Lenten Services,
Friday, April 18, 2008
Part 3: Matins
and Vespers
TRIODIONSIXTH (PALM) WEEK OF LENT FRIDAY MATINS (After the 2nd reading of the Psalter): SESSIONAL HYMN TONE 4 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROPHECY,TWO OF THE DISCIPLES ARE SENT TO BRING THE FOAL OF AN ASS.MOUNTING UPON IT, CHRIST COMES IN HIS BEAUTY,ACCEPTING THE DIVINE PRAISE OFFERED BY THE CHILDREN.SO LET US EAGERLY HASTEN TO MEET HIM,//BEARING AS PALMS OUR ACTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS! GLORY... IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROPHECY...
NOW AND EVER...(Theotokion of the Cross) UNDEFILED VIRGIN, MOTHER OF CHRIST OUR GOD,A SWORD PIERCED YOUR ALL-HOLY SOULWHEN YOU SAW YOUR SON AND GOD CRUCIFIED OF HIS OWN WILL.BLESSED AMONG WOMEN,NEVER CEASE TO INTERCEDE THAT IN THIS SEASON OF THE FAST//HE MAY GRANT US (After the 3rd reading of the Psalter): SESSIONAL HYMN TONE 8 TWO OF THE DISCIPLES ARE SENT TODAYTO BRING THE FOAL OF AN ASS TO THE MASTER OF ALL:HE WHO IS BORNE ON HIGH BY THE HOSTS OF THE SERAPHIMCOMES RIDING ON A COLT!ALL-DEVOURING DEATH, THE RULER OF THIS WORLD,BEGINS TO BE AFRAID,FOR THROUGH LAZARUS FIRST OF ALL,//HE IS DESPOILED OF MANKIND! GLORY... TWO OF THE DISCIPLES ARE SENT TODAY... NOW AND EVER...(Theotokion of the Cross) STANDING AT THE PASSION OF HER SON,THE PURE VIRGIN LAMENTED BITTERLY AND CRIED IN SORROW:WOE IS ME, MY CHILD!YOU ARE GLORIFIED BY THE ANGELS WITH NEVER-SILENT HYMNS;HOW HAVE THE HEBREW CHILDREN BROUGHT YOU BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF PILATE?//I SING THE PRAISES OF YOUR GREAT AND INEFFABLE COMPASSION, O WORD! TRIODIONSIXTH (PALM) WEEK OF LENT FRIDAY MATINS APOSTIKHA TONE 1 (By the Emperor Leo) DESPISING THE DIVINE COMMANDS, MY SOUL,YOU HAVE BECOME AN EASY CATCH FOR THE SNARES OF THE ENEMY.BY YOUR OWN DESIRES, YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN OVER TO CORRUPTION.SUNK IN SLEEP THROUGH YOUR MANY SINS,YOU HAVE DEFILED THE GARMENT GOD WOVE FOR YOU,MAKING YOURSELF UNFIT FOR THE WEDDING OF THE KING.THUS YOU SHALL BE DRAGGED AWAY FOR YOUR SIN.FOR IF YOU SIT AT THE WEDDING FEAST, CLAD IN THE GARMENT OF PASSION,HE WILL ASK HOW YOU ENTERED,AND YOU WILL BE CAST OUT FROM THE BRIDAL CHAMBER.BUT CRY OUT TO THE SAVIOR:AS GOD YOU BEHOLD ALL THIN6S,YOU BECAME WHAT I AM, WITHOUT CEASING TO BE YOURSELF!FOR MY SAKE, BEFORE YOUR CRUCIFIXION,YOU WORE A ROBE OF MOCKERY.TEAR UP MY SACKCLOTH OF SIN;CLOTHE ME IN DIVINE GLADNESS.DELIVER ME FROM OUTER DARKNESS AND ETERNAL WEEPING,//AND HAVE MERCY ON ME! DESPISING THE DIVINE COMMANDS... COME, O PEOPLE!LET US HONOR CHRIST'S SAINTS WITH SONGS AND SPIRITUAL HYMNS.THEY WERE LIGHTS FOR THE WORLD, AND PREACHERS OF THE FAITH;EVER-FLOWING FOUNTAINS,RELEASING STREAMS OF HEALING FOR BELIEVERS.
BY THEIR PRAYERS, O CHRIST OUR GOD:GRANT PEACE TO YOUR WORLD,//AND TO OUR SOULS, GREAT MERCY! GLORY... TONE 8 ACCOUNT US WORTHY OF BEHOLDING THE WEEK OF YOUR PASSION,LOVER OF MANKIND,FOR WE HAVE FINISHED THE FORTY DAYS OF THE FAST;MAY WE GLORIFY YOUR MIGHTY DEEDS,YOUR INEFFABLE DISPENSATION FOR OUR SAKES://LORD, GLORY TO YOU! NOW AND EVER... ACCOUNT US WORTHY... TRIODIONSIXTH (PALM) WEEK OF LENT FRIDAY 6TH HOUR TROPARION OF THE PROPHECY TONE 3 YOUR REVENGE UPON SINNERS, LORD, IS UNBEARABLE AND WE ARE NOT WORTHY TO LOOK UP AND ASK MERCY FROM YOU! DO NOT DESTROY US BY YOUR WRATH, IN YOUR ANGER,// FOR BY YOUR HAND YOU MADE US FROM THE EARTH. PROKEIMENON OF THE PROPHECY TONE 4 FOR THE SAKE OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD OUR GOD * I WILL SEEK YOUR GOOD! VERSE: I was glad when they said to me: Let us go into the House of the Lord! PROPHECY OF ISAIAH 66:10-24 PROKEIMENON TONE 6 HAVE MERCY UPON US, LORD; * HAVE MERCY UPON US! VERSE: To You I lift up my eyes, for You are enthroned in the heavens! TRIODIONSIXTH (PALM) WEEK OF LENT FRIDAY VESPERS "LORD I CALL..." TONE 8 WE HAVE COMPLETED THE FORTY DAYS WHICH PROFIT OUR SOULS.NOW LET US BEG THE LOVER OF MAN;ENABLE US TO SEE THE HOLY WEEK OF YOUR PASSION,THAT WE MAY GLORIFY YOUR MIGHTY WORK,YOUR WONDERFUL PLAN FOR OUR SALVATION,SINGING WITH ONE HEART AND VOICE,//LORD, GLORY TO YOU! (twice) MARTYRS OF THE LORD,WE BESEECH YOU TO INTERCEDE WITH OUR GOD,THAT HE MAY FORGIVE OUR MANY SINS,AND GRANT OUR SOULS ABUNDANT MERCY.
TONE 6 WISHING TO SEE THE TOMB OF LAZARUS, LORD,SINCE OF YOUR OWN WILL, YOU WERE SOON TO DWELL IN A TOMB,YOU ASKED: WHERE HAVE YOU LAID HIM?LEARNING THAT WHICH WAS ALREADY KNOWN TO YOU,YOU CRIED TO YOUR BELOVED FRIEND: LAZARUS, COME FORTH!HE WHO HAD NO BREATH OBEYED THE LORD WHO GAVE HIM BREATH://YOU, THE SAVIOR OF OUR SOULS. (twice)
YOU HAVE COME TO THE PLACE OF THE BURIAL OF LAZARUS, LORD,THE TOMB OF A MAN FOUR DAYS DEAD.
