Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 27th Day of the Month of May

Commemoration of the Righteous Confessor John the Russian

At Great Vespers

After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon.

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera: 3 from the Pentecostarion, and 5 for the saint, in Tone IV

The day of thy commemoration hath now shone forth, O righteous John, illumining the hearts and minds of the faithful; wherefore, we bless thee as one forbearing, unshaken in the right Faith, adorned with the virtues, and glorified by incorruption and wonders. And we earnestly beseech thee, O saint: pray thou for the salvation of our souls. Twice

Thou didst live on the earth like an angel, causing thy body to wither through abstinence, and coming to share in the divine mysteries through vigilance, standing whole nights in prayer and the constant remembrance of death; and, dedicating thyself to these things every Saturday, thou wast shown to be well pleasing to God. Pray thou that we also may be well pleasing to Him, and that our souls may be saved.

Thou wast tried like gold in the crucible of tribulations, O thou of valiant mind, ill-treated by those who held thee captive; wherefore, after thy repose thy holy soul came to dwell with the angels and rejoiceth with them as is meet. And thou dost gladden those who have recourse to thy relics with the gift of healings. Therefore, gazing upon the beauty of the Master with the righteous, pray thou for the salvation of our souls.

Neon Prokopion of Eubœia possesseth thy holy relics as a great treasure, O John; and, assembling to venerate them, we honor thy repose with hymns, crying out to thee: Rejoice, O star who shone forth from Russia and hast illumined Asia with thy struggles! Rejoice, boast and adornment of the faithful! Rejoice, O thou who prayest for the salvation of our souls!

Glory…, in Tone I

How can we fail to praise the goodly courage thou didst show in the midst of bodily captivity, whereby thou didst put to shame the cause of men’s spiritual captivity; the meekness, innocence and humility whereby thou didst cast down the enemy; the inner stillness and asceticism, and thy prayers which lasted for whole nights, in which thou didst bathe the pavement of the church’s porch with the streams of thy tears and didst quench the fire of the passions, receiving the fire of divine love within thy heart, and becoming radiant through grace-bearing ascents? As thou now joinest chorus amid the splendors of the saints, O John, be thou mindful of those who remember thee.

Now and ever…: doxasticon from the Pentecostarion, or the dogmaticon in Tone I

Let us hymn the Virgin Mary, the glory of the whole world, who sprang forth from men and gaveth 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!

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. Three Readings:

Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon (3:1-9)

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself. As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.

Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon [5:15-6:3]

But the righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them. He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armor, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies. He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet. He shall take holiness for an invincible shield. His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise. Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well-drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark. And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them. Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill-dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty. Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.

Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon [4:7-15]

But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest. For honorable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years. But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age. He pleased God, and was loved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated. Yea, speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind. He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time: for his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked. This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he hath respect unto his chosen.

At the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone II

O divinely wise John, illumined by the grace of God and given wings by divine love, thou didst pass unhindered through the night of suffering of a slave’s life in the midst of infidels, and didst attain unto the never-waning day of the freedom of paradise, enlightening the fullness of the faithful with the rays thereof.

Stichos: Many are the tribulations of the righteous, and the Lord shall deliver them out of them all.

Made captive by Tartars and sold into bondage to Moslems, O most honored one, thou wast made to dwell in a horse’s stall, as Job sat upon his dung-hill, afflicted and oppressed; wherefore, in accordance with the righteous judgment of God, thou hast found consolation in the bosom of Abraham after thy repose, where the abode is of all those who rejoice.

Stichos: The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied.

Having lived in a God-pleasing manner far from thine earthly native land, O blessed one, thou hast made thine abode in the heavenly homeland, adorned with the gifts of the Spirit. Be thou therefore a fervent mediator before the Lord for Russia and its people, and for this land; and by thy supplications free them all from sufferings and disease, O namesake of grace.

Glory…, in Tone VI

Possessed of a goodly mind, a watchful heart and love unfeigned, and ever uniting himself to God in vigils of prayer, the righteous John received his blessed repose on this day: he soareth aloft in the purity of his soul to rejoice with the elect of the heavenly Father, but hath left us his holy relics for our consolation and sanctification. And hastening to them, we cry out to him: O God-pleaser, ask thou forgiveness of offenses, peace and great mercy for those who hymn thee!

Now and ever…: doxasticon from the Pentecostarion, or the Theotokion, in the same tone

Christ the Lord, my Creator and Deliverer, Who came forth from thy womb, O all-pure one, and robed Himself in me, hath freed Adam from the curse. Wherefore, like the angel do we unceasingly cry out to thee, O most pure one, who art truly the Mother of God and Virgin: Rejoice! Rejoice, O Mistress, thou intercession, protection and salvation for our souls!

Troparion, in Tone IV

The Lord, Who summoned thee forth from thine earthly captivity to the mansions of heaven, preserveth thy body intact and imparteth to it the ability to heal, O righteous John; for thou, who wast captured in Russia and sold in Asia, didst live piously among the Moslem infidels, in great endurance, and, having sown here in tears, thou reapest there in ineffable joy. Wherefore, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

Or this Troparion, in the same tone

He Who summoned thee to the mansions of heaven preserveth thy body incorrupt after death; for as a captive thou wast taken to Asia, where thou didst emulate Christ. Wherefore, entreat Him, that our souls be saved.

Now and ever…: Troparion from the Pentecostarion, or the Theotokion, in the same tone

The mystery hidden from before the ages and unknown even to the angels, through thee, O Theotokos, hath been revealed to those on earth: God incarnate in unconfused union, Who willingly accepted the Cross for our sake and, thereby raising up the first-formed man, hath saved our souls from death.

At Matins

At “God is the Lord…”, the Troparion from the Pentecostarion, twice; Glory…, that of the saint; Now and ever…, that from the Pentecostarion.

But if this day fall within the Apostles’ Fast, we chant the Troparion of the saint, twice; Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion.

After the first chanting of the Psalter, this Sessional hymn, in Tone III

Because of thy radiant life and continual prayers thou wast not overtaken by the pursuit of the prince of darkness, O John, and, lying in the tomb, thou remainest incorrupt, imparting healing to those who invoke thee and celebrate thy memory with love. Twice

Glory…, Now and ever…: Sessional hymn from the Pentecostarion, or this Theotokion

O Mistress who lovest mankind, only far-famed and mighty helper of Christians after God, intercessor amid tribulations, protect and preserve us, setting at nought all the counsels of our enemies who are skilled in evil.

After the second chanting of the Psalter, this Sessional hymn, in Tone IV

Thou didst quench the fire of the passions with the flow of thy tears, O blessed one, and wast enriched with the virtues, revealed as a man of heavenly wisdom. That I also may obtain deliverance from the darkness of the passions by thy mediation, O John, and may be shown to be saved, I hasten to thee with faith. Twice

Glory…, Now and ever…: Sessional hymn from the Pentecostarion, or this Theotokion

To thee, O Queen of all, do I offer my prayer born of pain: Have mercy upon me, O thou who art most good, and make me unshaken by the assaults of the deceiver, that, calling on thee on the day of trial, I, thine unworthy servant, may not be ashamed.

Polyeleos, and this magnification

We bless thee, O holy and righteous John, and we honor thy holy memory, for thou dost entreat Christ God in our behalf.

Selected Psalm verses

A Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. [111: 1]

B In His commandments shall he greatly delight. [111: 1]

A His seed shall be mighty upon the earth. [111: 2]

B And his righteousness abideth unto ages of ages. [111: 3]

A In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be. [111: 6]

B The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied. [91: 13]

A The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him. [63: 11]

B Lo, my lips I shall not restrain, O Lord. [39: 10]

A Thou hast understood My righteousness and My truth.

B And my tongue shall treat of Thy righteousness, and of Thy praise all the day long. [Ps. 34: 28]

A A light hath dawned forth for the righteous man, and gladness for the upright of heart. [Ps. 96: 11]

B The generation of the upright shall be blessed. [Ps. 111: 2]

A With glory and honor hast Thou crowned him. [Ps. 8: 6]

B For Thou shalt bless the righteous, O Lord. [5: 13]

A As with a shield of Thy good pleasure hast Thou crowned us. [Ps. 5: 13]

B Whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us. [Lk. 1: 78]

A To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. [Lk 1: 79]

B To guide our feet into the way of peace. [Lk. 1: 79]

Glory…, Now & Ever…

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. Thrice

After the Polyeleos, this Sessional hymn, in Tone I

With hymns let us all praise John, who dwelt righteously amid the tumult of the world as in the silence of the wilderness, who took the Cross of the Lord upon his shoulder and followed after Him in feats of suffering, whom Russia budded forth and Asia came to know as a saint.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Sessional hymn from the Pentecostarion, or this Theotokion

Who among men can recount thine ineffable mysteries which pass understanding, O Virgin? For thou hast been shown to be far greater than all the saints, art more exalted than the angels and more spacious than the heavens, in that Christ God, Who saveth our souls, shone forth from thee.

Song of Ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV

Prokimenon, in Tone IV

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

Stichos: What shall I render unto the Lord for all that He hath rendered unto me?

Let every breath praise the Lord.

Gospel according to Luke, §64 [12: 8-12]

The Lord said: Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI

O righteous John, faithful servant of Christ God, heir to His kingdom, adornment of Neon Prokopion and boast of Russia, who art steadfast in the right Faith and unconquered by the infidels: ask that victory over the enemy be given to this land, that the children of Russia be invincible and unfailing in piety, and that we all may find salvation in peace.

Canon from the Pentecostarion, or the Canon of Supplication to the Theotokos [the Paraklisis], with 6 Troparia, including the irmos; and the canon of the saint, with 8 Troparia, in Tone II

Ode I

Irmos: Come, ye people, let us chant a hymn to Christ God, Who divided the sea and guided the people whom He had led forth from the bondage of Egypt, for He hath been glorified.

Illumined by the most splendid light of the Sun of righteousness, O divinely radiant one, ask enlightenment for me, the benighted, that I may hymn thy luminous solemnity.

Having mortified all thy members, O wise one, thou didst have within thy pure heart Christ Who slew and crushed the head of the serpent, and hath delivered human nature from his venom.

Learning the law of the Lord, thou wast like the tree which bringeth forth good fruit in due season; for after thy repose, O right glorious one, thou hast received the grace to heal those who call upon thee.

Theotokion: Professing thee to be the Theotokos, O most hymned Ever-virgin, we have thee as our confirmation and intercession; and, fleeing to thee, we are delivered from the storm of life’s temptations.

Ode III

Irmos: Establish us in thee, O Lord Who hast slain sin by the Tree, and plant the fear of Thee in the hearts of us who hymn Thee.

Thy holy life shone forth in Asia, O blessed one, and shineth with the light of miracles. Ask for us who honor thy memory the grace to desire and do good.

Thou gavest no sleep to thine eyes until, by thine all-night vigils of prayer to the Lord, thou didst lull to sleep the movements of the flesh which rise up against the spirit, O right laudable one.

Having vanquished the assaults of the demons by the invincible power of the Cross of Christ, thou hast been shown to be a cause of salvation for many, for thou art the helper of those who have recourse to thy relics.

Theotokion: O Theotokos, we magnify thee as the animate bridal-chamber of God and the censer of the noetic and light-bearing Ember; and we cry out to thee: Rejoice, O mediatress of our salvation!

Kontakion, in Tone IV

The day of the commemoration of thy holy deeds hath dawned, O holy father John, gladdening the souls of the pious who honor thee with faith.

Sessional hymn, in Tone IV

Thou wast a captive on earth, O divinely wise one, enduring all manner of ill treatment; and thou didst offer thy virtues to God like fragrant incense and a right acceptable sacrifice. Him do thou entreat, that He grant cleansing of sins to those who honor thy holy memory.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Sessional hymn from the Pentecostarion, or this Theotokion

Thou art our refuge, power and consolation, O all-pure Theotokos; for, lo! the Lord of all, Who was born of thee, preserved thee a divine Virgin after thou gavest birth, and hath made thee the Queen of heaven and earth. Wherefore, we all glorify thee with unworthy mouths.

Ode IV

Irmos: I heard report of Thee and was afraid, O Lord; I understood Thy works, and marvelled and cried out: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Thou didst adorn thy soul, mortifying carnal knowledge; wherefore, thou beholdest the beauties of heaven.

Thou wast righteous and guileless, truthful and blameless, faithful and pious, O all-praised one.

Exalted in divine humility, thou didst bring down the enemy, O blessed one, being glorious in heaven and on earth.

Theotokion: O Mother of God, save thy flock unharmed by any malice, for thee do we have as our deliverance amid evil circumstances.

