First Sunday of Great Lent/ the Triumph of Orthodoxy / Tone 4

Beatitudes on 10: Octoechos 6; Triodion 4, from Ode 6.
 

1. By the tree was Adam forced to depart from paradise; but by the Tree of the Cross was

the thief made to dwell in paradise.  For the one by tasting, broke the commandment of

the creator; while the other, crucified with Him, confessed the hidden God, crying out:

Remember me in Thy kingdom!

 

2. O Lord Who wast lifted up upon the Cross, Who hast destroyed the power of death and

as God hast destroyed the record of our sins, grant also the repentance of the thief unto us who faithfully serve Thee and cry out to thee, O Christ God Who alone lovest mankind:

Remember us also in Thy kingdom!

 

3. On the Cross Thou didst tear asunder with the spear the record of our sins; and,

numbered among the dead, Thou didst bind the tyrant of hades, O Lord Who lovest

mankind, Who by Thy resurrection hast delivered all from the bonds of hades.  Thereby

have we been illumined, and we cry to Thee: Remember us also in Thy kingdom!

 

4. O Thou Who alone art immortal, Who wast crucified and as almighty didst arise from

the tomb on the third day, and hast raised up Adam, the first created: Vouchsafe that I

also may turn to repentance with my whole heart, and may ever cry out to Thee with

fervent faith: Remember me, O Savior, in Thy kingdom!

 

5. For our sake He Who is without passion became a man subject to the passions; and,

nailed of His own will to the Cross, He hath raised us up with Himself.  Wherefore, we

glorify His Cross, passion, and resurrection, whereby we have been refashioned and

whereby we also are saved, who cry out: Remember us also in Thy kingdom!

 

6. O ye faithful, let us entreat Him who hath risen from the dead, hath made captive the

dominion of hades, and wast seen by the myrrh-bearing women and said to them:

“Rejoice!”, that He deliver from corruption the souls of us who ever cry out to Him with

the voice of the noble thief: Remember us also in Thy kingdom!

 

7.  Once more the Master’s countenance is depicted, honored with faith and venerated;

once more the Church regains her boldness of approach to God, reverently glorifying the

Savior.

 

8.  The Church of Christ is delivered from the dark despondency of heresy: she puts on a

robe of gladness, and is clothed in the light of divine grace.

 

9.  The Orthodox people has regained the light and glory which it had of old, through the

decision of the Empress Theodora and her pious son the Emperor Michael.

 

10.  He who of old commanded Moses to set up the ark of the testimony, came to dwell

in thee, O Virgin, as in a spiritual ark: He alone is glorified, and he makes thy temple

glorious with miracles.

 

Troparia & Kontakia

 

Tone 4:  Having learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the angel, /

and having cast off the ancestral condemnation, /

the women disciples of the Lord spake to the apostles exultantly: /

Death is despoiled and Christ God is risen, //

granting to the world great mercy.

 

Tone 2:  We venerate Thine immaculate Icon, O Good One, /

asking the forgiveness of our failings, O Christ God; /

for of Thine Own will Thou was well-pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh /

that Thou mightest deliver from slavery to the enemy those whom thou hadst fashioned.  /

Wherefore, we cry to Thee thankfully: //

Thou didst fill all things with joy, O our Savior, when Thou camest to save the world.

 

Glory… Both now…Tone 8:  

The uncircumscribable Word of the Father was circumscribed /

when He took flesh of thee, O Theotokos; /

and when He had restored the defiled image to its ancient state, /

He suffused it with divine beauty. //

As for us, confessing our salvation, we record it in deed and word.

 

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: Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers

Choir: and praised and glorified is Thy name unto the ages.

 

Reader: The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews:

[Hebrews 11:24-26;32-12:2 (§329 ctr)]

 

Reader: Alleluia in the 4th Tone

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader:  Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among them that call upon

His name.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader:  They called upon the Lord, and He hearkened unto them.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

Gospel [John 1:43-51 (§5)]

 

Instead of “It is truly meet…”[Tone 8 in the Octoechos, but usually sung to one  of

many special melodies]:

 

All creation – the assembly of angels and the race of man – rejoiceth in thee, O thou who

art full of grace, O sacred temple and noetical paradise, boast of virgins, from whom 

God, Who existeth from before time, was incarnate and became a child; for He made thy

body a throne, and thy womb He made more spacious than the heavens.  All creation

rejoiceth in thee, O thou who art full of grace.  Glory to thee!

 

Communion Verse:

Praise the Lord in the heavens, praise Him in the highest!  Rejoice in the Lord, O ye

righteous; praise is meet for the upright.  Alleluia!   Alleluia!  Alleluia!

 

It is customary in parishes on this Sunday to serve the Moleben for the return of those who have departed into error.

 

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