February 22. Second Saturday of Lent. Tone 5. Commemoration of the Departed.

Holy Martyrs at the Gate of Eugenius at Constantinople

 

Vespers with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts: Kathisma 18.

Small litany.

Lord, I have cried, Tone 4, on 10: The Idiomelon in the Triodion, x2 (Now is the accepted time); Martyrs 4 (Despising every earthly thing – from Friday evening vespers in the Octoechos and LTS, p. 327); Martyrs 4 (Shedding the garments of mortality –from the Menaion); G: Hymn for the dead, from the Octoechos, Tone 5 (I called to mind the Prophet’s words); N: Dogmatic Theotokion, Tone 5 (Once, the image of the Bride).

Entry with the censer; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the Triodion, Tone 4: Let Thy mercy and Thy truth continually help me.

Reading: Gen. 5:32-6:8.

Prokimenon of the Triodion, Tone 6: I said: O Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul.

Reading: Prov. 6:20-7:1.

Let my prayer arise; and the rest of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

 

 

Vespers, If the Presanctified Liturgy is not served: Kathisma 18.

Small litany.

Lord, I have cried, Tone 5, on 6: Martyrs 3 (Despising every earthly thing – from Friday evening vespers in the Octoechos or LTS, p. 327); Martyr 3 (Shedding the garments of mortality – from the Menaion); G: Hymn for the dead, from the Octoechos, Tone 5 (I called to mind the Prophet’s words); N: Dogmatic Theotokion, Tone 5 (Once, the image of the Bride).

There is no entrance; Reader: O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the Triodion, Tone 4: Let Thy mercy and Thy truth continually help me.

Reading: Gen. 5:32-6:8.

Prokimenon of the Triodion, Tone 6: I said: O Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul.

Reading: Prov. 6:20-7:1.

Vouchsafe, O Lord; Litany: Let us complete our evening prayer.

Aposticha: Idiomelon of the Triodion (which is the first verse at Lord I have cried, in the Triodion – Now is the accepted time) x2; The Martyricon from the Octoechos, Tone 5 (With the streams of their blood – from the stichera for Lord, I have cried for Friday evening, Tone 5) x1; G/N: Theotokion, Tone 5 (To thee do we pray, as the Mother of god – from the Theotokia in the Eight Tones in the Appendix of the Menaion).

Troparia: O Apostles, Martyrs, and Prophets; G: Remember, O Lord; N: Theotokion (Holy mother of the Ineffable Light).

Litany: Have mercy on us, O God;

Prayer of St. Ephraim, with 3 prostrations.

The prayer: O All-Holy Trinity, the Consubstantial Dominion.

Blessed be the name of the Lord x3.

G/N: Psalm 33 is read.

Priest: Wisdom!

Choir: It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos, ever-blessed and most blameless and Mother of our God.

Priest: O most holy Theotokos, save us.

Choir: More honorable.

Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ our God and our Hope, glory to Thee.

Choir: G/N: Lord, have mercy x3. Father (Master) bless!

Dismissal.

 

Great Compline: After the first Trisagion, the Troparia: O Apostles, Martyrs, and Prophets; G: Remember, O Lord; N: Theotokion (Holy mother of the Ineffable Light).

After the second Trisagion, we sing Have mercy on us, O Lord, as usual.

Canon of the departed from the Octoechos, from the canon at Matins, Tone 5, without Irmoi.

After It is truly meet, Trisagion, Kontakion of the Departed (With the Saints give rest). 

Great Dismissal.

 

Saturday Midnight Office: Kathisma 9.

 

Matins: The usual beginning for daily Matins.

In place of God is the Lord, we sing Alleluia, Tone 2, with the following verses (as at a Pannikhida):

1. Blessed are they whom Thou hast chosen and hast taken to Thyself, O Lord.

2. Their remembrance is unto generation and generation.

3. Their souls shall dwell among good things.

Then these Troparia: O Apostles, Martyrs, and Prophets; G: Remember, O Lord; N: Theotokion (Holy mother of the Ineffable Light).

Kathisma 16. Small litany (usual, not for the departed). Sessional Hymns from the Octoechos, Tone 5 Martyrs (Thou hast given us an indestructible bulwark – 2nd hymn of the 1st set of sessional hymns in the Octoechos); Martyrs (Zealous for the cup of Thy sufferings – 1st hymn of the 2nd set of sessional hymns); Verse (Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel); Martyrs (The host of heaven wondered – 2nd hymn of the 2nd set of sessional hymns); Verse (Blessed are they whom Thou hast chosen and taken to Thyself, O Lord); Hymn for the Dead (Unto Thy servants grant rest – Nekrosimon from the 2nd set of sessional hymns); G/N: Theotokion (O Christ God Who shone forth – from the 2nd set of sessional hymns) – or you can use the hymns as arranged in LTS, p. 328f).

Choir: Lord, have mercy x3; Glory; Reader: Both now; and he begins the first half of Kathisma 17, with the refrain Blessed art Thou, O Lord, sung slowly, softly, and repeatedly, by the choir, while this is read.  The last two verses (If Thy law had not been; & I will never forget Thy statutes) are sung thrice by the choir. 

