Tuesday in the Fifth Week
MATTINS
After the first reading from the Psalter; the sessional hymns of repentance in the Tone of the week.
After the second reading from the Psalter; the following sessional hymns:
TONE THREE
In fervent faith let us burn up with abstinence the lustful passions, and flee from the icy cold of sin; with the streams of our tears let us quench the everlasting flame, crying aloud: We have sinned against Thee, O most loving Lord; forgive us and grant us Thy great mercy.
Glory be to the Father… Repeat. Both now…
Theotokion
Thou hast become the divine dwelling of the Word, O Virgin Mother alone all-holy, exalted high above the angels in thy purity. I am become more filthy than all men, defiled by the sins of the flesh: through thine intercessions cleanse me in divine waters, granting me great mercy.
After the third reading from the Psalter, the following sessional hymns:
TONE TWO
Most glorious is the grace of the holy Fast. Through it the Prophet Elijah found the chariot of fire, and Moses received the Tables of the Law; Daniel was magnified, and Elisha raised the dead; the Children quenched the fire, and all men are reconciled to God. Rejoicing in the Fast, let us cry aloud: Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, whose good pleasure this has been; glory to Thee.
Glory be to the Father… Repeat. Both now…
Theotokion
Having obtained in my distress thine unconquerable intercession, O Mother of our God, I am set free miraculously and past all hope from everything that troubles me. For thou art always swift to help those who ask of thee in faith, and dost deliver them when oppressed by the temptations of the enemy. Therefore with thanksgiving we cry unto thee: Accept, O Lady, this small offering of grateful praise, and be my help in all things.
The Canon
We use the Canon to the saint of the day from the Menaion, and the two three-canticled Canons from the Triodion; we read the second Biblical Canticle.
Canticle Two
First Canon
TONE THREE
by Joseph
Irmos: Hearken, O earth, and give ear to my words, O heaven: for I shall tell to those on earth the wonders of God.
Through unceasing prayer and abstinence and contemplation, let us give wings to our souls and raise them to the love of God.
Fleeing from the icy cold of self-indulgence, let us all warm ourselves with the light of abstinence and the Holy Spirit.
O my soul, drive away the putrefaction of sin with the salt of the divine virtues, and cleave to God.
Theotokion
Christ came to dwell in thee who alone art blessed, and He took from thee the flesh He made His own.
Another Canon
TONE TWO
by Theodore
Irmos: Attend, O ye peoples…
Let us make our own pure fasting, prayer, tears, meditation on holy things, and every other virtue; and let us bring them now as an offering to God our Master.
Eve was taken captive by the fruit. O my soul, consider this and be not deceived if ever the serpent tempts thee, urging thee to eat the fruits of lust.
Glory be to the Father…
I glorify three Persons in one Nature, Father, Son and Spirit, the one Power of the Godhead, one Kingdom over all and one Brightness.
Both now…
Theotokion
Thy childbearing, O pure Lady, fills our hearts with fear. For it is God who has become man, begotten outside time from the Father and in the last days brought forth by thee through a virgin birth.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
O my Christ, Thou hast healed the woman with an issue of blood when she touched the hem of Thy garment. Trusting in Thy mercy, I too stretch out my hand to touch Thee: heal me from the passions.
Irmos: Attend, O ye peoples, to the wonders worked by My divine power, and know from this that I only am the God of all.
Canticle Eight
Irmos: God is glorified on high by the angels…
The evil one secretly lies in wait for me each day, seeking to catch me and devour me. Deliver me, O Saviour, from his malice, as Thou hast saved Jonah from the whale.
Cleansed through fasting, let us draw near to the mountain of the virtues and let us clearly hear what God will say within us; for He will speak to us of peace and illumination and the healing of our broken souls.
Blinded each day by the darkness of my sins, I cannot perceive Thy wonders, O Ford: but do Thou open the eyes of my heart, O Jesus Giver of Light.
Theotokion
O Ever-Virgin undefiled, with the waters of thy mercy wash from my heart the defilement of the passions, and give me streams of tears to cleanse my soul.
Second Canon
Irmos: By a strange miracle the Lord of old…
The fire shall not be quenched, so it is written, and the worm shall not die. Fear the threat, my soul, and serve Christ, that thou mayest find joy in the dwelling-place of all those who rejoice.
My soul burns with the fever of lust: by Thy touch, I pray Thee, raise it up, as Thou hast raised the mother-in-law of Peter; so shall I be enabled to serve Thee acceptably, returning thanks to Thee for ever.
We bless the Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
O ye faithful, let us sing in praise to the Father, eternal and without beginning, and to His coeternal Son, and to the Spirit that shines forth from the Father, three consubstantial Persons but one in sovereign power and rule.
Both now…
Theotokion
O Mary, called by God, truly thou art the mercy-seat of the faithful: for through thee forgiveness is freely bestowed upon all. Cease not to intercede before thy Son and Lord, gaining His gracious favour for us who sing thy praises.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Open the deaf ears of my soul, O Christ, and make my tongue to speak clearly, as once Thou hast done to the deaf man who had an impediment in his speech: so shall I listen to Thy voice and sing to Thee with my tongue, praising Thee for ever.
We praise, bless and worship the Lord…
Irmos: By a strange miracle the Lord of old refreshed with dew the Children of the Hebrews in the fire, yet burnt the Chaldaeans. Let us sing His praises, saying: Bless and exalt Him above all for ever.
Canticle Nine
Irmos: O holy Virgin, Bush that burned…
Calling to mind the flames of the fire that never shall be quenched, with fervent hearts let us draw near to the fire of repentance and burn up the passions.
Words of fire came forth of old from the mouth of him who fasted, and overwhelmed the elements. Emulate his zeal, my soul, and live rightly.
Keeping in mind the fearful judgement seat, my wretched soul, always guide thy steps to the accomplishment of the Redeemer’s will.
Theotokion
My soul is darkened by the pleasures; give light to it, pure Virgin, who hast borne the Light, that with fear and faith I may for ever magnify thee.
Second Canon
Irmos: O ye faithful, let us magnify the Virgin…
Let us offer to Christ all the members of our body as weapons of righteousness, ‘lifting up’, as it is written, ‘holy hands, without wrath and doubting’.
Coming once to the disciples in the boat, my Christ, Thou hast stilled the raging sea: do Thou also still the tempest of my thoughts.
Glory be to the Lather…
I worship one Nature, I sing the praises of three Persons, one God of all, Lather, Son and Holy Spirit, sovereignty eternal.
Both now…
Theotokion
Though a pure maiden thou bearest child, and though a virgin thou givest suck. How can these things be found together? How dost thou give birth and yet remain virgin? ‘It is God who has brought this to pass; ask me not how.’
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
The passions have defiled my soul, and I have been robbed like the man who fell among thieves. But heal me, O my Christ, and pour Thy mercy upon me.
Irmos: O ye faithful, let us magnify the Virgin with never-silent hymns, for in ways surpassing nature she has conceived within her womb, according to the flesh, the Word that outside time shone forth from the Father.
Aposticha:
TONE SEVEN
Visit, Lord, my wounded and humiliated soul, O Physician of the sick, storm-free haven of the hopeless. For Thou art the Deliverer of the world, and hast come to raise the fallen from corruption. In Thy great mercy raise me also, for I kneel before Thee (twice).
To the Martyrs
In the midst of the arena, before the lawless pagans, the victorious martyrs cried aloud rejoicing: ‘O Lord, glory to Thee.’
Glory be to the Father… Both now…
Theotokion
We sing thy praises, most pure Theotokos; we glorify God the Word whom thou hast borne, and we cry: ‘Glory to thee.’
SIXTH HOUR
Troparion of the Prophecy:
TONE THREE
Our protector is the God of Jacob: He is our defender in the day of trouble.
Glory be to the Father… Both now… Repeat.
Prokimenon (Psalm 87):
TONE SIX
I am poor and in trouble from my youth up: having been exalted, I was humbled and brought to distress.
℣. O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before Thee.
Lesson: Isaiah 40:18–31.
Prokimenon (Psalm 88) in the Greek use:
TONE SIX
The heavens shall confess Thy wonders, O Lord, and Thy truth in the congregation of the saints.
℣. I will sing of Thy mercies, O Lord, for ever.
But in the Slav use:
TONE SIX
Blessed is the people that knows the sound of joy.
℣. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance.
VESPERS
To Lord, I have cried, six stichera are sung, the first three being from the Triodion:
TONE EIGHT
by Joseph
O ye faithful, taking love as our food, through abstinence let us gain control over our passions; and let us strive to live a life acceptable to God, who for our sakes was raised upon the Cross, and His side was pierced by a spear. So shall we enjoy eternal blessedness, and glorify the Saviour of our souls.
Through a tree we once found death, but now we find life again through the Tree of the Cross. Let us then put to death the impulses of the passions; and with all the faithful let us pray to the Benefactor of all: that, shining with the radiance of divine actions and made beautiful by the virtues, we may attain the holy Resurrection and glorify the Saviour of our souls.
TONE TWO
by Theodore
We praise Thy lifegiving Cross, O Lord, and the holy sufferings of Thy flesh for our sake: the spear, the death, the derision and the spitting, blows and buffetings, the purple robe and crown of thorns, by which Thou hast redeemed us all and saved us from the curse. Therefore we entreat Thee: Grant us to complete in peace the time of the Fast.
Then three stichera to the saint of the day from the Menaion. Glory be to the Father… Both now…; and the Stavrotheotokion from the Menaion.
Prokimenon (Psalm 89) in the Greek use:
TONE FOUR
Lord, Thou hast been our refuge from one generation to another.
℣. And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us.
In the Slav use the following verse is used:
℣. Before the mountains were brought forth, or the earth and the world were made, Thou art from everlasting to everlasting.
Lesson: Genesis 15:1–15.
Prokimenon (Psalm 90):
TONE FIVE
He that dwells under the defence of the Most High: shall abide under the protection of the God of heaven.
℣. He will say unto the Lord: Thou art my helper and my refuge.
Lesson: Proverbs 15:7–19.
Aposticha:
TONE FIVE
Banished from Thy straight path through the passions, in my wretchedness I have fallen headlong down into the pit. The Levite and the Priest, passing by together, turned from me with disdain; but Thou, O Christ, hast taken pity on me. Tearing up the record of my sins with the weapon of the Cross, Thou hast freed me from the passions and glorified me, enthroning me beside the Father. And so I cry aloud: O Lord beyond my understanding, glory to Thee.
℣. Unto Thee have I lifted up mine eyes…
TONE EIGHT
I went down from Jerusalem, slipping away from the commandments which Thou hast written there for all the nations; and I journeyed to Jericho, yielding to my lusts like the dwellers there of old, whom Thou gavest to be slaughtered by Thy people because of their sins. Through my disobedience I fell into soul-destroying passions as though into the hands of thieves; beating me, they left me almost dead. O Lord, who for the sins of men willingly wast wounded in Thy body by the nails and the spear, who hast brought to pass the salvation of us all through the Cross in Jerusalem, heal me and save me.
℣. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us…
To the Martyrs
The martyrs, O Lord, forgetting the things of the present life, and despising torture in their longing for the life to come, were granted this eternal life as their inheritance, and now they rejoice with the angels. At their supplications bestow upon Thy people Thy great mercy.
Glory to the Father… Both now…
Stavrotheotokion
O Lord, the Sun of righteousness, when the sun beheld Thee hanging on the Wood, it hid its rays, and the light of the moon was changed to darkness; and Thine all-blameless Mother was pierced to the very heart.