Presanctified Liturgy:
Friday in the 2nd Week
St. Alexis the Man of God
Tone
4:
Now
is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. /
In
the multitude of Thy mercy visit my soul, /
and
release me from the burden of my transgressions, //
for
Thou alone lovest mankind.
Twice
Tone
1:
At
the prayers, O Lord, of all the saints and of the Theotokos, /
grant
us Thy peace and have mercy upon us, //
for
Thou only art compassionate.
The
confession of faith that ye made in the arena, O ye saints, /
filled
with fear the hosts of demons /
and
set men free from error. /
As
ye were beheaded ye cried out: /
“May
the sacrifice of our souls be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord; /
for
desiring Thee who lovest man, //
we
have despised this quickly passing life.”
Wise
was the exchange ye made, O saints! /
Ye
gave your blood, and received heaven as your reward; /
ye
suffered tribulation for a time,/
and now make glad eternally. /
Wisely
have ye traded: /
forsaking
things corruptible, /
ye
have received things incorruptible; /
and
rejoicing with the choirs of angels //
ye
sing continually the praises of the consubstantial Trinity.
O martyrs
worthy of all praise, /
your
bodies were not buried in the earth, /
yet
heaven has received you; /
the
gates of
and
entering within ye have eaten from the tree of life. /
Pray
to Christ that He may grant peace //
and
great mercy to our souls.
Tone
1 (Special Melody: “O all-praised martyrs…”):
We
know thee to be a man of God, /
both
in title and in deed; /
for
thou didst shine forth in the virtues, /
having
endured boundless poverty /
and
straightened circumstances on earth: /
and
made the faithful //
steadfast
by thy miracles. Twice
With
a desire which bedewed the flesh /
thou
didst quench /
the
burning lusts, O Alexis. /
Piously
didst thou exchange thy chamber for a hut, /
and
bodily delight /
for
the divine likeness of the angels. /
With
them do thou pray, /
that
peace and great mercy //
be
granted to our souls.
Thou
didst remain unrecognized and in tribulation, O wise one, /
before
the gates /
of
thy sacred parents, /
as the
servants of the household mocked thee /
in
thy time of need. /
And
dying, thou wast revealed /
through
the wonders thou didst work, /
healing
infirmities //
and
expelling evil spirits.
Glory…
Tone 2:
Christ
God, loving thy calm, silent, guileless and meek life, /
O
most blessed Alexis, /
hath
shown thee to be a beacon to the whole world, /
shining
more brightly than the sun; /
for
thou didst count thy wife and fleeting wealth as but dust, /
remaining
unknown in thy father's house, /
desiring
Christ alone Who is beloved of thee. /
Yet
remember thou thy servants at the throne of God, King of all, /
O
venerable father, //
and
cease not to pray for thy servants.
Both
now… Tone 1:
Let
us hymn the Virgin Mary, /
the
glory of the whole world, /
who
sprang forth from men and gave birth unto the Master, /
the
portal of heaven, and the subject of the hymnody of the incorporeal hosts; /
for
she hath been shown to be heaven and the temple of the Godhead. /
Having
destroyed the middle-wall of enmity, /
she
hath brought forth peace and opened wide the kingdom. /
Therefore,
having her as the confirmation of our faith, /
we
have as champion the Lord born of her. /
Be
of good courage! Yea, be ye of good
cheer, O people of God, //
for
He vanquisheth the foe, in that He is almighty!
Tone
4: Let Thy
mercy and Thy truth continually help me.
Stichos:
With
patience I waited patiently for the Lord, and He was attentive unto me.
Lesson:
Genesis 5:32 - 6:8
Tone
6: I said:
O Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul.