19th Sunday after Pentecost / The Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council / The Optina Fathers

Beatitudes on 12, Octoechos: 4; Fathers: 4 from Ode 3; Saints: 4 from Ode 6.

 

1.  We offer Thee the cry of the thief, and we pray: Remember us in Thy kingdom, O Savior.

 

2.  For the forgiveness of transgressions we offer unto Thee the Cross which Thou didst accept for our sake, O Thou who lovest mankind.

 

3. We bow down in worship, O Master, before Thy burial and rising, whereby Thou hast delivered the world from corruption, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

 

4. By Thy death hath death been slain, O Lord, and by Thy resurrection hast Thou saved the world, O Savior.

 

5. Initiated into the mysteries by Christ, the divine chief shepherds drove away from the pious the parties of Antichrist, who wished to trouble the Church of Christ, that it not be shaken.

 

6. The Company of the fathers, drawing forth streams of teaching from the wellsprings of salvation, give the thirsting people of Christ to drink thereof, and wash away the turbid streams of filth.

 

7.  The Seventh Council of the Christ-loving, whose defenders were the imperial Irene and Constantine, was held in the splendid city of Nicaea against those who of a truth accused Christians and brought them to trial.

 

8.  Let all the ungodly depart who do not venerate the precious icon of the Theotokos and do not proclaim her to be the one who gave birth to Christ theandrically; and let them be sent into the fire, to burn without being consumed.

 

9. Thou wast a true son, O Joseph, having acquired unfeigned obedience, the begetter of dispassion; and as one meek, pure and merciful, thou didst humbly say: “I am useless without my father!”

 

10.  The chaste-minded Joseph faithfully followed in the steps of his father: he humbled himself even unto death, thus emulating Christ the Master.  Wherefore, we beseech him: Teach thou humility even to us sinners!

 

11.  Having acquired the love of thy father, O Anatolius, with him thou didst shepherd the reason-endowed flock; and now, O father, forget us not, but be thou mindful of thy sheep and guide them, seeking thy lost children and leading us all to salvation.

 

12.  I know thee to be the helper of my life and my steadfast preserver, O Virgin, who doest away with the tumult of temptations and fendest off the assaults of the demons; and I ever pray thus, that thou mayest deliver me from my passions.

 

Troparia & Kontakia

 

Tone 2:  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 nethermost depths, /
all the Hosts of the heavens cried out: //
O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.

 

Tone 8:  Most glorified art Thou, O Christ our God, /

Who hast established our holy fathers as luminous stars upon the earth, /

and through them didst guide us all to the true Faith. //

O Most merciful One, glory be to Thee.

 

Tone 1:  Abiding in unceasing prayer, /

embracing both the good and the wicked with love, /

O holy elders of Optina, /

ye did serve both God and neighbor." /

Through vigils, tears, and fasting /

ye did receive the gift of all manner of miracles. /

Glory to Him Who hath given us such intercessors. /

Glory to Him Who hath glorified you. //

Glory to God Who is wondrous in His saints.

 
Tone 2:  Thou didst rise from the tomb, O omnipotent Savior, /
and Hades was terrified on beholding the wonder; /
and the dead arose, /
and creation at the sight thereof rejoiceth with Thee. /
And Adam also is joyful, //
and the world, O my Savior, praiseth Thee for ever.

 

Tone 6:  The Son Who shined forth from the Father /

ineffably was born, twofold of nature, of a woman. /

Knowing Him, we deny not the image of His form; /

but depicting it piously, we revere it faithfully.  /

And for this cause, the Church, in that it holdeth the true faith, //

doth kiss the icon of Christ’s incarnation.

 

Glory… Tone 8: Having withdrawn from this vain world and discovered a treasure through your pure life, /

ye have not ceased your care for sinners in this world; /

but, as guides for the lost, deliver us from the vanity of this world, //

that we may say: Rejoice, O divinely wise elders!

 

Both now... Tone 6: O protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, /

O mediation unto the creator unfailing, /

disdain not the suppliant voices of sinners, /

but be thou quick, O good one, to help us who in faith cry unto thee; /

hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, //

thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.

 

The Epistle

 

Reader: The Prokimenon in the 4th Tone: Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy name unto the ages.

Choir:  Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy name unto the ages.

Reader: For righteous art Thou in all which Thou hast done for us.

Choir:  Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy name unto the ages.

Reader: In the 7th Tone: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

Choir:  Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

 

Reader: The Reading is from the Second Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians: [II Cor. 11:31-12:9 (§194); Heb. 13:7-16 (§334); Gal. 5:22-6:2 (§213)]

 

Reader: Alleluia in the 1st Tone: The God of gods, the Lord hath spoken, and He hath called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the setting thereof.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader:  Gather together unto Him His holy ones who have established His covenant upon sacrifices.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader:   In the 6thTone: Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; in His commandments shall he greatly delight.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

Gospel [Luke 7:11-16 (§30); John 17:1-13 (§56); Luke 6:17-23 (§24)]

 

Communion Verse: Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

 

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