Liturgy: Martyr Agatha of Palermo / Afterfeast of the Meeting of the Lord

37th Sunday after Pentecost / Martyr Agatha of Palermo / Afterfeast of the Meeting of the Lord

Beatitudes on 10: Octoechos: 6; Feast: 4, from Ode 4.

1. By the tree was Adam forced to depart from paradise; but by the Tree of the Cross was the thief made to dwell in paradise. For the one by tasting, broke the commandment of the creator; while the other, crucified with Him, confessed the hidden God, crying out: Remember me in Thy kingdom!

2. O Lord Who wast lifted up upon the Cross, Who hast destroyed the power of death and as God hast destroyed the record of our sins, grant also the repentance of the thief unto us who faithfully serve Thee and cry out to thee, O Christ God Who alone lovest mankind: Remember us also in Thy kingdom!

3. On the Cross Thou didst tear asunder with the spear the record of our sins; and, numbered among the dead, Thou didst bind the tyrant of hades, O Lord Who lovest mankind, Who by Thy resurrection hast delivered all from the bonds of hades. Thereby have we been illumined, and we cry to Thee: Remember us also in Thy kingdom!

4. O Thou Who alone art immortal, Who wast crucified and as almighty didst arise from the tomb on the third day, and hast raised up Adam, the first created: Vouchsafe that I also may turn to repentance with my whole heart, and may ever cry out to Thee with fervent faith: Remember me, O Savior, in Thy kingdom!

5. For our sake He Who is without passion became a man subject to the passions; and, nailed of His own will to the Cross, He hath raised us up with Himself. Wherefore, we glorify His Cross, passion, and resurrection, whereby we have been refashioned and whereby we also are saved, who cry out: Remember us also in Thy kingdom!

6. O ye faithful, let us entreat Him who hath risen from the dead, hath made captive the dominion of hades, and wast seen by the myrrh-bearing women and said to them: “Rejoice!”, that He deliver from corruption the souls of us who ever cry out to Him with the voice of the noble thief: Remember us also in Thy kingdom!

7. Thy virtue, O Christ, hath covered the heavens, for proceeding forth from the Ark of Thy sanctification, from Thine undefiled Mother, Thou hast appeared in the temple of Thy glory as an infant in arms, and the whole world hath been filled with Thy praise.

8. Rejoicing, the Theotokos cried out: O Symeon, initiate of ineffable mysteries, take in thine arms Christ, the Word become a babe, of Whom thou wast informed of old by the Holy Spirit, and cry out to Him: All things are filled with Thy praise!

9. O Symeon, rejoicing take up Christ, the little Child, on Whom thou hast set thy hope, the Consolation of the Israel of God, the Creator and Master of the law, Who fulfilleth the order of the law; and cry aloud unto Him: All things are filled with Thy praise!

10. Beholding the unoriginate Word borne as a babe in the flesh by the Virgin as on the throne of the cherubim, the Author of all, Symeon marveled and cried out to Him: All things are filled with Thy praise!

Troparia & Kontakia

Tone 4:  Having learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the angel, /

and having cast off the ancestral condemnation, /

the women disciples of the Lord spake to the apostles exultantly: /

Death is despoiled and Christ God is risen, //

granting to the world great mercy.

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.

[Troparion of the Temple]

Tone 4: Thy ewe-lamb Agatha cried out to Thee with a loud voice, O Jesus: /

“I love Thee, O my Bridegroom, /

and, seeking Thee, I pass through many struggles; /

in Thy baptism, I am crucified and buried with Thee, /

and suffer for Thy sake, that I might reign with Thee; /

I die for Thee, that I might live with Thee. /

As an unblemished sacrifice accept me, /

who sacrifice myself with love for Thee.” //

By her supplications, save Thou our souls, in that Thou art merciful.

Tone 4:  My Savior and Redeemer hath, as God, /

raised up the earthborn from the grave and from their fetters, /

and He hath broken the gates of hades, /

and, as Master, //

hath risen on the third day.

[Kontakion of the Temple]

Glory… Tone 4:  Let the Church be adorned today /

with a glorious robe of purple dyed in the pure blood of the martyr Agatha, //

crying out: Rejoice, O boast of Catania!

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.

The Epistle

Reader: The Prokimenon in the 4th Tone: How magnified are Thy works O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.

Choir: How magnified are Thy works O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.

Reader: Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, Thou hast been magnified exceedingly.

Choir: How magnified are Thy works O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.

Reader: In the 3rd 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 First Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to Timothy:

[I Tim. 4:9-15 (§285 mid).]

Reader: Alleluia in the 4th Tone: Bend Thy bow, and proceed prosperously, and be king, because of truth and meekness and righteousness.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader: Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader: In the 8th Tone: Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master, according to Thy word.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Gospel [Luke 19:1-10 (§94)]

Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9^th 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.

Communion Verse: Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! I will take the cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!