Presanctified Liturgy: Wednesday in the 4th Week
St. Benedict of Nursia
Tone 4:
The Fast that brings us blessings has now reached it midmost point; /
it has helped us to receive God’s grace in the days that are past, /
and will bring us further benefit in the days still to come. /
For by continuing in what is right we attain yet greater gifts. /
We therefore cry to Christ, the giver of all good: /
O Thou who for our sakes hast fasted and endured the Cross, /
make us worthy to share uncondemned in Thy divine Passover. /
May we spend our lives in peace //
and rightly glorify Thee with the Father and the Spirit.
Tone 5: If we look for a spiritual recompense, /
let us perform our good deeds in secret; /
let us not proclaim them in the streets /
but keep them hidden in our hearts. /
Then He Who sees the secrets of all men will reward us for our abstinence. /
Let us complete the Fast, not with a sad countenance, /
but praying in the inner chamber of our souls; /
and without ceasing, let us cry: /
Our Father Who art in heaven, /
lead us not into temptation, we pray, //
but deliver us from the evil one.
Your souls, O holy martyrs, /
were filled with an insatiable love; /
not denying Christ ye endured great sufferings and torments, /
and ye cast down the tyrant’s pride. /
Ye kept the Faith unaltered and unharmed, /
and now have gone to dwell in heaven, /
since ye have boldness before Christ, /
pray that peace be given to the world, //
and to our souls great mercy.
Tone 1: Let us wash our souls clean in the waters of the Fast, /
and, approaching the precious and honored Cross of the Lord, /
let us venerate it in faith; /
let us draw from it divine enlightenment, //
gathering the fruit of eternal salvation, peace and great mercy.
O Cross, glory of the apostles, /
attended by principalities and powers and archangels, /
keep safe from all harm those that venerate thee. /
Grant us to follow rightly to the end the divine path of abstinence, //
and to reach the day of salvation when we too shall be saved.
Tone 7: As we venerate today the Cross of the Lord, let us cry: /
Rejoice, Tree of Life, victor over hell; /
rejoice, joy of the world and slayer of corruption, /
for by thy power thou scatterest the demons! /
Strong support of the faithful, weapon that cannot be broken, //
we pray thee, guard and sanctify those who show thee honor.
Tone 2 (Special Melody: “When from the tree…”):
Having from childhood renounced the world /
with true faith and love, O father, /
rejoicing, thou didst follow after the crucified Christ; /
and having mortified thy flesh with many ascetic feats, /
thou didst richly receive the grace of healings, /
to assuage divers illnesses //
and to expel evil spirits, greatly astonished.. (Twice)
Being the adornment of monastics, /
thou didst assemble a countless multitude to hymn the Lord, /
O venerable Benedict, /
and didst guide to heaven the steps of all who followed well /
thy divine teachings and emulate thy virtuous life, O father. /
With them we do thee honor, //
rejoicing in thy repose in sacred manner.
Like Elijah of old, O father, /
thou didst call down rain from the skies at thy supplication, /
and thou didst cause the vessel to pour forth oil, /
didst resurrect a dead man and work many other miracles, /
unto the glory of the God and Savior of all, O venerable one. /
Wherefore, with love we celebrate //
thy glorious memory, O Benedict.
Glory... Now and ever...Tone 8 [from Triodion, p. 349]:
Today He Who is intangible in essence /
becometh tangible to me /
and undergoeth suffering, freeing me from the passions. /
He Who granteth light to the blind /
is spat upon by the mouths of the iniquitous, /
and giveth His shoulders over to stripes /
for those who have been made captive. /
And the pure Virgin Mother, /
seeing Him upon the Cross, cried aloud in pain: /
"Woe is me, O my Child! /
What is this that Thou hast done? /
Thou Who art comely in beauty beyond all men /
dost show Thyself to be bereft of breath and sight, /
lacking in appearance and beauty. /
Woe is me, O my Light! /
I cannot look upon Thee asleep. /
I am wounded within, /
and a cruel sword passeth through my heart! /
I hymn Thy sufferings, /
I worship Thy loving-kindness. //
O Long-suffering One, glory be to Thee!
Prokimena and Old Testament Readings
Tone 4:
Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, * Who alone doeth wonders.
Stichos: O God, give Thy judgment to the king, and Thy righteousness to the son of the king.
Tone 4:
But it is good for me * to cleave unto God.
Stichos: How good is God to Israel, to them that are upright of heart.