Presanctified Liturgy:
Wednesday in the 4th Week
St. Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem
Tone
4:
The
Fast that brings us blessings has now reached it midmost point; /
it
has helped us to receive God’s grace in the days that are past, /
and
will bring us further benefit in the days still to come. /
For
by continuing in what is right we attain yet greater gifts. /
We
therefore cry to Christ, the giver of all good: /
O
Thou who for our sakes hast fasted and endured the Cross, /
make us worthy to share uncondemned in Thy divine Passover. /
May
we spend our lives in peace //
and
rightly glorify Thee with the Father and the Spirit.
Tone
5: If we
look for a spiritual recompense, /
let
us perform our good deeds in secret; /
let
us not proclaim them in the streets /
but
keep them hidden in our hearts. /
Then
He Who sees the secrets of all men will reward us for our abstinence. /
Let
us complete the Fast, not with a sad countenance, /
but
praying in the inner chamber of our souls; /
and
without ceasing, let us cry: /
Our
Father Who art in heaven, /
lead us not into temptation, we pray, //
but
deliver us from the evil one.
Your
souls, O holy martyrs, /
were filled with an insatiable love; /
not
denying Christ ye endured great sufferings and torments, /
and
ye cast down the tyrant’s pride. /
Ye
kept the Faith unaltered and unharmed, /
and
now have gone to dwell in heaven, /
since ye have boldness before Christ, /
pray that peace be given to the world, //
and
to our souls great mercy.
Tone
1: Let us wash our souls clean in the waters of
the Fast, /
and,
approaching the precious and honored Cross of the Lord, /
let
us venerate it in faith; /
let
us draw from it divine enlightenment, //
gathering the fruit of eternal salvation, peace and great mercy.
O
Cross, glory of the apostles, /
attended by principalities and powers and archangels, /
keep safe from all harm those that venerate thee. /
Grant
us to follow rightly to the end the divine path of abstinence, //
and
to reach the day of salvation when we too shall be saved.
Tone
7: As we
venerate today the Cross of the Lord, let us cry: /
Rejoice,
Tree of Life, victor over hell; /
rejoice, joy of the world and slayer of corruption, /
for
by thy power thou scatterest the demons! /
Strong
support of the faithful, weapon that cannot be broken, //
we
pray thee, guard and sanctify those who show thee honor.
Tone
4 (Special Melody: “As Valiant among the martyrs…”):
Shining
forth like a star, /
thou didst illumine the faithful /
with the sacred splendors of thy dogmas, /
and
didst cast heresies into darkness. /
And
utterly victorious, /
as
a servant thou didst increase the talent given thee; /
and
having been well-pleasing unto God, /
thou didst surrender thy spirit into His hands, //
O Cyril, blessed of God. (Twice)
and
the splendor of thy manner of life /
didst thou shine forth like a most radiant star /
amid the council of the fathers, /
O
right wondrous one, /
and
didst choke with the cords of grace /
the
godless Macedonius /
who
was insanely blasphemous /
and
manifestly committed iniquity /
against the Holy Spirit of God //
Who
giveth life unto all.
The
pernicious reasoning of the most mindless Manes /
didst thou put to shame, /
denouncing most wisely and well /
the
vile teachings of his foolishness, /
O
chief among teachers, /
splendor of priests, godly champion of the Church of Christ. //
Wherefore
in gladness we celebrate thy holy repose.
Glory...
Now and ever... Tone 8 (from the Triodion):
Today
He Who is intangible in essence /
becometh tangible to me /
and
undergoeth suffering, freeing me from the passions. /
He Who granteth light to the blind /
is
spat upon by the mouths of the iniquitous, /
and
giveth His shoulders over to stripes /
for
those who have been made captive. /
And
the pure Virgin Mother, /
seeing Him upon the Cross, cried aloud in pain: /
"Woe
is me, O my Child! /
What
is this that Thou hast done? /
Thou
Who art comely in beauty beyond all men /
dost show Thyself to be bereft of breath and sight, /
lacking in appearance and beauty. /
Woe
is me, O my Light! /
I
cannot look upon Thee asleep. /
I
am wounded within, /
and
a cruel sword passeth through my heart! /
I
hymn Thy sufferings, /
I
worship Thy loving-kindness. //
O
Long-suffering One, glory be to Thee!
Prokimena
and Old Testament
Tone
4:
Blessed
is the Lord, the God of Israel, * Who alone doeth
wonders.
Stichos: O God, give Thy judgment to
the king, and Thy righteousness to the son of the king.
Tone
4:
But
it is good for me * to cleave unto God.
Stichos: How good is God to