Presanctified Liturgy:
Wednesday in the 2nd Week
Martyr Agapius and the six with him
Tone
1:
Keeping
a spiritual fast, O brethren, /
let
us speak no lies with our tongue, /
not
giving our brother cause for scandal; /
but
through repentance /
let
us make the lamp of our soul burn brightly, /
and
let us cry with tears to Christ: //
Forgive
us our trespasses in Thy love for mankind.
(Twice)
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 mercy to our souls.
Tone
3:
At
the prayers of Thy divine apostles, /
grant
in Thy love, O merciful Lord, /
that
we may spend the time of the Fast with truly contrite minds; //
so
may we all be saved and glorify Thee.
Mighty
and terrible shall be Thy coming, O Lord, /
when
Thou shalt sit in righteous judgment. /
Though
I deserve punishment, condemn me not, //
But
accept the prayers of Thine apostles and spare me, O God.
Tone
6:
O
apostles of Christ, /
shining
lights to mortal men, /
treasuries
of the wise knowledge of our God, /
filling
the world with riches: /
through
your holy prayers /
deliver
us from temptation as we sing your praises, /
and
guide us through the season of the Fast, /
watchfully
guarding our lives in peace. /
So
shall our prayers be acceptable to Christ /
as
we celebrate His Passion,
//
and
with boldness we shall offer glory to our God.
Tone
8 (Special Melody: “O most glorious wonder…”):
O
ye seven martyrs of Christ, /
ye
counted as naught the assaults of the torturers and a violent death; /
and
having readily and valiantly /
hastened
to battle and covered yourselves with the glory of victory, /
ye
were numbered among all the righteous; //
and
glorifying you with them forever, we call you blessed. Twice
O
martyred athlete Agapius, /
having
loved the Well-spring of good things, /
the
Summit of desires, /
thou
didst make haste to drain the cup of martyrdom, /
calling
upon the divine name of the living God. /
O,
thy courage! /
O,
thine endurance, /
whereby
thou hast been manifestly vouchsafed //
to
receive glory and splendor!
O
all-blessed martyrs, /
ye
gave yourselves over to voluntary slaughter, /
sanctified
the earth with your blood, /
and
enlightened the air with your passing. /
And
now ye live in the heavens, /
ever
praying for us //
to the never-waning Light, O ye who are in the
image of God.
Glory…
Both now… Same Tone and Melody:
Troubles amid griefs, /
we beseech thee, /
our intercessor, O all-pure
one: /
permit not thy servants to
perish utterly, /
but make haste to rescue us /
from this present wrath and
grief, /
O divinely joyous, pure and
all-holy one. /
For thou art a bulwark for us
//
and invincible aid.
Prokimena and Old Testament Readings
Tone 6: Be glad in the Lord and
rejoice, ye righteous.
Stichos:
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven.
Reading:
Genesis 4:16-26
Tone
1: Let Thy
mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee.
Stichos:
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: praise is meet for the upright.
Reading: Proverbs 5:15 - 6:3