Presanctified Liturgy: Wednesday in the 4th Week

Annunciation

 

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.

 

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 6, (Special melody “Having set all aside...”):

Gabriel stood before thee, O Maiden, /

revealing the pre-eternal counsel, /

saluting thee and exclaiming: /

"Rejoice, O earth unsown! /

Rejoice, O bush unburnt! /

Rejoice, O depth hard to fathom! /

Rejoice, O bridge leading to the heavens /

and lofty ladder, which Jacob beheld! /

Rejoice, O divine jar of Manna! /

Rejoice, annulment of the curse! /

Rejoice, restoration of Adam: //

the Lord is with thee!                 Twice

 

“Thou appearest to me as a man," /

the incorrupt Maiden saith to the supreme commander; /

"yet how is it that thou announcest words /

which are beyond man? /

For thou hast said that God is with me, /

and that He will dwell in my womb. /

Tell me, how shall I become so spacious a dwelling /

and a place of sanctity which surpasseth the cherubim? /

Deceive me no more with falsehood, /

for I have not known pleasure, /

I have not partaken of marriage. //

How then shall I give birth to a Child?"                   Twice

 

"When God desireth, the order of nature is overcome /

said the incorporeal one; /

"and things beyond man are wrought. /

Believe thou my true words, /

O most holy and all immaculate one!" /

And she cried aloud: /

"Be it now with me according to thy words: /

I shall give birth to the Incorporeal One, /

Who will borrow flesh from me, /

that through this mingling /

He might lead man up to his primal dignity, //

in that He alone is mighty!"

 

Glory... Tone 8:

Today He Who is in essence unapproachable, /

becomes approachable for me and suffers His Passion, /

delivering me from passions. /

He who grants light unto the blind is spat upon /

by the mouths of the transgressors, /

and He gives His back to scourging /

for the sake of those that are held captive. /

When the pure Virgin His Mother saw Him on the Cross, /

she cried aloud in pain: /

“Woe is me, my Child! /

What is this that Thou hast done? /

Thou who wast in beauty fairer than all mortal men, /

dost now appear without life and form, /

having neither shape nor comeliness. /

Woe is me, O my Light! /

I cannot bear to look upon Thee sleeping, /

and I am wounded inwardly, /

a harsh sword has pierced my heart. /

I sing the praises of Thy Passion, /

I venerate Thy merciful kindness: //

O longsuffering Lord, glory to Thee!”

 

Both now… Tone 6:

The Archangel Gabriel was sent from heaven /

to announce the conception to the Virgin. /

And, arriving in Nazareth, /

he pondered within himself, marveling at the wonder: /

How is it that He Who in the highest is unapproachable /

is born of the Virgin; / that He Who hath heaven for His throne and the earth for His footstool /

is contained within the Virgin’s womb; /

that He upon Whom the six-winged and many eyed beings cannot gaze /

hath been well pleased to become incarnate of her by His word alone? /

This is God’s word. /

Why, therefore, do I stand and not say to the Virgin: /

'Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! /

The Lord is with thee! /

Rejoice, O pure Virgin! /

Rejoice, O unwedded Bride! /

Rejoice, O Mother of Life! //

Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb!'?"

 

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.

 

Reading: Genesis 9:18-10:1

 

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.

 

Reading: Proverbs 12:23-13:9

 

And then the 3 Readings for the Feast:

 

The Reading from Genesis (28:10-17)

 

            Jacob went forth from the well of the oath, and departed into Haran.  And he came to a certain place, and slept there, for the sun had gone down; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it at his head, and lay down to sleep in that place, and dreamed: and behold a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended on it.  And the Lord stood upon it, and said: “I am the God of thy father Abraham, and the God of Isaac.  Fear not; the land on which thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.  And thy seed shall be like the sand of the earth; and it shall spread abroad to the sea, and the south, and the north, and the east; and in thee and in thy seed shall all tribes of the earth be blessed.  And behold I am with thee to preserve thee continually in all the way wherein thou shalt go; and I will bring thee back to this land; for I will not desert thee, until I have done all that I have said to thee.”  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said: “The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.”  And he was afraid, and said: “How fearful is this place!   This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

 

The Reading from Ezekiel (43:27-44:4a)

 

            Thus saith the Lord: “It shall come to pass from the eighth day and onward, that the priests shall offer your wholeburnt-offerings on the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you,” saith the Lord.  Then He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that faceth eastward; and it was shut.  And the Lord said to me: “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it, and it shall be shut.  For the Prince, He shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord; He shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go forth by the way of the same.”  And He brought me in by the way of the gate that faceth northward, in front of the house: and I looked, and, behold! the house was full of the glory of the Lord.

 

The Reading from Proverbs (9:1-11)

 

            Wisdom hath built a house for herself and set up seven pillars.  She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine in a bowl and prepared her table.  She hath sent forth her servants, calling with a loud proclamation to the feast, saying: “Whoso is foolish, let him turn aside to me.”  And to those who want understanding, she saith: “Come, eat of my bread, and drink wine which I have mingled for you.  Leave folly, that ye may reign forever; and seek wisdom, and improve understanding by knowledge.”  He that reproveth evil men shall get dishonor to himself; and he that rebuketh an ungodly man shall disgrace himself.  Rebuke not evil men, lest they should hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.  Give an opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser: instruct a just man, and he will receive more instruction.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the counsel of the law is the character of a sound mind.  For in this way thou shalt live long, and years of thy life shall be added to thee.

 

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