Saturday in the Third Week

MATTINS

After the Six Psalms and the Great Litany, we sing Alleluia in TONE TWO, with the same troparia as on the preceding Saturday: Apostles, martyrs and prophets…; Glory be to the Father…; Remember Thy servants, O Lord…; Both now…; O holy Mother of the ineffable Light… (see p. 240).

Then the two appointed readings from the Psalter, the sessional hymns, the Evlogitaria for the Dead, and Psalm 50, as on the preceding Saturday.

The Canon

As on the preceding Saturday, we use the Canon to the Saint of the day from the Menaion, with six troparia (including the irmos). Up to the end of Canticle Five, this is followed by the Canon to the patron saint of the church or monastery, with four troparia. From Canticle Six onwards, we omit the Canon to the patron saint, and after the Canon from the Menaion we use the two four-canticled Canons from the Triodion, with eight troparia.

Canticle Six

First Canon

TONE FOUR

by Joseph

Irmos: I went down into the deep waters of the sea…

O victorious martyrs, worthy of our praise, with the drops of your blood ye have watered the hearts of the Orthodox and drowned the hosts of the ungodly.

With your own bodies ye glorified the Master of all, and now ye are glorified without ceasing, O martyrs, glory of the faithful and their chief defenders.

For the Dead

Thou wast laid in the lowest pit, O Word of God: at the prayers of the holy martyrs grant rest and forgiveness of sins to those who have died in the faith.

Theotokion

Accept these our prayers, O Virgin, and entreat thy Son that we may receive forgiveness of our trespasses; and we shall praise thee with joyful voices.

Another Canon

TONE EIGHT

by Theodore

Irmos: Held fast by many sins…

Now is the festival of the martyrs: with all haste let us meet together and glorify their sufferings, and let us sing in praise of Christ who has granted to them victors’ crowns.

O blessed martyrs, aflame with divine love for Christ, singing in praise of Him, ye walked upon the coals of fire as if upon dew.

Glory be to the Father…

I sing Thy praises, Trinity without beginning, divine Unity; Light and Lights Thou art, Life and Lives, one Holy and three Holies: Mind, Word and Spirit, the one God.

Both now…

Theotokion

Leap for joy, Jesse the forefather; from thy root has sprung the Flower of Life that saves the world, Christ our God, born from the pure Virgin.

℣. God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.

To the Martyrs

Fearing neither fire nor sword nor death, O blessed martyrs, strengthened by Christ, ye held fast to the confession of salvation.

℣. Their souls shall dwell in prosperity.

For the Dead

Free among the dead, as Ruler over life and death, do Thou give rest to those whom Thou hast taken, and make them dwell in Thy courts, O Lord who lovest mankind.

Irmos: Held fast by many sins, I fall down like the prophet before Thy tender mercies. Accept me also in Thy love for mankind, O Lord, and save me.

Kontakion

TONE EIGHT

With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the souls of Thy servants, where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing, but life without end.

Ikos

Thou only art immortal, who hast created and fashioned man: but we are mortal, formed from the earth, and to this same earth shall we return, as Thou hast commanded when Thou madest me, saying: ‘Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.’ There shall all we mortals go, and for our funeral dirge we sing: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Canticle Seven

Irmos: The three Children in Babylon…

To what shalt thou be likened, O my soul, in thy love for brutish passions? Who has ever surpassed thee in sin? But cry aloud to Christ: In Thy love, save me.

Pray urgently, O saints, to Him who dwells among the holy ones, that in these holy days He may sanctify the minds of all the faithful.

For the Dead

O Most High, who art rich in love and mercy, grant forgiveness to Thy servants who have fallen asleep, and in Thy compassion number them in the choirs of the saints.

Theotokion

Outside the laws of nature thou hast borne the Creator made man. Pray to Him, O Undefiled, to overlook the transgressions and offences of us all.

Second Canon

Irmos: Thou hast refreshed the Children in the furnace…

Thou hast established the memorials of Thine honoured martyrs for the joy of the Church and the consolation of our souls. O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.

‘We will not betray Thee, O Christ, we will not deny Thee’, cried the martyrs in the midst of their tortures, to the amazement of their lawless judges.

Glory be to the Father…

We honour one Nature in the three Persons of Father, Son and Spirit, and we cry aloud like the prophet: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.

Both now…

Theotokion

How dost thou bear child as a mother and yet remain a virgin? ‘Do not ask how I have given birth to God,’ says the Child of God, ‘for He does whatever is His will.’

℣. To the saints that are in the earth, the Lord has shown the wonders of His will.

To the Martyrs

O choirs of martyrs glorified by God, grant that your servants may venerate the divine and lifegiving Cross of the Saviour.

℣. Blessed are they whom Thou hast chosen and taken to Thyself, O Lord.

For the Dead

Giver of life, immortal King, grant Thine eternal life to Thy servants whom Thou hast chosen and taken to Thyself in faith and hope.

Irmos: Thou hast refreshed the Children in the furnace through an angel and changed the roaring flames to dew. O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.

Canticle Eight

Irmos: O all-powerful Deliverer of all…

O martyrs, ye advanced with fearless mind to the struggles and sufferings of the arena; ye endured pain in your flesh, and now ye are translated to a life without pain or sorrow, and ye lighten all the sorrows of our hearts.

O divine martyrs, in exchange for corruptible things ye have received the joys of heaven. I am corrupted by the passions of the flesh; intercede on my behalf before the God of all, that I may be saved through fasting and persistent prayer.

For the Dead

O Christ, at the prayers of Thy martyrs send down Thy mercy on us all. Grant remission of sins and divine rest to those who have departed this life and gone to dwell with Thee, the Lord of compassion.

Theotokion

O Theotokos, who hast borne the sinless God, through thine intercessions as His Mother blot out our sins and save us as we cry aloud: O ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.

Second Canon

Irmos: Inspired by God, the Children in the furnace…

O victorious martyrs, ye endured fiery torments as if they were dew, and with joy ye cried aloud: O ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.

God’s army, the host of the martyrs, has put error to flight, crying aloud in triumph: O ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.

We bless the Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Worshipping the Father together with the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us all cry aloud in faith: O Trinity in Unity, save our souls.

Both now…

Theotokion

O All-Pure, thou art both Virgin and Mother, for without knowing a man thou hast conceived the God of all. Pray to Him for the salvation of thy servants.

℣. God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.

To the Martyrs

At the prayers of Thy martyrs, O Christ our Saviour, count Thy servants worthy to behold and venerate the lifegiving Cross, the token of Thy love.

℣. Their souls shall dwell in prosperity.

For the Dead

Thou hast destroyed the power of death by Thy Rising from the dead; give rest with Thine elect to the departed, that they may praise Thee, Lord.

We praise, bless and worship the Lord…

Irmos: Inspired by God, the Children in the furnace trampled underfoot the flames of fire, and sang aloud: O ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.

Canticle Nine

Irmos: Eve through the sickness of disobedience…

Firmly established on the spiritual rock, O victorious martyrs, ye remained unshaken by all the cunning assaults of the enemy. I am shaken by soul-corrupting passions: through your prayers to God, make me firm and steadfast.

O company of the martyrs that shines with the divine Light, pray to the Master that, during the season of the Fast, in His surpassing love He may grant us all the forgiveness of our sins and everlasting joy.

For the Dead

O Lord who alone art good and lovest mankind, grant that Thy servants who have fallen asleep in the hope of Resurrection may share in Thine eternal Light that knows no evening and in the food of joy; for with fear we magnify Thee.

Theotokion

Thy holy womb, pure Virgin, became the dwelling-place of the Light. Therefore I cry to thee in faith: Enlighten the eyes of my soul and show me the right path, for with true sincerity I call thee blessed.

Second Canon

Irmos: We magnify thee, the Mother of the Light…

O ye faithful, let us celebrate the memorial of the martyrs, and praise their struggles and their sufferings, that we may share in their glory.

The wild beasts shrank back in fear before your courage; the fire withdrew, the weapons of your adversaries were broken. O victorious martyrs, wonderful is God in you His saints.

Glory be to the Father…

O Nature without beginning, O Unity in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Light and Life supreme in Godhead, watch over those who glorify Thee.

Both now…

Theotokion

We bless Thee, the God of Israel, who wast made manifest to the world from a Virgin and hast raised up a horn of salvation for us.

℣. To the saints that are in the earth, the Lord has shown the wonders of His will.

To the Martyrs

O intercessors for the world, victorious martyrs of Christ, by your prayers make us all worthy to behold and venerate His Cross.

℣. Blessed are they whom Thou hast chosen and taken to Thyself, O Lord.

For the Dead

Make Thy departed servants to dwell, O Son of God, where the fountain of life flows and where the light of Thy countenance shines upon them.

Irmos: We magnify thee, the Mother of the Light, and we glorify thee, O Virgin Theotokos, for thou hast borne Christ the Saviour of our souls.

The Hymn of Light in the Tone of the week (twice), and the exapostilarion for the Dead, O Thou who hast authority as God… (see p. 73).

Lauds: We sing four stichera to the Martyrs; Glory be to the Father…; the appointed verse for the Dead; Both now…; and the Theotokion, all in the Tone of the week (see pp. 595 ff).

Aposticha for the Dead in the Tone of the week, by Theophanes (see pp. 595 ff).

Then It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord…; and the rest of Mattins, as outside Lent, with the troparion, Apostles, martyrs and prophets…; Glory be to the Father…; Remember Thy servants, O Lord…; Both now…; O holy Mother of the ineffable Light… (see p. 240), and the usual Litany, Have mercy upon us, O God…

DIVINE LITURGY

We follow the same order as on the preceding Saturday, except that the readings for the day are different.

Epistle: For the day: Hebrews 10:32–38.

For the Dead: 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17.

Gospel: For the day: Mark 2:14–17.

For the Dead: John 5:24–30.