Small Litany (for the departed): Deacon: Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord. Choir: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: Again we pray for the repose of the departed servants of God, our forefathers, fathers, brethren, and the Orthodox here and everywhere laid to rest and that they may be forgiven every transgression, both voluntary and involuntary. Choir: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: That the Lord God commit… Choir: Lord, have mercy. Deacon: The mercy of God… Choir: Grant this, O Lord. Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord  Choir: Lord, have mercy x40, While the priest secretly says the prayer O God of spirits. Exclamation (For Thou art the Resurrection). Choir: Amen.

The second half of Kathisma 17 is read, with the refrain Save me, O Savior, sung while this is read, as above.  Last two verses (My soul shall live; & I have gone astray) are sung thrice. 

Then immediately, the choir sings the Evlogitaria of the Departed (Blessed art Thou, O Lord; The choir of the saints; and the rest). Small Litany (for the departed, as previously). Sessional Hymn (Give rest, O our Savior); G/N Theotokion (O Christ God, Who didst shine forth); Psalm 50.

Canon (Odes 1-5):               In a Temple of the Lord or the Theotokos:

Canon of the Temple (Including Irmos)         6

Martyrs (in the Menaion)                                   4              Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.

 

                                                In a Temple of a Saint:

Martyrs (in the Menaion – Including Irmos)  6              Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.

Canon of the Temple                                        4

 

Katavasia: There is no Katavasia after Odes 1, 4, and 5. The Katavasia after at Ode 3 is the Irmos of the last canon.

 

After Ode 3, Small Litany (usual); Kontakion of the Martyrs (O mighty pillars of the Faith – printed after Ode 6, in the Menaion) Second Kontakion of the Martyrs (Shinning forth from the earth – printed after Ode 3, in the Menaion); sessional hymn of the Martyrs (Having manifestly set at nought – from the Menaion); G/N: Theotokion (Set aright mine accursed soul, O pure one – from the Menaion).

 

Canon (Odes 6-9):

Martyrs (in the Menaion – Including Irmos)  6              Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.

First Four Canticled Canon                               4              Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.

Second Four Canticled Canon                          4              Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.

2 Additional Troparia for the Martyrs and the Departed, with the refrains in the Triodion.

Katavasia: Irmos of the Second Four Canticled Canon.

 

After Ode 6, Small Litany (departed), Kontakion (With the saints give rest) and Ikos (see Triodion, p. 135).

At Ode 9, More honorable.  After the Katavasia of Ode 9, It is truly meet.

Exapostilaria from the Triodion (not found in the English Triodion sources): O Creator of all, who as God didst adorn the heaven with stars, and by Thy saints enlightenest all the earth, save them that hymn Thee.  G: As God, who hast authority over both the living and the dead, give rest to Thy servants in the tabernacles of the elect, for even though they sinned, O Savior, yet they turned not away from Thee.  N: The sweetness of the angels, the joy of the afflicted, the intercessor of Christians art thou, O Virgin Mother of the Lord: succor me and deliver me from the eternal torments.

Praises, (all the verses are read, down to Praise Him for His mighty acts), Martyrs 4 (Blessed is the army of the King of heaven – Tone 5 of the Octoechos, or LTS, p. 329f); G: The Departed, Tone 5 (O Lord Who created me); N: Theotokion, Tone 5 (Alas, O my wretched soul – the Theotokion in LTS differs from the Slavonic Octoechos). 

The priest does not say To Thee glory is due, but immediately Glory to Thee who has showed us the light.

Small Doxology is read; Litany: Let us complete our morning prayer.

At the Aposticha, stichera to the Departed in the Tone of the Week, Tone 5 (With the light of Thy countenance – with the refrains in the Octoechos (or LTS, p. 330f); G/N: Theotokion (Having conceived Christ the King).

It is good to give praise x1; Trisagion prayers; Troparia: O Apostles, Martyrs, and Prophets; G: Remember, O Lord; N: Theotokion (Holy mother of the Ineffable Light). Augmented Litany; First Hour; and Dismissal

 

Hours: Troparia: O Apostles, Martyrs, and Prophets; G: Remember, O Lord; Kontakion: With the saints give rest.

 

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: Beatitudes, Octoechos 6.

After the entrance: Troparion to All Saints (O Apostles, Martyrs, and Prophets); Departed (Remember, O Lord); G: Kontakion of the Departed (With the saints give rest); N: Theotokion (In thee we have a wall and a haven).

Prokimenon Tone 8, Be glad in the Lord. & Tone 6, Their souls shall dwell among good things.

Epistle: Hebrews 3:12-16 (§309); 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 (§270).

Alleluia, Tone 4 & 8.

Gospel: Mark 1:35-44 (§6); John 5:24-30 (§16).

Communion Hymn: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous. & Blessed are they whom thou hast chosen.

Dismissal.

After the Liturgy, a general Panikhida is served for all Orthodox Christians.