saints Matthew and Mark recount. The Disciples were
indignant at this harlot, being fully aware how earnest Christ was with regard to
almsgiving. This woman was given the recompense of having her good deed
proclaimed throughout the world. Some commentators, therefore, say that one
woman was mentioned by the four Evangelists, whereas St. John the Golden-
tongued says that there were two women. There are others who maintain that
there were three women. Two of them were the aforementioned—that is, the
harlot and Mary, the sister of Lazarus—when the Lord’s Passion was drawing
near. The third was another, who performed such a deed prior to these—or
rather, being the first of them—around the middle of the Gospel narrative; she
was a harlot and a sinner. She poured out myrrh only on Christ’s feet and in the
house not of Simon the leper, but of Simon the Pharisee. On that occasion,
only the Pharisee was scandalized. Upon her the Savior bestowed the
recompense of the remission of her sins. Only the Divine Luke tells about her,
around the middle of his Gospel, as we have said. In fact, after the account of
this harlot, he immediately adds the following: “And it came to pass afterward,
that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad
tidings of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1). From this it is evident that the
event in question did not occur during the time of the Passion. It seems,
therefore, from the time, from those who entertained the Lord, from the
location, from the persons involved, and from the houses, and also from the
manner in which the myrrh was poured out, that there were three women, two
of them harlots, and third Mary the sister of Lazarus, who was conspicuous for
her virtuous life. As well, it seems that one house was that of Simon the
Pharisee, the other that of Simon the leper, situated in Bethany, the third being
that of Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, in the same city of Bethany.
Hence, it may be inferred from these considerations that two suppers were
given for Christ, both of them in Bethany. One took place six days before the
Passover, in the house of Lazarus, when Lazarus also ate with Christ, as the Son
of Thunder relates: “Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where
Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they
made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at
the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very
costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair” (John
12:1-3). The other supper was held for Christ two days before the Passover,
when He was still in Bethany, at the house of Simon the leper, at which time the
harlot went up to Him and poured out the precious myrrh. This is confirmed by
Saint Matthew’s narrative, in which Christ says to His Disciples: “Ye know that
after two days is the feast of the Passover” (Matthew 26:2). A little further on,
the same Evangelist adds: “Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of
Simon the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very
precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at table” (Matthew 26:6-
7). Saint Mark concurs with this account, for he says: “After two days was the
feast of the Passover, and of unleavened bread… And being in Bethany in the
house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, there came a woman having an
alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box,
and poured it on his head” (Mark 14:1, 3). From this it is clear that they are
incorrect who maintain and assert that one and the same woman is mentioned
by the four Evangelists as having anointed the Lord with myrrh; who suppose
that Simon the Pharisee and Simon the leper are one and the same person—
some of them interpreting Simon the leper as being the father of Lazarus and
his sisters, Mary and Martha; and who opine that one and the same supper took
place in one and the same house, in Bethany, and that Simon prepared and
furnished the upper room in which the Mystical Supper was held. For these two
suppers were given for Christ in Bethany, outside Jerusalem, six days and two
days, respectively, before the Jewish Passover, as we have said, when the
women offered myrrh to Christ in different ways. The Mystical Supper and the
furnished upper room were prepared within the city of Jerusalem one day
before the Jewish Passover and the Passion of Christ. Some say that this Supper
was held in the house of an unknown man, others that it took place in the
house of Christ’s Disciple and bosom friend John, in holy Sion, where the
Disciples were hiding for fear of the Jews and where the touching by Saint
Thomas occurred after the Resurrection, as did the Descent of the Holy Spirit
at Pentecost, along with other ineffable and mystical events. For this reason, it
seems to me that the account given by Saint John Chrysostomos is truer and
more precise, that is, that there were two women about whom the Evangelists
wrote. One, as we have said, was the woman mentioned by three of the
Evangelists, who was a harlot and a sinner and who poured myrrh on Christ’s
head. The other was the woman mentioned by Saint John, Mary the sister of
Lazarus, who applied myrrh solely to Christ’s Divine feet by pouring it on them.
There were two suppers in Bethany, the Mystical Supper being separate from
these. This is evident from the fact that, after the narrative of the harlot, the
Savior sends His Disciples into the city to make ready the Passover, as Saint
Matthew says: “Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master
saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my
disciples” (Matthew 26:18). Again, St. Mark says: “And…there shall meet you a
man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him…. And he will shew you a large
upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us” (Mark 14:13, 15).
The Disciples went, and found it to be just as Jesus had told them, and they
prepared the Passover, that is, the Jewish Passover, which was at the doors and
which Christ came and celebrated with the Disciples, as the Divine
Chrysostomos says. Then, after the Mystical Supper had taken place, the Divine
Washing of the feet having been performed in the meantime, Christ reclined
once again and instituted our Passover on the same table, as Saint John the
Golden-tongued explains. The Divine John, and also Saint Mark, the Holy
Evangelists, add in their accounts the type of the myrrh, calling it “spikenard,
very costly.” It is customary to call spikenard that which is unadulterated and
trustworthy in purity. Perhaps this was also an appellation of the best and prime
kind of myrrh. Saint Mark adds that the woman broke the alabaster flask in her
eagerness, since its neck was narrow. This is a glass vessel, as St. Epiphanios
says, made without any handle, which is called a Bikion. Myron was
compounded of many other kinds of fragrances, and from the following in
particular: myrrh, cassia, iris, calamus, and oil.
Yea, O Christ God, free us from the flood of passions and have mercy on us,
for Thou alone art holy and lovest mankind. Amen
ODE VIII
Irmos: Whereas the command of the tyrant prevailed, * and the furnace
of old was heated sevenfold. * the flames did not burn the Children, *
who having trampled underfoot the decree of the king, cried aloud: * ‘O
all ye Works of the Lord, * praise ye the Lord and supremely exalt Him
throughout all ages.’
The woman poured precious myrrh upon Thy divine and royal head, O
Christ, and laid hold of Thy pure feet with her defiled hands and cried aloud: ‘O
all ye Works of the Lord, praise ye the Lord and supremely exalt Him
throughout all ages.’
She who was guilty of sin, washed the feet of her Creator with tears and
wiping them with the hairs of her head, received forgiveness for all that she had
done in life, and cried aloud: ‘O all ye Works of the Lord, praise ye the Lord
and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.’
Refrain: Let us bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: the Lord!
Through the holy action of grace the grateful woman was delivered by
salvific sorrow and the fountain of her tears; washed clean by her confession,
she was not ashamed but cried aloud : ‘O all ye works of the Lord, praise ye the
Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.’
Now & ever ..., Repeat:
Verse: We praise, bless and worship the Lord, singing and exalting him
throughout all ages!
Katavasia: Whereas the command of the tyrant prevailed, * and the
furnace of old was heated sevenfold. * the flames did not burn the
Children, * who having trampled underfoot the decree of the king, cried
aloud: * ‘O all ye Works of the Lord, * praise ye the Lord and supremely
exalt Him throughout all ages.’
O D E IX :
Irmos: With pure souls and undefiled lips, * come let us magnify the
undefiled and most holy Mother of Emanuel, * and through her let us
bring our prayer to the Child she hath born: * Spare our souls, O Christ
God, and save us.
He who hath revealed himself to be foolish and envious in his wickedness,
with a word sold the blessed gift, the gift by which the woman obtained release
from the debt of her sins; thus hath Judas wickedly stolen the grace of divine
love. From this spare our souls, O Christ God, and save us.
Having gone to the lawless rulers, Judas said: ‘What will ye give me, if I
deliver to you Christ whom ye seek?’ In exchange for gold he hath rejected
fellowship with Christ. From this spare our souls, O Christ God, and save us.
O the blindness and shame of the love of money! from whence didst thou
forget all that hath been taught to thee, that thy soul is of more value than the
world! For in despair, thou hast hanged thyself. From this spare our souls, O
Christ God, and save us.
Katavasia: With pure souls and undefiled lips, * come let us magnify the
undefiled and most holy Mother of Emanuel, * and through her let us
bring our prayer to the Child she hath born: * Spare our souls, O Christ
God, and save us.
The Small Litany, followed by the Svetilen sung slowly with compunction:
In Tone III:
Thy bridal chamber do I see all-adorned, * O my Savior, * yet I have no
wedding garment that I may enter therein. * Make the robe of my soul radiant,
O Giver of Light, ** and save me. (Thrice)
At the Praises, 4 Stichera in Tone I:
O Son of the Virgin, * the harlot recognized Thee to be God, * having
committed sins worthy of tears, * weeping she prayed unto Thee: * ‘Do Thou
loose me from my debt * as I unloosen my hair. * Do Thou love me who loveth
Thee, * though rightly I am deserving of Thy loathing, * that with the publicans
I may entreat Thee, ** O Benefactor and Lover of mankind.’
psaltery and harp.
The harlot mingled precious myrrh * with her tears * and poured it upon
Thy most pure feet, kissing them; * and straightway Thou didst justify her. *
Grant also unto us forgiveness, * O Thou who hast suffered for our sake, **
and save us.
flute.
When the sinful woman brought myrrh, * the disciple come to an agreement
with the transgressors. * She rejoiced to pour forth that which was very
precious, * while he made haste to sell the One who is above all price. * She
acknowledged Christ as Lord, * while he severed himself from the Master. * She
was set free, but Judas became a slave of the enemy. * Grievous was his
impudence! Great was her repentance! * Grant such repentance also unto me,
O Savior ** who didst suffer for our sake, and save us.
O the wretchedness of Judas!, * He saw the harlot kiss Thy feet, and
deceitfully plotted to betray Thee with a kiss. * She loosed her hair and he was
bound a prisoner by his fury, * bearing in place of myrrh the stench of evil: *
for envy doth not know how to prefer that which is profitable. ** O the
wretchedness of Judas. ** From this deliver our souls, O God.
Glory ..., in Tone II:
The sinful woman hastened to buy precious myrrh, * with which to anoint
thee O Benefactor, * and she cried out to the merchant: * ‘Give me myrrh that I
may anoint Him ** who hath cleansed me from all my sins’.
Now & ever ..., in Tone VI:
Drowning from sin, * she found in Thee a haven of salvation, * and pouring
out myrrh mingled with her tears, * she cried aloud to Thee: * ‘Lo, Thou art He
that awaiteth the repentance of the sinful. * O Master, save me from the waves
of sin ** for the sake of Thy great mercy.’
At the Aposticha, 4 Stichera in Tone VI:
Today Christ cometh to the house of the Pharisee, * and the sinful woman
draweth near and falleth down before Him, crying: * ‘Behold me who am sunk
in sin, * despairing on account of my deeds, * yet not rejected from Thy
compassionate goodness. * Grant me, O Lord, the remission ** of my wicked
deeds, and save me.
First Verse: We were filled in the morning with Thy mercy, O Lord, and
we rejoiced and were glad.
The harlot stretched forth her hair before Thee, O Master, * while Judas
stretched forth his hands to the lawless ones: * she did so, to receive
forgiveness; * and he, to receive money. * Wherefore we cry aloud to Thee who
wast sold and hast set us free: ** O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Second Verse: In all our days, let us be glad for the days wherein Thou
didst humble us, for the years wherein we saw evils. And look upon Thy
servants, and upon Thy works, * and do Thou guide their sons.
The woman draweth near, defiled by the stench of sin, * to shed tears upon
Thy feet, O loving Savior, * proclaiming Thy Passion. * ‘How can I look upon
Thee, O Master? * For Thou hast come to save the harlot. * I am dead, do
Thou raise me up from the depths, * as Thou didst raised Lazarus from the
tomb on the fourth day. ** Accept me in my wretchedness, O Lord, and save
me.
Third Verse: And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us,
and the works of our hand do Thou guide aright upon us, * yea, the
works of our hands do Thou guide aright.
Filled with despair on account of her life, * by reason of her well known
ways, * she came to Thee, bearing myrrh, and cried aloud: * ‘Harlot though I
am, cast me not out, * O Thou who wast born of the Virgin; * despise not my
tears, O Joy of the angels; * but receive me in penitence, O Lord, * and reject
me not who have sinned against Thee, ** for the sake of Thy great mercy.’
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., by Kassiani the Nun in Tone VIII:
O Lord, the woman who had fallen into many sins, * perceiving Thy
divinity, * took upon herself the part of a myrrh-bearer, * lamenting, before Thy
burial she brought sweet-smelling myrrh to Thee *. ‘Woe is me’ , she said, ‘for
the night doth burn me * with the lust to fornicate in the dark and moonless
night of sin. * Accept the fountain of my tears, O Thou who bringeth the
waters * from the clouds to the sea. * Incline thine ear to the groaning of my
heart, O Thou who in Thine ineffable self-emptying * hast bowed down the
heavens. * I shall kiss Thy most pure feet and wipe them with the hairs of my
head, * the feet whose sound Eve heard at dusk in Paradise, * and hid herself in
fear. * Who can fathom the multitude of my sins and the abyss of Thy
judgments, but Thee? * O Savior of my soul, despise me not, Thine
handmaiden, ** O Thou who without measure art merciful.
night.
Priest: He that is is blessed, Christ our God, always, Now & ever ..., and
Note: The following is repeated for convenience:
On the first three days of Holy Week, the Psalter is read at the Third and
Sixth Hours, but not at the First and the Ninth, as follows:

Monday VII VIII
Tuesday XII XIII
Wednesday XIX XX
At the Third Hour, after the usual psalms and the appointed reading from
the Psalter We sing the Lenten Troparion: O Lord, Who at the third hour ...,
with three prostrations as usual. Then we say: O Theotokos, thou art the true
vine ..., Meanwhile the priest, Wearing a dark (black) Phelonion, opens the
Royal Doors and brings the Gospel Book to the centre of the church, placing it
on an Analogion; and one or more processional candlesticks With lighted
candles are set beside it. The priest then censes the Book of the Gospels, and the Whole
church and people; and the Gospel is read by the Priest as shown below. At the
end of the Gospel reading, We continue with the Third Hour, saying: Blessed
be the Lord God...., and the rest, with the usual bows and prostrations. After
Our Father ..., we say the Kontakion of the day:
Kontakion:
The four Gospels are read at the hours in various ways, but the following is
the most common practice:

SIXTH HOUR
After the Third Hour, We at once begin the Sixth Hour, saying: O come, let
us Worship ..., and the usual psalms, followed by the appointed reading from
the Psalter and the Troparion: O Thou who on the sixth clay and hour ..., with
three prostrations; and We say the Theotokion: We have no boldness on
account ..., Then the Troparion of the Prophecy:
Troparion of the prophecy Tone II:
Today the evil Sanhedrin hath gathered together * and devised vain counsel
against Thee. * Today Judas hath made a covenant with the chief priests * and
receiveth the noose. * Against his will Caiaphas confesseth * that one man shall
undergo a voluntary passion for the sake of all. * O Christ, our God and our
Redeemer, glory be to Thee.
Prokeimenon in Tone VIII:
Prokeimenon: The Lord bless thee out of Zion, * He that made heaven
and the earth.
Verse: Behold now, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord.
THE READING IS FROM THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIAL (2:3 : 3-3)
The Lord said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to
a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have
transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent
children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto
them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And they, whether they will hear, or whether
they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath
been a prophet among them. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them,
neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and
thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed
at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my
words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they
are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not
thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give
thee. And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a
book was therein; And he spread it before me; and it was written within and
without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and
go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to
eat that roll. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill
thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my
mouth as honey for sweetness.
Prokeimenon in Tone II:
Prokeimenon: Ye that fear the Lord, * bless ye the Lord.
Verse: Praise ye the Name of the Lord; O ye servants, praise the Lord.
Note: At The Sixth Hour, during the reading of the Prophecy, the priest
censes the Book of the Gospels, but not the church and people. Then, following the
second Prokeimenon, the reading of the Gospel is completed, after which We
say: Let Thy tender mercies, O Lord, speedily go before us..., and the rest of the
Sixth Hour With the usual bows and prostrations. After Our Father ..., we say
the Kontakion of the day:
Kontakion:
AT THE NINTH HOUR
Note: There is no appointed reading from the Psalter, but after the usual
three Psalms We say: O Thou who at the ninth hour ..., with three prostrations,
followed by: O loving Lord, who for our sakes ..., Before the Gospel reading,
the priest censes the Gospel Book, the church and the people, as at the Third
Hour. After this, the last Gospel is read (John 7-13:32), we say: Deliver us not
up utterly unto the end ..., and the rest of the Hour up to: Our Father ..., and
then the following is read:
Kontakion of the day:
More than the harlot have I sinned, O Good One, yet never have I offered
Thee flowing tears. But in silence I fall down before Thee, and beseeching Thee
with love I kiss Thy most pure feet, that as Master, Thou mayest grant me
remission of sins; Wherefore I cry to Thee, O Savior, from the filth of my
works do Thou Deliver me.
Followed by the Kontakion for the temple, if it is dedicated to the Lord or a
Saint, then:
Kontakion for the reposed:
Glory: With the saints Grant rest, O Christ, to the souls of Thy servants
Where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting.
Now & ever ..., (Kontakion of the Theotokos if the temple is dedicated to
her) or else immediately read:
O protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, O Constant
Mediatress before the Creator, despise not the cry of prayer of us sinners but, of
thy goodness, come speedily to the help of us who in faith call upon thee.
Hasten to offer swift intercession and prayer for us, O Mother of God, who
ever intercedest for those who honor thee.
Lord, have mercy ...., (Forty times)
And this prayer:
O All-Holy Trinity, the consubstantial dominion, the indivisible Kingdom,
Choir: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both
Now & ever ..., and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Instead of the usual Dismissal, we prostrate ourselves to the ground, and
the Priest says following prayer:
Priest: O Master plenteous in mercy, O Lord Jesus Christ our God: Through
the intercessions of our immaculate Lady Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary;
through the power of the precious and life-giving Cross; through the mediations
of the honorable, heavenly Bodiless Hosts, of the honorable, glorious Prophet,
Forerunner, and Baptist John; of the holy glorious, and all-praised apostles; of
the holy, glorious, and victorious martyrs; of our holy and God-bearing fathers,
(the patron saint of the temple); of the holy and Righteous Ancestors of God
Joachim and Anna; of (the Saints of the day) and of all the saints: make our
prayer acceptable; grant us the remission of our sins; shelter us with the shelter
of Thy wings; drive away from us every enemy and adversary; make our life
peaceful, O Lord; have mercy on us and on Thy world, and save our souls, for
Thou art good and the Lover of mankind.
Choir: Amen.
After this prayer is read, the priest asks forgiveness from the brethren
saying:
Priest: Bless, (holy master and) holy fathers (mothers, brothers and
sisters) and forgive me a sinner, all wherein I have sinned this day in
deed, word, and thought, and by all my senses.
Brethren: May God forgive and have mercy on thee, holy father.
And they make a prostration, asking this forgiveness:
Brethren: Bless me, holy father, and forgive all wherein I have sinned
this day in deed, word, and thought, and by all my senses, and pray for
me a sinner.
Priest: Through His grace may God forgive and have mercy on us all.
The Gospel Book is brought back into the altar, and the royal doors closed.
The brethren then ask forgiveness of each other and retire to their cells, or as
the rector wishes, Vespers may be chanted immediately.
AT VESPERS
Tone I: O Son of the Virgin, * the harlot recognized Thee to be God, *
having committed sins worthy of tears, * weeping she prayed unto Thee: * ‘Do
Thou loose me from my debt * as I unloosen my hair. * Do Thou love me who
loveth Thee, * though rightly I am deserving of Thy loathing, * that with the
publicans I may entreat Thee, ** O Benefactor and Lover of mankind.’
Verse: The righteous shall wait patiently for me * until Thou shalt reward
me.
Tone I: The harlot mingled precious myrrh * with her tears * and poured it
upon Thy most pure feet, kissing them; * and straightway Thou didst justify her.
* Grant also unto us forgiveness, * O Thou who hast suffered for our sake, *
and save us.
Verse: Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; * O Lord, hear
my voice.
Tone I: When the sinful woman brought myrrh, * the disciple come to an
agreement with the transgressors. * She rejoiced to pour forth that which was
very precious, * while he made haste to sell the One who is above all price. *
She acknowledged Christ as Lord, * while he severed himself from the Master. *
She was set free, but Judas became a slave of the enemy. * Grievous was his
impudence! Great was her repentance! * Grant such repentance also unto me,
O Savior ** who didst suffer for our sake, and save us.
Tone I: O the wretchedness of Judas!, * He saw the harlot kiss Thy feet, and
deceitfully plotted to betray Thee with a kiss. * She loosed her hair and he was
bound a prisoner by his fury, * bearing in place of myrrh the stench of evil: *
for envy doth not know how to prefer that which is profitable. ** O the
wretchedness of Judas. ** From this deliver our souls, O God.
Tone II: The sinful woman hastened to buy precious myrrh, * with which to
anoint thee O Benefactor, * and she cried out to the merchant: * ‘Give me
myrrh that I may anoint Him ** who hath cleansed me from all my sins’.
Lord.
Tone VI: Drowning from sin, * she found in Thee a haven of salvation, *
and pouring out myrrh mingled with her tears, * she cried aloud to Thee: * ‘Lo,
Thou art He who awaiteth the repentance of the sinful. * O Master, save me
from the waves of sin ** for the sake of Thy great mercy.’
Tone VI: Today Christ cometh to the house of the Pharisee, * and the sinful
woman draweth near and falleth down before Him, crying: * ‘Behold me who
am sunk in sin, * despairing on account of my deeds, * yet not rejected from
Thy compassionate goodness. ** Grant me, O Lord, the remission ** of my
wicked deeds, and save me.
Tone VI: The harlot stretched forth her hair before Thee, O Master, * while
Judas stretched forth his hands to the lawless ones: * she did so, to receive
forgiveness; * and he, to receive money. * Wherefore we cry aloud to Thee who
wast sold and hast set us free: ** O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Tone VI: The woman draweth near, defiled by the stench of sin, * to shed
tears upon Thy feet, O loving Savior, * proclaiming Thy Passion. * ‘How can I
look upon Thee, O Master? * For Thou hast come to save the harlot. * I am
dead, do Thou raise me up from the depths, * as Thou didst raised Lazarus *
from the tomb on the fourth day. ** Accept me in my wretchedness, O Lord,
and save me.
Tone VI: Filled with despair on account of her life, * by reason of her well
known ways, * she came to Thee, bearing myrrh, and cried aloud: * ‘Harlot
though I am, cast me not out, * O Thou who wast born of the Virgin; * despise
not my tears, O Joy of the angels; * but receive me in penitence, O Lord, * and
reject me not who have sinned against Thee, ** for the sake of Thy great
mercy.’
O Lord, the woman who had fallen into many sins, * perceiving Thy
divinity, * took upon herself the part of a myrrh-bearer, * lamenting, before Thy
burial she brought sweet-smelling myrrh to Thee *. ‘Woe is me’, she said, ‘for
the night doth burn me * with the lust to fornicate in the dark and moonless
night of sin. * Accept the fountain of my tears, O Thou who doth bring the
waters * from the clouds to the sea. * Incline thine ear to the groaning of my
heart, O Thou who in Thine ineffable self-emptying * hast bowed down the
heavens. * I shall kiss Thy most pure feet and wipe them with the hairs of my
head, * the feet whose sound Eve heard at dusk in Paradise, * and hid herself in
fear. * Who can fathom the multitude of my sins and the abyss of Thy
judgments, but Thee? * O Savior of my soul, despise me not, Thine
handmaiden, ** O Thou who without measure art merciful.
Prokeimenon: O give thanks unto the God of heaven: * for His mercy
endureth forever.
Verse: O give thanks unto the God of gods: for His mercy endureth
forever.
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF EXEDOS (2:11 - 22)
And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out
unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian
smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way,
and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in
the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the
Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore
smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over
us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared,
and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he
sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in
the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had
seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water
their father's flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses
stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. And when they came to
Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? And they
said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew
water enough for us, and watered the flock. And he said unto his daughters,
And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat
bread. And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses
Zipporah his daughter. And she bare him a son, and he called his name
Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.
Prokeimenon: O Lord, Thy mercy endureth for ever: * disdain not the
work of Thy hands.
Verse: I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, and before
angels will I chant unto Thee.
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before
the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And
Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and
from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou
considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and
an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth
fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him
without cause. And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all
that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and
touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD
said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan
forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the
sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself
withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost
thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou
speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at
the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with
his lips.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATHEW (26: 6-16)
At that time, Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, and
there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious
ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples
saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this
ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus
understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath
wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me
ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she
did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be
preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done,
be told for a memorial of her. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot,
went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I
will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of
silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
Note: After Blessed be the Name of the Lord, the Prayer of St. Ephraim is
said once, with three prostrations as follows:
Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ our God and our hope, glory to Thee
(Master) bless.
His voluntary Passion,...
SMALL COMPLINE
HOLY AND GREAT WEDNESDAY EVENING
Our Father.
us worship ..., The rest of small Compline up to the Creed, After the Creed we
use the following three-canticled Canon by St. Andrew of Crete. The Irmoi are
sung twice. Before each of the Troparia we say: Glory to Thee, our God, glory
to Thee.
ODE IV, in Tone VI:
Irmos: The prophet heard * of Thy coming, O Lord, * and he was afraid.
* How wast Thou to be born of a virgin * and appear unto mankind? *
and he said * "I have heard report of Thee and I am afraid"; * glory to
Thy power, O Lord.
The upper room was furnished, and prepared to receive Thee the Creator
and Thy companions, and there Thou didst keep the Passover, and the mystical
supper, having sent Thy two disciples to prepare everything aforetime for Thee.
‘Go to such a man’, saith He, who knoweth all things beforehand, to His
apostles, ‘and blessed is he who receiveth the Lord with faith, preparing his
heart as an upper room, and piety as supper.
O the folly of avarice! filled with such foolish thoughts wast thou O Judas.
For to thee alone was the money bag entrusted, yet thou wast not inclined to be
merciful; but having closed thy hardened heart thou didst betray the Lord who
alone is merciful and compassionately loving.
The goal of the Jews who sought to kill God complemented the avarice of
Judas: they armed themselves for murder, and he was tempted by the money.
But he killed himself rather than repent, and in misery lost his life.
O deceitful Judas, thy kiss is full of guile, thy greeting bringeth a sword; thy
tongue speaketh of unity, yet in thy thoughts thou didst separate thyself. For
craftily didst thou plan to betray the Benefactor to the transgressors.
Thou dost kiss and yet dost sell Him, O Judas; thou dost embrace yet
shamelessly lie in wait for Him. Who, O thrice wretched one, kisseth him whom
he hateth? Who can love, yet sell for a price? Thy shameless kiss betrayeth the
evil purpose of thy desire.
Glory ..., Undivided in Essence, uncommingled in Persons, I confess Thee
as One Triune Godhead, one in Kingship and co-enthroned; and to Thee I raise
the great thrice-holy hymn that is sung on high.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Exceeding speech is thy conception, and
transcending nature is thy childbearing. Thou didst conceive from the Spirit,
not from the seed of man, wherefore thy childbearing escaped the laws of
nature, since it was a supra-natural birthgiving without corruption. For He
Whom thou didst bear is God.
Sessional Hymn in Tone IV:
O Master, while eating with Thy disciples, * Thou didst mystically reveal
Thine all-holy self-immolation, * wherewith we who honor Thy sacred Passion,
** have been delivered from corruption.
ODE VIII
Irmos: Him whom the hosts of heaven glorify, * and before whom
tremble the Cherubim and Seraphim, * let every breath and all creation *
praise, bless, and supremely exalt, * throughout all ages.
He who wrote the Law on Sinai, hath Himself fulfilled the ordinances of the
Law. Having eaten the Passover of old which was but a shadow, and becoming
the new Passover, a mystical and life-giving Sacrifice.
Revealing in a mystery the wisdom hidden from all ages, O Christ Savior,
Thou didst reveal it at the Supper to all Thine apostles: and bearing God, they
delivered it to the Churches.
‘One of you shall betray Me by guile this night and give me over to the
Jews’, sayeth Christ to His friends, filling them with dismay; upon which they
turned one to another in doubt.
He who is rich hath made Himself lowly for our sakes: rising from the
Supper, He took a towel and girt Himself, and bowing down He washed the
feet of the disciples and the traitor."
Who would not be struck with wonder at the height of Thine ineffable
knowledge, beyond explanation! For Thou, the Creator of all, hath drawn near
to Thy creatures of clay, and having washed their feet drieth them with a towel.
The disciple whom the Lord loved, lying on His breast, saith unto Him:
‘Who is he that shall betray Thee?’ And Christ answered: ‘It is he who dipeth
his hand now in the dish.’
The disciple received the sop, yet was separated from the Bread; scheming
how he may sell Him, he ran to the Jews and said to the transgressors: ‘What
will ye give me if I deliver Him to you?’
I honor God one in Essence, I sing the praises of the three Hypostases,
distinct one from another yet not differing in Nature, for there is one Godhead
and one Power in the three Hypostases, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Do Thou deliver us O Jesus our Savior, from
the deceit and dangers and the evil one. Accept the ceaseless intercessions of
the Theotokos on our behalf: for as Thy Mother she is worthy to entreat Thee.
Verse: We praise, bless and worship the Lord ...,
Katavasia: Him whom the hosts of heaven glorify, * and before whom
tremble the Cherubim and Seraphim, * let every breath and all creation *
praise, bless, and exalt above all, * throughout all ages.
ODE IX
Irmos: Ineffable is the birthgiving * of a seedless conception, * from a
mother who knew not a man; * an undefiled childbearing. * For the birth
of God hath renewed nature, * wherefore all generations rightly worship
and magnify thee * as the Bride and Mother of God.
The great mystery of Thine Incarnation wast revealed to Thy disciples while
they sat at supper with Thee, O Lord and Lover of mankind, for Thou didst
say: 'With faith eat ye the living Bread, and drink the Blood which doth issue
forth from My slain divine side'.
The upper room wherein Christ hath kept the Passover was revealed to be a
heavenly tabernacle; the bloodless supper is the noetic liturgy; the table on
which the Mysteries were celebrated there is the noetical altar.
Christ is our great and honored Pascha, eaten as bread and slain as a Lamb.
He hath been offered as a sacrifice for us, and with reverence we all mystically
commune His Body and His Blood.
Having blessed the bread, O Thou Bread of heaven, Thou didst offer
thanks to Thy Father, and taking the cup Thou didst give it to Thy disciples,
saying: ‘Take, eat, this is My Body, and the Blood of Life incorruptible,’
Christ the true Vine spoke to His branches, the apostles, saying: ‘Amen. I
will not drink henceforth from the vine until I drink it anew with you My heirs
in the glory of My Father.’
For thirty pieces of silver thou didst sell Him who is above all price; why
didst thou not think upon, O wicked Judas, the mystery of the Supper and the
holy washing of the feet? O how thou hast fallen utterly from the light,
embracing the hangman’s noose.
The hands into which thou didst take the Bread of incorruption, hast thou
now stretched out to take the money; and with the mouth in which thou didst
commune the Body and Blood of Christ, thou hast deceitfully given a kiss. But
woe unto thee, as Christ hath said.
Christ is the divine Bread of heaven, which giveth food to all the world.
Come, then, O ye friends of Christ, and with our earthly mouths, but with pure
hearts let us receive in faith the Pascha that is sacrificed and mystically offered
in our midst.
Glory ..., Let us glorify the Father, let us exalt the Son, and with faith let us
worship the divine Spirit, the undivided Trinity and Unity in Essence. Let us
adore Light and Lights, Life and Lives, giving life and light to the ends of the
earth.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Thou alone hast been revealed to be the
heavenly bridal chamber and ever-virgin Bride. Thou didst carry God within thy
womb and didst give birth to Him; He took flesh from thee yet underwent no
change. Therefore, as the Bride and Mother of God, with true worship all
generations magnify thee.
Katavasia: Ineffable is the birthgiving * of a seedless conception, * from a
mother who knew not a man; * an undefiled childbearing. * For the birth
of God hath renewed nature, * wherefore all generations rightly worship
and magnify thee * as the Bride and Mother of God.
Father ..., Then the Kontakion of the day is read:
More than the harlot have I sinned, O Good One, yet never have I offered
Thee flowing tears. But in silence I fall down before Thee, and beseeching Thee
with love I kiss Thy most pure feet, that as Master, Thou mayest grant me
remission of sins; Wherefore I cry to Thee, O Savior, from the filth of my
works do Thou deliver me.
And the rest of small Compline.
Note: After Small Compline we make three bows to the ground very slowly
and solemnly, and after the last prayer We all return to our cells. From this day
until after the Sunday of St. Thomas, the Midnight Office is not read in church.
HOLY AND GREAT FRIDAY
AT MATINS
THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY AND REDEEMING
PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
About the second hour of the night (eight o’clock on Thursday evening - as
called "by anticipation" by the Holy Fathers), we begin Matins in the usual way.
After the Six Psalms and the Great Litany, we sing Alleluia in Tone VIII:
When The glorious disciples * were illumined at the Supper by the washing
of their feet, * then the impious Judas * became darkened by the disease of
avarice, * and he delivered Thee, the just judge, to lawless judges. * See, O lover
of money, * how for money’s sake he hanged himself. * Flee from the insatiable
greed which made him dare to do such things against his Master. * O Lord,
who art good towards all mankind, glory be to Thee (Twice).
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Repeat: When The glorious disciples ...,
While this is being sung, candles are distributed to all those present, and
these are lit during each of the twelve readings from the Gospel. After the
chanting of the Troparion, the Small Litany is said, with the exclamation:
Priest: For Thine is the dominion, Thine is the Kingdom, the power and
the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Now & ever ..., and
to the ages of ages. Amen.
Then the Priest/Deacon says: And that He will vouchsafe us to hear the
Holy Gospel, let us pray to the Lord God.
Choir: Lord have mercy (Thrice).
Deacon: Wisdom, upright. Let us hear the Holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be with you all.
Choir: And with thy spirit.
Priest: The reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. John.
Deacon: Let us attend!
Choir: Glory to Thy Passion O Lord.
And the priest reads the First Gospel:
THE FIRST GOSPEL (John 13:31 - 18:1)
The Lord said to His disciples: Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is
glorified in Him. If God be glorified in Him, God shall also glorify Him in
Himself, and shall straightway glorify Him. Little children, yet a little while am
with you. Ye shall seek Me: and as I said unto the Jews, whither I go, ye cannot
come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love
one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all
men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another. Simon Peter
said unto Him, Lord, whither goest Thou? Jesus answered him, whither I go,
thou canst not follow Me now; but thou shalt follow Me afterwards. Peter said
unto Him, Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now? I will lay down my life for Thy
sake. Jesus answered him, wilt thou lay down thy life for My sake? Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, The cock shalt not crow, till thou hast denied Me thrice. I Let
not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My
Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go
to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And
whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we
know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto
him, I am the way, the Truth and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from
henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him. Philip saith unto Him, Lord,
shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so
long time with you, and yet thou hast not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen
Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words
that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself : but the Father that dwelleth in Me,
He doeth the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me:
or else believe Me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works
than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall
ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye
shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.
If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He
shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the
Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not,
neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be
in you. I will not leave you comfortless, i will come to you. Yet a little while, and
the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At
that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. He
that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, He it is that loveth Me: and
he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will
manifest Myself lo him. Judas saith unto Him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that
Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered
and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will
love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that
loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings : and the word which ye hear is not
Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me. These things have I spoken unto you,
being yet present with you. But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom
the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all
things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave
with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said
unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice,
because I said, I go unto the Father: for My Father is greater than I. And now I
have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might
believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world
cometh, and hath nothing in Me. Hut that the world may know that I love the
Father; and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go
hence. I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in
Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit,
He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the
word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye
abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. If a
man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men
gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in Me,
and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto
you.
Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My
disciples. As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My
love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have
kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I
spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be
full. This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you
not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called
you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known
unto you. Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you,
that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that
whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in' My name, He may give it you. These
things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know
that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would
love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of
the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that l said unto
you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they
will also persecute you, if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.
But all these things will they do unto you for My name’s sake, because they
know not Him that sent Me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had
not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He, that hateth Me hateth
My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other
man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both Me
and My Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is
written in their law, They hated Me without a cause. But when the Comforter is
come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth,
which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me: and ye also shall bear
witness, because ye have been with Me from the beginning. These things have I
spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the
synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he
doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have
not known the Father, nor Me. But these things have I told you, that when the
time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I
said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go My
way to Him that sent Me; and none of you asketh Me, whither goest Thou? But
because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I
go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send
Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on Me; of
righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; of judgment,
because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto
you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth, is
come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but
whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to
come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto
you. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take
of Mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and
again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father.
Then said some of His disciples among themselves, what is this that He
saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and
ye shall see Me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, what is
this that He saith, A little while? We cannot tell what He saith. Now Jesus knew
that they were desirous to ask Him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among
yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little
while, and ye shall see Me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and
lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow
shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because
her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth
no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now
therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and
your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He
will give it you.
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that
your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the
time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew
you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in My name: and I say not
unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father Himself loveth you,
because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came
forth from the Father and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and
go to the Father. His disciples said unto Him, Lo, now speakest Thou plainly,
and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that Thou knowest all things, and
needest not that any man should ask Thee: by this we believe that Thou camest
forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour
cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and
shall leave Me alone : and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the
world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, i have overcome the
world.
These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father,
the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: as Thou
hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many
as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on
the earth, i have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O
Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with
Thee before the world was. I have manifested Thy name unto the men which
Thou gavest Me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me;
and they have kept Thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever
Thou hast given Me are of Thee. For I have given unto them the words which
Thou gavest Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I
came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray
for them, i pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for
they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and l am glorified
in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I
come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou
hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in Thy name; those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and
none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be
fulfilled. And now come I to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that
they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Thy word;
and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am
not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world,
but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is
truth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into
the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be
sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also
which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as
Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the
world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest
Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one, i in them, and
Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may
know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.
Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am;
that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou lovedst
Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not
known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast
sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the
love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over
the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which He entered, and His
disciples.
Choir: Glory to Thy longsuffering O Lord.
Then we sing the following antiphons, repeating each of the Troparia:
Antiphon One in Tone VIII:
The rulers of the people took counsel together ** against the Lord and
against His Christ?
They laid a lawless accusation against Me. ** O Lord, O Lord, forsake Me
not.
Let us bring to Christ pure senses and affections, * and as His friends let us
sacrifice our lives for His sake. * Let us not, choke upon the cares of this life, *
as did Judas, * but from within let us cry: * Our Father who art in the heavens,
** deliver us from the evil one.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: O Virgin who without defilement
hath given birth to a child, * and remained a virgin, * O Mother who knew not
wedlock, * Theotokos Mary; ** Pray to Christ our God that we be saved.
Antiphon Two in Tone VI:
Judas ran to the lawless scribes saying: * ‘What will ye give me, and I will
deliver Him over to you?’ * And while they conspired together against Thee, *
Thou wast invisibly standing in their midst. * O Thou who knowest the hearts
of men, ** spare our souls.
With compassionate mercy let us minister to God, * as did Mary at the
supper; * and let us not acquire the love of money as did Judas, ** that we may
ever abide with Christ our God.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Cease not O Virgin, to pray unto
Him * to Whom thou hast inexpressibly given birth, * for He is the Lover of
mankind: ** that He save from dangers those who flee to thee for refuge.
Antiphon Three in Tone II:
O Lord, by reason of the raising of Lazarus, * the children of the Hebrews
cried Hosanna unto Thee, * O Lover of mankind: ** but Judas the transgressor
had no desire to comprehend this.
At Thy supper, O Christ God, * Thou didst prophesize before Thy disciples
saying: * ‘One of you shall betray Me.’ ** But Judas the transgressor had no
desire to comprehend this.
John had asked Thee, O Lord: * ‘Who is it that shall betray Thee?’ *
Whereupon Thou didst show him whom * through the giving of the bread. **
But Judas the transgressor had no desire to comprehend this.
With thirty pieces of silver, O Lord, * and with a deceitful kiss, * the Jews
sought to murder Thee. ** But Judas the transgressor had no desire to
comprehend this.
At the washing of Thy feet, O Christ God, * Thou didst command Thy
disciples, * ‘Do as ye have seen Me do.’ ** But Judas the transgressor had no
desire to comprehend this.
‘Watch and pray, * that ye enter not into temptation’, * thus didst Thou say
unto Thy disciples O our God. ** But Judas the transgressor had no desire to
comprehend this.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Deliver from dangers thy servants, O
Theotokos, * for after God we all flee to thee for refuge, ** as an unassailable
rampart and protection.
Small Litany with the exclamation:
Priest: For to Thee are due all glory, honor and worship, to the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Now & ever ..., and to the ages of ages.
Amen.
Sessional Hymn in Tone VII:
During this and all the following Sessional hymns, we do not sit or kneel as is customary,
but remain standing.
While giving food to the disciples at the Supper, * Thou didst foreknow the
plot of the betrayal, * revealing Judas as the instigator, * foreknowing that he
would not repent, * Thou didst desire to reveal that Thy betrayal * was in
accordance with Thy will, * to save the world from the enemy. ** O
longsuffering Lord, glory be to Thee.
THE SECOND GOSPEL (John 15:1 - 28)
At that time Jesus went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron,
where was a garden, into the which He entered, and His disciples. And Judas
also, which betrayed Him, knew the place: for Jesus oft times resorted thither
with His disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from
the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and
weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went
forth, and said unto them, whom seek ye? They answered Him, Jesus of
Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am He. And Judas also, which betrayed Him,
stood with them. As soon then as He had said unto them, I am He, they went
backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked He them again, whom seek ye?
And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am He,
if therefore ye seek Me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled,
which He spake, Of them which Thou gavest Me have I lost none. Then Simon
Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off
his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put
up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I
not drink it? Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus,
and bound Him, and led Him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to
Caipahas, which was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he,
which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die
for the people. And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple:
that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the
palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out
that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her
that kept the door, and brought in Peter. Then saith the damsel that kept the
door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am
not. And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals;
for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them and
warmed himself. The high priest then asked Jesus of His disciples, and of His
doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world, i ever taught in the
synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have
I said nothing. Why askest thou Me? Ask them which heard Me, what I have
said unto them: behold, they know what I said. And when He had thus spoken,
one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand,
saying, Answerest Thou the high priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have
spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou Me? Now
Annas had sent Him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. And Simon Peter
stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one
of His disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not. One of the servants of the
high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee
in the garden with Him? Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock
crew. Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was
early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be
defiled; but that they might eat the Passover.
Antiphon Four in Tone V:
Today Judas Forsaketh the Master * and accepteth the devil: * for blinded
and darkened by the passion of avarice, * he hath fallen from the Light. * How
could he who sold the Light for thirty pieces of silver, ever see? * But He Who
suffered for the world hath now dawned upon us. * To Him let us cry aloud: **
O Thou who dost suffer with, and on behalf of, mankind, ** glory be to Thee.
Today Judas doth make a pretence of piety * but hath become a stranger to
the gift of God; * though a disciple, he hath become a traitor, * with the
customary kiss he hath concealed deceit. * In his foolishness he hath preferred
the thirty pieces of silver * to the Master’s love, * and hath become a guide to
the lawless Sanhedrin. * But we have Christ as our salvation: ** let us glorify
Him.
Tone I: Let us as Brethren acquire brotherly love in Christ, * and let us not
be lacking in mercy for our neighbor, * lest for money’s sake we be condemned
like the unmerciful servant, ** and feel remorse as did Judas to no avail.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Glorious things are spoken of thee *
throughout all the world, * for thou didst give birth in the flesh to the Creator
of all, ** O all-praised and unwedded Theotokos Mary.
Antiphon Five in Tone VI:
The disciple agreed upon a price, * and for thirty pieces of silver sold the
Lord; * with a deceitful kiss he betrayed Him ** to the transgressors to be put
to death.
Today the Creator of heaven and earth hath said to His disciples: * ‘The
hour approacheth, * and Judas who hath betrayed Me doth draw near. * Let
none of you deny Me * when ye see Me on the Cross between two thieves. *
For as man I suffer, * but as the Lover of mankind I save those who believe in
Me.’
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Having conceived ineffably in these
latter days * thou hast given birth to thine own Creator, ** entreat Him that our
souls be saved.
Antiphon Six in Tone VII:
Today Judas awaiteth to deliver up the Lord, * the pre-eternal Savior of the
world, * who with five loaves didst satisfy a host of people. * Today the
transgressor doth reject his Teacher, * though a disciple he hath betrayed the
Master. * For money, he hath sold Him ** Who with manna fed the people in
the wilderness.
Today the Jews nailed to the Cross, * the Lord who with a rod divided the
sea * and led them through the wilderness. * Today they have pierced with a
lance the side of Him * who for their sake smote the Egyptians with plagues. *
They gave Him gall to drink, ** who rained down upon them the divine manna.
Coming to Thy voluntary Passion O Lord, * Thou didst cry unto Thy
disciples: * ‘If ye could not watch with Me but for one hour, * why then did ye
promise to die for My sake? * See how Judas sleepeth not, * but hath made
haste to deliver Me to the transgressors? * Arise and pray, that none of you
deny Me * beholding me upon the Cross.’ O longsuffering Lord, glory be to
Thee.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Rejoice, O Theotokos, * for He
whom the heavens cannot contain * hath dwelt within thy womb. * Rejoice,
Virgin, of whom the prophets preached: * for through thee Emmanuel hath
dawned upon us. ** Rejoice, Mother of Christ our God.
Priest: For blessed and glorified is Thy most honored and majestic
Name, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Now & ever ..., and to
the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn in Tone VII:
For what reason Judas, dost thou make thyself * a traitor to the Savior? *
Did He expel thee from the company of the apostles? * Did He deprive thee of
the gift of healing? * When thou didst sup with the others, * did He drive thee
from the table? * When He washed the others’ feet, * did He turn from thee? *
How many are the blessings forgotten by thee! * For thine ingratitude thou hast
condemned thyself, ** but His measureless longsuffering and great mercy are
proclaimed unto all.
Priest: The reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mathew.
THE THIRD GOSPEL (Matthew 26:57 - 75)
At that time, the soldiers that had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to
Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But
Peter followed Him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat
with the servants, to see the end. Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the
council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put Him to death; but found
none; yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last
came two false witnesses, and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the
temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said
unto Him, Answerest Thou nothing? What is it which these witness against
Thee? But Jesus held His peace. And the high priest answered and said unto
Him, I adjure thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the
Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say
unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of
power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his
clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of
witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy. What think ye? They
answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in His face, and
buffeted Him, and others smote Him with the palms of their hands, saying,
Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote Thee? Now Peter sat
without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him saying, Thou also wast with
Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou
sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and
said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while
came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of
them, for thy speech betrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear,
saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter
remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow,
thou shalt deny Me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly.
Antiphon Seven in Tone VIII:
Suffering the transgressors to take hold of Thee, * Thou didst cry aloud O
Lord: * ‘Even though ye smite the Shepherd and scatter the twelve sheep, * My
disciples, * I could summon more than twelve legions of angels. * But in My
patience I restrain myself, * that the hidden secrets I made known to you
through My prophets * may be fulfilled.’ ** O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Thrice Peter denied Thee, * and straightway he understood Thy words; *
but he offered Thee tears of repentance. * O God, forgive me and save me.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: The holy Virgin is like a gateway
leading to salvation, * a fair Paradise, and a cloud of never-waning light: ** let
us all sing in praise of her and exclaim to her, ‘Rejoice!’
Antiphon Eight in Tone II:
Tell us O ye transgressors * what is it that ye heard from our Savior? * Did
He not expound the Law and the teaching of the prophets? * Why then have ye
taken counsel to deliver up to Pilate, * Him Who hath issued forth from God,
God the Word, ** and the Redeemer of our souls?
‘Let Him be crucified!’ cried the murderers of the righteous One, * they who
had always taken pleasure in Thy gifts; * asking for the release of an evildoer in
place of their Benefactor. * But Thou, O Christ, didst remain silent, enduring
their wicked insolence, * wishing to suffer and thereby save us * in that Thou
art the Lover of mankind.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Seeing that we have no boldness on
account of our many sins, * do thou beseech Him that was born of thee, O
Virgin Theotokos * for the supplication of a mother availeth much to win the
Master's favor. * Disdain not the prayers of sinners, O most pure one, * for
merciful and mighty to save is He ** Who deigned also to suffer for our sake.
Antiphon Nine in Tone III:
Rebelliously they took thirty pieces of silver, * as the price of Him who was
treasured by the sons of Israel. * Watch and pray, that ye enter not into
temptation: * the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. ** For this reason
be ever vigilant.
They gave Me gall to sip, * and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink. *
