Great Martyr George / Tuesday of the 3rd Week after Pascha
At the beginning of the Liturgy, the Priest sings “Christ is risen” 2 ˝ times, and the Choir finishes the last half.
Beatitudes on 8, Myrrh-bearers: 4, from Ode 4; Great Martyr: 4, from Ode 3, first canon. 1. By the Cross Thou didst bind the belly of Hades, and didst raise up the dead together with Thyself, and didst destroy the tyranny of death. Wherefore, we who are of Adam worship and praise Thy burial and arising O Christ. 2. O Thou Who didst call unto the myrrh-bearers: Rejoice, when Thou didst arise from the grave, O Good One, and unto the Apostles: Proclaim Mine arising; loose Thou the bonds of my many transgressions, for Thou art able to accomplish whatsoever Thou dost will. 3. Let us honor the noble Joseph, the zealot of piety, the counselor and disciple, together with the myrrh-bearers and the apostles, while crying out together with them and radiantly praising the Savior’s Resurrection with faith. 4. Do thou unceasingly entreat Him that dwelt in thy womb, O pure Virgin Mother, and Whom thou, the Theotokos, didst bear without experience of wedlock, that He loose the bonds of my many transgressions; for thou art able to help in whatsoever thou dost will. 5. Resplendent in the crown of suffering, O glorious and blessed one, entreat God our Deliverer, that He deliver from all necessity those who piously call upon thee. 6. Illumined with rich effulgence, O all-wise one, from us who praise thee with faith drive far away dark grief and the gloom of the passions. 7. Made steadfast by hope and love, and fortified by faith, O George, strengthened by the power of Christ thou didst cast down the falsehood of the idols. 8. O all-pure one, thou gavest birth in the flesh to the Incorporeal One Who hath enlightened the ends of the earth, and Who before all things is with the Father equally without beginning. Wherefore, we, the faithful, honor thee, the Theotokos. Troparia and Kontakia:
Tone 2:
The noble Joseph, taking Thine immaculate Body down from the Tree, /
and having wrapped It in pure linen and spices, laid It in a new tomb. /
But on the third day Thou didst arise, O Lord, //
granting to the world great mercy.
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.
Tone 2: Unto the myrrh-bearing women /
did the angel cry out as he stood by the tomb: /
Myrrh is meet for the dead, /
but Christ hath proved to be a stranger to corruption. /
But cry out: The Lord is risen, //
granting to the world great mercy.
Tone 4: As a liberator of captives, /
a helper of the poor, and a physician of the infirm, /
O champion of kings, /
victorious great martyr George, entreat Christ God, //
that our souls be saved.
Glory…Tone 4: Having been cultivated by God, /
thou didst show thyself to be a most honorable husbandman of piety, /
gathering to thyself the sheaves of the virtues; /
for, having sown in tears, thou reapest in gladness, /
and having suffered in the shedding of thy blood, /
thou hast received Christ. And by thy supplications, O holy one, //
thou grantest forgiveness of transgressions unto all.
Both now… Tone 2:
When Thou didst cry, Rejoice, unto the myrrh-bearers, /
Thou didst make the lamentation of Eve the first mother to cease /
by Thy Resurrection, O Christ God. /
And Thou didst bid Thine apostles to preach: //
The Savior is risen from the grave.
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 Reading is from the Acts of the Holy Apostles:
[Acts 8:5-17 (§18); Acts 12:1-11 (§29)]
Reader: Alleluia in the 8th Tone: Thou hast been gracious, O Lord, unto Thy land; Thou hast turned back the captivity of Jacob.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: In the 4th Tone: The righteous man shall flourish like a palm-tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [John 6:27-33 (§20); John 15:17-16:2 (§52)]
Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Canon of the Feast, first Tone:
Refrain: The angel cried unto her that is full of grace: Rejoice, O pure Virgin! And again I say, rejoice! For thy Son is risen from the grave on the third day, and hath raised the dead, O ye people, be joyful!
Irmos: Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee; dance now and be glad, O Zion, and do thou exult, O pure Theotokos, in the arising of Him Whom thou didst bear.
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!
We sing “Christ is risen…” instead of “We have seen the true light…“
At the dismissal, when the priest says: “Glory to Thee, O Christ God…” The Choir sings “Christ is risen…” x3 instead of “Glory… Both now… Father bless!” Then the priest gives the dismissal.