22nd Sunday after Pentecost / Holy Great-martyr Demetrius and Commemoration of the Great
Earthquake at Constantinople in 740 AD.
Beatitudes
on 12 Octoechos 4; Earthquake 4, from Ode 3; Martyr 4, from Ode 6.
1. Believing Thee to be God, O Christ, the thief
on the cross confessed Thee in a pure manner, crying out from the depths of his
heart: Remember me in Thy kingdom, O
Lord!
2. Together let us hymn as Savior and Creator,
Him Who on the Cross budded forth life for our race and caused the curse which
originated from the tree to wither up.
3. By Thy death hast Thou destroyed the power of
death, O Christ, and Thou didst raise up with Thyself the dead of ages past,
who now hymn Thee as our true God and Savior.
4. Arriving at Thy tomb, O Christ, the honorable
women sought to anoint Thee with myrrh, O Bestower of life; but an angel
appeared to them, crying out: The Lord is risen!
5 & 6. The earth is wounded because of the evils
which lie upon us and ever rouse Thine anger against us, O compassionate King
of all. But take pity on Thy servants, O
Master.
7. Having shaken it, Thou hast made the earth
stable again, O Lord, chastising and converting our weakness, desiring to make
us steadfast through godly fear of Thee, O Most Blessed One.
8. O brethren, let us flee sin which hath
engendered bitter death, most oppressive earthquakes and unbearable plagues;
and let us please God with repentance.
9. Assembling together, we chant thy glorious
and luminous memorial which is full of wonders and of the gifts of the honored
and Holy Spirit, O most blessed one.
10. By thy supplications loose the bonds of mine
offenses, for, as an invincible martyr, thou hast boldness before the Master;
and be thou my refuge and protection, O Demetrius.
11. Thou didst flourish spiritually, like a
fruitful olive-tree, and wast violently pressed by the hands of soldiers. But now thou dost comfort the faithful, O Demetrius,
pouring forth myrrh from thy divine tomb.
12. Beholding the golden and ever-burning lamp of
the Light, we who have darkened our souls with a multitude of sins draw nigh,
for she giveth us illumination and driveth away all
darkness.
Troparia
Tone 5: Let us, O faithful, praise and worship the
Word /
Who is
co-unoriginate with the Father and the Spirit, /
and Who was born of
the Virgin for our salvation; /
for He was pleased
to ascend the Cross in the flesh /
and to endure death,
//
and to raise the
dead by His glorious Resurrection.
Glory…Tone 3:
The whole world hath found thee to be a great champion amid misfortunes, /
who conquered the pagans, O passion-bearer. /
Therefore, as thou didst cast down the pride of Lyaeus /
and didst appoint the bold Nestor for the struggle, /
thus, O Demetrius, beseech Christ God //
to grant us great mercy.
Both now… Tone 8:
O Christ our God, Who lookest on the earth and makest it tremble: /
Deliver us from the dreadful threat of the earthquake, /
and send down upon us thy rich mercies and save us, //
through the supplications of the Theotokos.
The Epistle
Reader: The Prokimenon in
the 6th Tone: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Choir: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine
inheritance.
Reader: Unto Thee, O
Lord, Will I cry; O my God, be not silent unto me.
Choir: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine
inheritance.
Reader: In the 7th Tone: The
righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him.
Choir: The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord,
and shall hope in Him.
Reader: The
[Heb. 12:6-13,25-27 (§331 mid.); Gal. 6:11-18 (§215); II
Tim. 2:1-10 (§292)]
Reader: Alleluia in the 4th
Tone: O God, Thou hast cast us off and hast destroyed us; Thou hast been
wroth and hast had pity on us.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Thou madest the
earth to quake and troubled it.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: The righteous man
shall flourish like a palm tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be
multiplied.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Matt. 8:23-27 (§27); Luke 16:19-31 (§83); John 15:17-16:2
(§52)]
Kontakia
Tone 5: Unto hades, O my Savior, didst Thou descend,
/
and having broken
its gates as one omnipotent, /
Thou, as Creator,
didst raise up the dead together with Thyself. /
And Thou didst break
the sting of death, /
and didst deliver
Adam from the curse, O Lover of mankind. /
Wherefore, we all
cry unto Thee: //
Save us, O Lord.
Glory… Tone 2: He Who gave thee invincible
strength, O Demetrius, /
hath dyed the
Church in the streams of thy blood, /
and hath
preserved thy city unharmed, //
for thou art its
confirmation.
Both now... Tone
6:
Deliver us from the terrible trembling of the earth, O Lord, /
and from plagues unbearable on account of our sins. /
Take pity on the Orthodox people /
which Thou hast purchased with Thy blood, O Lord and Master, /
and deliver not this city unto destruction by dreadful earthquake; /
for we know none other God than Thee, /
and unto those who hymn Thee hast Thou exclaimed: //
I am with you, and no one shall be against you!