20th
Sunday after Pentecost / The Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council
Beatitudes on 10, Octoechos: 6; Fathers: 4, Ode 3.
1. From paradise didst Thou drive our forefather Adam, who had broken Thy commandment, O Christ; but, O Compassionate One, Thou didst cause to dwell therein the thief who confessed Thee on the cross, crying out: “Remember me, O Savior, in Thy kingdom!” 2. With the curse of death didst Thou condemn us who had sinned, O Lord, Bestower of life; yet having suffered in Thy flesh, O sinless Master, Thou hast granted life unto mortals who cry out: “Remember us also in Thy kingdom!” 3. In rising from the dead, Thou hast raised us up from the passions with Thyself through Thy resurrection, O Lord; and all the power of death hast Thou destroyed, O Savior. Wherefore, with faith we cry out to Thee: “Remember us also in Thy kingdom!” 4. O Thou who as God grantest life, by Thy three days in the tomb Thou didst raise up with Thyself the dead in hell, and as One Who is good Thou hast poured forth incorruption upon all of us who with faith ever cry out: “Remember us also in Thy kingdom!” 5. Risen from the dead, O Savior, Thou didst first appear to the myrrh-bearing women, crying out: “Rejoice!” and through them Thou didst announce Thy resurrection to Thy friends, O Christ. Wherefore, with faith we cry out to Thee, “Remember us also in Thy kingdom!” 6. Moses, stretching out his arms on the mountain, prefigured the Cross and thus conquered Amelek. And, receiving it with faith as a mighty weapon against the demons, we all cry out: “Remember us also in Thy kingdom!” 7. Initiated into the mysteries by Christ, the divine chief shepherds drove away from the pious the parties of Antichrist, who wished to trouble the Church of Christ, that it not be shaken. 8. The Company of the fathers, drawing forth streams of teaching from the wellsprings of salvation, give the thirsting people of Christ to drink thereof, and wash away the turbid streams of filth. 9. The Seventh Council of the Christ-loving, whose defenders were the imperial Irene and Constantine, was held in the splendid city of Nicaea against those who of a truth accused Christians and brought them to trial. 10. Let all the ungodly depart who do not venerate the precious icon of the Theotokos and do not proclaim her to be the one who gave birth to Christ theandrically; and let them be sent into the fire, to burn without being consumed. Troparia Tone 3: Let the heavens be glad; let earthly things rejoice; /
for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm. /He hath trampled down death by death; /the first-born of the dead hath He become. /From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us //and Hath granted to the world great mercy. Glory… Tone 8: Most
glorified art Thou, O Christ our God, /
Who hast established our holy
fathers as luminous stars upon the earth, /
and through them didst guide
us all to the true Faith. //
O Most merciful One, glory
be to Thee.
Both now… Tone 8: O Good One, Who for our sake wast born of the
Virgin /
and,
having endured crucifixion, cast down death by death, /
and
as God revealed the resurrection: /
disdain
not that which Thou hast fashioned with Thine own hand. /
Show
forth Thy love for mankind, O Merciful One; /
accept
the Theotokos who gave Thee birth and prayeth for us; //
and
save Thy despairing people, O our Savior!
The Epistle
Reader: The Prokimenon in the 3rd Tone: O chant unto our God, chant ye; chant unto our
King, chant ye.
Choir: O chant unto our God, chant ye; chant unto our King,
chant ye.
Reader: Clap your hands, all ye nations; shout unto
God with a voice of rejoicing.
Choir: O chant unto our God, chant ye; chant unto
our King, chant ye.
Reader: In the 4th Tone: Blessed art Thou, O
Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy name unto the
ages.
Choir: Blessed art Thou, O Lord,
the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy name unto the ages.
Reader: The
Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians: [Gal. 1:11-19 (§200); Heb 13:7-16 (§334)]
Reader: Alleluia in the 3rd Tone: In Thee, O
Lord, have I hoped, let me not be put to shame in the age to come.
Choir:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Be Thou
unto me a God to defend me and a house of refuge to save me.
Choir:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: In the 1st Tone: The
God of gods, the Lord hath spoken, and He hath called the earth from the rising
of the sun unto the setting thereof.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Luke 7:11-16 (§30); John 17:1-13 (§56)]
Kontakia
Tone 3: Thou didst rise today from the tomb, O Merciful One, /
and didst lead us out of the gates of death. /Today Adam danceth and Eve rejoiceth; /and together with them both the prophets and patriarchs //unceasingly praise the divine might of Thine authority.
Glory… Tone 6: The Son Who shined forth from the Father ineffably
was born, /
twofold of nature, of a
woman. /
Knowing Him, we deny not the
image of His form; /
but depicting it piously, we
revere it faithfully. /
And for this cause, the
Church, in that it holdeth the true faith, //
doth kiss the icon of
Christ’s incarnation.
Both now... Tone 6: O protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, /
O mediation unto the
Creator unfailing, /
disdain not the suppliant
voices of sinners, /
but be thou quick, O good
one, to help us who in faith cry unto thee; /
hasten to intercession and
speed thou to make supplication, //
thou who dost ever
protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.