The Meeting of the Lord / Sunday of the Last Judgment / Tone 3
Beatitudes on 12: Octoechos 4; Triodion 4, from Ode 3; Feast 4, from Ode
6.
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. The Lord comes, and who shall endure the fear of His coming? Who shall dare to appear before His face? But prepare thyself to meet Him, O my soul.
6. Let us
make haste before it is too late; let us lament, let us be reconciled to God
before
the end comes. For fearful is the judgment at which all of
us shall stand naked.
7. Have
mercy, O Lord, have mercy on me, I cry to Thee, when Thou comest with Thine
angels to give to every man due return
for his deeds.
8. How shall
I endure the naked wrath of Thy judgment, for I have disobeyed Thy
commandment?
But spare, O spare me in the hour of judgment.
9. The Elder, having seen with his eyes the salvation that was to come to the peoples,
cried aloud unto Thee: “O Christ that comest from God, Thou art my God.”
10. Thou hast been
set up in Zion as a stumbling stone and rock of offense for the
disobedient, but unto the
faithful Thou art salvation which cannot be broken.
11. Bearing
faithfully the image of Him who begat Thee before all ages, Thou hast now
from pity put on the weakness of
mortal man.
12. Now lettest
Thou depart in peace him who worships Thee as Son of the Most High
and Son of the Virgin, God become
a child.
Instead of “O come let us
worship…” the Choir signs the entry verse:
The Lord hath made known His salvation, in the sight of
the nations hath He revealed His
righteousness.
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… Both now… Tone 1:
Rejoice, thou who
art full of grace, O Virgin Theotokos, /
for from thee hath risen the Sun of
Righteousness, Christ our God, /
enlightening those in darkness. /
Rejoice, thou
also, O righteous Elder, /
as thou receivest in thine arms the Redeemer of
our souls, //
Who also granteth
unto us the Resurrection.
The Epistle
Reader: The Prokimenon in the 3rd Tone: Great is our Lord, and great is His strength,
and of His
understanding there is no measure.
Choir: Great
is our Lord, and great is His strength, and of His understanding there is no
measure.
Reader: Praise
ye the Lord, for a psalm is a good thing; let praise
be sweet unto our God.
Choir: Great
is our Lord, and great is His strength, and of His understanding there is no
measure.
Reader: In the Same Tone: My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit
hath rejoiced
in God my Savior.
Choir: My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
Reader:
The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians:
[I Cor. 8:8-9:2 (§140); Heb. 7:7-17 (§316)]
Reader: Alleluia in the 8th Tone: Come let us rejoice in the Lord, let us
shout with
jubilation
unto God our Savior.
Choir:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Let us come before His countenance with
thanksgiving, and with psalms let us
shout in
jubilation unto Him.
Choir:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in
peace, O Master, according to Thy
word.
Choir:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Matt. 25:31-46
(§106); Luke 2:22-40 (§7)]
Kontakia
Tone 1: When Thou, O God, shalt come to earth with
glory, /
and all things tremble, /
and the river of fire floweth before the Judgment Seat /
and the books are opened, and the hidden things made public, /
then deliver me from the unquenchable fire //
and deem me worthy to stand at Thy right hand, O most
righteous Judge.
Glory... Both now... Tone 1:
Thou
Who didst sanctify the Virgin’s womb by Thy birth, /
and
didst bless Symeon’s hands as was meet, /
by
anticipation didst even now save us, O Christ God. /
But
grant peace in the midst of wars unto Thy commonwealth, /
and
strengthen Orthodox Christians //
whom
Thou hast loved, O only Lover of mankind.
Instead of “It is truly
meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Canon of the
feast, Third Tone:
Refrain: O
Virgin Theotokos, thou hope of Christians: //
Do thou protect, preserve, and
save those that hope in thee.
Irmos: In the shadow
and the letter of the Law, /
let us, the faithful, discern a
figure: /
every male child that opens the
womb /
shall be sanctified to God. /
Therefore do we magnify the firstborn Word and Son of the
Father without beginning, /
the firstborn Child of a Mother //
who hath not known a man.