WEEPING FOR YOUR FRIEND, BREAD OF LIFE, YOU RAISED HIM UP.THEREFORE DEATH WAS BOUND BY YOUR VOICE,GRAVE CLOTHES WERE LOOSENED BY YOUR HAND.THE BAND OF DISCIPLES WAS FILLED WITH JOY.ONE SONG OF ADORATION WAS SUNG BY ALL://BLESSED ARE YOU, SAVIOR! HAVE MERCY ON US! (twice) YOUR VOICE DESTROYED THE KINGDOM OF HELL YOUR POWERFUL WORD RAISED FROM THE TOMB THE ONE WHO WAS FOUR DAYS DEAD.LAZARUS BECAME THE SAVING FIRST-FRUITS OF THE WORLD'S REGENERATION.ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR YOU, LORD AND KING OF ALL.//GRANT YOUR SERVANTS CLEANSING AND GREAT MERCY! YOU CAME TO THE TOMB OF LAZARUS, LORD.YOU CALLED HIM BY NAME,WISHING TO ASSURE YOUR DISCIPLES OF YOUR OWN RESURRECTION!HELL WAS VANQUISHED!IT RELEASED LAZARUS WHO WAS DEAD FOUR DAYS.HE CRIED OUT TO YOU://GLORY TO YOU, BLESSED LORD! YOU CAME TO BETHANY ACCOMPANIED BY YOUR DISCIPLES.
YOU WEPT FOR HIM.BUT HE WAS RAISED BY YOUR ALMIGHTY POWER!A MAN FOUR DAYS DEAD CRIED TO YOU, OUR SAVIOR://GLORY TO YOU, BLESSED LORD! SIXTH FRIDAY: LORD I CALL PAGE TWO GLORY... TONE 8 STANDING BY THE TOMB OF LAZARUS, SAVIOR,YOU CALLED TO YOUR FRIEND, WHO WAS DEAD.HE HEARD YOUR VOICE, AND AWOKE AS FROM SLEEP.MORTALITY WAS SHAKEN BY IMMORTALITY.BY YOUR WORD THE BOUND WAS UNBOUND.ALL IS POSSIBLE! ALL THINGS SERVE AND SUBMIT TO YOU, LOVING LORD.//OUR SAVIOR, GLORY TO YOU! NOW AND EVER... WE HAVE COMPLETED THE FORTY DAYS WHICH PROFIT OUR SOULS.LET US SING: REJOICE, CITY OF BETHANY REJOICE, MARY AND MARTHA, HIS SISTERS!TOMORROW CHRIST WILL COME AND RAISE YOUR DEAD BROTHER TO LIFE.BITTER AND UNSATISFIED, HELL WILL HEAR HIS VOICE.SHAKING AND GROANING, IT WILL RELEASE BOUND LAZARUS.THE ASSEMBLY OF HEBREWS WILL BE AMAZED.THEY WILL GREET HIM WITH PALMS AND BRANCHES!THOUGH THEIR PRIESTS AND ELDERS LOOK ON HIM WITH ENVY AND MALICE,THE CHILDREN SHALL PRAISE HIM IN SONG:BLESSED IS HE THAT COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD,//THE KING OF ISRAEL TRIODIONSIXTH (PALM) WEEK OF LENT FRIDAY VESPERS PROKEIMENON TONE 6 OUR HELP IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD * WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH! VERSE: If it had not been the Lord Who was on our side, let Israel READING PROKEIMENON TONE 4 THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD ARE LIKE MOUNT ZION MOVED BUT ABIDES FOREVER! VERSE: For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land alloted to the righteous. READING TRIODIONSIXTH (PALM) WEEK OF GREAT LENT LAZARUS SATURDAY TROPARION TONE 1 BY RAISING LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD BEFORE YOUR PASSION, YOU CONFIRMED THE UNIVERSAL RESURRECTION, O CHRIST GOD! LIKE THE CHILDREN WITH THE PALMS OF VICTORY, WE CRY OUT TO YOU, VANQUISHER OF DEATH; HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST!// BLESSED IS HE THAT COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD! KONTAKION TONE 2 CHRIST THE JOY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIGHT OF ALL, THE LIFE OF THE WORLD AND THE RESURRECTION, HAS APPEARED IN HIS GOODNESS, TO THOSE ON EARTH.
HE HAS BECOME THE IMAGE OF OUR RESURRECTION,// GRANTING DIVINE FORGIVENESS TO ALL.