The Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers / The Apostle and Evangelist Mark

At the beginning of the Liturgy, the Priest sings “Christ is risen” 2 ˝ times, and the Choir finishes

the last half.

Beatitudes on 12, Tone 2, from the Pentecostarion: 4; Myrrh-bearers 4, from Ode 3; Apostle 4, from Ode 6.
 
1.  Remember us also, O Compassionate One, even as Thou didst remember the thief, in 
the Kingdom of the Heavens.
 
2.  The tree drave out Adam, and the Cross led the thief up into the Kingdom of the 
Heavens.
 
3. The grave received Thee, O Savior, Who didst empty the graves and who, as God, 
didst grant life unto the dead.
 
4. O Glorious Apostles of Christ, entreat Him fervently that He save us from perils.
 
5. Thou didst stretch out Thy hands upon the Cross, O Jesus, gathering all the nations in 
from deception, and Thou didst call them to acknowledge Thee, O Savior.
 
6. The people of the Jews cry out to Pilate: “Release unto us the thieving malefactor! 
Take, O take the Sinless One, and crucify Him!”
 
7. O Joseph who received God, come and stand with us, crying: Jesus the Deliverer hath 
risen, Who in His compassion hath raised up Adam!
 
8. With us, let the twelve disciples rejoice, and the myrrh-bearing women and Joseph, and 
the other disciples of Christ, both women and men.
 
9. Thou didst set at naught the scorn of the wicked, O Lord, and didst put down their 
prideful arrogance, showing forth Thine apostle as a conqueror by Thy might, for Thou 
art the strength and restoration of the afflicted.
 
10. By thy words, O wise Mark, thou didst preach the Fashioner of creation, the Crown of 
hope wherewith we are now crowned, and which to our glory, hath been wrought the 
nature of flesh.
 
11.  O glorious one, the preeminent Peter clearly instructed thee to record the precious 
Gospel mystically, showing thee be a servant of divine grace, for thou didst shed the light 
of divine knowledge upon us.
 
12. Through the Virgin Mother of God didst Thou enlighten Egypt which aforetime was 
in darkness, entering it as an infant, O Lord; and Thou didst reprove its vanity through the 
teachings of the divinely eloquent Mark, O Thou Who lovest mankind.
 
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 2:  
The noble Joseph, taking Thine immaculate Body down from the Tree, / 
and having wrapped It in pure linen and spices, laid It in a new tomb. / 
But on the third day Thou didst arise, O Lord, //
granting to the world great mercy.
 
Tone 3:  
Thou wast an apostle of Christ who learned from the preeminent Peter, /
and didst shine like the sun /
upon the land of the Alexandrians, being their adornment. / 
Through thee was Egypt freed from deception, O blessed one, /
who as the Church’s Pillar of fire /
dost illumine all with thy teachings of the Gospel. /
Wherefore, honoring thy memory, we keep splendid festival, /
O divinely eloquent Mark.  /
Entreat God Who was proclaimed by thee, //
that He grant our souls remission of offenses.

 

Glory… Tone 2: Receiving from on high the grace of the Spirit, /

thou didst destroy the snares of the orators, O apostle, /

and, having pursued all the nations, /

thou didst lead them to thy Master, //

O most glorious Mark, peaching the divine Gospel.

 

Both now… Tone 2:  When Thou didst cry, Rejoice, unto the myrrh-bearers, /

Thou didst make the lamentation of Eve the first mother to cease /

by Thy Resurrection, O Christ God.  /

And Thou didst bid Thine apostles to preach:  //

The Savior is risen from the grave.

 

The Epistle:

Reader: The Prokimenon in the 6th Tone:  Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine

inheritance.

Choir: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.

Reader: Unto Thee, O Lord, Will I cry; O my God, be not silent unto me.

Choir: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.

Reader:  In the 8th Tone: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words

unto the ends of the world.

Choir: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the

world.

 

Reader: The Reading is from the Acts of the Holy Apostles:

[Acts 6:1-7 (§16); 1 Peter 5:6-14 (§63)]

 

Reader: Alleluia in the 8th Tone: Thou hast been gracious, O Lord, unto Thy land; Thou

hast turned back the captivity of Jacob..

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader:  Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each

other.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader:  In the 1st tone: The heavens shall confess Thy wonders, O Lord, and Thy

truth in the congregations of saints.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

Gospel [Mark 15:43-16:8 (§69); Mark 6:7-13(§23)]

 

Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the

Canon of the feast, first Tone:

               Refrain:  The angel cried unto her that is full of grace: Rejoice, O pure Virgin!

And again I say, rejoice!  For thy Son is risen from the grave on the third day, and hath

raised the dead, O ye people, be joyful!

               Irmos:   Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon

thee; dance now and be glad, O Zion, and do thou exult, O pure Theotokos, in the arising

of Him Whom thou didst bear.

 

Communion Verse:

Praise the Lord in the heavens, praise Him in the highest!  Their sound hath gone forth

into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Alleluia!  Alleluia! 

Alleluia!

 

We sing “Christ is risen…” instead of “We have seen the true light…“

 

At the dismissal, when the priest says: “Glory to Thee, O Christ God…” The Choir sings

 “Christ is risen…” x3 instead of “Glory… Both now… Father bless!”  Then the priest

gives the dismissal.

 

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