Ode V

Irmos: O Christ my Savior, enlightenment of those who lie in darkness and salvation of the despairing: rising early unto Thee, O King of the world, may I be enlightened by Thy radiance, for I know none other God than Thee.

Though thou wast made a lowly slave in body, in soul thy character was noble, O all-honored one, and thou didst direct all thy desire to God Who seeth all things.

Having completed thy course on earth in God-pleasing manner, thou now joinest chorus with those who have been pleasing to God, praying for those who honor thy repose, O elect of God.

In thee is a miracle seen, O glorious one, for after thy repose thy body hath been preserved intact, fragrant and full of healings, by the judgments of Him Who hath glorified thee.

Theotokion: Fill our mouths with Thy praise, O Lady, and show us to be another psaltery of ten strings by the cleansing of our five senses.

Ode VI

Irmos: Hearkening to the sound of the cries of entreaty which issue forth from a soul in pain, O Master, deliver me from my grievous sins, for Thou alone art the Cause of our salvation.

Russia gave rise to thee like a fragrant lily, and in the midst of the Moslems’ thorns, thou wast like a beautiful rose, redolent with the grace of God.

Having flourished like a palm-tree, O namesake of grace, thou dost delight the senses of the faithful with the sweetness of thy fruits; and thou wast like a mighty cedar unbroken by the storm of temptations and perils.

Thou didst reveal thy relics to the pious in a vision, hidden in the earth like a priceless treasure, and thereby thou healest men’s sickness, imparting sanctification from God to those who kiss them.

Theotokion: Thou hast been shown to be the Mother of the Bestower of all gifts, a greatly flourishing orchard and garden heavy with redolence, taking pity upon those who hymn thee with the fruits of the Spirit and perfuming them with grace.

Kontakion, in Tone VIII

On the day of thine honored commemoration, O saint, Russia, who raised thee in piety, is gladdened by thee, and Asia, where thou didst travel the narrow path of suffering captivity and ascetic struggles, rejoiceth in thy healing relics. Thou hast been shown to be a precious vessel of the grace of God, which do thou also beg for us who honor thee, that we may cry out to thee: Rejoice, O John, thou namesake of grace!

Ikos: How shall we worthily praise thee, O right wise one, who slew the passions by thy struggles, enslaved the flesh to the spirit and vanquished the enemy? How, hearing of thy great endurance and humility, thy meekness toward all, thine innocence, thy sympathy for the suffering, and thy helping of those amid tribulations and sicknesses, will not marvel? For, rightly delighting in the never-waning day of the kingdom of God with the righteous, pray thou for those who honor thy memory, that we may cry out to thee: Rejoice, O John, thou namesake of grace!

Ode VII

Irmos: When the golden image was worshipped on the plain of Dura, Thy three youths spurned the ungodly command, and, cast into the midst of the fire, bedewed, they sang: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

On this festive day we celebrate thy blessed repose, O radiant one, whereon, bearing a lamp full of the oil of good works, thou didst enter into the splendid bridal chamber and now criest out to the Bridegroom of souls: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Having made thy soul fertile with the plough of prayer, O divinely wise one, and sown it with abstinence and watered it with tears, thou didst reap the grain of purity and righteousness, and with the just thou criest out to Christ Who strengthened thee: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

The souls of the saints, the choir of the righteous and the army of incorporeal intelligences received thee who joinest chorus with them, O right wondrous one, who art arrayed in the incorrupt vesture of glory and chantest with them: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Theotokion: On thee, O Mistress, have I placed my trust with all my soul, and I hope for divine consolation from thee. Send down gracious assistance, showing me the path which leadeth up to the heavens, that I may chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Ode VIII

Irmos: God, Who descended into the fiery furnace for the Hebrew children and transformed the flame into dew, hymn ye as Lord, O ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

When, as thou wast about to depart from this life, thou didst desire to partake of the most holy and life-creating Mysteries, O all-praised one, they were brought to thee, concealed in an apple; and, having partaken of them, thou didst take wing to the heavens.

The beauty of the Creator, which thou didst behold here as in a glass and reflections, thou now beholdest most clearly, having passed over to the highest, O blessed of God, the reflection having been abolished.

Thy sweat and tribulations pour forth sweet streams of healings, which are the joy of those who with faith have recourse to thy relics, to the glory of Christ our God.

