Presanctified Liturgy: Wednesday in the 4th Week
42 Martyrs of Ammoria
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: “Called from on high …”]:
Having appeared in the latter times, /
O right victorious martyrs, /
as unwaning stars in the honored firmament of the Church, /
ye illumined all the earth with the splendor of your suffering /
and destroyed the darkness of deception, O most laudable ones; /
and now ye have passed over to the eternal effulgence. /
Wherefore, with faith we celebrate your radiant and sacred suffering, //
enriched by your intercession.
O martyrs of Christ, /
ye were bound after summary arrest, /
and were all incarcerated in prison for a long time, /
being divine keepers of the Faith; /
therefore, the infamous beast, enraged, slew with the sword /
you who declined to submit to his evil commands. /
And now, ye have joyously inherited the heavens, /
having joined yourselves to the kingdom, //
O ye all glorious forty-two.
Let us all praise aloud Constantine, Basoes and Callistus, /
Theodore and Theophilus, /
and the rest of the divine company of athletes; /
for, sacrificing themselves joyfully, /
they elected to die for the Life of all. /
And now they rest in the city of the living God, /
and ask that we may find remission of offenses on the day of judgement //
and complete deliverance.
Glory... Now and ever...: Theotokion, in the same tone and melody:
O most immaculate Theotokos, /
from every attack of the enemy /
do thou save them that with piety worship thine Offspring, /
as thou art the intercessor for our whole race; /
for thee have we all now acquired as our help, refuge and confirmation, /
and a mediatress before Christ, the Master and Lord. /
Him do thou entreat, we pray, that He grant peace to the world //
and forgiveness of sins unto them that have recourse to thy protection.
Prokimena and Old Testament Readings
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 Israel, to them that are upright of heart.