Liturgy: The Second Sunday of Lent

The Second Sunday of Great Lent/ St Gregory Palamas / Tone 2

Beatitudes on 10: Octoechos 6; Hierarch 4, from Ode 3.

1. We offer Thee the cry of the thief, and we pray: Remember us in Thy kingdom, O Savior.

2. For the forgiveness of transgressions we offer unto Thee the Cross which Thou didst accept for our sake, O Thou who lovest mankind.

3. We bow down in worship, O Master, before Thy burial and rising, whereby Thou hast delivered the world from corruption, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

4. By Thy death hath death been slain, O Lord, and by Thy resurrection hast Thou saved the world, O Savior.

5. Risen from the tomb, Thou didst meet the myrrh-bearing women; and Thou didst tell Thy disciples to announce Thine arising.

6. Those who slept in darkness, beholding Thee, the Light, in the nethermost parts of hades, O Christ, were raised from the dead.

7. Holding fast to thy inspired teaching, we reject every false invention of the heretics, and we put them all to flight with thy holy writings, O Gregory.

8. O blessed of God, thou hast refuted the foolish wisdom of the heretics. He who is Himself the true Wisdom came to dwell in thy heart, and with His aid triumphantly thou hast broken their rebellious pride.

9. In thy wisdom thou hast put to death every lust of the flesh that is condemned to perish, and through asceticism thou hast brought thy soul to life, devoting all its powers to the contemplation of God.

10. With full knowledge and by my own free choice, I have eagerly desired a shameful and prodigal life; but through thy holy intercessions, O Virgin and Bride of God, bind my heart with divine love.

Troparia & Kontakia

Tone 2: When Thou didst descend unto death, O Life Immortal, /

then didst Thou slay Hades with the lightning of Thy Divinity. /

And when Thou didst also raise the dead out of the nethermost depths, /

all the Hosts of the heavens cried out: //

O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.

[Troparion of the Temple]

Tone 8: Light of Orthodoxy, pillar and teacher of the Church, /

adornment of monks, invincible champion of theologians, /

O Gregory, thou wonderworker, boast of Thessalonica, //

herald of grace, ever pray that our souls be saved.

[Kontakion of the Temple]

Glory… Tone 8:

O sacred and divine organ of wisdom, clear trumpet of theology: /

we praise thee with one accord, O Gregory of divine speech; /

but as a mind standing before the Primordial Mind, //

direct our mind to Him, O father, that we may cry: Rejoice, O herald of grace!

Both now... Tone 4: The season of the virtues hath now been revealed, /

and judgment is at the doors; /

therefore let us arise and keep the Fast, /

offering tears of compunction together with our alms, /

and let us cry: Our sins are more than the sands of the sea; /

but do Thou pardon us, O Creator of all, //

that we may receive incorruptible crowns.

The Epistle

Reader: The Prokimenon in the 5th Tone: Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt preserve us from this generation and for evermore.

Choir: Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt preserve us from this generation and for evermore.

Reader: Save me, O Lord for a righteous man there is no more.

Choir: Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt preserve us from this generation and for evermore.

Reader: In the 1^stTone: My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

Choir: My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

Reader: The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to Hebrews:

[Hebrews 1:10-2:3 (§304); Hebrews 7:26-8:2 (§318)]

Reader: Alleluia in the 2nd Tone: The Lord hear thee in the day of affliction; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader: O Lord, save the king, and hearken unto us in the day when we call upon Thee.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader: The mouth of the righteous shall meditate wisdom and his tongue shall speak of judgment.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Gospel [Mark 2:1-12 (§7); John 10:9-16 (§36)]

Instead of “It is truly meet…”[Tone 8 in the Octoechos, but usually sung to one of many special melodies]:

All creation – the assembly of angels and the race of man – rejoiceth in thee, O thou who art full of grace, O sacred temple and noetical paradise, boast of virgins, from whom God, Who existeth from before time, was incarnate and became a child; for He made thy body a throne, and thy womb He made more spacious than the heavens. All creation rejoiceth in thee, O thou who art full of grace. Glory to thee!

Communion Verse: Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!