Theotokion: O all-blessed Theotokos, most holy temple of our Savior, His all-glorious throne, all-exalted heaven and noetic garden of paradise: open unto us the gates of paradise.

Ode IX

Irmos: O ye faithful, with hymns let us magnify in oneness of mind the Word of God, Who from God came in His ineffable wisdom to renew Adam who had grievously fallen into corruption, and Who became ineffably incarnate of the holy Virgin for our sake.

Having amassed riches which cannot be taken away, which neither worm nor corruption can spoil, and sailed forth from the earth like a mariner, thou hast reached the most tranquil harbor of eternal blessedness.

Thou hast been vouchsafed the kingdom of heaven, the city of the Most High, the paradise of God, the delight of the righteous and never-waning light. There be thou mindful of us who hymn thee, O most lauded one.

Joining chorus with the assembly of the righteous and all the saints, O ever-memorable one, entreat God the Creator of all, that He vouchsafe unto those who celebrate thy memory the portion of the saved.

Theotokion: O Master, accept the mediation of Thy Mother for us, and of the righteous John, whom Thou hast glorified; and, considering their supplications, deprive us not of the good things prepared for those who love Thee.

Exapostilarion

Beholding the wondrous sign, the benighted Moslems were terrified, for a light shone forth brightly where John was buried; and they straightway informed the faithful, who, excavating his grave, to their joy discovered the body of the righteous one to be incorrupt, fragrant and healing, and they magnified Christ God for him.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

The light of grace shone forth through thy birthgiving, hath illumined the whole world and destroyed the princes of darkness, O all-pure Theotokos, thou boast of the angels and salvation of all men, who magnify thee continually.

On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone VIII

O all-glorious wonder! John, the right-believing scion of Russia and true son of the Church of Christ, living with the cruel Moslems amid the sorrows of captivity and suffering, hath found the One he sought, the Liberator of our souls, Who accepted suffering and the Cross to free mankind from sin.

O all-glorious wonder! Sojourning amid those who love the flesh, the wholly pure and spiritual John had his bed in a horse’s stall. His riches were poverty and hunger, and instead of honor he received mockery and blows. But the valiant one endured all this steadfastly for the sake of Christ, Who did not turn His face away from spitting and buffeting for the sake of men’s salvation.

Come, ye faithful, and let us now piously praise the sacred and honored memory of the righteous John; for, having lived in exile as one imprisoned in a dungeon, after his repose he hath been vouchsafed the all-radiant effulgence of the righteous in the heavens; and he prayeth that those who lovingly hymn his splendid struggles may also receive them.

The divine grace of the Spirit, which lived within thee, O most honored one, showed thee to be wondrous in the incorruption of thy precious relics and the miracles and healing which flow from them; and we, kissing them with love, glorify Christ God, Who is wondrous in His saints, for thee. Be thou a fervent mediator before Him in behalf of those who hymn thy splendid struggles.

Glory…, in Tone VI

Who will not praise thee who art truly right praiseworthy, O righteous John? How will we not marvel at thy God-loving character? For when thy cruel master saw the abundance of all things which abounded in his home because of thee and gave thee thy liberty, thou, consumed by the fire of love for the Lord, increased thine ascetic labors. Wherefore, thou hast been shown to be holy by the all-holy Trinity, Whom do thou entreat, that our souls be saved.

Now and ever…: Theotokion

O Theotokos, thou art the true vine who hast budded forth for us the Fruit of life. Thee do we beseech: Pray thou, O Mistress, with the holy apostles and all the saints, that He have mercy upon our souls.

Great Doxology. Litanies. Dismissal.

At Divine Liturgy

On the Beatitudes, 8 Troparia: if this day fall within the period of the Pentecostarion, 4 from the appointed ode of the canon from the Pentecostarion, and 4 from Ode III of the canon of the saint; but if this day fall within the Apostles’ Fast, 4 from Ode III and 4 from Ode VI of the saint’s canon.

Prokimenon, in Tone VII

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

Stichos: What shall I render unto the Lord for all that He hath rendered unto me?

Epistle to the Galatians, §213 [5: 22-6: 2]

Brethren: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Alleluia, in Tone VI

Stichos: Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; in His commandments shall he greatly rejoice.

Stichos: His seed shall be mighty upon the earth.

Gospel according to Luke, §24 [6: 17-23].

At that time, Jesus stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judæa and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; and they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven.

Communion Verse

In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings.