Presanctified Liturgy: Great
and Holy Tuesday
Tone 1: Into the
splendor of Thy saints how shall I enter?
/
For I am unworthy, /
and if I dare to come into
the bridal chamber, /
my clothing will accuse me, since
it is not a wedding garment; /
and I shall be cast out by
the Angels, bound hand and foot. /
Cleanse, O Lord, the filth
from my soul //
and save me in Thy love for
mankind. Twice.
Tone 2: I slumber in
slothfulness of soul, O Christ the Bridegroom; /
I have no lamp that burns
with virtue, /
and like the foolish virgins
I go wandering when it is time to act. /
Close not Thy compassionate
heart against me, Master, /
but dispel dark sleep from me
and rouse me up; /
and lead me with the wise
virgins into the bridal chamber, /
where those who feast sing
with pure voice unceasingly: //
O Lord, glory to Thee. Twice.
Tone 4: O my soul, thou hast heard the condemnation /
of him who hid his talent: /
hide not the word of
God. /
Proclaim His wonders, /
increase the gifts of grace
entrusted to thee, //
and thou shall enter into the
joy of thy Lord. Twice.
Tone
6: Come, ye faithful, and let us serve the
Master eagerly, /
for
He gives riches to His servants. /
Each
of us according to the measure that we have received, /
let
us increase the talent of grace. /
Let
one gain wisdom through good deeds; /
let
another celebrate the Liturgy with beauty; /
let
another share his faith by preaching to the uninstructed; /
let
another give his wealth to the poor. /
So
shall we increase what is entrusted to us, /
and
as faithful stewards of His grace /
we
shall be counted worthy of the Master’s joy.
/
Bestow
this joy upon us, Christ our God, //
in
Thy love for mankind. Twice.
When Thou shalt come, O Jesus, in glory with the
angelic hosts /
and shalt sit upon the throne of judgment, /
do not send me from Thy presence, O good
Shepherd. /
Thou dost accept those who stand upon the right, /
but those upon the left have turned away from
Thee. /
Destroy me not with the goats, though I am hardened
in sin, /
but number me with the sheep on Thy right hand, //
and save me in Thy love for mankind.
O Bridegroom, surpassing all in beauty, /
Thou hast called us to the spiritual feast of Thy
bridal chamber. /
Strip from me the disfigurement of sin, /
through participation in Thy sufferings; /
clothe me in the glorious robe of Thy beauty, /
and in Thy compassion //
make me feast with joy at Thy Kingdom.
Glory…
Both now… Tone 7:
Behold,
my soul, the Master entrusts thee with a talent. /
Receive
His gift with fear; make it gain interest for Him; /
distribute
to the needy, and make the Lord thy friend.
/
So
shalt thou stand on the right hand when He comes in glory, /
and
thou shalt hear His blessed words: /
“Enter,
servant, into the joy of thy Lord.” /
I
have gone astray, O Savior, //
but
in Thy great mercy count me worthy of this joy.
Prokimena
and Old Testament
Tone
6: Arise, O
Lord, into Thy rest, * Thou and the ark of Thy holiness.
Stichos: Remember,
O Lord, David and all his meekness.
Tone
4: Behold
now, what is so good or so joyous * as for brethren to dwell together in unity.
Stichos: It
is like the oil of myrrh upon the head, which runneth down upon the beard, upon
the beard of Aaron.
Gospel:
Matthew 24:36-26:2.