16th Sunday After Pentecost / Hieromartyr
Gregory of Armenia
Beatitudes on 10 Octoechos: 6;
Hieromartyr: 4, from Ode 3.
1. The fruit which slew me was beautiful and good to eat;
but Christ is the Tree of life, and eating of Him I do not die, but cry out
with the thief: Remember me, O Lord, in Thy kingdom!
2. O Compassionate One, Who wast
lifted up upon the Cross, Thou hast erased the record of Adam’s ancient sin,
and hast saved the whole human race from deception. Wherefore, we hymn Thee, O
Lord and Benefactor.
3. Thou didst nail our sins to the Cross, O compassionate
Christ, and by Thy death Thou didst slay death, O Thou who didst raise up the
dead from among the dead. Wherefore, we worship Thy holy resurrection.
4. The serpent once poured its venom into the ears of
Eve; but on the tree of the Cross, Christ poured forth the sweetness of life
upon the world. Wherefore, we cry out: Remember us, O Lord, in Thy kingdom!
5. Thou wast laid in the tomb as one dead, O Christ, Thou
Life of all; and Thou didst break down the gates of hades; and having risen
again in glory on the third day as One mighty, Thou
hast illumined all. Glory to Thine arising!
6. Having risen from the dead on the third day, the Lord bestowed His peace upon His disciples; and having blessed them, He sent them forth saying: Lead all into My kingdom!
7. With the wounds of thy struggles thou didst break the teeth of the lions, and, inundating the blood of the demons with the outpourings of thy blood, thou dost cast down the temples of the idols from the foundation, O right wondrous one.
8. Neither the oppression of the wicked, nor bitter tortures, nor long imprisonment in a most gloomy pit changed thine adamantine resolve, O right wondrous martyr.
9. Thou gavest no slumber to thine eyes, O martyr, until thou didst show forth as children of the day those wickedly held fast in evil slumber, who cry: Holy art Thou, O Lord!
10. The martyr Rhipsimia, knowing thee to be the only Virgin Mother, O Maiden, desired thy beauties; and, shining with her sufferings, she was led before Christ in thy train.
Troparia & Kontakia
Tone 7: Thou didst destroy
death by Thy Cross, /
Thou didst open
paradise to the thief. /
Thou didst change
the lamentation of the Myrrh-bearers, /
and Thou didst
command Thine Apostles to proclaim /
that Thou didst
arise, O Christ God, //
and grantest to
the world great mercy.
[Troparion
of the Temple]
Tone 4: As thou didst share in the ways of the apostles /
and didst occupy their throne, /
thou didst find thine activity to be a passage to divine vision, /
O divinely inspired one. /
Wherefore, speaking aright the word of truth, /
thou didst suffer for the Faith even to the shedding of thy blood. /
O hieromartyr Gregory, /
entreat Christ God, /
that our souls be saved.
Tone 7: No longer will the dominion of death be
able to keep men captive; /
for Christ hath descended, demolishing and destroying the
powers thereof. /
Hades is bound; /
the prophets rejoice with one voice, saying: /
A Savior hath come for them that have faith. //
Come forth, ye faithful, for the Resurrection.
[Kontakion
of the Temple]
Glory… Tone 2:
O ye faithful, in songs and hymns /
let us all praise today /
the right glorious hierarch Gregory /
as an athlete, a vigilant shepherd and teacher, /
a universal luminary and champion; //
for he prayeth to Christ, that
we be saved.
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.
The Epistle
Reader: The
Prokimenon in the 7th Tone: The Lord will give strength unto His people;
the Lord will bless His people with peace.
Choir: The Lord will give strength unto His
people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.
Reader: Bring
unto the Lord, ye sons of God, bring unto the Lord the sons of rams.
Choir: The Lord will give strength unto His
people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.
Reader: In the Same
Tone: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
Choir: Precious
in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
Reader:
The Reading is from the Second Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians:
[II Cor. 6:1-10 (§181); I Cor. 16:13-24
(§166)].
Reader: Alleluia
in the 7th Tone: It is good to give praise unto the Lord, and to chant
unto Thy name, O Most High.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: To
proclaim in the morning Thy mercy, and Thy truth by night.
Choir:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: In the 2nd
Tone: Thy priest shall be clothed in righteousness, and Thy
righteous shall rejoice.
Choir:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Luke 6:31-36
(§26); Matt. 24:42-47 (§103)]
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!