But do Thou raise Me up, O Lord, ** and I shall grant them their reward.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: We the Gentiles sing in praise of
thee, * O pure Theotokos, * for thou hast given birth to Christ our God, **
who through thee hath redeemed mankind from the curse.
Priest: For Thou art our God and to Thee we send up glory, to the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Now & ever ..., and unto the ages of
ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn in Tone VIII:
How could Judas, who was once Thy disciple, * scheme to betray Thee *
Deceitfully supping as an unrighteous deceiver, * and then hastening to the
priests saying: * ‘What will ye give me, and I will deliver to you, * Him Who
hath broken the Law and defiled the Sabbath?’ ** O longsuffering Lord, glory
be to Thee.
THE FOURTH GOSPEL (John 18: 28-19: 16)
At that time, they led Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it
was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should
be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out unto them,
and said, what accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said
unto him, If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up
unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye Him, and judge Him according
to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any
man to death: that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He spake,
signifying what death He should die. Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall
again, and called Jesus, and said unto Him, Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus
answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me?
Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have
delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done? Jesus answered, My Kingdom is
not of this world, if My Kingdom were of this world, then would My servants
fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My Kingdom not
from hence. Pilate therefore said unto‘ Him, Art thou a king then? Jesus
answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this
cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every
one that is of the truth heareth My voice. Pilate saith unto Him, what is truth?
And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto
them, I find in Him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release
unto you one at the Passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King
of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now
Barabbas was a robber. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him.
And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put
on Him a purple robe, and said, Rejoice, King of the Jews! And they smote Him
with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold,
I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him. Then
came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate
saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers
saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto
them, Take ye Him, and crucify Him: for I find no fault in Him. The Jews
answered him, we have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made
Himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the
more afraid; and went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus,
whence art Thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto Him,
Speakest Thou not unto me? Knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify
Thee, and have power to release Thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no
power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that
hath delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate
sought to release Him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go,
thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against
Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat
down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the
Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the
sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out,
Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I
crucify your King? The chief priests answered, we have no king but Caesar.
Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified.
Antiphon Ten in Tone VI:
He who clotheth Himself in light as with a garment, * stood naked at the
judgment; * upon His cheeks He received blows * from the very hands
fashioned by Him. * The lawless people then nailed to the Cross the Lord of
Glory. * The veil of the temple was rent in twain * and the sun became
darkened, * for it could not endure to behold such an indignity toward God, *
before whom all creation doth tremble. ** Let us worship Him.
The disciple denied Thee * and the thief cried aloud: ** Remember me, O
Lord, in Thy Kingdom.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: O Lord, grant peace to the world, *
for Thou wast pleased to assume flesh from the Virgin * for the sake of Thy
servants: ** that with one accord we may glorify Thee, the Lover of mankind.
Antiphon Eleven in Tone VI:
In return for the blessings * which Thou hast wrought upon the Hebrew
people, O Christ, * they condemn Thee to be crucified, * giving Thee vinegar
and gall to drink. * But do Thou render unto them, O Lord, * according to their
works, ** for they comprehend not Thine extreme humility.
Not satisfied with Thy betrayal, O Christ, * the people of the Hebrews
wagged their heads, * and reviled and mocked Thee. * But render unto them, O
Lord, * according to their works, ** for they comprehend not Thine extreme
humility.
Neither the quaking of the earth, * nor the splitting of rocks, * nor the
rending of the veil of the temple, * nor the resurrection of the dead * persuaded
the Hebrew people. * But render unto them, O Lord, * according to their
works, ** for they have devised vain things against Thee.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Through thee O Virgin Theotokos, *
who alone art pure and blessed, * we have come to know God, * Who became
incarnate from thee. * Wherefore we ceaselessly hymn and magnify thee.
Antiphon Twelve in Tone VIII:
Thus sayeth the Lord unto the Jews: * ‘O My people, what have I done unto
you? Or in what way have I wearied you? * I gave light to your blind and
cleansed your lepers, * I raised up the man who lay upon his bed. * O My
people, what is it that have I done unto you, * and how have you repaid Me? *
Instead of manna you give Me gall, instead of water vinegar; * instead of loving
Me, you nail Me to the Cross. * I can endure no more. I shall call My Gentiles *
and they shall glorify Me with the Father and the Spirit; ** and I shall bestow
upon them eternal life.’
Today the veil of the temple is rent in twain, * as a reproof against the
lawless ones; * and the sun hideth its own rays, ** upon seeing the Master
crucified.
O ye lawgivers of Israel, Jews and Pharisees, * the company of the apostles
crieth out to you: * 'Behold the Temple that ye have destroyed; * behold the
Lamb that ye have crucified. * Ye gave Him over to the tomb, but by His own
power He hath arisen. * Be not deceived, O ye Jews: * for this is He who saved
you in the sea * and fed you in the wilderness. ** He is the Life and Light and
Peace of the world'.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Rejoice! Gate of the King of Glory, *
through which the Most High alone hath passed; * leaving thee sealed again, **
for the salvation of our souls.
Priest: Blessed and glorified is the power of Thy Kingdom, of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Now & ever ..., and to the ages of
ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn in Tone VIII:
When Thou O God, wast standing before Caiaphas * and given over to
Pilate for judgment, * the powers of heaven quaked with fear. * When Thou
wast raised upon the Cross between two thieves, * and though sinless wast
numbered with the transgressors, * Thou didst save mankind, ** O
longsuffering Lord, glory be to Thee.
THE FIFTH GOSPEL (Matthew 27: 3-32)
At that time Judas, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, repented
himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and
elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And
they said, what is that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of
silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief
priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the
treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought
with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field was called,
The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by
Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price
of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; and gave
them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me. And Jesus stood before
the governor: and the governor asked Him, saying, Art Thou the King of the
Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when He was accused of the
chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him,
Hearest Thou not how many things they witness against Thee? And He
answered him to never a word, insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.
Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner,
whom they would. And they had then, a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, whom will
ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he
knew that for envy they had delivered Him. When he was set down on the
judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with
that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of
Him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should
ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them,
whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate
saith unto them, what shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all
say unto him, Let Him be crucified. And the governor said, why, what evil hath
He done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let Him be crucified. When
Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he
took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of
the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and
said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto
them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. Then
the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered
unto Him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped Him, and put on Him
a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon
His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him,
and mocked Him, saying, Rejoice, King of the Jews! And they spit upon Him,
and took the reed, and smote Him on the head. And after that they had mocked
Him, they took the robe off from Him, and put His own raiment on Him, and
led Him away to crucify Him. And as they came out, they found a man of
Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear His cross.
Antiphon Thirteen in Tone VI:
The assembly of the Jews besought Pilate to crucify Thee, O Lord. * For
though they found no guilt in Thee, * they released Barabbas the malefactor *
and condemned Thee the Righteous One; * incurring the guilt of murder. * But
grant them, O Lord, their due reward, ** for they have devised vain things
against Thee.
He before whom all things tremble in fear, * and to whom every tongue
rendereth praise, * Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God, * is
struck on the face by the priests, * and they give Him gall to drink. * Yet He
was well-pleased to suffer all these things, * wishing to save us from our sins **
by His own blood, ** as the Lover of mankind.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: O Theotokos, * who by a word in
ways transcending speech * hath given birth to thine own Creator, ** entreat
Him to save our souls.
Antiphon Fourteen in Tone VIII:
O Lord, Thou hast taken with Thee as Thy companion * the thief who had
defiled his hands with blood: * number us also with him, * since Thou art good
and the Lover of mankind,
Few were the words of thief upon the Cross, * yet great was the faith he
showed. * In a moment he was saved, * and Opening the gates of Paradise he
was the first to enter therein. * O Lord, who didst accept his repentance, **
glory be to Thee.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Rejoice, for through the angel thou
hast received the Joy of the world! * Rejoice, for thou hast borne thy Maker and
thy Lord! ** Rejoice, for thou wast deemed worthy to become the Mother of
God.
Antiphon Fifteen in Tone VI:
Today He who suspended the earth upon the waters is hung upon the
Cross. * He who is the King of the angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns. * He
who wrapeth the heaven in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery. * He
who in Jordan set Adam free receiveth blows upon His face. * The Bridegroom
of the Church is transfixed with nails. * The Son of the Virgin is Pierced with a
spear. * We venerate, Thy Passion, O Christ. * We venerate, Thy Passion, O
Christ. * We venerate, Thy Passion, O Christ. ** Show us also Thy glorious
Resurrection.
Let us not keep festival as did the Jews: * for Christ our God and Pascha
hath been sacrificed for us. * But let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement,
* and with sincerity let us entreat Him: * Arise, O Lord, ** and save us O Lover
of mankind.
Thy Cross, O Lord, is the life and resurrection of Thy people; * and placing
all our trust in it, * we hymn Thee, our crucified God: ** Have mercy on us.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Beholding Thee hanging upon the
Cross, O Christ, * Thy Mother lamented: * ‘O my Son, what is this strange
mystery that I behold? * Nailed in the flesh, O Giver of Life, ** how dost Thou
die upon the Tree?’
Priest: For blessed is Thy Name and glorified is Thy Kingdom, of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Now & ever ..., and unto the ages of
ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn in Tone IV:
Thou hast redeemed us from the curse of the Law * by Thy precious Blood:
* Nailed to the Cross and pierced by the spear, * Thou hast poured forth
immortality * upon mankind.** O our Savior, glory be to Thee.
Priest: The reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark.
THE SIXTH GOSPEL (Mark 15: 16-32)
At that time, the soldiers led Jesus away into the hall, called Praetorium; and
they call together the whole band. And they clothed Him with purple, and
platted a crown of thorns, and put it about His head, and began to salute Him,
Rejoice, King of the Jews! And they smote Him on the head with a reed, and
did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped Him. And when they
had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put His own clothes
on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. And they compel one Simon a
Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander
and Rufus, to bear His Cross. And they bring Him unto the place Golgotha,
which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave Him to drink
wine mingled with myrrh: but He received it not. And when they had crucified
Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should
take. And it was about the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the
superscription of His accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE
JEWS. And with Him they crucify two thieves; the one on His right hand, and
the other on His left.’ And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was
numbered with the transgressors. And they that passed by railed on Him,
wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, Thou that destroyest the temple, and
buildest it in three days, save Thyself, and come down from the Cross. Likewise
also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved
others; Himself He cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now
from the cross, that we may see and believe.
The Sixth Gospel is followed by the Beatitudes, with eight Stichera:
In Tone IV:
In Thy Kingdom remember us, O Lord, when Thou comest in Thy
Kingdom.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall
be filled.
Through a tree Adam became homeless in Paradise, * but through the Tree
of the Cross the thief settled in Paradise. * For the one, by eating, transgressed
the commandment of his Maker; * but the other, crucified with Thee, *
confessed Thee to be the hidden God. ** Remember us also in Thy Kingdom.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
The lawless ones purchased the Maker of the Law * from His disciple, * and
they led Him as a transgressor * before the judgment-seat of Pilate, * crying
‘Crucify Him’, * He who gave them manna in the wilderness. * But, we
emulating the righteous thief, * cry with faith: ** Remember us also, O Savior,
in Thy Kingdom.
Blessed are the Pure in heart: for they shall see God.
The murderers of God, * the lawless nation of the Hebrews, * cried to Pilate
in their madness, saying, * ‘Crucify the innocent Christ’; * asking for Barabbas
in His stead. * But with the words of the good thief we cry to Him: **
Remember us also, O Savior, in Thy Kingdom.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Thy life-giving side, O Christ, * doth flow like a fountain from Eden, *
watering Thy Church, the noetical Paradise. * From whence it divideth into the
four streams of the Gospels, * refreshing the world, and making glad creation
** teaching the nations to faithfully venerate Thy Kingdom.
Blessed, are they that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is
the Kingdom of Heaven.
For my sake Thou wast crucified, * to become for me a fount of
forgiveness. * Thy side was pierced, * that drips of life might trickle upon me. *
Thou wast transfixed with nails, * that I might be assured of the loftiness of
Thy Sovereignty, * and the depth of Thy Passion, * and cry to Thee, O Christ
the Giver of Life: ** Glory to Thy Cross O Savior, and Thy Passion.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall
say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake.
Upon seeing Thee crucified O Christ * all creation trembled in fear. * The
foundations of the earth quaked in dread of Thy power. * The celestial lights
hid themselves * and the veil of the temple was rent in twain, * the mountains
trembled and the rocks were split asunder, * and we the faithful * with the thief
cry to Thee O Savior: ** Remember us in Thy kingdom.
Rejoice and be exceeding glad : for great is your reward in heaven.
On the Cross didst Thou tear up the record of our sins, * and numbered
among the reposed, O Lord, * Thou didst bind the tyrant of Hades, * delivering
all mankind from the chains of death * by Thy Resurrection. * Through this
Thy Resurrection, O Lord * O Lover of mankind, * we have been granted light,
and cry to Thee: ** Remember us also, O Savior, in Thy Kingdom.
Glory ..., Let us the faithful pray with one accord * that we may glorify the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, * in true devotion, * one Godhead in three
Hypostases, * remaining uncommingled, simple, and undivided; * whom no
man can approach, ** and by whom we have been delivered from the flames of
torment.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Thy Mother, O Christ, * who seedlessly gave
birth to Thee in the flesh, * and remained an undefiled virgin even after giving
birth, * do we offer as an intercessor. O Master, * Who art abundant in mercy, *
grant remission of sins * unto those who cry: ** Remember us also, O Savior, in
Thy Kingdom.
Priest: For all the powers of heaven praise Thee, and to Thee they
ascribe glory, to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Now & ever ..., and to
the ages of ages. Amen.
Prokeimenon: They have parted My garments amongst themselves, *
and for my vesture they have cast lots.
Verse: O God, My God, attend to Me: why hast Thou forsaken Me?
THE SEVENTH GOSPEL (Matthew 37: 33-54)
At that time, the soldiers came unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a
place of a skull. They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when
He had tasted thereof, He would not drink. And they crucified Him, and parted
His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they
cast lots. And sitting down they watched Him there; and set up over His head
His accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then
were there two thieves crucified with Him, one on the right hand, and another
on the left. And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads, and
saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save
Thyself. If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the Cross. Likewise also
the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved
others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come
down from the Cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in (lod; let Him
deliver Him now, if He will have Him: for He said, I am the Son of God. The
thieves also, which were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth. Now
from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with aloud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama
sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for
Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with
vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us
see whether Elias will come to save Him. Jesus, when He had cried again with a
loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in
twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
and came out of the graves after His Resurrection, and went into the Holy City,
and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with
him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they
feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Then Psalm 50, and immediately afterwards:
Priest: The reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke.
THE EIGHTH GOSPEL (Luke 23: 32-49)
At that time there were also two other, malefactors, led with Jesus to be put
to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there
they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other
on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they
do. And they parted His raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood
beholding. And the rulers also with them derided Him, saying, He saved others;
let Him save Himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also
mocked Him, coming to Him, and offering Him vinegar, and saying, If Thou be
the king of the Jews, save Thyself. And a superscription also was written over
Him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF
THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him,
saying, If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked
him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same
condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our
deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord,
remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him,
Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise. And it was
about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth
hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the
midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy
hands I commend My spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost. Now
when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this
was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that sight,
beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. And
all His acquaintance, and the women that followed Him from Galilee, stood
afar off, beholding these things.
THE CANON:
We then sing the three-canticled Canon by St. Kosmas. In each canticle, the
Irmos is sung twice, and then the Troparia are repeated three or six times so as
Katavasia. Before the Troparia: Glory to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee.
ODE V, in Tone VI:
Irmos: I seek Thee early in the morning, * Who for our sake didst
mercifully empty Thyself without undergoing change, * and without
passion didst submit to Thy Passion, * O Word of God, * Thy peace
Grant unto me the fallen one, * O Lover of mankind.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee.
Their feet were washed, and they were cleansed by partaking of the divine
Mysteries; and now, O Christ, Thy servants went with Thee from Zion to the
great Mount of Olives, singing Thy praises, O Lover of mankind.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., ‘See’ Thou didst say to Thy friends; ‘that ye be not
troubled, For now the hour is come when I shall be taken and slain by the
hands of wicked men; and ye shall all be scattered and forsake Me. But I shall
gather you together to preach of Me, the Lover of mankind.’
Katavasia, i seek Thee early in the morning ...,
Priest: For Thou art the King of peace and the Savior of our souls, and
unto Thee we send up glory, to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Now &
ever ..., and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Come, and let us all sing the praises of Him who was crucified for us. * For
when Mary beheld Him on the Tree she said,: ** ‘Though Thou dost endure the
Cross, yet Thou art my Son and God.’
Ikos: Seeing her own Lamb led to the slaughter, Mary His Mother followed
Him with the other women, and in her grief cried aloud: ‘Where dost Thou go,
O my Child? Why dost Thou run so swiftly? Is there another wedding in Cana,
to which Thou dost hasten to turn the water into wine? Shall I go with Thee,
my Child, or shall I wait for Thee? Speak Thou a word to me, O Word; do not
pass me by in silence, O Thou Who hast preserved me in virginity, for Thou art
my Son and God.’
SYNAXARION
Verses for the Crucifixion: Thou art a living God, even though Thou
wast lifeless on the wood. O naked corpse, Thou art the Word of the
living God
Verses for the repentant Thief: The thief opened the locked gates of
Eden with the words 'Remember me'.
On this day, Holy and Great Friday, we celebrate the awesome, holy, and
saving Passion of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ—the spitting, the
blows with the palm of the hand, the buffeting, the mockery, the reviling, the
wearing of the purple robe, the reed, the sponge, the vinegar, the nailing, the
lance, and above all, the Crucifixion and Death which He condescended to
endure willingly for our sakes and also the saving confession of the grateful
thief upon the cross. After our Lord Jesus Christ was sold for thirty pieces of
silver and was betrayed by a friend and disciple, He was led to Annas the High
Priest. Annas again sent the Lord to Caiaphas, where He was spat upon and at
the same time mocked and laughed at. He heard them saying to Him,
"Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one that struck you?" (Matt. 26:68). Then
many false witnesses and accusers arrived, perhaps because He said, "Destroy
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19) and because He said
about Himself, "I am the Son of God" (Matt. 27:43), or because He said,
"Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the
right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven" (Matt. 26:64). At
that point, the High Priest tore his own garment, saying, "He has spoken
blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have
heard His blasphemy!" (Matt. 26:65). And when morning came, Jesus was led
into the Praetorium to Pilate, and "they did not enter," as they said, "lest they
should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover" (John 18:28). Then
when Pilate came, he asked them about Jesus, saying, "What accusation do you
bring against this Man?" (John 18:29). Since he did not find any reasonable
cause for the accusation, he sent Him to Caiaphas, since he was the one who
was seeking His execution, and Caiaphas sent Him back again to Pilate. Then
Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according your Law."
Therefore the Jewish leaders said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone
to death" (John 18:31). They said this so Pilate would pronounce the judgment
of death on the cross. Pilate asked Jesus whether He was the King of the Jews,
and Jesus acknowledged this and said that His Kingdom is eternal and not of
this world (John 18:36). Pilate wished to release Jesus and first told the crowd
that he did not find any serious accusation against Him. Then he reminded the
Jews of their custom of releasing a prisoner of their choice on the feast of
Passover. The crowd named Barabbas the robber as acceptable choice but not
Christ. Pilate then sought to placate the crowd, but with no success. Leading
Him out through the soldiers, he first had Jesus scourged. Then clothing Him
with a purple cloak, the soldiers forced a crown of thorns upon His most pure
head and placed a reed in His right hand as though it were a royal scepter. All
this time, the soldiers were mockingly sneering and shouting a parody of their
salute to Caesar, "Hail, King of the Jews" (Matt. 27:29; Mark 15:18; John 19:3).
Clearly, this public humiliation and torment was for the gratification of the
mob, for Pilate showed that he was acting against his conscience by saying
again, "I find no fault in this Man" (John 18:38; John 19:6; Luke 23:4). The
Jewish leaders answered him, "We have a law, and according to our law He
ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God" (John 19:7). While
these things were being said, Jesus was silent. But the crowd cried out to Pilate,
"Crucify Him, crucify Him" (John 19:6). Thus they wished to destroy Him
through an inglorious and shameful death, so that they might destroy the noble
fame that Jesus possessed. Pilate incited their ethnic pride and said, "Shall I
crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"
(John 19:15). Since they could not get their way by any other means, they
uttered this blasphemy because Jesus clearly called Himself the Son of God, and
they wanted Caesar to stand in His place so that their madness would be
satisfied. Therefore they said, "Whoever makes himself a king speaks against
Caesar" (John 19:12). While these events were taking place, Pilate's wife -
Procula Claudia (comm. Oct. 27), sent a message to him that she was troubled
by a fearful dream, and she said, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I
have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him" (Matt. 27:19).
Then Pilate washed his hands and clearly rejected the responsibility for the
blood of the Righteous One. But the people cried out, "His blood be upon us
and upon our children" (Matt. 27:25). If you let this Man go, you are not
Caesar's friend" (John 19:12). Even though Pilate surely knew that Jesus was
not guilty, he feared Caesar and thus confirmed the Lord's condemnation to
death on the Cross, and he released Barabbas. When Judas beheld this, he threw
away the silver coins and went out and hanged himself from a tree. The soldiers
mocked Jesus, hitting His head with a reed, and they placed the Cross on Him
to bear. Then they coerced Simon of Cyrene, obliging him to carry the Cross.
About the third hour, they reached the Place of the Skull, and they crucified
Him there. On the right and on the left they suspended two thieves so that
Jesus would appear to be an evildoer. In a spirit of greed, the soldiers divided
His garments, but they cast lots for His seamless tunic. They performed each
deed with excessive animosity, as if they were drunk. They not only did these
things, but they also feigned ignorance, saying ironically to Jesus on the Cross,
"Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and
come down from the Cross!" (Mark 15:29-30). And they continued, "Let the
Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the Cross, that we may see and
believe" (Mark 15:32). However, if they had reflected and understood correctly,
they would have wished to have recourse to Him without hesitation, because
He proved Himself to be not only King of Israel, but even of all the world. For
what other meaning was there when the sun was darken during the Crucifixion
of Christ at the third hour, in the middle of the day, but that the Lord's Passion
would be revealed to all men? Likewise, when the earth shook and the rocks
were rent asunder, did this not reprove the stony-heartedness of the chief
priests? And when many bodies arose for the acknowledgment of the common
resurrection, did it not provide the evidence that the power of the Suffering
One might appear? Moreover, when the curtain of the temple was split in twain,
did it not mean that the temple was certainly angered, because the One who was
glorified in it was suffering, thereby revealing these things which were not
apparent to the multitudes? Therefore, at the third hour, Christ was crucified, as
says the divine Mark; from the sixth hour until the ninth there was darkness
over the whole land (Mark 15:33). The Centurion Longinus (comm. Oct. 16),
seeing these marvelous events and especially the darkening of the sun, cried out
with a mighty voice, "Truly this Man was the Son of God" (Matt. 27:54; Mark
15:39). Of the two thieves, one reviled Jesus, but the other reproached him,
most profoundly reproving him, and confessed Christ to be the Son of God.
Because of his confession, the Savior rewarded his faith and promised that he
would be with Him in Paradise that very day. The "good thief" is
commemorated on October 12. When every sort of abuse had been hurled at
the Lord Jesus, Pilate wrote out His title, which read, "JESUS OF
NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS", and placed it on the Cross. (See
John 19:19.) Therefore, the chief priests said to Pilate, "Do not write, The King
of the Jews, but He said, 'I am the King of the Jews'." Pilate answered, "What I
have written, I have written" (John 19:21-22). And when the Savior said, "I
thirst" (John 19:28), they put vinegar on hyssop and brought it to Him. After
saying, "It is finished" (John 19:30), He inclined His head and gave up the spirit.
He was crucified on the day when the moon was full and at the hour when,
according to the old Law, the Passover lamb was to be slain (See Exod. 12).
When all had fled away, His Mother alone kept vigil at the Holy Cross with her
sister Mary, the wife of Cleopas (the one, some say, Joachim begot in
accordance with the Mosaic Law since his brother Cleopas died childless, but
this assertion is false), Mary Magdalene, and John, the Disciple beloved by Him.
(See John 19:25.) Then the ungrateful people, not being able to tolerate seeing
the bodies on the crosses, since it was the great day of the Passover, asked Pilate
that the legs of the condemned might be broken so that death might come
more quickly. They broke the legs of the thieves, since they were still alive and,
coming upon Jesus, as soon as they saw that He was already dead, they
refrained from breaking His legs. One of the soldiers, doing a favor for the
ungrateful ones, took his spear and pierced the right side of Christ, and
immediately there flowed forth blood and water. On the one hand, the
outpouring was as from a man, and on the other hand on behalf of mankind;
that is, the blood, for the sake of the Holy Communion of the divine sanctified
elements, and the water, for the sake of Holy Baptism. In fact, this two-fold
fountain constitutes the foundation of the Holy Mysteries for us. Also, St. John
the Theologian saw and bore witness to these events, and his witness is true,
because he was present at all these happenings, and after he saw them he
recorded them. For if they were false, clearly he would not have written them,
for such things would have appeared as a dishonor to the Teacher. It is said that
when he was present at that time, he collected in some kind of vessel the Divine
and Most holy Blood from the Life-giving side. Moreover, while these
extraordinary events were being accomplished, when night approached, Joseph
of Arimathea arrived (he was a disciple from the beginning, as the others, but
secretly). He then went to Pilate with boldness since he was clearly known by
him, asked for the Body of Jesus, and was given permission to take It. Then he
immediately took the divine Body down from the Holy Cross with all reverence.
And when night came, Nicodemus arrived, bearing a certain mixture of myrrh
and aloes, which had been prepared for the special purpose of anointing, and he
wrapped the Holy Body in a winding cloth, as was the regular custom of the
Jews. They then entombed the Body of the Lord nearby in the garden tomb of
Joseph of Arimathea, which had been cut into a rock, rolling a great stone over
the entrance. In this tomb, no one had been buried before, so that when Christ
arose the chief priests might not attribute the Resurrection to another person.
The mixture of aloes and myrrh strongly cemented the winding cloth to the
Body of Christ, so that when the winding cloth and the face cloth would be
seen folded up in the Tomb, no one would suppose that His Body had been
stolen away. How would it have been possible that anyone could have detached
the linen so firmly glued to the flesh? However, those foolish men who shaped
this falsehood did not know that in accordance with the economy of God, all
these proofs remained inside the Tomb for the censuring of their slander. All
these events marvelously happened on Friday. Accordingly, the God-bearing
Fathers decreed that we should commemorate all these events with a
compunctious and contrite heart. Furthermore, the Church, as received from
the time of the Holy Apostles, has given the commandment that every Friday is
to be observed as a fast day in remembrance of Christ's Holy Passion and Life-
giving Death. It is fitting to understand that on the sixth day of the week,
Friday, the Lord was crucified because on the sixth day of the week during
Creation, Adam, the first man, was formed. Furthermore, at the sixth hour of
the day, He was suspended on the Holy Cross because at the sixth hour,
tradition tells us, Adam stretched out his hands toward the forbidden tree to eat
the fruit and inherited death. Therefore it was fitting that at the same shattering
hour the Old Adam would be created anew. The Lord's Crucifixion was in a
garden because Adam was deceived in a garden in Paradise. The bitter drink
which the Lord tasted on the Cross healed the tasting of Adam. The Holy Cross
replaced the tree in Paradise. The slap on the Face signified our awakening from
the stupor of sin. The spitting and the dishonorable behavior toward the Lord
makes manifest the value He places on us. The crown of thorns relieved us
from the curse surrounding the head of Adam and Eve. The purple cloak
replaced the garment of skin and symbolized the royal garment with which He
covers us. The nails indicated our total immobility in our sins. The pierced Side
of the Lord, from which our salvation came forth, represented the side of
Adam, from which Eve came forth and out of whom the transgression
occurred. The spear removed the fiery sword which guarded Paradise after the
disobedience. The water from the Side was an image of Holy Baptism. The
blood and the reed were the means through which the Savior, as though writing
in imperial red ink, decreed, as a King from on high, the restoration of the
ancient homeland. It is said that the skull of Adam lay where Christ, as the
Head of all, was Crucified, and Adam was "baptized" through the Blood of
Christ, which flowed from Him and down onto Adam's skull. It is called the
Place of the Skull because during the Flood the earth expelled the skull of
Adam, which rolled around by itself in a circle, and this was viewed as a
fearsome sign. The Holy Prophet and King Solomon, out of respect toward the
Forefather, covered it up with many stones. Moreover, the eminent saints say,
as is the tradition, that Adam was buried there by an angel. Therefore, where
Adam's corpse lay, there Christ stood as the everlasting King, the New Adam,
healing by the wood of the Holy Cross the Old Adam who had fallen by the
wood of the tree.
Wherefore, O Christ our God, through Thy boundless compassion for our
sakes, have mercy on us and save us.
Amen.
ODE VIII
Irmos: The divine Children rebuked the wicked god-hating idol; * and
the lawless Sanhedrin raged against Christ, * vainly taking council to kill
Him, * who doth hold life in the hollow of His hand, * wherefore the
whole of creation doth bless and glorify Him throughout all ages.
‘Shake now the sleep from your eyelids’, didst Thou say to the disciples, O
Christ. ‘Watch in prayer, that ye fall not into temptation. And most of all thee,
Simon: for the trial is greatest for the strongest. Understand Me, O Peter,
Whom the whole of creation doth bless and glorify throughout all ages’
‘No profane word shall ever pass my lips, O Master, Gladly will I die with
Thee, though all men shall deny Thee’ said Peter; ‘Neither flesh, nor blood, but
Thy Father Himself hath revealed Thee to me: whom the whole of creation
doth bless and glorify throughout all ages.’
‘Thou hast not fathomed the full depth of divine wisdom and knowledge,
nor hast thou understood the abyss of My judgments’. said the Lord. ‘Therefore
boast not, for being flesh, thou shalt deny Me thrice, though the whole of
creation doth bless and glorify Me throughout all ages.’
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., ‘Thou dost protest, O Simon Peter, concerning
the very action that shall shortly come to pass, even as I have foretold. A
maidservant shall suddenly approach and fill thee with fear’, said the Lord. ‘Yet,
weeping bitterly, thou shalt find Me merciful; for the whole creation doth bless
and glorify Me throughout all ages.’
Verse: We praise, bless and worship the Lord ...,
Katavasia: The divine Children rebuked ...,
We do not sing the Magnificat.
ODE IX
Irmos: More honorable than the cherubim, * and beyond compare more
glorious than the seraphim, * who without corruption hast given birth to
God the Word: * the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
The destructive band of god-haters, the synagogue of the murderers of
God, drew near to Thee, O Christ, and led away as a malefactor, Thee, the
Creator of all, Whom we magnify.
Ignorant of the Law in their impiety, in vain studying the words of the
prophets, they unjustly led as a lamb to the slaughter, Thee, the Master of all,
Whom we magnify.
Consumed by jealous wickedness, the priests and scribes took Him who is
by nature Life and Life-giving, and delivered over to the Gentiles to be put to
death, Him, Whom we magnify.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Like rabid dogs didst they encompass Thee, O
King, and striking Thee on the face; they questioned Thee, bearing false witness
against Thee, all these things didst Thou endure to save all mankind.
Katavasia: More honorable than the cherubim ...,
Priest: For all the heavenly powers praise Thee, unto Thee do we send
up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Now &
ever ..., and unto the ages of ages.
Exapostilarion in Tone III:
The Good Thief O Lord, * on this very day * wast deemed worthy of
Paradise. * By the Wood of the Cross * do Thou also enlighten me and save me
(Thrice).
THE NINTH GOSPEL (John 19: 25-37)
At that time there stood by the Cross of Jesus His Mother, and His Mother’s
sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore
saw His Mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto
His Mother, woman, behold thy son! Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy
mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. After
this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture
might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and
they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His
mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished:
and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost. The Jews therefore, because it
was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the Cross on the
Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their
legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the
soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified
with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they
brake not His legs: but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and
forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and
his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For
these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him
shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on Him
whom they pierced.
And then immediately Lauds, four Stichera are sung:
In Tone III:
Israel, My first-born Son, hath committed two evils: * he hath forsaken Me,
the fount of the water of life, * and dug for himself a broken cistern, * and
Upon the Cross he hath crucified Me, * asking for Barabbas to be released
instead. * Heaven was amazed by this, and the sun hid its rays; * but thou, O
Israel, wast not ashamed, * but hast delivered Me up to death. * Forgive them,
O Holy Father, ** for they know not what they have done.
psaltery and harp.
Repeat: Israel, My first-born Son ...,
flute.
Every member of Thy holy body * endured dishonor for our sakes: * Thy
head, the thorns: Thy face, the spitting; * Thy cheeks, the buffeting; Thy mouth,
the taste of gall mingled with vinegar; * Thine ears, the wicked blasphemies; *
Thy back, the scourging and Thy hand, the reed; * Thy whole body, the
stretching out upon the Cross; * Thy limbs, the nails; and Thy side, the spear. *
Thou didst suffer for us and by Thy Passion set us free from passions; * Thou
didst come down unto us O Lover of mankind, * and didst raise us up: ** O
Savior almighty, have mercy on us.
Upon seeing Thee crucified, O Christ, * the whole of creation trembled. *
The foundations of the earth were shaken with the fear of Thy power. * For
when Thou wast raised upon the Tree today, * the race of the Hebrew people
perished, * the veil of the temple was rent in twain, * the graves were opened,
and the dead arose from the tombs. * Upon seeing the wonder. the centurion
stood amazed, * and Thy Mother, standing by Thee, cried out, sorrowing with a
mother's grief: * ‘How shall I not lament and strike upon my breast, * upon
beholding Thee stripped naked and hung upon the Wood as one condemned?’
* O Thou Who wast crucified and buried, and arisen from the dead: ** O Lord,
glory be to Thee.
Glory ..., in Tone VI:
They stripped Me of My garments * and clothed Me in a scarlet robe; * they
set upon My head a crown of thorns, * and placed a reed in My right hand, *
that I may break them in pieces ** like a potter’s vessel.
My back didst I gave over to scourging; * I turned not My face away from
the spitting; * I stood before the judgment-seat of Pilate, ** and endured the
Cross for the salvation of the world.
Priest: The reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark.
THE TENTH GOSPEL (Mark 15:43 - 7)
At that time, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counselor, which also
waited for the Kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate and
craved the body of Jesus. And Pilate marveled if He were already dead: and
calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether He had been any while
dead. And when he knew from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. And
he bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and
laid Him in a sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto
the door of the sepulcher. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses
beheld where He was laid.
Reader: To Thee is due glory ...,
Priest: Glory to Thee who hast shown us the Light.
Small Doxology (said). Then the Litany of Fervent Intercession:
Litany: Let us complete our morning prayer ...,
Then immediately there follows:
THE ELEVENTH GOSPEL (John 19:38 - 42)
At that time Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for
fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and
Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there
came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a
mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they
the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner
of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a
garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid.
There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the
sepulcher was nigh at hand.
At the Aposticha in Tone I:
The whole of creation was transformed by fear, * when it saw Thee, O
Christ, hanging upon the Cross. * The sun was darkened and the foundations of
the earth were shaken; * all things suffered with the Creator of all. * Willingly
hast Thou endured this for our sakes: ** O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Verse: They have parted My garments amongst themselves, * and for my
vesture have they cast lots.
In Tone II: Why doth the wicked and transgressing people * imagine vain
things? * Why have they condemned the Life of all to death? * O great wonder!
* The Creator of the world hath been delivered into the hands of lawless men, *
and He who is the Lover of mankind is raised upon the Cross, * that He may
free the prisoners in Hades, who cry aloud: ** O long-suffering Lord, glory be
to Thee.
Verse: They gave Me gall for my food: * and for My thirst they gave Me
vinegar to drink.
In Tone II: Today, O Word, the most pure Virgin * beheld Thee hanging
upon the Cross; * and with a mother’s love she lamented, * her heart was
wounded bitterly. * She groaned in anguish from the depth of her soul, * and in
her grief struck at her face and tore at her hair. * And, beating her breast, she
cried with pity: * ‘Woe is me, O my divine Child! * Woe is me, Thou Light of
the world! * Why dost Thou vanish from my sight, O Lamb of God?’ * Upon
which the hosts of bodiless powers seized with trembling, said: ** ‘O Lord
beyond all understanding, glory be to Thee.’
Verse: God is our King before the ages: * He has wrought salvation in
the midst of the earth.
In Tone II: Seeing Thee hanging on the Cross, * O Christ the Creator and
God of all, * Thy Virgin Mother cried out bitterly: * ‘O my Son, where is the
comeliness of Thy form to be found? I cannot bear to look upon Thee as one
unjustly crucified. * Make haste, then, to arise, ** that I also may see Thy third
day Resurrection from the dead.’
Glory ..., in Tone VIII:
O Lord, when Thou didst ascend the Cross, * fear and trembling seized all
of creation. * For Thou didst not suffer the earth to swallow up those * who
crucified Thee; * but commanded Hades to give up its prisoners, * for the
renewal of mankind. * O Judge of the living and the dead, * Thou hast come to
bring life, and not death. ** O Lover of mankind glory be to Thee.
Already the unjust judges having dipped their pens in ink, * sentenced and
condemned Jesus to the Cross; * and creation suffereth, beholding its Lord
crucified. * But Thou didst suffer in the flesh for my sake O Good One, ** O
Lord glory be to Thee.
Priest: Peace be with you all. .
THE TWELFTH GOSPEL (Matthew 27: 62 - 6)
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests
and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that
deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest His
disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say unto the people, He is
risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate saith
unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they
went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
night.
Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom, ...., Then the Troparion: (May be sung)
Troparion in Tone IV:
Thou hast redeemed us from the curse of the Law by Thy precious Blood: *
having been nailed to the Cross and pierced with a spear, * Thou hast gushed
forth immortality upon mankind. ** O our Savior, glory be to Thee.
Litany: Have mercy on us ...,
Priest: Wisdom.
Choir: (Master) Bless
Priest: He that is blessed, Christ our God, always, Now & ever ..., and
Choir: Amen. O Establish O God, the Holy Orthodox faith and
Orthodox Christians, unto the ages of ages.
At the Dismissal the priest says:

Priest: May He Who endured spitting and scourging and blows, the
Cross and death, for the salvation of the world, Christ our true God ...,
The First Hour is not said at the end of Matins, but it is read later on Friday
morning as part of the Office of the Royal Hours.
THE ROYAL HOURS
COMPOSED BY ST. CYRIL, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA.
FIRST HOUR
About the second hour of the day (eight o’clock on Friday morning) the
priest gives the opening blessing, and we say: O heavenly King ..., Holy God ...,
etc., and the Lord’s Prayer. Then: Lord have mercy (12 times), Glory ..., Now
& ever ..., O come, let us worship ..., and then:
PSALM 5:
Unto my words give ear, O Lord, hear my cry. Attend unto the voice of my
supplication, O my King and my God; for unto Thee will I pray, O Lord. In the
morning shalt Thou hear my voice. In the morning shall I stand before Thee,
and Thou shalt look upon me; for not a God that willest iniquity art Thou. He
that worketh evil shall not dwell near Thee nor shall transgressors abide before
Thine eyes. Thou hast hated all them that work iniquity; Thou shalt destroy all
them that speak a lie. A man that is bloody and deceitful shall the Lord abhor.
But as for me, in the multitude of Thy mercy shall I go into Thy house, I shall
worship toward Thy holy temple in fear of Thee. O Lord, guide me in the way
of Thy righteousness; because of mine enemies, make straight my way before
Thee, For in their mouth there is no truth; their heart is vain. Their throat is an
open sepulcher, with their tongues have they spoken deceitfully; judge them, O
God. Let them fall down on account of their own devisings; according to the
multitude of their ungodliness, cast them out, for they have embittered Thee, O
Lord. And let all them be glad that hope in Thee; they shall rejoice, and Thou
shalt dwell among them. And all shall glory in Thee that love Thy name, for
Thou shalt bless the righteous. O Lord, as with a shield of Thy good pleasure
hast Thou crowned us.
PSALM 2:
Why have the heathen raged, and the peoples meditated empty things? The
kings of the earth were aroused, and the rulers were assembled together, against
the Lord, and against His Christ. Let us break their bonds asunder, and let us
cast away their yoke from us. He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh them
to scorn, and the Lord shall deride them. Then shall He speak unto them in His
wrath, and in His anger shall He trouble them. But as for Me, I was established
as king by Him, upon Sion His holy mountain, proclaiming the commandment
of the Lord. The Lord said unto Me: Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten
Thee. Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. Thou shalt herd them with a
rod of iron; Thou shalt shatter them like a potter’s vessels. And now, O ye
kings, understand; be instructed, all ye that judge the earth. Serve ye the Lord
with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling. Lay hold of instruction, lest at any
time the Lord be angry, and ye perish from the righteous way.
PSALM 21:
O God, my God, attend to me; why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my
salvation are the words of my transgressions. My God, I will cry by day, and wilt
Thou not hearken? and by night, and it shall not be unto folly for me. But as for
Thee, Thou dwellest in the sanctuary, O Praise of Israel. In Thee have our
fathers hoped; they hoped, and Thou didst deliver them. Unto Thee they cried,
and were saved, in Thee they hoped, and were not brought to shame. But as for
me, I am a worm, and not a man, a reproach of men, and the outcast of the
people. All that look upon me have laughed me to scorn; they have spoken with
their lips and have wagged their heads: He hoped in the Lord; let Him deliver
him, let Him save him, for He desireth him. For Thou art He that drewest me
forth from the womb; my hope from the breasts of my mother. On Thee was I
cast from the womb; from my mother’s womb, Thou art my God. Depart not
from me, for tribulation is nigh, for there is none to help me. Many bullocks
have encircled me, fat bulls have surrounded me. They have opened their
mouth against me, as might a lion ravenous and roaring. I have been poured out
like water, and scattered are all my bones; my heart is become like wax melting
in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my
tongue hath cleaved to my throat, and into the dust of death hast Thou brought
me down. For many dogs have encircled me, the congregation of evil doers
hath surrounded me; they have pierced my hands and my feet. They have
numbered all my bones, and they themselves have looked and stared upon me.
They have parted my garments amongst themselves, and for my vesture have
they cast lots. But Thou, O Lord, remove not Thy help far from me; attend
unto mine aid. Rescue my soul from the sword, even this only-begotten one of
mine from the hand of the dog. Save me from the mouth of the lion, and my
lowliness from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare Thy name unto my
brethren, in the midst of the church will I hymn Thee. Ye that fear the Lord,
praise Him; all ye that are of the seed of Jacob, glorify Him; let all fear Him that
are of the seed of Israel. For He hath not set at naught nor abhorred the
supplications of the pauper, nor hath He turned His face from me; and when I
cried unto Him, He hearkened unto me. They have opened their mouth against
me, as might a lion ravenous and roaring. I have been poured out like water,
and scattered are all my bones; my heart is become like wax melting in the midst
of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath
cleaved to my throat, and into the dust of death hast Thou brought me down.
For many dogs have encircled me, the congregation of evil doers hath
surrounded me; they have pierced my hands and my feet. They have numbered
all my bones, and they themselves have looked and stared upon me. They have
parted my garments amongst themselves, and for my vesture have they cast lots.
But Thou, O Lord, remove not Thy help far from me; attend unto mine aid.
Rescue my soul from the sword, even this only-begotten one of mine from the
hand of the dog. Save me from the mouth of the lion, and my lowliness from
the horns of the unicorns. I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the
midst of the church will I hymn Thee. Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him; all ye
that are of the seed of Jacob, glorify Him; let all fear Him that are of the seed of
Israel. For He hath not set at naught nor abhorred the supplications of the
pauper, nor hath He turned His face from me; and when I cried unto Him, He
hearkened unto me. From Thee is my praise, in the great church will I confess
Thee; my vows will I pay before them that fear Thee. The poor shall eat and be
filled, and they that seek the Lord shall praise Him; their hearts shall live for
ever and ever. All the ends of the earth shall remember and shall turn unto the
Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Him. For the
kingdom is the Lord’s and He Himself is sovereign of the nations. All they that
be fat upon the earth have eaten and worshipped; all they that go down into the
earth shall fall down before Him. Yea, my soul liveth for Him, and my seed
shall serve Him. The generation that cometh shall be told of the Lord, and they
shall proclaim His righteousness to a people that shall be born, which the Lord
hath made.
Then: Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory be to Thee,
O God (Thrice). Lord have mercy (Thrice).
Glory ..., Troparion in Tone I:
O Christ, when Thou wast crucified, * the tyranny of the enemy perished, *
his might trampled underfoot. * For not an angel nor a man hath saved us, *
but Thou Thyself, O Lord: ** glory be to Thee.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion in Tone I: (may be read)
What shall we call thee, O thou who art full of grace? Heaven, for from thee
hast dawned forth the Sun of Righteousness. Paradise, for from thee bath
blossomed forth the flower of immortality. Virgin, for thou hast remained
incorrupt. Pure Mother, for thou hast held in thy holy embrace the Son, the
God of all. Do thou entreat Him to save our souls.
Then we sing the following Stichera in Tone VIII:
Today the veil of the temple is rent in twain, * reproving the transgressors; *
and the sun hideth its rays, ** seeing the Master crucified (Twice).
Why did the heathen rage, ** and the people imagine vain things?
In Tone VIII:
Thou wast led as a sheep to the slaughter, * O Christ our King, * and as an
innocent Lamb Thou wast nailed to the Cross * by wicked men for our sins, **
O Lover of mankind.
Verse: The kings of the earth were aroused, and the rulers were
assembled together against the Lord, * and against His Christ.
Repeat: Thou wast led as a sheep ...,
Suffering the transgressors to take hold of Thee, * Thou didst cry aloud O
Lord: * ‘Even though ye smite the Shepherd and scatter the twelve sheep, * My
disciples, * I could summon more than twelve legions of angels. * But in My
patience I forbear, * that the hidden secrets I made known to you through My
prophets * may be fulfilled.’ ** O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Prokeimenon: His heart spake vanity, * he gathered iniquity unto
himself.
Verse: Blessed is the man that hath understanding for the poor and the
pauper.
THE READING IS FROM THE PROPHECY OF ZECHARIAH (11:10 -13)
I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my
covenant which I had made with all the people. And it was broken in that day:
and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of
the LORD. And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if
not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the
LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was priced at
of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in
the house of the LORD.
EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS (6: 14-18)
Brethren: God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a
new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them,
and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man trouble
me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW (27: 1-56).
At that time: When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of
the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had
bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the
governor. Judas, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, repented himself, and
brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I
have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, what is
that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple,
and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the
silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because
it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the
potter's field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field was called, The field of
blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the
prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that
was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; and gave them for
the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me. And Jesus stood before the
governor: and the governor asked Him, saying, Art Thou the King of the Jews?
And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when He was accused of the chief
priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest
Thou not how many things they witness against Thee? And He answered him
to never a word, insomuch that the governor marveled greatly. Now at that
feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they
would. And they had then, a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when
they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, whom will ye that I release
unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy
they had delivered Him. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife
sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have
suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him. But the chief priests
and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy
Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, whether of the twain will ye
that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, what shall I
do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let Him be
crucified. And the governor said, why, what evil hath He done? But they cried
out the more, saying, Let Him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could
prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed
his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just
person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us,
and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had
scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the
governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole
band of soldiers. And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe. And
when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed
in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him,
saying, Rejoice, King of the Jews! And they spit upon Him, and took the reed,
and smote Him on the head. And after that they had mocked Him, they took
the robe off from Him, and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to
crucify Him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by
name: him they compelled to bear His cross. And when they were come unto a
place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to
drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among
them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched
him there; And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS
THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified with him,
one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled
him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and
buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down
from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes
and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of
Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He
trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am
the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same
in his teeth. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto
the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying,
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This
man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and
filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said,
Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried
again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake,
and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints
which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went
into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they
that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that
were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. And
many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee,
ministering unto him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children.
Then immediately the reader says: My steps do Thou direct according to thy
saying, and let no iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver me from the false
accusations of men, and I will keep Thy commandments. Make Thy face to
shine upon Thy servant, and teach me Thy statutes.
Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise, that I may hymn Thy glory and Thy
majesty all the day long.
Then Holy God ..., through Our Father ..., followed by:
Lord have mercy (40 times), and the Prayer of the Hours:
Thou Who at all times and at every hour, in heaven and on earth, art
worshipped and glorified, O Christ God, Who art long-suffering, plenteous in
mercy, most compassionate, Who lovest the righteous and hast mercy on
sinners; Who callest all mankind to salvation through the promise of good
things to come: Receive, O Lord, our prayers at this hour, and guide our life
toward Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, make chaste our bodies,
correct our thoughts, purify our intentions, and deliver us from every sorrow,
evil, and ill. Compass us about with Thy holy angels, that, guarded and guided
by their array, we may attain to the unity of the faith and to the knowledge of
Thine unapproachable glory: For blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice). Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Amen.
More honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious
than the seraphim; who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the
Reader: In the name of the Lord Father Bless.
Priest: God be merciful unto us ...,
And the prayer:
Reader: O Christ, the True Light, Who enlightenest and sanctifiest every
man that cometh into the world: Let the Light of Thy countenance be signed
upon us, that in it we may see the Unapproachable Light, and guide our steps in
the doing of Thy commandments, through the intercessions of Thy most pure
Mother, and of all Thy saints. Amen.
Note: At the first Hour the Deacon/Priest censeth the Gospels, Iconostasis,
and the Church and people.
Immediately there follows the third hour:
THIRD HOUR
O come, let us worship ..., and
PSALM 34
Judge them, O Lord, that do me injustice; war against them that war against
me. Take hold of weapon and shield, and arise unto my help. Draw out a
sword, and shut the way against them that persecute me; say to my soul, I am
thy salvation. Let them that seek my soul be shamed and confounded. Let them
be turned back, and be utterly put to shame, they that devise evils against me.
Let them become as dust before the face of the wind, an angel of the Lord also
afflicting them. Let their way become darkness and a sliding, an angel of the
Lord also pursuing them. For without cause have they secretly prepared for me
destruction in their snare, without reason have they cast reproach on my soul.
Let a snare come upon him, which he knoweth not; and let the trap, which he
hath hidden, catch him, and into that same snare let him fall. But my soul shall
rejoice in the Lord, it shall delight in His salvation. All my bones shall say: Lord,
O Lord, who is like unto Thee? Delivering the beggar from the hand of them
that are stronger than he, yea, poor man and pauper from them that despoil
him. Unjust witnesses rose up against me; things I knew not they asked me.
They repaid me with evil things for good, and barrenness for my soul. But as
for me, when they troubled me, I put on sackcloth. And I humbled my soul
with fasting, and my prayer shall return to my bosom. As though it had been a
neighbor, as though it had been our brother, so sought I to please; as one
mourning and sad of countenance, so humbled I myself. Yet against me they
rejoiced and gathered together; scourges were gathered together upon me, and I
knew it not. They were rent asunder, yet not pricked at heart; they tempted me,
they mocked me with mockery, they gnashed upon me with their teeth. O Lord,
when wilt Thou look upon me? Deliver my soul from their evil doing, even this
only-begotten one of mine from the lions. I will confess Thee in the great
congregation; among a mighty people will I praise Thee. Let not them rejoice
against me that unjustly are mine enemies, they that hate me without a cause,
and wink with their eyes. For peaceably indeed they spake unto me, but in their
wrath were they devising deceits. And they opened wide their mouth against
me; they said: Well done, well done, our eyes have seen it. Thou hast seen it, O
Lord; keep not silence. O Lord, depart not from me. Arise, O Lord, and be
attentive unto my judgment, my God, and my Lord, unto my cause. judge me,
O Lord, according to Thy righteousness; O Lord my God, let them not rejoice
against me. Let them not say in their hearts: Well done, Well done, our soul. Let
them not say: We have swallowed him up. Let them be shamed and confounded
together who rejoice at my woes. Let them be clothed with shame and
confusion who speak boastful words against me. Let them rejoice and be glad
who desire the righteousness of my cause, and let them that desire the peace of
Thy servant say continually: The Lord be magnified. And my tongue shall treat
of Thy righteousness, and of Thy praise all the day long.
PSALM 108
God, my praise do not pass over in silence; for the mouth of the sinner and
the mouth of the deceitful man are opened against me. They have spoken
against me with a deceitful tongue, and with words of hatred have they
encompassed me, and they have warred against me without a cause. In return
for my love, they have falsely accused me; but as for me, I gave myself to
prayer. And they repaid me evil for good, and hatred for my love. Set Thou a
sinner over him, and let the devil stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let
him go forth condemned, and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few,
and his bishopric let another take. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a
widow. Let his children be vagabonds without a dwelling-place, and let them
beg; let them be cast out from their ruined dwellings. Let his creditor search out
all his substance, and let strangers plunder all his labors. Let there be for him no
helper, nor anyone to pity his fatherless children. Let his children be given over
to utter destruction, in a single generation let his name be blotted out. Let the
iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his
mother be blotted out. Let them be before the Lord continually, and let the
memory of them perish from off the earth, Because he remembered not to
show mercy; and persecuted a man that was poor and a beggar, and one broken
in heart, that he might slay him. And he loved cursing, and it shall come upon
him; and he delighted not in blessing, and it shall be far from him. And he put
on cursing like a garment, and it went in like water into his bowels, and like oil
into his bones Let it be for him like a garment wherewith he is clothed, and like
a girdle wherewith continually he is girded. This is the dealing of the Lord with
them that slander me, and with them that speak evil things against my soul. But
Thou, O Lord, O Lord, deal Thou with me for Thy name’s sake; for Thy mercy
is good. Deliver me, for a poor man am I and a pauper, and my heart is
troubled within me. Like a shadow when it declineth am I taken away, I am
shaken oil as the locusts. My knees are grown weak through fasting, and my
flesh is changed for want of oil. And I am become a reproach unto them; they
saw me and wagged their heads. Help me, O Lord my God, and save me
according to Thy mercy. And let them know that this is Thy hand and that
Thou, O Lord, hast wrought it. They will curse, and Thou wilt bless; let them
that rise up against me be put to shame, but Thy servant shall be glad. Let them
that slander me be clothed with confusion, and let them be covered with shame
as with a mantle. I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth, and in the midst
of many will I praise Him. For He hath stood at the right hand of the poor, to
save my soul from them that persecute me.
PSALM 50
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to
the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me
thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know mine
iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned and
done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and
prevail when Thou art judged. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in
sins did my mother bear me. For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and
secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me. Thou shalt
sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I
shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness;
the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice. Turn Thy face away from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a
right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy
Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy
governing Spirit establish me. I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the
ungodly shall turn back unto Thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God,
Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness. O
Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. For if
Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou
shalt not be pleased. A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is
broken and humbled God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Thy good
pleasure unto Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded. Then shalt Thou
be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt
offerings. Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.
Glory ..., Troparion in Tone VI:
O Lord, the Jews condemned to death, * Thou who art the Life of all; * with
the rod of Moses, Thou didst lead them through the Red Sea on dry ground, *
yet they nailed Thee upon the Cross; * Thou didst suckle them with honey from
the rock, * yet they gave Thee gall to drink. * But Thou hast willingly endured
all these things, * to free us from the bondage of the enemy. ** O Christ God,
glory be to Thee.
Now & ever ..., the Theotokion is read
O Theotokos, thou art the true vine * that hast budded forth for us the Fruit
of life. * Thee do we entreat: * Pray thou, O Lady, * with the holy apostles, **
that He have mercy upon our souls.
For fear of the Jews, Thy friend and companion Peter * denied Thee, O
Lord, * and weeping bitterly he cried aloud: * ‘Ignore not my tears in silence, O
compassionate One; * for I said I would keep the faith, * but did not keep it.’ **
Accept also our repentance and have mercy on us.
Verse: Unto my words give ear, O Lord; * hear my cry.
In Tone VIII:
Before Thy precious Cross, O Lord, * the soldiers mocked Thee, * and the
noetic hosts were struck with wonder. * For Thou who hast adorned the earth
with flowers * wast arrayed in a crown of shame; * and Thou who hast arrayed
the firmament with clouds * wast adorned in a robe of mockery. * Thus in Thy
loving providence, O Christ, * Thou hast made known Thy compassionate
goodness and great mercy: ** glory be to Thee.
Verse: Attend unto the voice of my supplication, * O my King and my
God
Repeat: Before Thy precious Cross, O Lord ...,
When Thou wast led to the Cross, O Lord, * Thou didst cry aloud: * ‘For
what deed do ye seek to crucify Me, O ye Jews? * Is it because I made your
paralyzed to walk, * because I raised the dead as though from sleep? * I healed
her that had an issue of blood, * and I took pity on the Canaanite woman: * for
what deed do ye seek to kill Me, O ye Jews? ** But, O ye transgressors, ye shall
look on Christ Whom now ye pierce.’
Prokeimenon: For I am ready for scourges: * and my sorrow is
continually before me.
Verse: O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger: nor chasten me in Thy
wrath.
THE READING IS FROM THE PROPHECY OF ISAIAH (50:4 - 11)
The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should
know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth
morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord
GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away
back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the
hair, I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help
me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will
contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come
near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn
me? Lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. Who is
among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that
walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD,
and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves
about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have
kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS (5:6-10)
Brethren: when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for
the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for
a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more
then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK (15:16-41).
At that time: they called together the whole band of soldiers. And they
clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his
head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on
the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees
worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple
from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. And
they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country,
the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they bring him unto
the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they
gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. And when
they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what
every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And
the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE
JEWS. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and
the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was
numbered with the transgressors. And they that passed by railed on him,
wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and
buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise
also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved
others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from
the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him
reviled him. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the
whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud
voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when
they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a sponge full
of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us
see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud
voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from
the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him,
saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the
Son of God. There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and
Salome; (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto
him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
Then immediately the reader says: Blessed is the Lord God, blessed is the
Lord day by day; the God of our salvation shall prosper us along the way; our
God is the God of salvation.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice).
Priest: By the prayers of our Holy Fathers ...
And the prayer of the third hour:
O Master God, the Father Almighty, O Lord, the Only-begotten Son, Jesus
Christ, and O Holy Spirit, one Godhead, one Power: Have mercy on me a
sinner, and by the judgments which Thou knowest, save me, Thine unworthy
servant; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Note: At the third and sixth hours the Deacon/Priest censes the Gospels, and
Iconostasis.
Immediately there follows the sixth hour:
SIXTH HOUR
PSALM 53
O God, in Thy name save me, and in Thy strength do Thou judge me. O
God, hearken unto my prayer, give ear unto the words of my mouth. For
strangers are risen up against me, and mighty men have sought after my soul
and have not set God before themselves. For behold, God helpeth me, and the
Lord is the protector of my soul. He will bring evils upon mine enemies. Utterly
to destroy them by Thy truth. Willingly shall I sacrifice unto Thee, I will confess
Thy name, O Lord, for it is good. For out of every affliction hast Thou
delivered me, and mine eye hath looked down upon mine enemies.
PSALM 139
Rescue me, O Lord, from the evil man; from the unjust man deliver me.
who have devised injustice in their heart; all the day long have they arrayed
themselves for wars. They have whetted their tongue like that of a serpent; the
venom of asps is under their lips. Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the
sinner; rescue me from unjust men who have devised to undermine my steps.
The proud have hid a snare for me, and with cords have they spread a snare for
my feet; stumbling-blocks near the paths have they set for me. I said unto the
Lord: Thou art my God; give ear, O Lord, unto the voice of my supplication.
Lord, O Lord, Thou strength of my salvation, Thou hast overshadowed my
head in the day of battle. Because of my desire, O Lord, give me not up unto
the sinner. They have taken counsel against me; forsake me not, lest they should
be exalted. As for the head of those that encircle me, the mischief of their lips
shall cover them. Coals shall fall upon them, in fire shalt Thou cast them down,
and they shall not stand in afflictions. A babbling man shall not prosper on the
earth; evils shall hunt an unjust man to his destruction. I know that the Lord
will maintain the cause of the poor and the justice of the paupers. Surely the
righteous shall confess Thy name, and the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.
PSALM 90.
He that dwelleth in the help of the Most High shall abide in the shelter of
the God of heaven. He shall say unto the Lord: Thou art my helper and my
refuge. He is my God, and I will hope in Him. For He shall deliver thee from
the snare of the hunters and from every troubling word. With His shoulders
shall He overshadow thee, and under His wings shalt thou have hope. With a
shield will His truth encompass thee; thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by
night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the thing that walketh in
darkness, nor for the mishap and demon of noonday. A thousand shall fall at
thy side, and ten thousands at thy right hand, but unto thee shall it not come
nigh. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and thou shalt see the reward of
sinners. For Thou, O Lord, art my hope. Thou madest the Most High thy
refuge; No evils shall come nigh unto thee, and no scourge shall draw nigh unto
thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all
thy ways. On their hands shall they bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy
foot against a stone. Upon the asp and basilisk shalt thou tread, and thou shalt
trample upon the lion and dragon. For he hath set his hope on Me, and I will
deliver him, I will shelter him because he hath known my name. He shall cry
unto me, and I will hearken unto him. I am with him in affliction, and I will
rescue him and glorify him. With length of days will I satisfy him, and I will
show him My salvation.
Glory ..., Troparion in Tone II:
Thou hast wrought salvation in the midst of the earth * O Christ God; *
upon the Cross didst Thou stretch out Thy most pure hands, * gathering
together * all the nations, who cry aloud: ** O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Now & ever ..., the Theotokion is read
Seeing that we have no boldness on account of our many sins, do thou
beseech Him that was born of thee, O Virgin Theotokos for the supplication of
a mother availeth much to win the Master's favor. Disdain not the prayers of
sinners, O most pure one, for merciful and mighty to save is He Who deigned
also to suffer for our sake.
Thus sayeth the Lord unto the Jews: * ‘O My people, what have I done unto
you? * Or wherein have I wearied you? * I gave light to your blind and cleansed
your lepers, * I raised up the man who lay upon his bed. * O My people, what is
it that have I done unto you, * and how have you repaid Me? * Instead of
manna you give Me gall, * instead of water vinegar; * instead of loving Me, you
nail Me to the Cross. * I can endure no more. * I shall call My Gentiles * and
they shall glorify Me with the Father and the Spirit; ** and I shall bestow upon
them life eternal.’
Verse: They gave Me gall for my food: * and for my thirst they gave me
vinegar to drink.
O ye lawgivers of Israel, Jews and Pharisees, * the company of the apostles
cry out to you: * Behold the Temple that ye have destroyed; * behold the Lamb
that ye have crucified. * Ye gave Him over to the tomb, but by His own power
He hath arisen. * Be not deceived, O ye Jews: * for this is He who saved you in
the sea * and fed you in the wilderness. ** He is the Life and Light and Peace of
the world.
Verse: Save me, O God: * for the waters are come in unto my soul.
Repeat: O lawgivers of Israel ...,
Come, O ye Christ-bearing people, * let us see what Judas the traitor hath
plotted * with the lawless priests against our Savior. * Today they judge the
immortal Word guilty of death: * they deliver Him to Pilate and crucify Him on
Golgotha. * And our Savior suffering these things, crieth aloud, saying: *
‘Father, Forgive them this sin, ** that the Gentiles may know My Resurrection
from the dead.’
Prokeimenon: O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is Thy Name * in all the
earth!
Verse: For Thy magnificence is lifted high above the heavens.
THE READING IS FROM THE PROPHECY OF ISAIAH (52:13 - 54:1)
Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and
be very high. As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more
than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle
many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not
been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they
consider. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD
revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of
a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him,
there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of
men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our
faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath
borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he
was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and
with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth:
he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is
dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from
judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the
land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he
made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had
done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD
to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an
offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure
of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul,
and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the
great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out
his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare
the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Sing, O barren,
thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst
not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children
of the married wife, saith the LORD.
THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS (2: 11-18)
Brethren: both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one:
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare
thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto
thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children
which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through
death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And
deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on
him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made
like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in
things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For
in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that
are tempted.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE (23: 32-49)
At that time: they led Jesus with two others to be put to death. And when
they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him,
and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said
Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted
his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also
with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be
Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him,
and offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save
thyself. And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and
Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the
malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save
thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear
God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we
receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy
kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be
with me in paradise. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness
over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil
of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud
voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said
thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he
glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people
that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote
their breasts, and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that
followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
Then the reader immediately says: Let Thy compassions quickly go before
us, O Lord, for we are become exceedingly poor. Help us, O God our Savior,
for the sake of the glory of Thy name. O Lord, deliver us and be gracious unto
our sins for Thy name's sake.
Priest: By the prayers of our Holy Fathers ...
And the prayer of the sixth hour:
O God and Lord of Hosts, and Maker of all Creation, Who by the tender
compassion of Thy mercy which transcendeth comprehension, didst send down
Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the salvation of our race,
and by His precious Cross didst tear asunder the handwriting of our sins, and
thereby didst triumph over the principalities and powers of darkness: Do Thou
Thyself, O Master, Lover of mankind, accept also from us sinners these prayers
of thanksgiving and entreaty, and deliver us from every destructive and dark
transgression, and from all enemies, both visible and invisible, that seek to do us
evil. Nail down our flesh with the fear of Thee, and incline not our hearts unto
words or thoughts of evil, but pierce our souls with longing for Thee, so that
ever looking to Thee, and being guided by Thy Light as we behold Thee, the
unapproachable and everlasting Light, we may send up unceasing praise and
thanksgiving unto Thee, the Beginningless Father, with Thine Only-begotten
Son, and Thy most holy and good and life-creating Spirit, Now & ever ..., and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Immediately there follows the ninth hour:

NINTH HOUR
PSALM 68
Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my soul. I am stuck fast in
the mire of the deep, and there is no sure standing. I am come into the deeps of
the sea, and a tempest hath overwhelmed me. I am grown weary with crying,
my throat is become hoarse; from my hoping in my God, mine eyes have failed
me. They that hate me without a cause are multiplied more than the hairs of my
head. Mine enemies are grown strong, they that persecute me unjustly; then did
I restore that which I took not away. O God, Thou knowest my foolishness,
and my transgressions are not hid from Thee. Let not them that wait on Thee
be ashamed for my sake, O Lord, Thou Lord of hosts. Nor let them that seek
after Thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. Because for Thy sake I
have borne reproach, shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger
unto my brethren, and an alien unto the sons of my mother. For the zeal of Thy
house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproach Thee are
fallen on me. Yea, with fasting I covered my soul, and it was turned into a
reproach for me. And I made sackcloth my clothing, and I became a proverb to
them. And they prated against me, they that sit in the gates; and they made a
song about me, they that drink wine. But as for me, with my prayer I cry unto
Thee, O Lord, it is time for Thy good pleasure. O God, in the multitude of Thy
mercy hearken unto me, in the truth of Thy salvation. Save me from the mire,
that I be not stuck therein; let me be delivered from them that hate me and
from the deeps of the waters. Let not the tempest of water overwhelm me, nor
let the deep swallow me up, nor let the pit shut its mouth upon me. Hearken
unto me, O Lord, for Thy mercy is good; according to the multitude of Thy
compassions, look upon me. Turn not Thy countenance away from Thy
servant, for I am afflicted; quickly hearken unto me. Attend unto my soul and
deliver it; because of mine enemies, rescue me. For Thou knowest my reproach,
my shame and my humiliation. Before Thee are all that afflict me; my soul hath
awaited reproach and misery. And I waited for one that would grieve with me,
but there was no one; and for them that would comfort me, but I found none.
And they gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to
drink. Let their table before them be for a snare, for a recompense and for a
stumbling-block. Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and their
back do Thou continually bow down. Pour out upon them Thy wrath, and let
the fury of Thy wrath take hold upon them. Let their habitation be made
desolate, and in their tents let there be none to dwell. For they persecuted him
whom Thou hast smitten, and to the pain of my wounds have they added. Add
iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not enter into Thy righteousness. Let
them be blotted out of the book of the living, and with the righteous let them
not be written. Poor and in sorrow am I, may Thy salvation, O God, be quick
to help me. I will praise the name of my God with an ode, I will magnify Him
with praise. And this shall please God more than a young calf that hath horns
and hooves. Let beggars behold it and be glad; seek after God, and your soul
shall live. For the Lord hath hearkened unto the poor and hath not despised
them that are fettered for His sake. Let the heavens and the earth praise Him,
the sea and all the creeping things therein. For God will save Sion, and the cities
of Judea shall be builded; and they shall dwell therein and inherit it. And the
seed of Thy servants shall possess it, and they that love Thy name shall dwell
therein.
PSALM 69
O God, be attentive unto helping me; O Lord, make haste to help me. Let
them be shamed and confounded that seek after my soul. Let them be turned
back and brought to shame that desire evils against me. Let them be turned
back straightway in shame that say unto me: Well done! Well done! Let them be
glad and rejoice in Thee all that seek after Thee, O God, and let them that love
Thy salvation say continually: The Lord be magnified. But as for me, I am poor
and needy; O God, come unto mine aid. My helper and my deliverer art Thou,
O Lord; make no long tarrying.
PSALM 85.
Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, and hearken unto me, for poor and needy am
I. Preserve my soul, for I am holy; save Thy servant, O my God, that hopeth in
Thee. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for unto Thee will I cry all the day long;
make glad the soul of Thy servant, for unto Thee have I lifted up my soul. For
Thou, O Lord, art good and gentle, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that
call upon Thee. Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer, and attend unto the voice of
my supplication. In the day of mine affliction have I cried unto Thee, for Thou
hast heard me. There is none like unto Thee among the gods, O Lord, nor are
there any works like unto Thy works. All the nations whom Thou hast made
shall worship before Thee, O Lord, and shall glorify Thy name. For Thou art
great and workest wonders; Thou alone art God. Guide me, O Lord, in Thy
way, and I will walk in Thy truth; let my heart rejoice that I may fear Thy name.
I will confess Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Thy
name forever. For great is Thy mercy upon me, and Thou hast delivered my
soul from the nethermost hades. O God, transgressors have risen up against
me, and the assembly of the mighty hath sought after my soul, and they have
not set Thee before them. But Thou, O Lord my God, art compassionate and
merciful, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy, and true. Look upon me and
have mercy upon me; give Thy strength unto Thy servant, and save the son of
Thy handmaiden. Work in me a sign unto good, and let them that hate me
behold and be put to shame; for Thou, O Lord, hast helped me and comforted
me.
Glory ..., Troparion, in Tone VIII:
Upon seeing the Author of life hanging upon the Cross, * the thief said: ‘If
it were not God incarnate * who is crucified with us, the sun would not have
hid its rays * nor would the earth have quaked and trembled. ** But, do Thou
O all-forbearing One, remember me in Thy Kingdom.’
Now & ever ..., the Theotokion is read:
O Thou Who for our sake wast born of a Virgin, and didst suffer
crucifixion, O Good One, and didst despoil death by death, and, as God, didst
reveal the resurrection: Disdain not them which Thou hast fashioned with
Thine hand; show forth Thy love for mankind, O Merciful One; accept the
Theotokos who gave Thee birth, who intercedeth for us; and do Thou, our
Savior, save a despairing people.
Then we sing the following Stichera in Tone VII:
Strange was the wonder, to see the Creator of heaven and earth * hanging
upon the Cross. * The sun darkened and the day changed again into night, *
and the earth gave up the bodies of the dead from within their tombs. ** Save
us who with them worship Thee.
Verse: They have parted my garments amongst themselves, * and for my
In Tone II: When the transgressors nailed Thee, O Lord of glory, * onto the
Cross, * Thou didst cry out to them: * ‘How have I grieved you? Or angered
you? * Before Me, who hath delivered you from tribulations? * And how do ye
now repay Me? * Ye have given Me evil for good: * in return for the pillar of
fire, * ye have nailed Me onto the Cross; * in return for the cloud in the
wilderness, * ye have dug a grave for Me. * Instead of manna, ye have given Me
gall; * instead of water, ye have given Me vinegar to drink. * Henceforth I shall
call the Gentiles, * and they shall glorify Me ** together with the Father and the
Holy Spirit.
Verse: They gave Me gall for my food: * and for my thirst they gave me
vinegar to drink.
Repeat: When the transgressors ...,
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone VI:
Today He who hath suspended the earth upon the waters * is hung upon
the Cross * He who is the King of the heavenly hosts * hath been arrayed in a
crown of thorns. * He who wrapeth the heaven in clouds * hath now been
wrapped in the purple of mockery. * He who in the river Jordan set Adam free
* receiveth blows upon His face. * The Bridegroom of the Church is transﬁxed
with nails. * The Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear. * We venerate Thy
Passion, O Christ * we venerate Thy Passion, O Christ * we venerate Thy
Passion, O Christ ** Show us also Thy glorious Resurrection.
Prokeimenon: The fool hath said in his heart, * There is no God.
Verse: There is none that doeth good, no not one.
THE READING IS FROM THE PROPHECY OF JEREMIAH
(11: 18-23; 12: 1-5, 9-11, 14-15)
The LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou
shewedst me their doings. But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the
slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let
us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of
the living, that his name may be no more remembered. But, O LORD of hosts,
that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy
vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause. Therefore thus
saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy
not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand: Therefore thus
saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die
by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine: And there shall
be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even
the year of their visitation. Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with
thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the
wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? Thou
hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth
fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. But thou, O LORD,
knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out
like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. How
long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the
wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds;
because they said, He shall not see our last end. If thou hast run with the
footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with
horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee,
then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? Mine heritage is unto me as a
speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the
beasts of the field, come to devour. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard,
they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion
a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate, and being desolate it
mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it
to heart. Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbors, that touch the
inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck
them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.
And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and
have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage,
and every man to his land.
EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS (10: 19-31)
Brethren: having therefore, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood
of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through
the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of
God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure
water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is
faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see
the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain
fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the
adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three
witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the
blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath
done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said,
Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again,
The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN (18: 28 - 19: 37)
At that time: they led Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it
was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should
be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out unto them,
and said, what accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said
unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up
unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to
your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any
man to death: That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake,
signifying what death he should die. Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall
again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus
answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have
delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is
not of this world, if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants
fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not
from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus
answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this
cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every
one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, what is truth?
And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto
them, I find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release
unto you one at the Passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King
of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now
Barabbas was a robber. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put
on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him
with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold,
I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then
came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate
saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers
saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them,
Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered
him, we have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself
the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more
afraid; And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, whence art
thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou
not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have
power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all
against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me
unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release
him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's
friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate
therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the
judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew,
Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth
hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away
with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify
your King? The chief priests answered, we have no king but Caesar. Then
delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and
led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place
of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him,
and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate
wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was JESUS OF
NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the
Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was
written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews
to Pilate, write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the
Jews. Pilate answered, what I have written I have written. Then the soldiers,
when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every
soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from
the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it,
but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which
saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast
lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. Now there stood by the cross of
Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary
Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by,
whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, woman, behold thy son! Then saith
he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her
unto his own home. After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now
accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was
set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon
hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar,
he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. The Jews
therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain
upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,)
besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken
away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other
which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he
was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear
pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that
saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that
ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be
fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith,
They shall look on him whom they pierced.
Then the reader immediately says: Deliver us not up utterly, for Thy holy
name's sake, and neither disannul Thou Thy covenant, and cause not Thy mercy
to depart from us, for Abraham's sake, Thy beloved; and for Isaac's sake, Thy
servant; and for Israel's, Thy holy one.
Priest: God be merciful unto us ...,
And the prayer of the ninth hour:
O Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, Who art long-suffering in the face of
our transgressions, and Who hast brought us even unto this present hour,
wherein Thou didst hang upon the life-giving tree, and didst make a way into
paradise for the wise thief, and by death didst destroy death: Be gracious unto
us sinners and Thine unworthy servants; for we have sinned and committed
iniquity, and are not worthy to lift up our eyes and behold the height of heaven,
for we have abandoned the way of Thy righteousness, and have walked in the
desires of our hearts. But we beseech Thy boundless goodness: Spare us, O
Lord, according to the multitude of Thy mercy and save us for Thy holy name’s
sake; for our days were consumed in vanity. Rescue us from the hand of the
adversary, and forgive us our sins, and mortify our carnal mind; that, putting
aside the old man, we may be clad with the new, and live for Thee, our Master
and Benefactor; and that thus by following in Thy commandments, we may
attain to rest everlasting, wherein is the dwelling-place of all them that rejoice.
For Thou art indeed the true joy and gladness of them that love Thee, O Christ
our God, and unto Thee we send up glory, with Thy beginningless Father, and
Thy Most-holy and good and life-creating Spirit, Now & ever ..., and unto the
ages of ages. Amen.
Immediately there follows the abbreviated Typica (read not sung)
In Thy kingdom remember us, O Lord, * when Thou comest in Thy
kingdom.
filled.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, * for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, * and shall say
all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
ashamed.
Glory ...,
The choir of the holy angels and archangels, with all the heavenly hosts,
doth hymn Thee and saith: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of Sabaoth! Heaven and
earth are full of Thy glory!
Now & ever ...,
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, * Maker of heaven and earth and
of all things visible and invisible. * And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, * the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; * Light of
Light, true God of true God; * begotten, not made; of one essence with the
Father, by Whom all things were made; * Who for us men and for our salvation
came down from the heavens, * and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the
Virgin Mary, and became man; * And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate,
* and suffered and was buried; * And arose again on the third day according to
the Scriptures; * And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of
the Father; * And shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the
dead; * Whose kingdom shall have no end. * And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,
the Giver of life; Who proceedeth from the Father; * Who with the Father and
the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the prophets. * In
One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. * I confess one baptism for the
remission of sins. * I look for the resurrection of the dead, * and the life of the
age to come. Amen.
Then, the prayer:
Remit, pardon, forgive, O God, our offenses, both voluntary and
involuntary, in deed and word, in knowledge and ignorance, by day and by
night, in mind and thought; forgive us all things, for Thou art good and the
Lover of mankind.
come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against
us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil-one.
The Kontakion:
Come, and let us all sing the praises of Him who was crucified for us. For
when Mary beheld Him on the Tree she said: ‘Though Thou dost endure the
And this prayer:
O Most holy Trinity, the consubstantial dominion, the indivisible Kingdom,
Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and for evermore.
(Thrice)
mouth. * In the Lord shall my soul be praised; * let the meek hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me, * and let us exalt His name together. * I sought
the Lord, and He heard me, * and delivered me from all my tribulations.
tribulations.
that hopeth in Him.
Come ye children, hearken unto me; * I will teach you the fear of the Lord. *
What man is there that desireth life, * who loveth to see good days?
heart, * and He will save the humble of spirit.
broken.
Choir: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both
Now & ever ..., and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
At the Dismissal the priest says:
Priest: May He Who endured spitting and scourging and blows, the
Cross and death, for the salvation of the world, Christ our true God ...,
Note: On Great Friday there is no celebration of the Liturgy neither the
complete Liturgy nor that of the Presanctified. No meal is served in the
refectory, and on this day of the Crucifixion we eat nothing, according to the
words which the Lord spoke to the Pharisees: ‘The days will come, when the
Bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast (Matthew 9: 15).
But as frequently happens, and one is weak and/or old, and cannot keep the
fast, let him be given bread and water after sunset.
AT VESPERS
The service begins about the ninth hour of the day (three o’clock in the
afternoon). Before Vespers starts, the Plashanitsa (Epitaphion) is placed on the
altar, and on top of it the Book of the Gospels, the Antimins is moved to the
back of the Altar. After the Psalm of Introduction (Psalm 103) and the Great
Litany, there is no Kathisma.
On "Lord, I have cried ...", 6 Stichera, in Tone I:
Verse, if Thou shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, O Lord, who shall
The whole of creation was transformed by fear, * when it saw Thee, O
Christ, hanging upon the Cross. * The sun was darkened and the foundations of
the earth were shaken; * all things suffered with the Creator of all. * Thou didst
willingly endure this for our sakes: ** O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Lord.
Repeat: The whole of creation ...,
Tone II: Why doth the wicked and transgressing people * imagine vain
things? * Why have they condemned the Life of all to death? * O great wonder!
* The Creator of the world hath been delivered into the hands of lawless men, *
and He who is the Lover of mankind hath been raised up upon the Cross, * that
He may free the prisoners in Hades, who cry aloud: ** O long-suffering Lord,
glory be to Thee.
Tone II: Today, O Word, the immaculate Virgin * beheld Thee hanging
upon the Cross; * and with a mother’s love she lamented, * her heart bitterly
wounded. * She groaned in anguish from the depth of her soul, * and in her
grief she struck at her face and tore at her hair. * And, beating her breast, she
cried aloud: * ‘Woe is me, O my divine Child! * Woe is me, Thou Light of the
world! * Why dost Thou vanish from my sight, O Lamb of God?’ * Upon
which the hosts of bodiless powers seized with trembling, said: ** ‘O Lord
transcending all understanding, glory be to Thee.’
Tone VI: Seeing Thee hanging upon the Cross, * O Christ the Creator and
God of all, * Thy Virgin Mother bitterly cried aloud: * ‘O my Son, where is the
comeliness of Thy form to be found? I cannot bear to look upon Thee as one
unjustly crucified. * Make haste, then, to arise, ** that I also may see Thy third
day Resurrection from the dead.’
Tone VI: Today the Master of Creation standeth before Pilate; * today the
Maker of all things hath been given up to the Cross, * and of His own will He
hath been led as a lamb to the slaughter. * He who bedewed the wilderness with
manna * hath been transfixed with nails; * His side hath been pierced, and a
sponge with vinegar put to His lips. * The Redeemer of the world hath been
struck upon the face, * and the Creator of all hath been mocked by His own
servants. * How great is the Master’s love for mankind! * For those who
crucified Him, * He prayed to His Father, saying: ** ‘Forgive them this sin, for
they know not what they do.’
How hath the lawless synagogue condemned to death * the King of
Creation! * Showing no shame as He recalled His blessings, saying: * ‘O My
people, what is it have I done unto you? * Have I not filled Judaea with a
multitude of miracles? * Have I not raised the dead by My word alone? * Have I
not healed every manner of sickness and disease? * How then have ye repaid
Me? * Why have ye forgotten Me? * In return for healing, ye have given Me
blows; * in return for life, ye put Me to death. * Ye hang upon the Cross your
Benefactor as an evildoer, * your Lawgiver as a transgressor of the Law, * the
King of all as one condemned.’ ** O longsuffering Lord, glory be to Thee.
A strange and marvelous mystery * do we see come to pass this day. * He
whom none may touch is seized; * He who hath unloosed Adam from the curse
is bound. * He who trieth the hearts and inner thoughts of man * is unjustly
brought to trial. * He who hath closed the abyss is shut in prison. * He before
whom the heavenly powers stand with trembling, * standeth before Pilate; * the
Creator is struck by the hand of His creature. * He Who cometh to judge the
living and the dead * is condemned to the Cross; * the Destroyer of Hades hath
been placed in a tomb. * O Thou who dost endure all these things in Thy
tender mercy, * who hast saved all mankind from the curse, ** O longsuffering
Lord, glory be to Thee.
Prokeimenon, in Tone IV:
Verse: They have parted my garments amongst themselves, * and for my
Verse: O God, My God, attend unto Me: why hast Thou Forsaken Me?
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF EXODUS (33:11 - 23)
The LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his
friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of
Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. And Moses said unto
the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not
let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by
name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if
I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee,
that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he
said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For
wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy
sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy
people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the LORD
said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast
found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee,
shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee,
and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And
he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon
a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee
in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I
will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall
not be seen.
Prokeimenon: Judge them, O Lord, that do Me injustice: * war against
them that war against Me.
Verse: They repaid me with evil things for good.
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF JOB (42:12-17)
The LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he
had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of
oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters.
And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia;
and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. And in all the land were no women
found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance
among their brethren. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw
his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and
full of days.
THE READING IS FROM THE PROPHECY OF ISAIAH (52:13 - 54:1)
Thus saith the Lord: Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be
exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee; his
visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of
men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at
him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they
had not heard shall they consider. Who hath believed our report? and to whom
is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender
plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and
when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is
despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and
we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him
not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem
him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone
astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on
him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before
her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison
and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out
of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because
he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the
LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the
pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of
his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant
justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a
portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he
hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the
transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors. Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing,
and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of
the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
Prokeimenon before the Epistle, in Tone VI:
Prokeimenon: They laid Me in the lowest pit: * in darkness and in the
shadow of death
Verse: O Lord God of My salvation, by day I have cried, and by night
before Thee.
THE 1st EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS: (1:18 - 2:2)
Brethren: the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but
unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this
world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in
the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign,
and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the
Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which
are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of
God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of
God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many
wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God
hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God
hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God
chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: That
no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of
God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in
the Lord. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of
speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I
determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified.
Alleluia in Tone V:
Verse: Save Me, O God: for the waters are come in unto My soul
Verse: They gave Me gall for my food: * and for My thirst they gave Me
vinegar to drink.
Verse: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATHEW (27: 1-38 et. al.)
At the time: when the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of
the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had
bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the
governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was
condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to
the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the
innocent blood. And they said, what is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast
down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged
himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for
to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took
counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was
fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took
the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the
children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord
appointed me. And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked
him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou
sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered
nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they
witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word, insomuch that the
governor marveled greatly. Now at that feast the governor was wont to release
unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable
prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate
said unto them, whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which
is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he
was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou
nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a
dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude
that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and
said unto them, whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said,
Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, what shall I do then with Jesus which is called
Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, why,
what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be
crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a
tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude,
saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then
answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he
delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into
the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they
stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a
crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and
they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the
Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and
put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came
out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear
his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say,
a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when
he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted
his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they
cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; And set up over his head
his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then
were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another
on the left. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him,
saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked
him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same
condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our
deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord,
remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him,
Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. And they that
passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest
the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God,
come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with
the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be
the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe
him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he
said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast
the same in his teeth. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the
land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud
voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that,
said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a
sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus,
when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold,
the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the
earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many
bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his
resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when
the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake,
and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the
Son of God. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies
should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was
an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they
might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and
of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and
saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers
with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he
saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture
should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another
scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. And many women
were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering
unto him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James
and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children. When the even was come,
there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was
Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate
commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he
wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had
hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher,
and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over
against the sepulcher.
Then the Litany of Fervent Intercession,
Litany: Let us all say ...,
Vouchsafe, O Lord ...,
Litany: Let us complete our evening prayer to the Lord ...,
At the Aposticha; in Tone II:
Spec. Mel.: "When from the Tree ...":
When the Arimathaean took Thy dead body down from the Tree, * O Thou
who art the Life of all, * he wrapped Thee, in a fine linen cloth with spices, O
Christ, * Moved by love, he kissed Thy most pure body * with his lips and with
his heart; * yet, drawing back in fear, * he cried to Thee rejoicing: * ‘Glory be to
Thy condescension, ** O Thou Lover of mankind.
Verse: The Lord is King, * He is clothed in majesty.
When Thou, the Redeemer of all, wast laid in a new tomb * for the sake of
all mankind, * Hades was brought to scorn, * and seeing Thee, was filled with
fear. * The bars were broken and the gates shattered, * the tombs were opened
and the dead arose. * Then Adam in thanksgiving rejoiced crying to Thee: *
‘Glory be to Thy condescension, ** O Lover of mankind.’
Verse: For he established the universe, * which shall not be shaken.
When Thou wast bodily enclosed within a tomb * of Thine own free will, *
Thou didst remain uncircumscribed and unbounded * in Thy divine nature. *
Thou didst lock up the treasury of Hades, O Christ, * having emptied all its
kingdom. * Wherefore on this honored Sabbath * with Thy divine blessing, ** it
hath been deemed worthy of Thy glory and Thy radiance.
Verse: Holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, * unto length of days.
When the noetic powers beheld Thee, O Christ, * falsely accused by lawless
men as a deceiver, * they were filled with fear * at Thine ineffable longsuffering.
* And seeing the stone before Thy tomb * sealed by the hands which had
pierced Thy most pure side, * they rejoiced at our salvation, crying aloud to
Thee: * ‘Glory be to Thy condescension, ** O Lover of mankind.’
(Sung slowly - the rector begins censing the Plashanitsa thrice.)
Thou who arrayest Thyself with light as with a garment; * was taken down
from the Tree by Joseph with Nicodemus, * and looking upon Thee dead,
stripped naked, and without burial, * in his grief and tender compassion he
lamented, saying: * ‘Woe is me, my sweetest Jesus, * when but a short while ago
the sun saw Thee hanging on the Cross, * it clothed itself in darkness: * the
earth quaked with fear and the veil of the temple was rent in twain. * And now I
see Thee Who for my sake hath willingly submitted to death. * How shall l bury
Thee, O my God? * How shall I wrap Thee in a winding sheet? * How shall l
touch Thy most pure body with my hands? * What funeral lament shall I sing to
Thee, O compassionate One? * I magnify Thy sufferings; * I sing the praises of
Thy burial and Thy Resurrection, ** crying: O Lord, glory be to Thee.’
Reader: Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace O Master according
to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen the Salvation which Thou hast prepared
before the face of all peoples, and the Glory of Thy people Israel.
Holy God ..., through Our Father ...,
After it the following Troparions are sung slowly and with sweet melody:
Troparion in Tone II:
Noble Joseph, * taking down Thy most pure body from the Tree, * wrapped
it in clean linen with sweet spices, ** and he laid it in a new tomb.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in the same Tone and melody:
The Angel stood by the tomb, * and to the women bearing spices he cried
aloud: * ‘Myrrh is fitting for the dead, * but Christ hath shown Himself * a
stranger to corruption.’
Note: During the Aposticha the senior priest puts on all his vestments, while
the other priests put on the Epitrachelion and Phelonion. When the choir
begins to sing: Thou who arrayest Thyself with light ..., the senior priest goes
thrice round the Holy Table, censing the Plashanitsa from the four sides. After
the Lord’s Prayer, when the choir begins: Noble Joseph ..., the senior priest
takes the Book of the Gospels and the other clergy take the Epitaphion which
they hold above his head. (If there is only one priest, the Plashanitsa may be
held by members of the laity.) They go round the Holy Table on the south side
and out of the sanctuary through the north door. The Plashanitsa is preceded by
processional candles, and by the deacon with the censor and a candle. The
procession proceeds to the centre of the church where there stands a table
decorated with flowers and often provided with a canopy. Here the Plashanitsa
is placed, and on top of it the Gospel Book. The senior priest with the deacon
goes round the Plashanitsa thrice, censing it from the four sides.
When the choir has finished the Troparion: The Angel stood by the tomb
..., thereupon follows the conclusion of Vespers.
Priest/Deacon: Wisdom.
Choir: Bless (Master).
Priest: He that is blessed, Christ our God, always, Now & ever ..., and
Choir: Amen. Establish O Lord, the Orthodox faith and Orthodox
Christians * unto the ages of ages
Priest: Most Holy Theotokos save us.
Choir: More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond more glorious
than the Seraphim, * who without corruption gavest birth to God the
Word, * the very Theotokos thee do we magnify
Priest: Glory to Thee O God, glory be to Thee
Choir: Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Bless (master)
At the Dismissal
Priest: May He who For us men and For our salvation endured in the
flesh the dread Passion, the life-giving Cross and voluntary burial, Christ
our true God ...,
The Plashanitsa is then venerated by the clergy and by all the faithful, each
making three great prostrations to the ground, before kissing it one after
another. The priest blesses each of the faithful after they venerate it. During the
veneration of the Plashanitsa if there is a great multitude in attendance, Small
Compline (below) may be chanted.
AT SMALL COMPLINE
HOLY AND GREAT FRIDAY EVENING
Our Father.
us worship ..., and straightway the 50th psalm, (or the entire service may be
chanted if the Rector so desires) and then the following Canon by St. Symeon
the Logothete. The Irmoi are sung once. Before each of the Troparia we say:
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
ODE I, in Tone VI:
Irmos: When Israel walked on foot in the sea as on dry land, * on seeing
their pursuer Pharaoh drowned, * they cried: * Let us sing to God * a
song of victory.
When she beheld her Son and Lord hanging upon the Cross, the pure Virgin
was torn by grief and lamented bitterly with the other women .
‘I see Thee, my dearest and beloved Child, hanging upon the Cross and my
heart is wounded bitterly’, said the pure Virgin. ‘But O good one, speak Thou a
word to Thy handmaiden.’
Glory ..., ‘By Thine own will, my Son and Creator, Thou didst endure a
fearful death upon the Tree’, said the Virgin, standing by the Cross with the
Beloved Disciple.
Both. now..., ‘I am now deprived of Him who is my hope, my joy, and my
gladness, my Son and God. Woe is me! My heart hath been filled with anguish’,
said the Most pure one weeping.
ODE III
Irmos: There is none as holy as Thee, * O Lord my God, * who hast
exalted the horn of The faithful O good One, * and strengthened us upon
the rock * of Thy confession.
‘For fear of the Jews, Peter hid himself and all the Faithful fled, forsaking
Christ’, said the Virgin lamenting.
‘Strange and Fearful is Thy birth, O my Son, and I have been magnified
above all mothers; but woe is me!, Inwardly I burn seeing Thee now upon the
Cross.’
Glory ..., ‘I wish to take my Son down from the Tree and ‘hold Him in my
arms, as once I held Him when He was a child’, said the Most pure one. ‘But
alas! there is no-one to give Him to me.’
Both. now..., ‘Behold! my sweet Light, my Hope and Life, my Son and God,
hath been quenched upon the Cross, and within me I burn’, said the Virgin
shedding tears.
ODE IV
Irmos: Christ is my power, * my God and my Lord, * the holy Church
divinely singeth, * crying with a pure mind, * keeping festival in the
Lord.
‘O never-setting Sun, pre-eternal God and Fashioner of all creation, how
dost Thou endure suffering upon the Cross?’ said the Most pure one weeping.
Lamenting, the Unwedded one said to Joseph: ‘O Joseph, hasten Thou to
Pilate, and ask that the Master be taken down from the Tree.’
Glory ..., Seeing the Most Pure one shedding bitter tears, Joseph was
troubled and came weeping to Pilate, saying with tears: ‘Give me the body of
my Lord.’
Both. now..., ‘I see Thee bruised and wounded, without glory, and naked
upon the Cross, O my Child, and my heart burneth within me’, said the Virgin
sorrowing with a mother’s grief.
OD E V
Irmos: Illumine with Thy divine light, I pray, O Good One, * the souls of
those who with love rise early to pray to Thee, * that they may know
Thee, O Word of God, * as the true God, * Who recalleth us from the
darkness of sin.
Broken, distraught, and lamenting, Joseph and Nicodemus took down the
most pure body of the Master from the Cross, and kissing it, they lamented and
sang His praises as their God.
The Unwedded Mother wept as she took Him on her knees; praying to Him
with tears, and kissing Him lamenting and crying out bitterly.
Glory ..., ‘Thou wast the only hope of Thine handmaiden, O My Son, my
Lord and God, my life and the light of mine eyes; and now, alas, I have lost
Thee, my sweet and most beloved Child.’
Both. now..., ‘I am in anguish and affliction, and sighing hath taken hold of
me’, cried the pure Virgin, bitterly lamenting, ‘Woe is me! for I see Thee, my
beloved Child, stripped, broken, and anointed for burial, a corpse.’
ODE VI
Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the flood of temptations, * I
run to Thy calm haven, and cry to Thee: * Raise up my life from
corruption, * O Most Merciful One.
‘I behold Thee as one dead, O Lover of mankind, Thou who hast brought
the dead to life; grievously is my heart wounded and I long to die with Thee’,
said the Most pure one, ‘for I cannot bear to look upon Thee lifeless and
without breath.’
‘I am filled with horror as I see Thee, O supremely Good One, Lord all-
merciful, bereft of glory, without breath, bereft of comeliness, and I weep as I
hold Thee. Woe is me! I never thought to look upon Thee thus, my Son.’
Glory ..., ‘O Word of God, hast Thou not a word for Thy handmaiden?
Hast Thou no pity, O Master, for her who bore Thee?’ said the Most pure one,
lamenting and weeping and kissing the body of her Lord.
Both. now..., ‘I dwell upon the thought, O Master, that I shall never again
hear Thy voice; never again shall Thy handmaiden see the comeliness of Thy
face as in the past; for Thou, my Son, hath set before mine eyes.’
Ikos: Seeing her own Lamb led to the slaughter, Mary His Mother followed
Him with the other women, and in her grief she cried: ‘Where hast Thou gone,
O my Child? Why dost Thou run so swiftly? Is there another wedding in Cana,
to which Thou dost hasten to turn the water into wine? Shall I go with Thee,
my Child, or shall I wait for Thee? Speak Thou a word to me, O Word; do not
pass me by in silence, Thou Who hast preserved me in virginity, for Thou art
my Son and God.’
ODE VII
Irmos: An Angel made the furnace sprinkle dew on the holy Children. *
But the command of God consumed the Chaldeans * and prevailed upon
the tyrant to cry: * O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou.
‘Where, O my Son and God, are the good tidings of the Annunciation that
Gabriel brought me? He called Thee King and God and the Son of the Most
High; and now, O my sweet Light, I behold Thee naked, a wounded corpse.’
‘Release me from my agony and take me with Thee, O my Son and God.
Let me also descend with Thee, O Master, into Hades. Leave me not to live
alone, for I cannot bear to look upon Thee, my sweetest Light.’
Glory ..., With the other women, the undefiled one lamented bitterly as she
saw Christ carried to the sepulcher. ‘Woe is me!’ she cried. ‘What do I see?
Where art Thou going, O my Son? Hast Thou left me here alone?’
Both. now..., In her despair and grief, the undefiled Virgin said to the
myrrh-bearing woman: ‘Join with me to weep and bitterly lament: for see, my
sweet Light and your Teacher hath been given over to a tomb.’
ODE VIII
Irmos: Thou didst make flame sprinkle the Saints with dew, * and didst
burn the sacrifice of a righteous man with water. * For Thou alone, O
Christ, dost do all as Thou willest, * and Thee do we exalt throughout all
ages.
Seeing the lamentation of the Virgin, Joseph was in distress and bitterly
cried aloud: ‘How shall I Thy servant, O my God, prepare Thy body now for
burial? How shall I wrap it in a winding-sheet ?’
Transcending understanding is this strange sight: the Lord who upholdeth
all creation hath been held as a corpse in the arms of Joseph and Nicodemus,
carried to its burial.
Glory ..., ‘A strange and most glorious mystery do I behold’, the Virgin cried
out. ‘My Son, how canst Thou be laid in a narrow tomb, when by Thy
command Thou dost raise all the dead from those very tombs?’
Both. now..., ‘I shall not leave Thy tomb, my Child, nor shall I Thy
handmaiden cease to shed tears, until I too descend into Hades. For I cannot
bear to be deprived of Thee, O my Son.’
ODE IX
Irmos: It is impossible for mankind to see God * upon Whom the orders
of Angels dare not gaze; * but through thee, O all-pure one, * did the
Word Incarnate become a man * and with the Heavenly Hosts * Him we
magnify and thee we call blessed.
‘Never again shall joy be mine’, cried the undefiled one lamenting. ‘My Light
and my Joy hath gone down into the grave. But I shall not leave Him alone:
here shall I also die and be buried with Him.’
‘Heal now the wounds of my soul, O my Child’, cried the most-pure one
weeping. ‘Rise and still my pain and bitter anguish. For Thou hast the power, O
Master, to perform whatsoever Thou dost will, for even Thy burial is voluntary.’
Glory ..., ‘How hast thou not seen the depth of My compassion?’ said the
Lord secretly to His Mother. ‘Because I wish to save My creature, I have
accepted death. But I shall rise again and as God shall magnify thee in heaven
and on earth.’
Both. now..., ‘I sing in praise of Thy compassion, O Lover of mankind, and
I worship the wealth of Thy mercy O Lord. For as God Thou hast willingly
accepted to save that which Thou didst fashion’, said the most pure one. ‘But,
O Savior, by Thy Resurrection do Thou have mercy on us all.’
Then, instead of, 'It is truly meet to call thee blessed ...,'
Katavasia: It is impossible for mankind to see God * upon Whom the
orders of Angels dare not gaze; * but through thee, O all-pure one, * did
the Word Incarnate become a man * and with the Heavenly Hosts * Him
we magnify and thee we call blessed.
We make a full prostration before the Plashanitsa, and Continue with the
Trisagion ..., through ..., Our Father ..., Then the Kontakion of the day:
Reader: Lord, have mercy. (40 times)
sinners, Who callest all to salvation through the promise of good things to
come: Receive, O Lord, our prayers at this hour, and guide our life toward Thy
commandments. Sanctify our souls, make chaste our bodies, correct our
thoughts, purify our intentions, and deliver us from every sorrow, evil and pain.
Compass us about with Thy holy angels, that, guarded and guided by their array,
we may attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of Thine
unapproachable glory; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice)
In the name of the Lord, Father bless.
Priest: May He who For us men and For our salvation endured in the
flesh the dread Passion, the life-giving Cross and voluntary burial, Christ
our true God ...,
HOLY AND GREAT SATURDAY
AT MATINS
About the seventh hour of the night (one o’clock in the morning) we begin
Matins in the usual way. After the Six Psalms and the Great Litany, we sing God
is the Lord ..., in the 2nd Tone, with the following Troparia:
In Tone II:
Glory ..., When Thou didst descend unto death, O Life Immortal, * then
didst Thou slay Hades with the lightning of Thy Godhead. * And when Thou
didst also raise the dead out of the nethermost depths, * all the Hosts of the
heavens cried out: * 'O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee'.
Now & ever ..., The Angel stood by the tomb, * and to the women bearing
spices he cried aloud: * ‘Myrrh is fitting for the dead, * but Christ hath shown
Himself * a stranger to corruption.’
Note: During the singing of these Troparia the clergy come out from the
sanctuary and stand in front of the Plashanitsa. The senior priest, accompanied
by the deacon, or else the priest alone, censes the Plashanitsa from the four
sides and then the sanctuary and whole church. Then the following Troparia,
known as ‘The Praises’, are sung between the verses of Psalm 118. The Praises
are divided into three stasis: The Choir sings the verses, and the Priest reads the
Stichera.
FIRST STASIS
All verses in Tone V:
Choir: Blessed art Thou, O Lord: ** teach me Thy statutes.
1. Verse, Choir: Blessed are the blameless in the way, who walk in
the law of the Lord.
Priest: Thou who art Life wast laid in a tomb, O Christ; and the hosts of
angels were amazed and glorified Thy condescension.
2. Verse: Blessed are they that search out His testimonies; with their
whole heart shall they seek after Him.
O Life, how canst Thou die? How canst Thou dwell in a tomb? Yet Thou
dost destroy death’s kingdom and raise the dead from Hades.
3. Verse: For they that work iniquity have not walked in His ways.
We magnify Thee, Jesus our King: we honor Thy burial and Thy sufferings,
whereby Thou hast saved us from corruption.
4. Verse: Thou hast enjoined Thy commandments, that we should keep
them most diligently
Thou who hast bound the earth, dost go this day to dwell in a small tomb,
raising up the dead from their tombs.
5. Verse: Would that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes.
O Jesus, my Christ and King of all, why hast Thou come to those in Hades?
Is it to set free the race of mortal man?
6. Verse: Then shall I not be ashamed, when I look on all Thy
commandments.
The Master of all is seen lying dead, and laid in a new tomb, He who hath
emptied the tombs of the reposed.
7. Verse: I will confess Thee with uprightness of heart, when I have
learned the judgments of Thy righteousness.
Thou who art Life wast laid in a tomb, O Christ: by Thy death Thou didst
destroy death, and become a fount of life for the world.
8. Verse: I will keep Thy statutes; do not utterly forsake me.
Numbered with the transgressors, O Christ, Thou hast redeemed us all from
the guilt brought upon us of old by the deceiver.
9. Verse: Wherewithal shall a young man correct his way? By keeping
Thy words.
Fairer in His beauty than all mortal men, He hath appeared now as a corpse
without form or comeliness, He who hath rendered the nature of all things
comely.
10. Verse: With my whole heart have I sought after Thee, cast me not
away from Thy commandments.
How could Hades endure Thy coming, O Savior? Was it not shattered and
struck blind by the brilliant radiance of Thy light?
11. Verse: In my heart have I hid Thy sayings that I might not sin against
Thee.
O Jesus, my sweetness and light of salvation, how art Thou hidden in a dark
tomb? O patience ineffable, transcending speech!
12. Verse: Blessed art Thou, О Lord, teach me Thy statutes
The spiritual powers and the angelic hosts are amazed, O Christ, at the
ineffable mystery of Thy burial, beyond speech.
13. Verse: With my lips have I declared all the judgment s of Thy mouth.
O strange and new wonder! He who hath granted me the breath of life is
carried lifeless in Joseph’s arms to burial.
14. Verse: In the way of Thy testimonies have I found delight, as much
as in all riches.
Thou hast descended into the tomb, O Christ, yet wast never parted from
Thy Father’s side. O strange and wondrous marvel!
15. Verse: On Thy commandments will I ponder, and I will understand
Thy ways.
Though Thou wast shut within the smallest of sepulchers, O Jesus, all
creation knew Thee as the true King of heaven and earth.
16. Verse: On Thy statutes will I meditate; I will not forget Thy words.
When Thou wast laid in a tomb, O Christ the Creator, the foundations of
Hades were shaken and the graves of mortal men were opened.
17. Verse: Give reward unto Thy servant, quicken me and I will keep
Thy words.
He who holds the earth in the palm of His hand is held fast by the earth;
put to death according to the flesh, delivering the dead from the grasping hand
of Hades.
18. Verse: Unveil mine eyes, and I shall perceive wondrous things out of
Thy law.
Having died O Savior, Thou didst leave this life, and Coming to those who
have reposed, Thou didst shatter the gates of Hades.
19. Verse: I am a sojourner on the earth, hide not from me Thy
commandments.
The flesh of God is hidden now beneath the earth, like a candle underneath
a bushel, driving away the darkness in Hades.
20. Verse: My soul hath longed to desire Thy judgments at all times.
The multitude of heavenly hosts make haste with Joseph and Nicodemus to
bury Thee, whom nothing can contain, in a small tomb.
21. Verse: Thou hast rebuked the proud; cursed are they that decline
from Thy commandments.
Of Thine own will Thou wast slain and laid beneath the earth, O my Jesus.
Thou Fount of Life, Who hath brought me, who was dead through bitter sin,
back to life.
22. Verse: Remove from me reproach and contempt, for after Thy
testimonies have I sought.
The whole of creation was transformed by Thy Passion: for all things
suffered with Thee, knowing O Word, that Thou art the Fashioner of all that is.
23. Verse: For princes sat and they spake against me, but Thy servant
pondered on Thy statutes.
All-devouring Hades received within itself the Rock of Life, and spewed
forth all the dead that it had swallowed from the beginning of the ages.
24. Verse: For Thy testimonies are my meditation, and Thy statutes are
my counselors.
Thou wast laid in a new tomb, O Christ, and thereby renewed the nature of
mortal man, wondrously arising from the dead.
25. Verse: My soul hath cleaved unto the earth; quicken me according to
Thy word.
Thou didst descend to the earth, to save Adam: not leaving him on earth, O
Master, but even descending into Hades to seek him.
26. Verse: My ways have I declared, and Thou hast heard me; teach me
Thy statutes.
The whole earth quaked with fear, O Word, and the daystar hid its rays,
when Thy Light was hidden in the earth.
27. Verse: Make me to understand the way of Thy statutes, and I will
ponder on Thy wondrous works.
Willingly didst Thou die as a mortal man, O Savior, but as God Thou hast
raised from the dead, those who were sunk in the depths of sin.
28. Verse: My soul hath slumbered from despondency, strengthen me
with Thy words.
The pure Virgin shed tears of lamentation over Thee, Jesus, and with a
mother’s grief she cried: ‘How shall I bury Thee, my Son?’
29. Verse: Remove from me the way of unrighteousness, and with Thy
law have mercy on me.
Buried in the earth like a grain of wheat, Thou hast yielded a rich harvest,
raising to life the mortal sons of Adam.
30. Verse: I have chosen the way of truth, and Thy judgments have I not
forgotten.
Now art Thou hidden beneath the earth like the setting sun and covered by
the night of death: but do Thou dawn most brightly O Savior,.
31. Verse: I have cleaved to Thy testimonies, О Lord; put me not to
shame.
As the moon hideth the disk of the sun, O Savior, so now hath the grave
hidden Thee, bodily eclipsed in death.
32. Verse: The way of Thy commandments have I run, when Thou didst
enlarge my heart.
Christ the Life, by tasting death, hath delivered mortal mankind from death,
giving life to all.
33. Verse: Set before me for a law, О Lord, the way of Thy statutes, and
I will seek after it continually.
Adam was slain of old through envy, but by Thy repose Thou hast brought
him back to life, O Savior, Who hath been revealed in the flesh as the new
Adam.
34. Verse: Give me understanding, and I will search out Thy law, and I
will keep it with my whole heart.
The ranks of noetic powers saw Thee, O Savior, laid out dead for our sake,
and were filled with wonder, covering themselves with their noetic wings.
35. Verse: Guide me in the path of Thy commandments, for I have
desired it.
Taking Thee down dead from the Tree, O Word, Joseph laid Thee in a
tomb: but do Thou rise up now as God and save us all.
36. Verse: Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies and not unto
covetousness.
Thou art the Joy of the angels, O Savior, but now Thou art become the
cause of their grief, as they see Thee in the flesh a breathless corpse.
37. Verse: Turn away mine eyes that I may not see vanity, quicken Thou
me in Thy way.
Lifted up upon the Cross, Thou hast lifted up with Thyself all mankind; and
descending beneath the earth, Thou hast raised all that lay therein.
38. Verse: Establish for Thy servant Thine oracle unto fear of Thee.
As a lion Thou didst fall asleep in the flesh, O Savior, and as a lion cub
Thou didst arise from the dead, putting off the oldness of the flesh.
39. Verse: Remove my reproach which I have feared, for Thy judgments
are good.
Thou Who didst fashion Eve from Adam’s side, had Thy side pierced and
from it ever floweth streams of cleansing.
40. Verse: Behold, I have longed after Thy commandments: in Thy
righteousness quicken me.
In secret the lamb of old was sacrificed; but Thou, O Savior, wast sacrificed
openly and thereby cleansed the whole of creation.
41. Verse: Let mercy come also upon me, О Lord, even Thy salvation
according to Thy word.
Who can describe this strange and new manifestation? The Lord of Creation
hath accepted the Passion today and hath died for our sake.
42. Verse: So shall I give an answer to them that reproach me, for I have
hoped in Thy words.
‘How is it that we see the Giver of Life breathless?’ Thus did the angels cry
out in amazement. ‘How is it that God is enclosed within a tomb?’
43. Verse: And take not utterly out of my mouth the word of truth, for
in Thy judgments have I hoped.
Pierced by a spear, O Savior, the life of the living issued forth from Thy side
saving me who hath been banished from life, and quickening me with it.
44. Verse: So shall I keep Thy law continually, for ever, and unto the
ages of ages.
Stretched out upon the Tree, Thou hast drawn mortal mankind to unity;
pierced in Thy life-giving side, O Jesus, Thou hast become a fount of
forgiveness for all.
45. Verse: And I walked in spaciousness, for after Thy commandments
have I sought.
With fear and reverence didst the noble one prepare thy body for burial, O
Savior, and with wonder beheld Thy fearful form.
46. Verse: And I spake of Thy testimonies before kings, and I was not
ashamed.
Desiring to descend as one dead beneath the earth, O Jesus, Thou didst lead
up the fallen from earth to heaven.
47. Verse: And I meditated on Thy commandments which I have greatly
loved.
Seen as one Dead, yet alive as God, O Jesus, Thou didst lead up the fallen
from earth to heaven.
48. Verse: And I lifted up my hands to Thy commandments which I
have loved,.
Seen as one Dead, yet alive as God, O Jesus, Thou hast restored dead
mortals to life and slain him who slew me.
49. Verse: And I pondered on Thy statutes.
How great the joy, how full the gladness, that Thou hast brought to those in
Hades, flashing forth like lightning in its gloomy depths.
50. Verse: Remember Thy words to Thy servant, wherein Thou hast
made me to hope.
I venerate Thy Passion, I hymn Thy burial, and I magnify Thy power, O
Lover of mankind: by which I have been set free from corrupting passions.
51. Verse: This hath comforted me in my humiliation, for Thine oracle
hath quickened me.
A sword was sharpened against Thee, O Christ: but the sword of the strong
hath been blunted, and the sword that guardeth Eden hath been turned back.
52. Verse: The proud have transgressed exceedingly, but from Thy law
have I not declined.
The Ewe-lamb, seeing her Lamb slaughtered, was pierced with anguish: and
she cried aloud in grief, calling the flock to lament with her.
53. Verse: I remembered Thy judgments of old, О Lord, and was
comforted.
Even though Thou art buried in a grave, and hast descended into Hades, O
Christ, Thou didst empty the graves therein and strip Hades naked.
54. Verse: Despondency took hold upon me because of the sinners who
forsake Thy law.
Willingly, O Savior, hast Thou descended beneath the earth, restoring the
dead to life, and leading them back to the glory of the Father.
55. Verse: Thy statutes were my songs in the place of my sojourning.
One of the Trinity endureth a shameful death in the flesh for our sake; the
sun trembleth and the earth doth quake.
56. Verse: I remembered Thy name in the night, О Lord, and I kept Thy
law.
Offspring from a bitter source, the children of the tribe of Judah have cast
into a pit Him who fed them with manna, Jesus.
57. Verse: This hath happened unto me because I sought after Thy
statutes
The Judge stood as one accused before the judgment-seat of Pilate, and He
was condemned to an unjust death upon the Wood of the Cross.
58. Verse: Thou art my portion, О Lord; I said that I would keep Thy
law.
Prideful Israel, O murderous people, why have ye set free Barabbas but
delivered the Savior to be crucified?
59. Verse: I entreated Thy countenance with my whole heart: Have
mercy on me according to Thy word.
With Thine hand Thou didst fashion Adam from the earth; and for his sake
Thou hast assumed the nature of man, and of Thine own will been crucified.
60. Verse: I have thought on Thy ways, and I have turned my feet back
to Thy testimonies.
Thou wast obedient to Thine own Father, O Word, even unto descending
to evil Hades and raising up the race of mankind.
61. Verse: I made ready, and I was not troubled, that I might keep Thy
commandments.
‘Woe is me, O Light of the world! Woe is me, O my Light! O Jesus, my
heart’s desire’ cried the Virgin in her bitter grief.
62. Verse: The cords of sinners have entangled me, but Thy law have I
not forgotten.
O jealous, bloodthirsty and proud people! May the very grave-clothes and
the napkin put you to shame upon the Resurrection of Christ.
63. Verse: At midnight I arose to give thanks unto Thee for the
judgments of Thy righteousness.
Come, evil murderous disciple of thy Lord, and show me the manner of thy
wickedness, how thou hast become Christ’s betrayer.
64. Verse: I am a partaker with all them that fear Thee, and with them
that keep Thy commandments.
None have believed thy pretense of loving mankind, O blind, utterly
merciless, and faithless one, for thou didst sell for a price the sweet Myrrh.
65. Verse: The earth, О Lord, is full of Thy mercy; teach me Thy
statutes.
What price hast thou received for the heavenly Myrrh? What wast thou
given in exchange for Him who is exceedingly precious? Thou hast procured
for thyself madness, O accursed Satan.
66. Verse: Thou hast dealt graciously with Thy servant, О Lord,
according to Thy word.
If thou lovest the poor and dost grieve over the ointment emptied out for
the cleansing of a soul, how is it that thou hast sold the Giver of Light for gold?
67. Verse: Goodness and discipline and knowledge teach Thou me, for
in Thy commandments have I believed.
‘O my God and Word, my Joy, how shall I endure Thy three days in the
tomb? For my heart is torn in pieces by a mother’s grief.’
68. Verse: Before I was humbled, I transgressed; therefore Thy saying
have I kept.
‘Who giveth me water and springs of tears,’ cried the Virgin Bride of God,
‘that I may weep for my sweet Jesus?’
69. Verse: Thou art good, О Lord, and in Thy goodness teach me Thy
statutes.
‘O mountains and valleys, and ye multitudes of mankind, and all creation,
weep and lament with me, the Mother of your God.’
70. Verse: Multiplied against me hath been the unrighteousness of the
proud; but as for me, with my whole heart will I search out Thy
commandments.
‘When shall I see Thee, O Savior, eternal light, the joy and gladness of my
heart?’ cried the Virgin in her bitter grief.
71. Verse: Curdled like milk is their heart; but as for me, in Thy law have
I meditated.
Thy side was pierced, O Savior, like the rock in the wilderness; but from
Thee hath poured forth a stream of living water, for Thou art the Fount of Life.
72. Verse: It is good for me that Thou hast humbled me, that I might
learn Thy statutes.
Out of Thy side, as from a single source, there floweth a double stream; and
drinking from it we gain immortal life for ourselves.
73. Verse: The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold
and silver.
Note: If a priest serves without a deacon, he censes the Plashanitsa from the
four sides, the iconostasis and the people at this point. The following is sung
slowly to allow the censing to be completed and the priest to return to the
Plashanitsa for the small litany; If a deacon is serving, the deacon performs the
censing after the small litany.
In Tone V:
Of Thine own will, O Word, * Thou hast appeared in the tomb as one dead:
* yet Thou dost live and, * as Thou didst foretell, ** raised up mankind by Thy
Resurrection.
Glory ..., We praise Thee, O Word and God of all, * with the Father and
Thy most holy Spirit, ** and with hymns we glorify Thy divine burial.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: We bless thee, O pure Theotokos, * and with
faith we honor the three-day burial ** of thy Son and our God.
And we repeat the first Troparion:
Thou who art Life wast laid in a tomb, O Christ; * and the hosts of angels
were amazed ** and glorified Thine exceeding condescension.
Priest: For blessed is Thy Name and glorified is Thy Kingdom, of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Now & ever ..., and to the ages of
ages. Amen.
SECOND STASIS
In Tone V:
Choir: Right it is to magnify Thee, * the Giver of Life, * who hath stretched
out Thine arms upon the Cross * and thereby destroyed the power of the
enemy.
74. Verse: Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me
understanding and I will learn Thy commandments.
Priest: Right it is to magnify Thee, the Creator of all, For through Thy
Passion we have been granted passionlessness and freedom from corruption.
75. Verse: They that fear Thee shall see me and be glad, for on Thy
words have I set my hope.
The earth trembled with fear, O Savior, and the sun hid itself, beholding
Thee O Christ, the never-setting Light, being lowered bodily into the tomb.
76. Verse: I have known, О Lord, that Thy judgments are righteousness,
and with truth hast Thou humbled me.
Thou hast slept, O Christ, a life-giving sleep in the tomb, and thereby raised
the race of mankind from the slumber of sin.
77. Verse: Let now Thy mercy be my comfort, according to Thy saying
unto Thy servant.
‘Alone among women, only without pain, I gave birth to Thee, my Child’,
said the pure one. ‘But now at Thy Passion I suffer unbearable pain.’
78. Verse: Let Thy compassions come upon me and I shall live, for Thy
law is my meditation.
Beholding Thee on high O Savior, united inseparably with the Father, yet
seeing Thee below laying in the tomb as one dead; the seraphim trembled with
fear.
79. Verse: Let the proud be put to shame, for unjustly have they
transgressed against me; but as for me, I will ponder on Thy
commandments.
The veil of the temple was rent in twain at Thy Crucifixion, O Word, and
the celestial lights hid their radiance, when Thou, the Sun, wast hidden beneath
the earth.
80. Verse: Let those that fear Thee return unto me, and those that know
Thy testimonies.
He Who in the beginning by His will alone put the earth in circular motion,
doth now descend breathless beneath the earth. O heaven tremble, at this sight.
81. Verse: Let my heart be blameless in Thy statutes, that I may not be
put to shame.
He who fashioned Adam with His own hand, hath descended beneath the
earth, to raise up the fallen race of mankind by His almighty power.
82. Verse: My soul fainteth for Thy salvation; on Thy words have I set
my hope.
Come, as did the women bearing myrrh, and let us hymn a holy lament to
the reposed Christ, that like them we too may hear Him say Rejoice!
83. Verse: Mine eyes are grown dim with waiting for Thine oracle; they
say: When wilt Thou comfort me?
Truly art Thou, O Word, the never-failing myrrh: yet the women brought
unto Thee, the living God, myrrh, to anoint Thee as one dead.
84. Verse: For I am become like a wine-skin in the frost; yet Thy statutes
have I not forgotten.
Thou didst destroy the kingdom of Hades by Thy burial, O Christ: and by
Thy death Thou hast slain death, delivering from corruption the race of
mankind.
85. Verse: How many are the days of Thy servant? When wilt Thou
execute judgment for me on them that persecute me?
The source of the river of life, the Wisdom of God, descendeth into the
tomb granting life to all those in the depths of Hades.
86. Verse: Transgressors have told me fables, but they are not like Thy
law, О Lord.'
‘To renew the broken nature of mortal man, I have been willingly wounded
in the flesh by death. O Mother, strike not thy breast in grief.’
87. Verse: All Thy commandments are truth. Without a cause have men
persecuted me; do Thou help me.
O light-bearer of righteousness, Thou hast descended beneath the earth and
raised up the dead as if from sleep, dispersing all the darkness of Hades.
88. Verse: They well nigh made an end of me on the earth; but as for
me, I forsook not Thy commandments.
The life-giving Seed, twofold in nature, is today sown with tears in the
furrows of the earth; but springing forth He shall bring joy to the world.
89. Verse: According to Thy mercy quicken me, and I will keep the
testimonies of Thy mouth.
Adam feared when God walked in Paradise, but now he rejoiceth that God
hath descended into Hades. Of old he fell, but now he hath been raised up.
90. Verse: For ever, О Lord, Thy word abideth in heaven.
Gazing upon Thy body laid in the tomb, O Christ, Thy Mother brought
Thee her tears as an offering, and said: ‘Arise, O Child, as Thou didst foretell.’
91. Verse: Unto generation and generation is Thy truth; Thou hast laid
the foundation of the earth, and it abideth.
The noble Joseph hid Thee reverently in a new tomb, and sang to Thee a
fitting hymn, mixing it with his lamentations, O Savior,
92. Verse: By Thine ordinance doth the day abide, for all things are Thy
servants.
Seeing Thee, O Word, pierced with nails upon the Cross, Thy Mother was
pierced with the nails of bitter grief, and stricken with arrows in the depths of
her soul.
93. Verse: If Thy law had not been my meditation, then should I have
perished in my humiliation.
Thy Mother saw Thee, the Sweetness of the world, drink bitter vinegar,
whereupon her cheeks became wetted with bitter tears.
94. Verse: I will never forget Thy statutes, for in them hast Thou
quickened me.
‘I am grievously wounded and my inward being is rent apart, O Word,
beholding Thee slain unjustly’, said the most pure One weeping.
95. Verse: I am Thine, save me; for after Thy statutes have I sought.
‘How shall I close Thy sweet eyes and lips, O Word? And how shall I bury
Thee as one dead?’ cried Joseph trembling.
96. Verse: Sinners have waited for me to destroy me; but Thy
testimonies have I understood.
Joseph and Nicodemus now sing burial hymns before the reposed Christ;
and with them, the seraphim.
97. Verse: Of all perfection have I seen the outcome; exceeding spacious
is Thy commandment.
The Savior, the Sun of Righteousness, hast set beneath the earth: wherefore
the Moon, Thy Mother, hath been engulfed in grief, deprived of beholding
Thee any longer.
98. Verse: О how I have loved Thy law, О Lord! the whole day long it is
my meditation.
Hades trembled, O Savior, upon seeing Thee, the Giver of Life, despoiling
him of his wealth and raising up the dead from all the ages.
99. Verse: Above mine enemies hast Thou made me wise in Thy
commandment, for it is mine for ever.
After night the sun doth brightly shine forth again; and after Thy death, O
Word, arise and shine forth in Thy glory, as a bridegroom coming forth from
his chamber.
100. Verse: Above all that teach me have I gained understanding, for Thy
testimonies are my meditation.
When the earth received Thee in her bosom, O Creator, it shook in fear, O
Savior, and quaking, it awoke the dead.
101. Verse: Above mine elders have I received understanding, for after
Thy commandments have I sought.
In a new and wondrous manner Nicodemus and noble Joseph have
anointed Thee with spices, crying aloud: ‘Tremble, O ye earth!’
102. Verse: From every way that is evil have I restrained my feet that I
might keep Thy words.
Thou hast descended, O Creator of light, and with Thee the sun’s light hath
also set; and creation hath been seized with trembling and proclaiming Thee to
be the Fashioner of all.
103. Verse: From Thy judgments have I not declined, for Thou hast set a
law for me.
A stone hewn from rock hath covered the Cornerstone; and a mortal man
doth now bury God in a grave as one dead; Tremble, O ye earth.
104. Verse: How sweet to my palate are Thy sayings! more sweet than
honey to my mouth!
‘Behold the disciple whom Thou hast loved and Thine own Mother, speak
to us, O sweetest Child’, lamented the pure one weeping.
105. Verse: From Thy commandments have I gained understanding;
therefore have I hated every way of unrighteousness.
Thou art the Giver of Life, O Word, wherefore Thou didst not slay the Jews
when stretched out upon the Cross, but rather Thou didst raise their forefathers
from the dead.
106. Verse: Thy law is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths.
At Thy Passion, O Word, there was neither form nor comeliness to be
found in Thee: but Thou didst arise in glory, gifting Thy divine effulgence to
mankind.
107. Verse: I have sworn and resolved that I will keep the judgments of
Thy righteousness.
Thou didst descend beneath the earth in the flesh, O never-setting light-
bearer, and unable to bear the sight of Thee dead, the sun grew dark at the
height of noon-day.
108. Verse: I was humbled exceedingly; О Lord, quicken me according
to Thy word.
The sun and moon darkened themselves, O Savior, like faithful servants
clothed in the black robes of mourning.
109. Verse: The free-will offerings of my mouth be Thou now pleased to
receive, О Lord, and teach me Thy judgments.
The centurion saw Thee as God, even though Thou didst die, and Joseph
cried aloud, ‘How shall I touch Thee with my hands O my God? I am in fear’.
110. Verse: My soul is in Thy hands continually, and Thy law have I not
forgotten.
Adam slept, but from his side there came forth death; now Thou dost sleep,
O Word of God, and from Thy side floweth life into the world.
111. Verse: Sinners have set a snare for me, yet from Thy commandment
have I not strayed.
Thou didst sleep but a little, and brought the dead to life; Thou didst arise,
O Good One, and raise up those who from ages past had fallen asleep.
112. Verse: I have inherited Thy testimonies for ever, for they are the
rejoicing of my heart.
Taken up from the earth, Thou didst pour forth the wine of salvation, O
life-giving Vine, wherefore I glorify Thy Passion and Thy Cross.
113. Verse: I have inclined my heart to perform Thy statutes for ever for
a recompense.
When the commanders of the noetic hosts on high saw Thee, O Savior,
naked, bloodstained and condemned, how could they bear the boldness of Thy
crucifiers?
114. Verse: Transgressors have I hated, but Thy law have I loved.
O ye perverse and crooked Hebrews, ye knew that the temple would be
raised again: why then did ye condemn Christ?
115. Verse: My helper and my protector art Thou; on Thy words have I
set my hope.
In a robe of mockery ye have clothed Him who hath ordered all things, He
who hath established the heavens, and wondrously adorned the earth.
116. Verse: Depart from me, ye evil-doers, and I will search out the
commandments of my God.
Like the pelican Thou wast wounded in Thy side, O Word, restoring Thy
dead children to life through the life-giving drops of Thy blood.
117. Verse: Uphold me according to Thy saying and quicken me, and
turn me not away in shame from mine expectation.
Of old Joshua made the sun stand still, as he smote the heathen tribes; and
Thou didst blot out its light, while casting down the prince of darkness.
118. Verse: Help me, and I shall be saved; and I will meditate on Thy
statutes continually.
Without leaving Thy Father’s side, O Compassionate One, it was Thy good
pleasure, O Christ, to become a man, and descend into Hades.
119. Verse: Thou hast set at nought all that depart from Thy statutes, for
unrighteous is their inward thought.
He who suspended the earth upon the waters is hung upon the Cross. As a
breathless corpse He is laid in the earth, and it quaketh in terror, unable to
endure His presence.
120. Verse: I have reckoned as transgressors all the sinners of the earth,
therefore have I loved Thy testimonies.
‘Woe is me, my Son!’ lamented the Unwedded one saying. ‘I see now
condemned upon the Cross, He whom I had hoped to see enthroned as King.’
121. Verse: Nail down my flesh with the fear of Thee, for of Thy
judgments am I afraid.
‘Such were the tidings Gabriel brought me when he flew down from heaven:
for he said that the Kingdom of my Son Jesus would be eternal.’
122. Verse: I have wrought judgment and righteousness; О give me not
up to them that wrong me.
‘Alas! the prophecy of Simeon hath been Fulfilled: for Thy sword hath
pierced my heart, Emmanuel.
123. Verse: Receive Thy servant unto good, let not the proud falsely
accuse me.
Be ashamed, O ye Jews, for the Life-giver hath raised your dead, yet ye slew
Him out of envy.
124. Verse: Mine eyes have failed with waiting for Thy salvation, and for
the word of Thy righteousness.
Seeing Thee, O my Christ, the invisible Light, hidden breathless in the
tomb, the sun trembled and darkened its light.
125. Verse: Deal with Thy servant according to Thy mercy, and teach me
Thy statutes.
Thy most immaculate Mother wept bitterly, O Word, when she beheld
Thee, the ineffable and beginningless God, lying in the grave,.
126. Verse: I am Thy servant; give me understanding, and I shall know
Thy testimonies.
Seeing Thine undefiled death, O Christ, Thy mother cried to Thee in bitter
sorrow: ‘Tarry not, O Life, among the dead.’
127. Verse: It is time for the Lord to act; for they have dispersed Thy
law.
Wicked Hades trembled when it saw Thee, O immortal Sun of glory, and
hastily yielded up its prisoners.
128. Verse: Therefore have I loved Thy commandments more than gold
and topaz.
Great and fearful is the sight placed before our eyes: for the Cause of life
hath submitted to death, that He may give light and life to all.
129. Verse: Therefore I directed myself according to all Thy
commandments; every way that is unrighteous have I hated.
Thy side hath been pierced, O Master, and Thy hands have been transfixed
with nails; healing by Thy wounded side the unbridled lust of our forefathers.
130. Verse: Wonderful are Thy testimonies; therefore hath my soul
searched them out.
Of old they wept in every house for Rachel’s children; and now the
company of disciples with His Mother lament for the Virgin’s Son.
131. Verse: The unfolding of Thy words will give light and
understanding unto babes.
With their hands they struck the face of Christ, though it was He who
formed man with His hand, and crushed the teeth of the beast.
132. Verse: I opened my mouth and drew in my breath, for I longed for
Thy commandments.
If a priest serves without a deacon, he censes the Plashanitsa from the four
sides, the iconostasis and the people at this point. The following is sung slowly
to allow the censing to be completed and the priest to return to the Plashanitsa
for the small litany; If a deacon is serving, the deacon performs the censing after
the small litany.
With our hymns, O Christ, * we the faithful now worship Thy Crucifixion
and Thy Burial, ** by which we are set free from death.
Glory ..., O beginningless God, * coeternal Word, and Holy Spirit, *
strengthen the faith of Orthodox Christians * against their enemies ** for Thou
art exceedingly Good.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: O pure and most immaculate Virgin, * who
hath given birth to our Life, * bring an end to the scandals of the Church ** and
grant her peace O good one.
And we repeat the first Troparion of the second stasis:
Meet it is to magnify Thee, * the Giver of Life, * who hath stretch out
Thine arms upon the Cross ** and thereby destroyed the power of the enemy.
Priest: For holy art Thou, our God, who dost rest upon the glorious
throne of the cherubim, and to Thee we ascribe glory, together with
Thine eternal Father and Thy most holy, good and life-creating Spirit,
Now & ever ..., and to the ages of ages. Amen.
THIRD STASIS
In Tone III:
Choir: Every generation, O my Christ, * doth offers praises at Thy burial.
133. Verse: Look upon me and have mercy on me, according to
the judgment of them that love Thy name.
Priest: Taking Thee down from the Tree, the Arimathaean lays Thee in a
sepulcher.
134. Verse: My steps do Thou direct according to Thy saying,
and let no iniquity have dominion over me.
The Myrrh-bearers drew near, O my Christ, wisely bringing Thee sweet
spices.
135. Verse: Deliver me from the false accusation of men, and I
will keep Thy commandments.
Come ye, and with the whole of creation let us offer a funeral hymn to the
Creator.
136. Verse: Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant, and
teach me Thy statutes.
With the Myrrhbearers let us all consciously anoint the Living One as one
dead.
137. Verse: Mine eyes have poured forth streams of waters,
because I kept not Thy law.
O thrice-blessed Joseph, bury the body of Christ, the Life-Giver.
138. Verse: Righteous art Thou, О Lord, and upright are Thy
judgments.
Those whom He fed with manna have lifted up their heel against their
Benefactor.
139. Verse: Thou hast ordained as Thy testimonies exceeding
righteousness and truth.
Those whom He fed with manna, offer to the Savior vinegar and gall.
140. Verse: My zeal for Thee hath made me to pine away, because mine
enemies have forgotten Thy words.
O the madness of those who killed the prophets and slew Christ!
141. Verse: Thine oracle is tried with fire to the uttermost, and Thy
servant hath loved it.
Like a mindless servant, the disciple hath betrayed the abyss of wisdom.
142. Verse: I am young and accounted as nothing, yet Thy statutes have
I not forgotten.
Judas the traitor hath sold his Redeemer and made himself a captive.
143. Verse: Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy
law is truth.
According to Solomon, the mouth of the transgressing Hebrews is likened
to a deep pit.
144. Verse: Tribulations and necessities have found me, Thy
commandments are my meditation.
In the crooked paths of the transgressing Hebrews there are thorns and
snares.
145. Verse: Thy testimonies are righteousness for ever; give me
understanding and I shall live.
Joseph with Nicodemus bury the Creator with honors befitting the reposed.
146. Verse: I have cried with my whole heart; hear me, О Lord, and I
will seek after Thy statutes.
O Life-giver and Savior, to Thy power be glory, for Thou hast destroyed
Hades!
147. Verse: I have cried unto Thee; save me, and I will keep Thy
testimonies.
Upon seeing Thee lying dead, O Word, the most pure One wept with a
mother’s grief.
148. Verse: I arose in the dead of night and I cried; on Thy words have I
set my hope.
‘O my sweet springtime, my sweetest Child, where hath all Thy comeliness
gone?’
149. Verse: Mine eyes woke before the morning that I might meditate on
Thy sayings.
Thine all-pure Mother lamented deeply upon seeing Thou, O Word, as one
dead.
150. Verse: Hear my voice, О Lord, according to Thy mercy; according
to Thy judgment, quicken me.
The women came with myrrh to anoint Christ, the Divine Myrrh.
151. Verse: They have drawn nigh that lawlessly persecute me, but from
Thy law are they far removed.
By dying, O my God, Thou didst put death to death by Thy divine power.
152. Verse: Near art Thou, О Lord, and all Thy ways are truth.
The deceiver is deceived, and those whom he misled are set free by Thy
Wisdom, O my God.
153. Verse: From the beginning I have known from Thy testimonies that
Thou hast founded them for ever.
The traitor was cast down to the deepest depths of Hades, and into the pit
of corruption.
154. Verse: Behold my humiliation and rescue me, for Thy law have I
not forgotten.
Thorns and snares are the path of the thrice-wretched foolish Judas.
155. Verse: Judge my cause and redeem me; for Thy word’s sake quicken
me.
All who crucified Thee shall be destroyed together, O Word, Thou Son of
God and King of all.
156. Verse: Far from sinners is salvation, for they have not sought after
Thy statutes.
In the pit of corruption shall all the men of blood be destroyed together.
157. Verse: Thy compassions are many, О Lord; according to Thy
judgment quicken me.
O Son of God and King of all, my God and my Creator, how hast Thou
accepted suffering?
158. Verse: Many are they that persecute me and afflict me; from Thy
testimonies have I not declined.
As the mother of a foal, she gazed on Thee hanging upon the Tree.
159. Verse: I beheld men acting foolishly and I pined away, because they
kept not Thy sayings.
Joseph with Nicodemus bury a body that is the Source of life.
160. Verse: Behold, how I have loved Thy commandments; О Lord, in
Thy mercy, quicken me.
Pierced to the heart, the Virgin shed warm tears and bewailed her child.
161. Verse: The beginning of Thy words is truth, and all the judgments
of Thy righteousness endure for ever.
‘O Light of mine eyes, my sweetest Child, how art Thou hidden now in the
tomb?’
162. Verse: Princes have persecuted me without a cause, and because of
Thy words my heart hath been afraid.
‘Weep not, O Mother, for I suffer this to free Adam and Eve.’
163. Verse: I will rejoice in Thy sayings as one that findeth great spoil.
‘O my Son, I glorify Thine extreme compassion, for which cause Thou hast
suffered.’
164. Verse: Unrighteousness have I hated and abhorred, but Thy law
have I loved.
Thou hast drunk vinegar and gall, O Compassionate One, to redeem us
from the forbidden fruit of old.
165. Verse: Seven times a day have I praised Thee for the judgments of
Thy righteousness.
Thou art nailed upon the Cross, who of old didst shelter Thy people with a
pillar of cloud.
166. Verse: Much peace have they that love Thy law, and for them there
is no stumbling-block.
The Myrrh-bearers came to Thy tomb O Savior, bringing Thee Myrrh.
167. Verse: I awaited Thy salvation, О Lord, and Thy commandments
have I loved.
Rise up, O Compassionate One, and raise us from the depths of Hades.
168. Verse: My soul hath kept Thy testimonies and hath loved them
exceedingly.
‘Arise, O Giver of Life’, the Mother who bore Thee said with flowing tears.
169. Verse I have kept Thy commandments and Thy testimonies, for all
my ways are before Thee, О Lord.
Make haste to arise, O Word, and take away the sorrow of the pure one
who bore Thee.
170. Verse: Let my supplication draw nigh before Thee, О Lord;
according to Thine oracle give me understanding.
All the powers of heaven have been filled with fear and awe upon seeing
Thee dead.
171. Verse: Let my petition come before Thee, О Lord; according to
Thine oracle deliver me.
With love and fear we honor Thy Passion: grant us the remission of our
sins.
172. Verse: My lips shall pour forth a hymn when Thou hast taught me
Thy statutes.
Strange and dreadful is the vision! O Word of God, how art Thou now
hidden by the earth?
173. Verse: My tongue shall speak of Thy sayings, for all Thy
commandments are righteousness.
Joseph once fled with Thee, O Savior, and now another Joseph doth bury
Thee.
174. Verse: Let Thy hand be for saving me, for I have chosen Thy
commandments.
Thy most-holy Mother weepeth for Thee lamenting, O my Savior, as One
dead.
175. Verse: I have longed for Thy salvation, О Lord, and Thy law is my
meditation.
The noetical powers tremble at Thy strange and fearful burial, O Fashioner
of all that is.
176. Verse: My soul shall live and shall praise Thee, and Thy judgments
will help me.
Early in the morning the myrrh-bearers came to Thee and poured myrrh
upon Thy tomb.
177. Verse: I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; О seek Thy
servant, for I have not forgotten Thy commandments.
By Thy Resurrection grant peace to the Church and salvation to Thy people.
Glory ..., O my God in Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Spirit, have
mercy upon the world.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion: Grant unto us thy servants O Virgin, that we
be deemed worthy to behold the Resurrection of thy Son.
This is immediately followed by the Evlogitaria of the Resurrection, during
which the priest with the deacon censes the Plashanitsa, the sanctuary and the
whole church.
THE EVLOGITARIA; in Tone V:
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, * teach me Thy statutes.
The assembly of angels were amazed, * beholding Thee numbered among
the dead; * yet, O Savior, * destroying the stronghold of death, * and with
Thyself raising up Adam, * and freeing all from Hades.
'Why mingle ye myrrh with tears of pity, * O ye women disciples?' * Thus
did the radiant angel * address the myrrh-bearing women within the tomb; *
'behold the tomb and understand, * for the Savior hath arisen from the tomb'.
Very early * the myrrh-bearing women hastened * unto Thy tomb,
lamenting, * but the angel stood before them and said: * the time for
lamentation is passed, weep not, * but tell of the Resurrection to the apostles.
The myrrh-bearing women, * with myrrh came to Thy tomb, O Savior,
bewailing, * but the angel addressed them, saying: * Why number ye the living
among the dead, * for as God * He is risen from the tomb.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Let us worship the Father, * and His Son, and the Holy Spirit, * the Holy
Trinity, * one in essence, * crying with the Seraphim: * Holy, Holy, Holy art
Thou, O Lord.
Both Now & ever ..., and unto the ages of ages, Amen..
In bringing forth the Giver of life, * thou hast delivered Adam from sin, O
Virgin, * and hast brought joy to Eve * instead of sorrow; * and those fallen
from life * have thereunto been restored, * by Him Who of thee was incarnate,
God and man.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. (Thrice).
Priest: For Thou art the King of peace, O Christ our God, and to Thee
we ascribe glory, together with Thine eternal Father, and Thy most holy,
good and life-creating Spirit, Now & ever ..., and to the ages of ages.
Amen.
Then we sing the following Sessional hymns in Tone I:
Joseph begged Pilate to release Thy holy body, * and anointing it with
fragrant spices, * he wrapped it in clean linen shroud * and laid it in a new
tomb; * and early, in the morning the myrrh-bearing women cried aloud: * ‘As
Thou hast foretold, O Christ, ** reveal to us the Resurrection. ’
Glory ...,
As Thou hast foretold, O Christ, ** reveal to us the Resurrection.
Now & ever ..., Another Sessional hymn in Tone I:
The angelic choirs are filled with wonder, * beholding Him who resteth in
the bosom of the Father * laid in the tomb as one dead, * though He is
immortal. * The ranks of angels surround Him, * and with the dead in Hades **
they glorify Him as the Lord and Creator.
The Canon
We do not sing: We have seen the Resurrection of Christ ..., but at once we
read Psalm 50 and then begin the Canon. In each canticle the Irmos is sung
twice, and then the Troparia are repeated four times. The Irmos is sung at the
end as Katavasia. Before the Troparia we say: Glory to Thee, our God, glory to
Thee. The first, third, fourth, and canticles of this canon are the work of Mark
the Monk, Bishop of Hydrous, and the last four canticles are by Kosmas of the
Holy City. The Irmoi are the work of the nun Kassiani.
ODE I; in Tone VI:
Irmos: He Who in ancient times * hid the pursuing tyrant beneath the
waves of the sea, * hath drawn together and covered the streams of the
Jordan, * cleansing now my humanity with purity, * for gloriously hath
He been glorified.
O Lord my God, I will sing to Thee a funeral hymn, a song at Thy burial:
for by Thy burial Thou hast opened for me the gates of life, and by Thy death
Thou hast slain death and Hades.
All things above and all beneath the earth quaked with fear at Thy death, as
they beheld Thee, O my Savior, upon Thy throne on high and in the tomb
below. For seeing Thee as mortal transcends understanding, O Author of life.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., To fill all things with Thy glory, Thou hast gone
down into the nethermost parts of the earth: for my nature hidden in Adam is
not hidden from Thee, but when buried, Thou didst restore it from corruption,
O Lover of mankind.
Katavasia: He Who in ancient times * hid the pursuing tyrant beneath
the waves of the sea, * hath drawn together and covered the streams of
the Jordan, * cleansing now my humanity with purity, * for gloriously
hath He been glorified.
ODE III
Irmos: When creation beheld Thee, * Who founded the whole earth upon
the waters, * hanging on Golgotha, * it was seized with awe and cried
aloud: * None is holy save Thee, O Lord!
Images of Thy burial hast Thou disclosed in a multitude of visions; and
now, as the God-Man, Thou hast revealed Thy secrets unto those in Hades, O
Master, who cry aloud: "None is holy save Thee, O Lord."
Thou hast stretched out Thine arms and united all that of old was separated;
clothed in a winding sheet, O Savior, and buried in a tomb, Thou hast loosed
the captives, who cry aloud: "None is holy save Thee, O Lord."
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., By a tomb and its seals, O Uncontainable One,
Thou wast willingly contained; but through Thine energies Thou hast showed
Thy divine power through their action to those who sing: "None is holy save
Thee, O Lord, Lover of mankind.
Katavasia: When creation beheld Thee, * Who founded the whole earth
upon the waters, * hanging on Golgotha, * it was seized with awe and
cried aloud: * None is holy save Thee, O Lord!
Sessional Hymn in Tone I:
The soldiers keeping watch over Thy tomb, O Savior, * became as dead
men * from the bright effulgence of the appearing of the angel, * who
proclaimed to the women the Resurrection. * We glorify Thee as the Destroyer
of corruption; * we fall down before Thee, ** risen from the tomb, our only
God.
ODE IV
Irmos: Foreseeing Thy divine self-emptying upon the Cross, *
Habakkuk, in amazement, cried out: * "Thou hast cut asunder the
strength of the mighty, * O Good One, * and preached to those in Hades,
* as the Almighty One.
Today Thou hast sanctified the seventh day, which of old Thou didst bless
by resting from Thy works. Thou bringest all things into being and renewest all
things, observing the Sabbath, O my Savior, and restoring all.
By Thy greater power, Thou hast conquered; from the flesh Thy soul was
parted, yet Thou hast burst asunder both bonds, death and Hades, O Word, by
Thy might.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Hades was embittered when it met Thee, O Word,
for it saw a mortal deified, striped with wounds, yet all-powerful; and it shrank
back in terror at this sight.
Katavasia: Foreseeing Thy divine self-emptying upon the Cross, *
OD E V
Irmos: Thy Theophany, O Christ, the Unwaning Light, * that mercifully
came to pass for us, * Isaiah, keeping watch, beheld out of the night, *
and he cried aloud: * "The dead shall arise, and those in the tombs *
shall be raised up, * and all that are born of earth shall rejoice."
Thou dost renew those of earth, O Creator, having been formed from dust,
and the winding-sheet and tomb reveal, O Word, the mystery that lieth within
Thee; for the noble counselor typified the counsel of Him that begat Thee,
Who hath wondrously refashioned me in Thee.
By Thy death dost Thou transform mortality and by Thy burial, corruption,
for Thou hast rendered the nature Thou didst assume incorruptible, by Thy
divine majesty, making it immortal; for Thy flesh hath not seen corruption, O
Master, nor was Thy soul left in Hades as a stranger.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Coming forth from an unwedded Mother, and
wounded in Thy side with a spear, O my Maker, Thou hast brought to pass the
renewal of Eve. Becoming Adam, Thou hast in ways surpassing nature slept a
nature-regenerating sleep, raising life from sleep and from corruption, for Thou
art the Almighty One.
Katavasia: Thy Theophany, O Christ, the Unwaning Light, * that
mercifully came to pass for us, * Isaiah, keeping watch, beheld out of the
night, * and he cried aloud: * "The dead shall arise, and those in the
tombs * shall be raised up, * and all that are born of earth shall rejoice."
ODE VI
Irmos: Jonah was caught but not held * in the belly of the whale; * for,
bearing the image of Thee, * Who hast suffered and wast given to burial,
* he came forth from the sea-monster as from a bridal chamber, * and he
called out to the watch: * "O ye who keep guard falsely and in vain, * ye
have forsaken your own mercy."
Thou wast torn, but not separated, O Word, from the flesh of which Thou
hadst partaken; for though Thy temple was destroyed at the time of Thy
Passion, yet the Substance of Thy Godhead and of Thy flesh have been united.
For in both Thou art the only Son, the Word of God, both God and man.
Fatal to man, but not to God, was the sin of Adam; for though the earthly
substance of Thy flesh suffered, yet the Godhead remained impassable; that
which in Thy nature was corruptible hast Thou transformed to incorruption,
and a fountain of incorruptible life hast Thou revealed by Thy Resurrection.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Hades doth reign over the race of mankind, but
not forever; for Thou, having been laid in a tomb, O Sovereign Lord, hast burst
asunder the bars of death with Thy life-giving hand, proclaiming to those who
slept from ages past, true redemption, O Savior, Who art the Firstborn from the
dead.
Katavasia: Jonah was caught but not held * in the belly of the whale; *
for, bearing the image of Thee, * Who hast suffered and wast given to
burial, * he came forth from the sea-monster as from a bridal chamber, *
and he called out to the watch: * "O ye who keep guard falsely and in
vain, * ye have forsaken your own mercy."
Kontakion in Tone VI:
He Who closed the abyss is beheld as dead, * and as a corpse the Immortal
One hath been wrapped in linen with sweet spices and laid in a tomb. * The
women come to anoint Him with myrrh, weeping bitterly and crying: * "This is
the most blessed Sabbath on which Christ sleepeth, ** but on the third day He
shall rise again."
Ikos: He Who sustaineth all things was lifted up upon the Cross, and all
creation wept, seeing Him hanging naked on the Tree. The sun hid its rays, and
the stars cast aside their light; the earth shook in great fear, and the sea fled, the
rocks were rent asunder, and the graves of many were opened, and the bodies
of the saints arose. Hades groaned below, and the Jews conspired to spread
slander against Christ's Resurrection. But the women cried aloud: "This is the
most blessed Sabbath on which Christ sleepeth, but on the third day He shall
rise again."
ODE VII
Irmos: O ineffable wonder! * He Who delivered the holy Children from
the fiery furnace * is laid a corpse without breath in the tomb, * for the
salvation of us who sing: * "O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou."
Hades was wounded in its heart when it received Him Who was wounded in
the side by a spear, and consumed by divine fire it groaned aloud at the
salvation of us who sing: O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou.
O wealthy tomb! For it hath received within itself the Creator, as one asleep,
and was shown to be a divine treasury of life, for the salvation of us who sing:
O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou.
Glory ..., In accordance with the law of the dead, the Life of all hath
submitted to be laid in the tomb, showing it to be a source of awakening, for
the salvation of us who sing: O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou.
Now & ever ..., Whether in Hades or in the tomb or in Eden, the Godhead
of Christ was indivisibly one with the Father and the Spirit, for the salvation of
us who sing: O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou.
Katavasia: O ineffable wonder! * He Who delivered the holy Children
from the fiery furnace * is laid a corpse without breath in the tomb, * for
the salvation of us who sing: * "O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou."
ODE VIII
Irmos: Be ye astonished and afraid, O heaven, * and let the foundations
of the earth be shaken; * for lo, He Who dwelleth on high is numbered
with the dead * and lodgeth as a stranger in a narrow tomb. * Him do ye
children bless, * ye priests praise, and ye people supremely exalt
throughout all ages.
The most pure Temple hath been destroyed, but hath raised up the fallen
tabernacle. For the second Adam, Who dwelleth on high, hath come down to
the first Adam, even into the chambers of Hades. Him do ye children bless, ye
priests praise, and ye people supremely exalt throughout all ages.
The disciples' courage failed, but Joseph of Arimathaea was bolder; for,
seeing the God of all a corpse and naked, he begged for the body and buried
Him, crying: Him do ye children bless, ye priests praise, and ye people
supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., O new wonders! O what goodness! O ineffable
forbearance! For of His own will He Who dwelleth on high hath been sealed
beneath the earth, and God hath been falsely accused as a deceiver. Him do ye
children bless, ye priests praise, and ye people supremely exalt throughout all
ages.
Katavasia: Be ye astonished and afraid, O heaven, * and let the
foundations of the earth be shaken; * for lo, He Who dwelleth on high is
numbered with the dead * and lodgeth as a stranger in a narrow tomb. *
Him do ye children bless, * ye priests praise, and ye people supremely
exalt throughout all ages.
O D E IX
Irmos: Weep not for Me, O Mother, * beholding in the tomb the Son
Whom thou hast conceived * without seed in the womb; * for I shall arise
and shall be glorified, * and as God I shall exalt with glory unceasing *
those that with faith and love magnify thee.
At Thy strange birth, O beginningless Son, I was blessed in ways
transcending nature, for I was spared the travail of birth. But now, beholding
Thee, my God, a lifeless corpse, I am pierced with the sword of bitter grief. But
arise, that I may be magnified.
The earth doth cover Me as I have willed, O Mother, but the gatekeepers of
Hades tremble upon seeing Me, clothed in the bloodstained garment of
vengeance; for on the Cross as God have I struck down Mine enemies, and I
shall rise again and magnify thee.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Let creation rejoice, let all that are born of earth be
glad, for the enemy, Hades, hath been despoiled; let the women come with
myrrh to meet Me, for I have redeemed Adam and Eve with all their offspring,
and on the third day I shall rise again.
Katavasia: Weep not for Me, O Mother, * beholding in the tomb the Son
Small Litany.
Holy is the Lord our God. (Thrice)
This is repeated three times, as at Matins on Sunday.
Exapostilarion in Tone II:
The myrrh-bearing women rejoiced when they beheld the great stone rolled
away from the tomb, * and a young man seated therein on the right side,
addressing them and saying: * 'Lo, Christ hath arisen from the dead. * Go and
tell His disciples and Peter, that He goeth before you into Galilee unto the
mountain, ** for there He shall appear unto you His friends, as He foretold
you.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., in Tone II:
Prior to thy conception an Angel conveyed unto the Virgin the salutation,
"Rejoice", * and now, O Christ, an Angel hath rolled away the stone from Thy
tomb. * The one, instead of sorrow, brought tokens of ineffable joy; * the other
instead of death, heralded Thee the Giver of life ** magnifying Thee and telling
of the resurrection unto the women and unto Thine apostles.
At the Praises. Four Stichera are sung in Tone II:
Today a tomb doth hold Him who holdeth creation in the palm of His
hand; * a stone doth cover Him who hath covered the heavens with glory. *
Life sleepeth and Hades doth tremble, * and Adam hath been released from his
bonds. * Glory to Thy dispensation, whereby Thou hast accomplished all
things, * granting us an eternal Sabbath, ** Thine all-holy Resurrection from the
dead.
psaltery and harp.
What is this sight we behold? * What is this present rest? * The King of the
ages, having through His Passion * fulfilled the plan of salvation, * keepeth the
Sabbath in a tomb, * thereby granting us a new Sabbath. * Unto Him let us cry
aloud: * Arise, O Lord, judge the earth, * for measureless is Thy great mercy **
and Thou dost reign throughout all ages.
flute.
Come, let us behold our Life lying in the tomb, * that He may give life to
those who lay dead in their tombs. * Come, let us look upon the Son of Judah
today as He sleepeth, * and with the prophet let us cry aloud to Him: * Thou
hast reclined, and slept as a lion; * who shall awaken Thee, O King? * But of
Thine own free will Thou shalt rise up, * who willingly dost give Thyself for us.
** O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Tone VI: Joseph begged for the body of Jesus * and laid it in his own new
tomb: * for it was fitting that the Lord should come forth from the grave * as
from a bridal chamber. * O Thou who hast destroyed the power of death * and
opened the gates of Paradise to mankind, ** O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Moses the great mystically foretold this present day, saying: * ‘And God
blessed the seventh day.’ * For this is the blessed Sabbath, * this is the day of
rest, * on which the only-begotten Son of God hath rested from all His works. *
Suffering death in accordance with the plan of salvation, * He hath kept the
Sabbath in the flesh; * and returning to what He was through His Resurrection,
* He hath granted us eternal life, ** for He alone is supremely good and the
Lover of mankind.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion in Tone II:
Thou art most blessed, O Virgin Theotokos, * for through Him who took
flesh from thee, Hades hath been captured, * Adam recalled, the curse slain,
Eve set free, * death put to death, and we have been given life. * Therefore in
praise we cry: * Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who hast been thus well-
pleased, glory be to Thee.
Great Doxology is sung.
Note: During the Stichera of Lauds, the senior priest puts on all his
vestments, and as the choir sings Thou art most blessed, O Virgin Theotokos
..., he comes out of the sanctuary with the rest of the clergy and stands before
the Plashanitsa. During the singing of the Doxology he goes three times round
the Plashanitsa, censing it from the four sides. Then, while the choir sings the
concluding Holy God ..., to a slow and solemn melody, as sung at the Burial
Service, he takes the Book of the Gospels and the other clergy (or laity if there
are no clergy) take the Plashanitsa which they hold above his head. They go in
procession round the outside of the church, the choir meanwhile continuing to
sing Holy God to the funeral melody as often as is necessary. The Cross with
the processional candles is carried at the head of the procession; then comes the
choir; then the deacon with the incense, the clergy with the Plashanitsa, and
after them all the members of the congregation, holding lighted candles. The
procession returns to the interior of the church, and stopping before the Holy
Doors with the Plashanitsa above his head, the senior priest says,
Priest: Let us attend, Wisdom:
Note: The Troparion of the day is sung once slowly and with compunction,
during this time the Plashanitsa is placed, and left in the centre of the church
until the evening of Holy Saturday, when it is taken into the sanctuary and laid
on the Holy Table at the end of the Midnight Office (at ODE VIII,
immediately preceding the Matins of the Resurrection.
Troparion of the Day in Tone II:
Then follows the singing of the Troparion of the prophecy
In Tone II:
Thou who holdest the ends of the earth, O Christ, * hast accepted to be
held within a tomb, * to deliver mankind from his fall into Hades; * and as
immortal God ** Thou hast conferred upon us immortality and life.
Prokeimenon: Arise, Lord, help us: * and redeem us for Thy Name’s
sake.
Verse: O God, with our ears we have heard, for our fathers have told us.
READING FROM THE PROPHECY OF EZEKIEL (37: 1-14)
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of
the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very
many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son
of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye
dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these
bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will
lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin,
and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise,
and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And
when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin
covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me,
Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these
slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath
came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding
great army. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house
of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut
off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord
GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up
out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that
I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought
you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I
shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have
spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
Prokeimenon in Tone VII:
Prokeimenon: Arise, O Lord my God, let Thine hand be lifted high: *
forget not Thy paupers to the end.
Verse: I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: I will tell of all
Thy wonders.
1ST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS (5:6-8); GALATIANS (3: 13-14).
Brethren: Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge
out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast,
not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Christ hath redeemed us from the
curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one
that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the
Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith.
Alleluia in Tone V:
Verse: Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, * and let them
that hate Him flee from before His face.
Verse: As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish: as wax melteth before
the fire.
Verse: So let sinners perish at the presence of God, and let the righteous
be glad.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW (27: 62-66)
The morning of the next day, that followed the day of preparation, the chief
priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that
that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his
disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is
risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said
unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they
went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
Note: Then the two Litanies and the conclusion of Matins, with the same
Dismissal as at the end of Vespers
(Dismissal) Priest: May He who For us men and For our salvation
endured in the flesh the dread Passion, the life-giving Cross and
voluntary burial, Christ our true God ...,
After the Dismissal the faithful come up to venerate the Plashanitsa, while
the choir sings with sweet melody, slowly and with compunction:
In Tone V:
Come, let us bless the ever-memorable Joseph, * who came to Pilate by
night and begged for body of the Life of all: * ‘Give me this stranger, who hath
no place to lay His head. * Give me this stranger, who wast delivered to death
by His evil disciple. * Give me this stranger, whom His Mother saw hanging on
the Cross, * and with a mother’s sorrow cried weeping: * “Woe is me, my Child!
* Woe is me, Light of mine eyes * and beloved fruit of my womb! * For what
Simeon foretold in the temple hath come to pass today: * a sword hath pierced
my soul, * but do Thou change my grief to rejoicing * by Thy Resurrection. *
We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ. * We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ. * We
venerate Thy Passion, O Christ, ** and Thy Holy Resurrection.
Note: The First Hour is then read as outside lent. The other Hours, the
Third, the Sixth and the Ninth, and also the Typika, are likewise read at the
appointed time before the Vesperal Liturgy. They are read simply and without
singing.
HOLY AND GREAT SATURDAY
VESPERAL LITURGY OF ST. BASIL
The service begins about the tenth hour of the day (four o'clock in the
afternoon). For the first part of the service the clergy wear dark vestments.
After the Psalm of introduction (Psalm 103) and the Great Litany, to: Lord, I
have cried ..., 8 Stichera are sung: 4 of the Resurrection from the Oktoechos;
and then 3 of the day, the first of these being repeated.
In Tone I:
Verse: Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; * O Lord,
hear my voice.
Receive our evening prayers, * O Holy Lord, * and grant us remission of
sins; * because Thou alone hast revealed ** the Resurrection to the world.
Go around Zion, O ye peoples, * and encompass her, * and give glory to
him who in her midst hath arisen from the dead; * for he is our God, ** and
hath delivered us from our iniquities.
Come O ye peoples, * let us hymn and worship Christ * glorifying his
Resurrection from the dead: * for he is our God, ** who hath redeemed the
world from the wiles of the adversary.
Lord.
By Thy Passion, O Christ, * we have been set free from passions, * and by
Thy Resurrection we have been delivered from corruption. ** O Lord, glory be
to thee.
In Tone VIII:
Today Hades doth groan and cry aloud: * ‘It had been better for me had I
not accepted Mary’s Son, * for He hath come to me and destroyed my power; *
He hath shattered the gates of brass, * and as God He hath raised up the souls
that once I held.’ * Glory be to Thy Cross, O Lord, ** and to Thy Resurrection.
Repeat: Today Hades doth groan and cry aloud: * it had been better ...,
Today Hades doth groan and cry aloud: * ‘My power hath been destroyed. *
I accepted a mortal man as one of the dead; * yet I cannot keep Him prisoner, *
and with Him I shall lose all those whom I once ruled. * I held in my power the
dead from all ages; * but behold, He is raising them all.’ * Glory be to Thy
Cross, O Lord, ** and to Thy Resurrection.
Today Hades doth groan and cry aloud: * ‘My dominion hath been
swallowed up; * the Shepherd hath been crucified * and He hath raised Adam. *
I am deprived of those whom I once ruled; * in my strength I devoured them, *
but now I have cast them forth. * He who hath been crucified hath emptied the
tombs; * the power of death hath no more strength.’ * Glory be to Thy Cross,
O Lord, ** and to Thy Resurrection.
Moses the great mystically foretold this present day, saying: * ‘And God
blessed the seventh day.’ * For this is the blessed Sabbath, * this is the day of
rest, * on which the only-begotten Son of God rested from all His works. *
Suffering death in accordance with the plan of salvation, * He kept the Sabbath
in the flesh; * and returning to what He was through His Resurrection, * He
hath granted us eternal life, ** for He alone is good and the Lover of mankind.
Now & ever ..., Theotokion in Tone I:
Let us hymn the whole world’s glory, * who sprang forth from mankind and
who gave birth to the Master, * the Portal of heaven, Mary the Virgin, * the
hymn of the Bodiless Powers and adornment of the faithful; * for she hath been
revealed as the Heaven and Temple of the Godhead. * By destroying the middle
wall, she hath brought forth peace, * and opened wide the Kingdom. *
Therefore, holding fast to her as a firm confirmation of the faith, * we have as
our champion the Lord born from her. * Take courage therefore, take courage,
O ye people of God; ** for as the Invincible one he shall conquer our
adversaries.
Entrance with the Gospel; O joyous Light ...,
There is no Prokeimenon, but we begin at once the reading of the lessons:
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS (1:1-13)
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was
without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God
divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the
darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it
divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided
the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above
the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the
evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land
appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering
together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God
said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree
yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the
tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it
was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.
THE READING IS FROM PROPHECY OF ISAIAH (60 1-16)
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon
thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the
people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon
thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy
rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves
together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters
shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine
heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be
converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The
multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all
they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall
shew forth the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered
together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall
come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the
isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from
far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God,
and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. And the sons of
strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in
my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee. Therefore
thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that
men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be
brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea,
those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto
thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my
sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. The sons also of them
that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee
shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The
city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas thou has been
forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an
eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of
the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the
LORD am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF EXODUS (12 1-11)
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first
month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In
the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according
to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too
little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it
according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall
make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of
the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall
keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly
of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of
the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the
houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast
with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not
of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs,
and with the pertinence thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the
morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with
fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and
your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's Passover.
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF JONAH (1:1 - 4:11)
Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is
come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence
of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish:
so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto
Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. But the LORD sent out a great wind
into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like
to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god,
and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them.
But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast
asleep. So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, what meanest thou,
O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that
we perish not. And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots,
that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and
the lot fell upon Jonah. Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for
whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest
thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? And he said unto them,
I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made
the sea and the dry land. Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto
him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the
presence of the LORD, because he had told them. Then said they unto him,
what shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea
wrought, and was tempestuous. And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast
me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my
sake this great tempest is upon you. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring
it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous
against them. Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, we beseech thee,
O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not
upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. So
they look up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her
raging. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice
unto the LORD, and made vows. Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to
swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three
nights. Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, And
said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out
of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me
into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all
thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy
sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me
about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were
wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the
earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life
from corruption, O LORD my God. When my soul fainted within me I
remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy
temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will
sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have
vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it
vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. And the word of the LORD came unto
Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and
preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto
Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding
great city of three days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's
journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be
overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast,
and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For
word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid
his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he
caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the
king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any
thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with
sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil
way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn
and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God
saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the
evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. But it
displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the
LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet
in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a
gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest
thee of the evil. Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from
me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the LORD, Doest thou
well to be angry? So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the
city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might
see what would become of the city. And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and
made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to
deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. But God
prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd
that it withered. And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared
a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted,
and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he
said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. Then said the LORD, Thou hast
had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not labored, neither madest it
grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare
Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more then six-score thousand persons that
cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much
cattle?
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF JOSHUA (5 10-15)
The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the
fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat
of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes,
and parched corn in the selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow
after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of
Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that
year. And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes
and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword
drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for
us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the
LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did
worship, and said unto him, what saith my Lord unto his servant? And the
captain of the LORD's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot;
for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF EXODUS (13 20-15: 19)
The Israelites took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in
the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar
of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them
light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day,
nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. And the LORD spake
unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and
encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against
Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the
children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them
in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will
be honored upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know
that I am the LORD. And they did so. And it was told the king of Egypt that
the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against
the people, and they said, why have we done this, that we have let Israel go
from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and
captains over every one of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of
Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the
children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after
them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army,
and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before
Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their
eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid:
and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses,
Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the
wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of
Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone,
that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the
Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the
people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he
will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall
see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall
hold your peace. And the LORD said unto Moses, wherefore criest thou unto
me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy
rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of
Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will
harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me
honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his
horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have
gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and
went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and
stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the
camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by
night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses
stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back
by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters
were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the
dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on
their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of
the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came
to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the
Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of
the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily:
so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD
fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses,
Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the
Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched
forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the
morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew
the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the
chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea
after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of
Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall
unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel
that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead
upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon
the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and
his servant Moses. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto
the LORD, and spake, saying:
Reader: I will sing unto the LORD,
Choir: For gloriously hath he been glorified:
Reader: The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. Let us sing
unto the Lord
Reader: The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my
salvation: Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: He is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's
God, and I will exalt him. Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's
chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. Let us sing
unto the Lord
Reader: The depths have covered them; they sank into the bottom as a
stone. Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: Let us
sing unto the Lord
Reader: Thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that
rose up against thee: Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: Thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, Let
us sing unto the Lord
Reader: The floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were
congealed in the heart of the sea. Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the
spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my
hand shall destroy them. Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank
as lead in the mighty waters. Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like
thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Let us sing
unto the Lord
Reader: Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed:
Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the
inhabitants of Palestine: Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of
Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan
shall melt away. Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine
arm they shall be as still as a stone; Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: Till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over,
which thou hast purchased: Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of
thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee
to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have
established: Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: The LORD shall reign for ever and ever. For the horse of
Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea,
and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; Let us
sing unto the Lord
Reader: But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the
sea. Let us sing unto the Lord
Reader: Glory ...,
Choir: Let us sing unto the Lord, for gloriously hath he been glorified:
Reader: Now & ever ...,
Choir: Let us sing unto the Lord.
Reader: For gloriously hath he been glorified:
Then we continue with the reading of the lessons:
THE READING IS FROM PROPHECY OF ZEPHANIAH (3:8-15)
Thus saith the LORD: Therefore wait ye upon me, until the day that I rise
up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may
assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce
anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then
will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of
the LORD, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering. In
that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast
transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them
that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy
mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and
they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall not do
iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth:
for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. Sing, O
daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O
daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast
out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee:
thou shalt not see evil any more.
THE READING IS FROM THE THIRD BOOK OF KINGS (17:8-24)
The word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to
Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have
commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to
Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow
woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I
pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to
fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in
thine hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but
an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am
gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we
may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast
said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make
for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of
meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the
LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the
saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the
barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word
of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. And it came to pass after these things,
that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness
was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, what
have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my
sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? And he said unto her, Give me thy
son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where
he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the LORD, and
said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with
whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child
three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee,
let this child's soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of
Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah
took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and
delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the
woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that
the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.
THE READING IS FROM PROPHECY OF ISAIAH (61:10-62:5)
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he
hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the
robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as
a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud,
and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the
Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the
nations. For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will
not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation
thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness,
and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the
mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the
hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no
more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate:
but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD
delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a
virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the
bride, so shall thy LORD rejoice over thee.
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS (22 1-18)
It came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said
unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy
son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of
Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains
which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and
saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and
clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of
which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and
saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here
with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to
you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac
his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of
them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father:
and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but
where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will
provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them
together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham
built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and
laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand,
and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him
out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he
said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for
now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold
behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took
the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And
Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In
the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. And the angel of the LORD called
unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I
sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not
withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand
which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast
obeyed my voice.
THE READING IS FROM PROPHECY OF ISAIAH (61:1-9)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed
me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint
unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of
joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they
might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might
be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former
desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many
generations. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the
alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the
Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat
the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. For your
shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion:
therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be
unto them. For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering;
and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant
with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their
offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they
are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.
THE READING IS FROM THE FOURTH BOOK OF KINGS (4 8-37)
It fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman;
and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by,
he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I
perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let
us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a
bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh
to us, that he shall turn in thither. And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and
he turned into the chamber, and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant,
Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. And
he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with
all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the
king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own
people. And he said, what then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered,
Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. And he said, Call her. And
when he had called her, she stood in the door. And he said, About this season,
according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my
lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. And the woman
conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her,
according to the time of life. And when the child was grown, it fell on a day,
that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My
head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And when he had
taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and
then died. And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and
shut the door upon him, and went out. And she called unto her husband, and
said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I
may run to the man of God, and come again. And he said, wherefore wilt thou
go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor Sabbath. And she said, It shall be
well. Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward;
slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. So she went and came unto the
man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw
her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that
Shunammite: Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with
thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It
is well: And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by
the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said,
Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from
me, and hath not told me. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I
not say, Do not deceive me? Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and
take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him
not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face
of the child. And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy
soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. And Gehazi
passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there
was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told
him, saying, The child is not awaked. And when Elisha was come into the
house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore,
and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. And he went
up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes
upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the
child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in
the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the
child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi,
and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in
unto him, he said, Take up thy son. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and
bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.
THE READING IS FROM PROPHECY OF ISAIAH (63:11 - 64:5)
Thus saith the Lord: Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with
the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him? That
led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water
before them, to make himself an everlasting name? That led them through the
deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble? As a beast
goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst
thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name. Look down from heaven,
and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy
zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward
me? are they restrained? Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be
ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father,
our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting. O LORD, why hast thou made us
to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy
servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. The people of thy holiness have
possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy
name. Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down,
that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, As when the melting fire
burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine
adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! When thou didst
terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains
flowed down at thy presence. For since the beginning of the world men have
not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside
thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him
that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways:
THE READING IS FROM PROPHECY OF JEREMIAH (31:31-34)
Thus saith the Lord: Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I
took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my
covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After
those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it
in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they
shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother,
saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them
unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I
will remember their sin no more.
THE READING IS FROM THE BOOK OF DANIEL (3:1-23)
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was
threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of
Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to
gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the
treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to
come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set
up. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the
counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered
together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set
up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then an
herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery,
dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image
that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and
worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery
furnace. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the
nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans
came near, and accused the Jews. They spake and said to the king
Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that
every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery,
and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden
image: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast
into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou
hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods,
nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar in
his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said
unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my
gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready
that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery,
and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which
I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the
midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out
of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the
king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it
be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery
furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known
unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden
image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the
form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:
therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one
seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most
mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in
their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast
into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's
commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire
slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these
three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst
of the burning fiery furnace. And they walked in the midst of the fire, praising
God, and blessing the Lord. Then Azarias stood up, and prayed on this manner;
and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said: Blessed art Thou in the
firmament of heaven; and to be praised and exalted above all for ever: And they
walked in the midst of the fire, praising God, and blessing the Lord. Then
Azarias stood up, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the
midst of the fire said, Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: thy name is
worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore: For thou art righteous in all
the things that thou hast done to us: yea, true are all thy works, thy ways are
right, and all thy judgments truth. In all the things that thou hast brought upon
us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, thou hast executed
true judgment: for according to truth and judgment didst thou bring all these
things upon us because of our sins. For we have sinned and committed iniquity,
departing from thee. In all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed thy
commandments, nor kept them, neither done as thou hast commanded us, that
it might go well with us. Wherefore all that thou hast brought upon us, and
every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment. And
thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful forsakers
of God, and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world. And now
we cannot open our mouths, we are become a shame and reproach to thy
servants; and to them that worship thee. Yet deliver us not up wholly, for thy
name's sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant: And cause not thy mercy to
depart from us, for thy beloved Abraham's sake, for thy servant Issac's sake,
and for thy holy Israel's sake; To whom thou hast spoken and promised, that
thou wouldest multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that
lieth upon the seashore. For we, O Lord, are become less than any nation, and
be kept under this day in all the world because of our sins. Neither is there at
this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or
oblation, or incense, or place to sacrifice before thee, and to find mercy.
Nevertheless in a contrite heart and an humble spirit let us be accepted. Like as
in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat
lambs: so let our sacrifice be in thy sight this day, and grant that we may wholly
go after thee: for they shall not be confounded that put their trust in thee. And
now we follow thee with all our heart, we fear thee, and seek thy face. Put us
not to shame: but deal with us after thy tender compassion, and according to
the multitude of thy mercies. Deliver us also according to thy marvellous works,
and give glory to thy name, O Lord: and let all them that do thy servants hurt
be ashamed; And let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let
their strength be broken; And let them know that thou art God, the only God,
and glorious over the whole world. And the king's servants, that put them in,
ceased not to make the oven hot with rosin, pitch, tow, and small wood; So that
the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits. And it passed
through, and burned those Chaldeans it found about the furnace. But the angel
of the Lord came down into the oven together with Azarias and his fellows, and
smote the flame of the fire out of the oven; And made the midst of the furnace
as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all,
neither hurt nor troubled them. Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised,
glorified, and blessed, God in the furnace, saying, Blessed art thou, O Lord God
of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. And blessed is
thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.
Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory: and to be praised and
glorified above all for ever. Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and
sittest upon the cherubims: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.
Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and
glorified above all for ever. Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and
above all to be praised and glorified for ever:
The Song of the Three Children (Verses 1-66):
In Tone VI:
Choir: Praise the Lord and exalt Him above all for ever.
Reader: O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.
Choir: Praise the Lord and exalt Him above all throughout all ages:
Reader: O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord :
Reader: O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O all ye waters that be above the heaven,
Reader: O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O all ye winds, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye dews and storms of snow, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye ice and cold, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye frost and snow, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O let the earth bless the Lord:
Reader: O ye mountains and little hills, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O all ye things that grow in the earth, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye mountains, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye seas and rivers, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O Israel, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord:
Reader: O ye apostles, prophets and martyrs of the Lord, bless ye the
Lord.
Choir: Praise the Lord and. exalt Him above all throughout all ages:
Reader: We bless the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Choir: We praise the Lord and exalt Him above all throughout all ages:
Reader: Both now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Reader: We praise, bless and worship the Lord.
Choir: We praise the Lord and exalt Him above all throughout all ages:
Then follows the Small Litany.
Instead of the Trisagion we sing:
Choir: As many of you as were baptized into Christ, ** have put on
Christ. Alleluia.
Prokeimenon in Tone V:
Prokeimenon: Let all the earth worship Thee, and chant unto Thee * let
them chant unto Thy Name, O most High.
Verse: Shout with jubilation unto the Lord, all the earth; chant ye unto
His Name.
EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS (6:3-11)
Brethren: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus
Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by
baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory
of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have
been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the
likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with
him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised
from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in
that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We do not sing Alleluia, but in its place we sing the following verses:
Choir: Arise, O God, judge the earth: * for Thou shalt have an
inheritance among all the nations.
Verse: God stood in the congregation of the gods: and in the midst He
shall stand out among gods.
Choir: Arise, O God, judge the earth: ...,
Verse: How long will ye judge unrighteously: and accept the person of
sinners?
Verse: Judge for the orphan and the poor: do justice to the humble and
the pauper.
Verse: Rescue the poor man and the needy: from the hand of the sinner
deliver him.
Verse: They have not known, nor understood, that they walk in
darkness: let all the foundations of the earth be shaken.
Verse: I said: ye are gods, and all of you are all the sons of the most
High: but like men ye die, and like one of the rulers ye fall.
Note: While this is being sung, the Royal Doors are closed and the curtain is
drawn. The clergy change from dark to white vestments, and the hangings and
covers in the sanctuary and the rest of the church are likewise changed from
dark to white.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW (28: 1-20)
In the evening of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of
the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And,
behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from
heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His
countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of
him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered
and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was
crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where
the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;
and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have
told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy;
and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples,
behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the
feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my
brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. Now when they
were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the
chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with
the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is
commonly reported among the Jews until this day. Then the eleven disciples
went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And
when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came
and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even
unto the end of the world. Amen.
We continue with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great:
In place of the Hymn of the Cherubim, we sing:
In Tone V:
Let all mortal flesh keep silence, * and stand with fear and trembling; * and
let it take no thought for any earthly thing. * For the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords * draweth near to be sacrificed * and given as food to the faithful. *
Before Him go the choirs of angels * with all the principalities and powers, *
the many-eyed cherubim and the six-winged seraphim, * who cover their faces
as they sing this hymn: ** Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Repeat as needed)
In place of It is truly meet ..., we sing the Irmos:
and shall be glorified, * and as God I shall exalt with glory unceasing, *
Communion Verse: And the Lord awoke, as one that sleepeth: He hath
arisen and hath saved us. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Note: At the end of the Liturgy a table is placed in the centre of the church
and on it are set five loaves and wine (but not oil: for on this Saturday, alone
among all the Saturdays of the year, oil is not permitted). After the prayer
behind the Ambon the deacon says: Let us pray to the Lord, and the priest
blesses the bread and wine with the usual prayer used at the Vigil Service:
Priest: O Lord Jesus Christ our God ..., (but omitting the reference to
oil).
Then is sung: Blessed be the Name of the Lord ..., followed by the
conclusion of the Liturgy. The priest uses the form of the Dismissal as on
Sundays:
Priest: May He who rose from the dead, Christ our true God ...,
After receiving the antidoron, the faithful also partake from the bread and
wine that have been blessed.
In previous times, after the completion of the Liturgy - which ended around
the second hour of the night (eight o’clock in the evening) - the faithful did not
leave the church; but after receiving the blessed bread and wine, together with
several dates or figs, they remained in their places. The reading of the Acts of
the Apostles commenced at once, and continued without interruption until the
commencement of the Midnight Office.
THE MIDNIGHT OFFICE
MIDNIGHT OFFICE FOR PASCHA BEGINNETH AT 11:30 P.M.
Priest: Blessed is our God, always, Now & ever ..., and unto the ages of
ages.
Trisagion ..., Our Father ...,
Lord, have mercy. (12 times)
Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according
to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me
thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know mine
iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned and
done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and
prevail when Thou art judged. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in
sins did my mother bear me. For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and
secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me. Thou shalt
sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I
shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness;
the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice. Turn Thy face away from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a
right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy
Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy
governing Spirit establish me. I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the
ungodly shall turn back unto Thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God,
Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness. O
Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. For if
Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou
shalt not be pleased. A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is
broken and humbled God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Thy good
pleasure unto Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded. Then shalt Thou
be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt
offerings. Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.
Burial Canon, in Tone VI
ODE I; in Tone VI:
Irmos: He Who in ancient times * hid the pursuing tyrant beneath the
waves of the sea, * hath drawn together and covered the streams of the
Jordan, * cleansing now my humanity with purity, * for gloriously hath
He been glorified.
O Lord my God, I will sing to Thee a funeral hymn, a song at Thy burial:
for by Thy burial Thou hast opened for me the gates of life, and by Thy death
Thou hast slain death and Hades.
All things above and all beneath the earth quaked with fear at Thy death, as
they beheld Thee, O my Savior, upon Thy throne on high and in the tomb
below. For seeing Thee as mortal transcends understanding, O Author of life.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., To fill all things with Thy glory, Thou hast gone
down into the nethermost parts of the earth: for my nature hidden in Adam is
not hidden from Thee, but when buried, Thou didst restore it from corruption,
O Lover of mankind.
Katavasia: He Who in ancient times * hid the pursuing tyrant beneath
the waves of the sea, * hath drawn together and covered the streams of
the Jordan, * cleansing now my humanity with purity, * for gloriously
hath He been glorified.
ODE III
Irmos: When creation beheld Thee, * Who founded the whole earth upon
the waters, * hanging on Golgotha, * it was seized with awe and cried
aloud: * None is holy save Thee, O Lord!
Images of Thy burial hast Thou disclosed in a multitude of visions; and
now, as the God-Man, Thou hast revealed Thy secrets unto those in Hades, O
Master, who cry aloud: "None is holy save Thee, O Lord."
Thou hast stretched out Thine arms and united all that of old was separated;
clothed in a winding sheet, O Savior, and buried in a tomb, Thou hast loosed
the captives, who cry aloud: "None is holy save Thee, O Lord."
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., By a tomb and its seals, O Uncontainable One,
Thou wast willingly contained; but through Thine energies Thou hast showed
Thy divine power through their action to those who sing: "None is holy save
Thee, O Lord, Lover of mankind.
Katavasia: When creation beheld Thee, * Who founded the whole earth
upon the waters, * hanging on Golgotha, * it was seized with awe and
cried aloud: * None is holy save Thee, O Lord!
Sessional Hymn in Tone I:
The soldiers keeping watch over Thy tomb, O Savior, * became as dead
men * from the bright effulgence of the appearing of the angel, * who
proclaimed to the women the Resurrection. * We glorify Thee as the Destroyer
of corruption; * we fall down before Thee, ** risen from the tomb, our only
God.
ODE IV
Irmos: Foreseeing Thy divine self-emptying upon the Cross, *
Today Thou hast sanctified the seventh day, which of old Thou didst bless
by resting from Thy works. Thou bringest all things into being and renewest all
things, observing the Sabbath, O my Savior, and restoring all.
By Thy greater power, Thou hast conquered; from the flesh Thy soul was
parted, yet Thou hast burst asunder both bonds, death and Hades, O Word, by
Thy might.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Hades was embittered when it met Thee, O Word,
for it saw a mortal deified, striped with wounds, yet all-powerful; and it shrank
back in terror at this sight.
Katavasia: Foreseeing Thy divine self-emptying upon the Cross, *
OD E V
Irmos: Thy Theophany, O Christ, the Unwaning Light, * that mercifully
came to pass for us, * Isaiah, keeping watch, beheld out of the night, *
and he cried aloud: * "The dead shall arise, and those in the tombs *
shall be raised up, * and all that are born of earth shall rejoice."
Thou dost renew those of earth, O Creator, having been formed from dust,
and the winding-sheet and tomb reveal, O Word, the mystery that lieth within
Thee; for the noble counselor typified the counsel of Him that begat Thee,
Who hath wondrously refashioned me in Thee.
By Thy death dost Thou transform mortality and by Thy burial, corruption,
for Thou hast rendered the nature Thou didst assume incorruptible, by Thy
divine majesty, making it immortal; for Thy flesh hath not seen corruption, O
Master, nor was Thy soul left in Hades as a stranger.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Coming forth from an unwedded Mother, and
wounded in Thy side with a spear, O my Maker, Thou hast brought to pass the
renewal of Eve. Becoming Adam, Thou hast in ways surpassing nature slept a
nature-regenerating sleep, raising life from sleep and from corruption, for Thou
art the Almighty One.
Katavasia: Thy Theophany, O Christ, the Unwaning Light, * that
mercifully came to pass for us, * Isaiah, keeping watch, beheld out of the
night, * and he cried aloud: * "The dead shall arise, and those in the
tombs * shall be raised up, * and all that are born of earth shall rejoice."
ODE VI
Irmos: Jonah was caught but not held * in the belly of the whale; * for,
bearing the image of Thee, * Who hast suffered and wast given to burial,
* he came forth from the sea-monster as from a bridal chamber, * and he
called out to the watch: * "O ye who keep guard falsely and in vain, * ye
have forsaken your own mercy."
Thou wast torn, but not separated, O Word, from the flesh of which Thou
hadst partaken; for though Thy temple was destroyed at the time of Thy
Passion, yet the Substance of Thy Godhead and of Thy flesh have been united.
For in both Thou art the only Son, the Word of God, both God and man.
Fatal to man, but not to God, was the sin of Adam; for though the earthly
substance of Thy flesh suffered, yet the Godhead remained impassable; that
which in Thy nature was corruptible hast Thou transformed to incorruption,
and a fountain of incorruptible life hast Thou revealed by Thy Resurrection.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Hades doth reign over the race of mankind, but
not forever; for Thou, having been laid in a tomb, O Sovereign Lord, hast burst
asunder the bars of death with Thy life-giving hand, proclaiming to those who
slept from ages past, true redemption, O Savior, Who art the Firstborn from the
dead.
Katavasia: Jonah was caught but not held * in the belly of the whale; *
for, bearing the image of Thee, * Who hast suffered and wast given to
burial, * he came forth from the sea-monster as from a bridal chamber, *
and he called out to the watch: * "O ye who keep guard falsely and in
vain, * ye have forsaken your own mercy."
Kontakion in Tone VI:
He Who closed the abyss is beheld as dead, * and as a corpse the Immortal
One hath been wrapped in linen with sweet spices and laid in a tomb. * The
women come to anoint Him with myrrh, weeping bitterly and crying: * "This is
the most blessed Sabbath on which Christ sleepeth, ** but on the third day He
shall rise again."
Ikos: He Who sustaineth all things was lifted up upon the Cross, and all
creation wept, seeing Him hanging naked on the Tree. The sun hid its rays, and
the stars cast aside their light; the earth shook in great fear, and the sea fled, the
rocks were rent asunder, and the graves of many were opened, and the bodies
of the saints arose. Hades groaned below, and the Jews conspired to spread
slander against Christ's Resurrection. But the women cried aloud: "This is the
most blessed Sabbath on which Christ sleepeth, but on the third day He shall
rise again."
ODE VII
Irmos: O ineffable wonder! * He Who delivered the holy Children from
the fiery furnace * is laid a corpse without breath in the tomb, * for the
salvation of us who sing: * "O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou."
Hades was wounded in its heart when it received Him Who was wounded in
the side by a spear, and consumed by divine fire it groaned aloud at the
salvation of us who sing: O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou.
O wealthy tomb! For it hath received within itself the Creator, as one asleep,
and was shown to be a divine treasury of life, for the salvation of us who sing:
O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou.
Glory ..., In accordance with the law of the dead, the Life of all hath
submitted to be laid in the tomb, showing it to be a source of awakening, for
the salvation of us who sing: O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou.
Now & ever ..., Whether in Hades or in the tomb or in Eden, the Godhead
of Christ was indivisibly one with the Father and the Spirit, for the salvation of
us who sing: O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou.
Katavasia: O ineffable wonder! * He Who delivered the holy Children
from the fiery furnace * is laid a corpse without breath in the tomb, * for
the salvation of us who sing: * "O God our Redeemer, blessed art Thou."
ODE VIII
Irmos: Be ye astonished and afraid, O heaven, * and let the foundations
of the earth be shaken; * for lo, He Who dwelleth on high is numbered
with the dead * and lodgeth as a stranger in a narrow tomb. * Him do ye
children bless, * ye priests praise, and ye people supremely exalt
throughout all ages.
The most pure Temple hath been destroyed, but hath raised up the fallen
tabernacle. For the second Adam, Who dwelleth on high, hath come down to
the first Adam, even into the chambers of Hades. Him do ye children bless, ye
priests praise, and ye people supremely exalt throughout all ages.
The disciples' courage failed, but Joseph of Arimathaea was bolder; for,
seeing the God of all a corpse and naked, he begged for the body and buried
Him, crying: Him do ye children bless, ye priests praise, and ye people
supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., O new wonders! O what goodness! O ineffable
forbearance! For of His own will He Who dwelleth on high hath been sealed
beneath the earth, and God hath been falsely accused as a deceiver. Him do ye
children bless, ye priests praise, and ye people supremely exalt throughout all
ages.
Katavasia: Be ye astonished and afraid, O heaven, * and let the
foundations of the earth be shaken; * for lo, He Who dwelleth on high is
numbered with the dead * and lodgeth as a stranger in a narrow tomb. *
Him do ye children bless, * ye priests praise, and ye people supremely
exalt throughout all ages.
ODE IX
At Thy strange birth, O beginningless Son, I was blessed in ways
transcending nature, for I was spared the travail of birth. But now, beholding
Thee, my God, a lifeless corpse, I am pierced with the sword of bitter grief. But
arise, that I may be magnified.
The earth doth cover Me as I have willed, O Mother, but the gatekeepers of
Hades tremble upon seeing Me, clothed in the bloodstained garment of
vengeance; for on the Cross as God have I struck down Mine enemies, and I
shall rise again and magnify thee.
Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Let creation rejoice, let all that are born of earth be
glad, for the enemy, Hades, hath been despoiled; let the women come with
myrrh to meet Me, for I have redeemed Adam and Eve with all their offspring,
and on the third day I shall rise again.
Katavasia: Weep not for Me, O Mother, * beholding in the tomb the Son
Trisagion ..., Our Father ...., Priest: For thine is the Kingdom ...,
Troparion in Tone II:
When Thou didst descend unto death, O Life Immortal, * then didst Thou
slay hades with the lightning of Thy Divinity. * And when Thou didst also raise
the dead out of the nether-most depths, * all the hosts of the heavens cried out:
** O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.
Ektinia: Have mercy on us, O God, (as at the beginning of Matins, not the
conclusion)
Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ God, our hope, glory be to Thee.
Choir: Glory ..., Now & ever ..., Amen.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice), Father (Master) bless!
THE DISMISSAL
Priest: May Christ our true God, Who rose from the dead, through the
intercessions of His most pure Mother, of our holy and God-bearing
fathers, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is
good and the Lover of mankind.
Note: The end of the Lenten Triodion, Glory be to God for all things.
The Office of the Resurrection Matins begins Immediately.

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HOLY AND GREAT MONDAY

On these three days We read the four Gospels, as follows:

Day 3rd Hour 6th Hour 9th Hour

Then the Megalynarion:

Typica is followed by Vespers and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

Note: The following is repeated for convenience:

Day 3rd Hour 6th Hour

On these three days We read the four Gospels, as follows:

Day 3rd Hour 6th Hour 9th Hour

Day 3rd Hour 6th Hour

Day 3rd Hour 6th Hour 9th Hour

At the Dismissal the priest says:

Immediately there follows the ninth hour:

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