Forgiveness Vespers
Tone 8 / March 17th
n.s.
At Lord I have cried: Penitential Stichera in the tone of the week: 4; Triodion: 3; Menaion 3.
Penitential
Stichera, Tone 8:
The
angels praise Thee without ceasing, O King and Master, /
and
I fall before Thee crying like the Publican: //
God
be merciful to me and save me.
Since
thou art immortal, O my soul, /
be
not overwhelmed by the waves of life; /
but
return to soberness and cry to Thy Benefactor: //
God
be merciful to me and save me.
Give me tears, O God, as once Thou gavest them to the woman that had sinned, /
and count me worthy to wash Thy feet /
that have delivered me from the way of error. /
As sweet-smelling ointment let me offer Thee a pure life, /
created in me by repentance; /
and may I also hear those words for which I long: //
“Thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace.”
When
I call to mind the many evils I have done, /
and
I think upon the fearful day of judgment, /
seized
with trembling I flee to Thee for refuge, /
O
God who lovest mankind. /
Turn
not away from me, I beseech Thee, /
who
alone art free from sin; /
but
before the end comes grant compunction to my humbled soul //
and
save me.
Triodion, Tone 2:
Let
us all make haste to humble the flesh by abstinence, /
as
we set out upon the God-given course of the holy Fast; /
and
with prayers and tears let us seek our Lord and Savior. /
Laying
aside all memories of evil, let us cry aloud: /
We
have sinned against Thee, Christ our King; /
save
us as the men of Nineveh in days of old, //
and
in Thy compassion make us sharers in Thy heavenly Kingdom.
When
I think of my works, deserving every punishment, /
I
despair of myself, O Lord. /
For
see, I have despised Thy precious commandments, /
and
wasted my life as the Prodigal. /
Therefore
I entreat Thee: /
cleanse
me in the waters of repentance, /
and
through prayer and fasting make me shine with light, /
for
Thou alone art merciful; abhor me not, //
O
Benefactor of all, supreme in love.
Let
us set out with joy upon the season of the Fast, /
and
prepare ourselves for spiritual combat.
/
Let
us purify our soul and cleanse our flesh; /
and
as we fast from food, let us abstain also from every passion. /
Rejoicing
in the virtues of the Spirit may we persevere with love, /
and
so be counted worthy to see the solemn passion of Christ our God, /
and
with great spiritual gladness //
to
behold His holy Pascha.
Stichera
for Martyr Conon:
Tone 8 (Special Melody: “O
most glorious wonder…”):
O
unwaning, divine ray, /
luminous
radiance of the commandments of God, /
ever-memorable
athlete, /
most
excellent of martyrs! /
Thou
hast dispelled the gloom of darkness /
like
a brilliant star, O blessed one! /
O
goodly offering and unblemished sacrifice! /
Wherefore,
unceasingly entreat Christ, //
that
He save our souls.
O
all-wise preacher of the Truth, /
showing
thyself to be an armed opponent of ungodliness, /
thou
didst fell the enemy with the suffering of thy head, /
and
didst openly proclaim the command of God, /
publishing
glad tidings /
to
the people who knew them not. /
O
Conon, who dwellest with the martyrs, /
entreat
the Deliverer, that He deliver from the passions //
thy
servants who hymn thee.
Good
was the change /
which
the Lord of our fathers wrought upon thee /
by
the right hand of the Most High, /
O
most glorious athlete! /
A
fruit blossoming forth from the root of unbelief /
wast thou shown to be, O most blessed and all-praised Conon, /
and,
having Christ as thy most excellent Leader, /
thou
didst mightily vanquish //
the hordes of the demons.
Glory… Both now… (in
the same tone and melody):
Rejoice,
bearer of the Light divine, /
thou
star most bright, /
and
tabernacle of sanctity! /
From
thine all-pure womb Light hath shown upon us, /
illumining
the ends of the earth, /
and
enlightening them with His grace. /
Rejoice,
O all-pure one, origin of salvation! /
Rejoice,
report and saying //
awesome
to those who trust in thee!
Entrance
with the censer:
O gladsome Light…
Great Prokimenon, Tone 8:
Deacon/Priest: Turn not away Thy face from Thy servant,
for I am afflicted; hear me speedily: hearken unto my soul, and deliver it.
Choir: Turn not away Thy face from Thy servant, for I am afflicted; hear me speedily: hearken unto my soul, and deliver it.
Deacon/Priest: Let Thy salvation, O God, help me.
Choir: Turn not away Thy face…
Deacon/Priest: Let the poor see it and be glad.
Choir: Turn
not away Thy face…
Deacon/Priest: Seek God, and your soul shall live.
Choir: Turn
not away Thy face…
Deacon/Priest: Turn not away Thy face from Thy servant,
for I am afflicted.
Choir: Hear me speedily: hearken unto my soul, and deliver it.
Reader: Vouchsafe, O Lord…
Then the Litany,
Let
us complete our evening prayer unto the Lord, with the choir singing the
responses according to the penitential Lenten melody.
Aposticha,
Tone 4:
Thy
grace has shone forth, O Lord, /
it
has shone forth and given light to our souls. /
Behold,
now is the accepted time: /
behold,
now is the season of repentance. /
Let
us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, /
that
having sailed across the great sea of the Fast, /
we
may reach the third-day Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, //
the Savior of our souls.
Stichos 1: Unto Thee have I lifted up mine
eyes, unto Thee that dwellest in heaven.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hands of their masters, as
the eyes of the handmaid look unto the hands of her mistress, so do our eyes
look unto the Lord our God, * until He take pity on us.
Repeat the sticheron “Thy
grace has shone forth, O Lord…”
Stichos 2: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have
mercy on us, for greatly are we filled with abasement. Greatly hath our soul been filled therewith;
let reproach come upon them that prosper, * and abasement on the proud.
To the Martyrs, Same Tone:
Thou
art glorified in the memorials of Thy saints, O Christ our God: /
at
their intercessions //
send
down upon us Thy great mercy.
Glory…Both now…in the Same Tone:
The
ranks of the angels glorify thee, O Mother of God, /
for
thou hast given birth to Him that is God, /
who
dwells ever with the Father and the Spirit, /
who
created the angelic hosts out of nothing by an act of His will. /
of
those who with true worship sing thy praises.
Everything else is found in the
Horologion, an outline is provided to keep the choir on track:
Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master…
Holy God…
O Theotokos and Virgin…
Glory… O Baptizer of Christ…
Both now… Plead in our behalf…
Beneath thy compassion…
Lord, have mercy. 40 times
Glory… Both now… More Honorable…
In the name of the Lord, father bless.
Priest: He that is is blessed…
O Heavenly King, strengthen Orthodox Christians.
Then the
priest says the prayer of St. Ephrem with 3 prostrations, then the dismissal
and the mutual forgiveness.