Great Martyr George

Wednesday of the 3rd Week after Pascha

 

Vespers: Priest: Glory to the Holy… Choir: Amen.

Priest: Christ is risen from the dead. 2 ½ times. The Choir sings: And upon those in the tombs bestowing life.

Blessed is the man.

Lord I have Cried, Tone 2, on 8: Myrrh-bearers: 3 (The women disciples of Christ); Great Martyr 5 (As one valiant among the martyrs); G: Great Martyr (Thou didst live thy life in accordance with thy name); N: Myrrh-bearers (Arriving at Thy tomb).

Entry; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 1: Thy mercy, O Lord, shall pursue me.

3 Readings for the Great Martyr.

Litia: Temple; Great Martyr (In his glorious suffering); G: Great Martyr (Springtime hath arrived); N: Myrrh-bearers (With fear the women came to the tomb – from the Matins Praises, Doxasticon).

Aposticha: Great Martyr (With psalms and hymns); G: Great Martyr (O brethren, let us spiritually praise); N: Myrrh-bearers (Joseph begged the body of Jesus).

Troparia: Great Martyr (As a liberator of captives) x2; O Theotokos and Virgin x1.

 

Matins: Choir: Christ is risen from the dead x3.

Reader: Glory to God in the highest; and the 6 psalms as usual.

God is the Lord, Tone 2; Troparia: The noble Joseph; When Thou didst descend; G: Great Martyr (As a liberator of captives); N: Unto the myrrh-bearing women.

After the first Kathisma: Sessional hymns of the Pentecostarion (The honored myrrh-bearers – written as Sessional Hymn after second reading in Pentecostarion).

After the second Kathisma: Sessional hymns of the Great Martyr (Behold! the springtime of grace) G: Great Martyr (Disdaining the army); N: Pentecostarion (The honored myrrh-bearers).

Polyeleos and Magnification of the Great Martyr: We magnify thee, O holy and victorious great martyr George, and we honor thy venerable sufferings, which thou didst endure for Christ. Psalm verse: Our God is refuge and strength, a helper in afflictions which mightily befall us.

Sessional hymns of the Great Martyr (Afire with the burning love of the Master); G: Great Martyr (Zealously cultivating the seed); N: Pentecostarion (The honored myrrh-bearers).

Hymns of Ascents, First Antiphon, Tone 4: From my youth.

Prokimenon of the Great Martyr, Tone 4: The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree.

Matins Gospel: Luke 12:2-12 (§63).

Having beheld the resurrection x1; Psalm 50; G: Through the prayers of the passion-bearer George; N:  Through the prayers of the Theotokos; Have mercy on me, O God; Sticheron of the Great Martyr in the Menaion (Today the whole world is enlightened). Save, O God, Thy people.

Canon:   Myrrh-bearers     6             Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

               Great Martyr       8             Holy Great Martyr and Trophy-bearer George, pray to God for us.

Irmos of Myrrh-bearers (twice): Taking up the hymn of Moses.

Katavasia: It is the day of resurrection.

 

After Ode 3, Kontakion (When Thou didst cry, Rejoice, unto the myrrh-bearers) and Ikos of Myrrh-bearers; Sessional hymn of the Great Martyr (Manfully contending in every manner of piety); G: Great Martyr (Having distributed thine earthly riches); N: Myrrh-bearers (Fervently did the women bear myrrh to the tomb).

After Ode 6, Kontakion (Cultivated by God) and Ikos of the Great Martyr.

At Ode 9, More Honorable.

 

Exapostilarion: Great Martyr (Springtime hath shone forth); G: Great Martyr (Like the brilliant sun); N: Myrrh-bearers (Hearken, ye women).           

Praises, Tone 2, on 6: Myrrh-bearers 3 (Can the Deliverer be among the dead? – written at the Matins Aposticha); Great Martyr 3 (Come, all ye who have celebrated); G: Great Martyr (Let the eye-lids of men assent); N: Feast (With Nicodemus, Joseph took Thee down).

After the Great Doxology: The noble Joseph; G: Troparion of the Great Martyr; N: Unto the myrrh-bearing women; the two remaining Litanies and Resurrectional Dismissal; First Hour.

 

Hours: Troparion: When Thou didst descend & The Noble Joseph, alternating; G: Great Martyr; Kontakion: Myrrh-bearers & Great Martyr, alternating.

 

Liturgy: The beginning, as on St. Thomas Sunday. Beatitudes on 8, Myrrh-bearers: 4, from Ode 5; Great Martyr: 4, from Ode 3, first canon.

After the entrance, the Troparia: The noble Joseph; When Thou didst descend unto death; Great Martyr; G: Kontakion of the Great Martyr; N: Myrrh-bearers.

Prokimenon, Tone 6: Save, O Lord, Thy people. & Tone 7: The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord.

Epistle: Acts 8:18-25 (§19); Acts 12:1-11 (§29).

Alleluia, Tone 8 & Tone 4.

Gospel: John 6:35-39 (§21); John 15:17-16:2 (§52).

Instead of It is truly meet, we sing the refrain The angel cried, with the Irmos of the Ninth Ode of Pascha (Shine, shine).

Communion Hymn: Receive ye the Body of Christ. & In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be.

And the rest as on St. Thomas Sunday.