Presanctified Liturgy: Friday in the 3rd Week
The 40 Martyrs of Sebaste
Tone 7:
Like the Prodigal, /
I have departed from Thy grace and wasted the riches of Thy love: /
but now I run to Thee crying, O compassionate Lord: //
I have sinned, O God, have mercy upon me. Twice
Tone 5:
bravely withstanding torture, /
ye attained the blessedness for which ye hoped, /
and were made heirs of the Kingdom of heaven, /
O martyrs worthy of all praise. /
Since ye have boldness before God who loves mankind, /
pray that peace be given to the world, //
and to our souls great mercy.
strengthening themselves with the sign of the Cross, /
Thy saints, O Lord, went willingly and bravely to torture, /
and they overthrew the pride of and error of the devil. /
At their supplications, O almighty God, /
send down peace upon the world, /
and on our souls great mercy.
Intercede on our behalf, O holy martyrs, /
that we may be delivered from our sins: //
for to you is given grace to pray for us.
Your souls, O holy martyrs, were filled with an insatiable love; /
not denying Christ ye endured great sufferings and torment, /
and ye cast down the tyrants’ Pride. /
Ye kept the faith unaltered and unharmed, /
and now have gone to dwell in heaven. /
Since ye have boldness before Christ, //
pray that He may grant us His great mercy.
Tone 2:
Valiantly enduring real torments, /
rejoicing in that for which they longed, /
the holy martyrs said one to another: /
“If we do not shed our garments, /
we cannot put off the old man. /
Winter is cruel, but paradise is sweet; /
the ice is painful, but the acquisition of the Kingdom is delightful. /
Then, let us not give way, O warriors! /
Let us endure but a little while, /
that we may be crowned with crowns of victory by Christ God, //
the Savior of our souls.”
Casting off all their garments /
and entering the lake with trembling, /
the holy martyrs said one to another: /
“Let us not spare today our corruptible garments, /
that we may attain the paradise which we have lost! /
Having once been clothed because of the pernicious serpent, /
let us now unclothe ourselves for the resurrection of all. /
Let us disdain the frigid ice and despise the flesh, /
that we may be crowned with crowns of victory by Christ God, //
the Savior of our souls!” Twice
Seeing tortures as delight, /
running to the frozen lake as to a warm spring, /
the holy martyrs said: /
“Let us not fear the season of winter, /
that we may avoid the fearsome fire of Gehenna; /
let our legs be consumed by fire, /
that they may dance eternally; /
let our arms be cut off, /
that they may stretch themselves forth unto the Lord; /
let us not spare our mortal nature; /
let us submit to death, /
that we may be crowned with crowns of victory by Christ God, //
the Savior of our souls.”
Glory… Same Tone:
Valiantly enduring real torments, /
rejoicing in that for which they longed, /
the holy martyrs said one to another: /
“If we do not shed our garments, /
we cannot put off the old man. /
Winter is cruel, but paradise is sweet; /
the ice is painful, but the acquisition of the Kingdom is delightful. /
Then, let us not give way, O warriors! /
Let us endure but a little while, /
that we may be crowned with crowns of victory by Christ God, //
the Savior of our souls.”
Both now… Tone 5:
Once, the image of the Bride who knoweth not wedlock /
was inscribed in the Red Sea. /
There Moses was the parter of the waters; /
and here Gabriel is the minister of a miracle. /
There Israel traversed the deep dryshod; /
and now the Virgin giveth birth unto Christ without seed. /
The sea remained impassible after Israel had crossed; /
and the immaculate one remaineth incorrupt after the birth of Emmanuel. /
O God Who hast appeared as a man, /
Who existest and hast existed from the beginning: //
Have mercy upon us!
Tone 4: Give us help from affliction, for vain is the salvation of man.
Stichos: O God, Thou hast cast us off and hast destroyed us.
Lesson: Genesis 8:4-21
Tone 6: Hearken O God, unto my supplication; attend unto my prayer.
Three Readings for the Martyrs:
Isaiah 43:9-14
Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9
Wisdom of Solomon 5:15-24; 6:1-3