Presanctified Liturgy:
Friday in the 2nd Week
St. Patrick of Ireland
Tone
4:
Now
is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. /
In
the multitude of Thy mercy visit my soul, /
and
release me from the burden of my transgressions, //
for
Thou alone lovest mankind.
Twice
Tone
1:
At
the prayers, O Lord, of all the saints and of the Theotokos, /
grant
us Thy peace and have mercy upon us, //
for
Thou only art compassionate.
The
confession of faith that ye made in the arena, O ye saints, /
filled
with fear the hosts of demons /
and
set men free from error. /
As
ye were beheaded ye cried out: /
“May
the sacrifice of our souls be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord; /
for
desiring Thee who lovest man, //
we
have despised this quickly passing life.”
Wise
was the exchange ye made, O saints! /
Ye
gave your blood, and received heaven as your reward; /
ye
suffered tribulation for a time,/
and now make glad eternally. /
Wisely
have ye traded: /
forsaking
things corruptible, /
ye
have received things incorruptible; /
and
rejoicing with the choirs of angels //
ye
sing continually the praises of the consubstantial Trinity.
O martyrs
worthy of all praise, /
your
bodies were not buried in the earth, /
yet
heaven has received you; /
the
gates of
and
entering within ye have eaten from the tree of life. /
Pray
to Christ that He may grant peace //
and
great mercy to our souls.
Tone
1:
Rejoice,
ye hills and groves of the Irish land! /
Leap
up, ye lakes and rivers! /
For,
lo! through the grace of God /
blessing
and strengthening have come upon you from on high, /
for
your enlightener and spiritual father cometh unto you: /
Patrick,
glorious among hierarchs, /
zealot
of the Orthodox Faith, //
chosen
by God for the apostolate. Twice
To
the newly-enlightened Christians /
the
holy Patrick crieth out: /
Attend,
O my spiritual children: /
I
have begotten you, as saith the Gospel; /
I
have betrothed you as a bride to Christ God./
Stand
fast, therefore, in the Faith, /
and
confess it fearlessly; /
be
not afraid of the opposition of the pagans, /
that
God may manifest Himself unto you //
as
a great Helper and Protector!
Great
is thy faith, O holy hierarch Patrick; /
for,
lo! having left thy homeland and lands enlightened by Christ, /
bearing
the Gospel of Christ unto the lost /
thou
didst journey to a land languishing in heathen darkness; /
and
thou didst not depart therefrom /
until
thou didst convert the whole land to the Orthodox Faith. //
Wherefore,
we praise thee as is meet.
Glory…
Tone 8:
Who
can describe the pangs and struggles /
which
thou didst endure, O Patrick, /
in
preaching the Word of God unto those who sat in pagan darkness? /
Who
can number the tears which thou didst shed at night, /
praying
in the solitude of the wilderness, /
staving
off the fear of wild beasts and the assaults of the demons /
by
the power of the Cross of Christ, //
which
thou didst plant triumphantly over all the Irish land?
Both
now… Tone 1:
Let
us hymn the Virgin Mary, /
the
glory of the whole world, /
who
sprang forth from men and gave birth unto the Master, /
the
portal of heaven, and the subject of the hymnody of the incorporeal hosts; /
for
she hath been shown to be heaven and the temple of the Godhead. /
Having
destroyed the middle-wall of enmity, /
she
hath brought forth peace and opened wide the kingdom. /
Therefore,
having her as the confirmation of our faith, /
we
have as champion the Lord born of her. /
Be
of good courage! Yea, be ye of good
cheer, O people of God, //
for
He vanquisheth the foe, in that He is almighty!
Tone
4: Let Thy
mercy and Thy truth continually help me.
Stichos:
With
patience I waited patiently for the Lord, and He was attentive unto me.
Lesson:
Genesis 5:32 - 6:8
Tone
6: I said:
O Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul.