se.m02.d25.pl2

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Triodion

On Tuesday of the First Week at Vespers

Menaion - February 25

Leave-taking of the Feast of the Forerunner

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THE DIVINE LITURGY OF PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS

On Tuesday Evening of the First Week 2026

CHOIR

Mode pl. 4.

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Lord, I have cried to You; hear me. Hear me, O Lord. Lord, I have cried to You; hear me. Give heed to the voice of my supplication when I cry to You. Hear me, O Lord. [SAAS]

Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord. [SAAS]

From the Triodion.

Sticheron Idiomelon. Mode pl. 4.

Bring my soul out of prison to give thanks to Your name, O Lord. [SAAS]

Let us keep the fast not only by refraining from food, ⁄ but by becoming strangers to all the bodily passions; ⁄ that we who are enslaved to the tyranny of the flesh ⁄ may become worthy to partake of the Lamb, the Son of God, ⁄ slain of his own will for the sake of the world, ⁄ and may spiritually celebrate ⁄ the feast of the Savior’s resurrection from the dead! ⁄ So shall we be raised on high in the glory of the virtues, ⁄⁄ through our righteous actions giving joy to the Lord and Lover of mankind! [OCA]

Sticheron Idiomelon. Mode pl. 4.

The righteous shall wait for me, until You reward me. [SAAS]

For the Martyrs.

Mode pl. 4. Automelon.

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. [SAAS]

Your martyr Saints, O Lord, having become oblivious to life’s endeavors * even disdaining the tormenting tortures all for the life which is to come, * came to be regarded its inheritors. * Therefore they exult with the angelic hosts. * Bestow upon Your people great mercy, at the fervent appeals of these Your Saints. [GOASD]

Stichera Prosomia. By Joseph.

Mode 2.

Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. [SAAS]

As we were cast out of old from Paradise through eating bitter food, ⁄ let us make haste to enter there again, ⁄ abstaining from the passions, and crying to our God: ⁄ You stretched out your hands upon the Cross, ⁄ you drank vinegar and tasted of gall, ⁄ patiently enduring the pain of the nails: ⁄ uproot all bitter pleasures from our souls, ⁄⁄ and save your servants in your tender mercy. [OCA]

Mode 2.

If You, O Lord, should mark transgression, O Lord, who would stand? For there is forgiveness with You. [SAAS]

Once we were cast out of paradise through eating from the tree, ⁄ but through your Cross we are restored again. ⁄ We offer you your Cross in supplication, ⁄ Lord of many mercies, ⁄ praying to you in faith: ⁄ Send down upon us fountains of tears in this time of abstinence ⁄ to cleanse the filth of our passions and offenses, ⁄ that we may cry fervently to you: ⁄⁄ Glory to you, O Lord! [OCA]

Another. By Theodore.

Mode 2.

Because of Your law, O Lord, I waited for You; my soul waited for Your word. My soul hopes in the Lord. [SAAS]

As once you gave paradise to Adam, ⁄ now grant me, Word, the joy of abstinence, ⁄ that I may taste of all your commandments, O God, ⁄ yet never eat of the forbidden fruit of sin; ⁄ and so with gladness ⁄⁄ I shall come to your life-giving Passion on the Cross! [OCA]

Stichera for the Forerunner.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 2. Joseph took You down.

Ὅτε ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου.

From the morning watch until night; from the morning watch until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. [SAAS]

Come and let us celebrate today * the all-precious head of the Baptist, which was cut off with a sword. * O believers, let us honor its discovery, * and salute it with sacred songs, * revere it with longing. * Gifts of grace pour out from it, curing and healing us. * This head is what frivolous Herod * of old had cut off in his madness, * lustfully entangled with Herodias. [SD]

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption; and He shall redeem Israel from all his transgressions. [SAAS]

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; praise Him, all you peoples. [SAAS]

Just as gold extracted from a mine, * so the precious head of the Forerunner from the earth shines forth, * beaming in a water jar, it still distinctly cries out * and rebukes the adultery and murder by Herod. * Glowing with the light of heaven, it illumines our minds. * Come, today in faith let us sing hymns, * as we venerate it with honor, * for it intercedes with God on our behalf. [SD]

For His mercy rules over us; and the truth of the Lord endures forever. [SAAS]

Years passed since the venerable head * of St. John the Baptist was hid in a water jar underground. * Then the day came when it was revealed to all the world, * like a treasure that gushes forth * a well spring of healing, * curing all diseases and illuminating souls. * Therefore, as we now are enjoying * grace from it that brings divine gladness, * let us sing its praises with solemnity. [SD]

Glory.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 2.

Your Head, that all-venerable repository of divine concepts, which clearly foresaw the mystery of the ineffable Essence, has arisen today out of the storehouses of the earth, as it were out of a mother’s womb, O John, who are worthy of all praise. It poured forth the fragrant oil of sanctification and perfumed everything under the sun. It spiritually preaches the way of repentance, and it intercedes with the Savior of all, on behalf of our souls. [SD]

Both now. Stavrotheotokion.

Mode 2. Joseph took You down.

Ὅτε ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου.

At the crucifixion of your Son * and your God, immaculate Lady, you suffered much distress. * Groaning you lamented and you cried with bitter tears, * “Sweetest Child of mine, alas! * You suffer unjustly. * How can You who fill the earth be hanging on a cross?” * Therefore, moved by faith we entreat you * fervently, O all-holy Virgin: * For our sake persuade Him to be merciful. [SD]

DEACON

Wisdom. Arise.

READER

Gladsome light of holy glory of the holy, blessed, heavenly, immortal Father, O Jesus Christ: arriving at the hour of sunset and having seen the evening light, we praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God. It is worthy for You to be praised at all times with happy voices, O Son of God and Giver of life; * and therefore the world glorifies You.

READINGS – “LET MY PRAYER”

DEACON

The evening…

From Triodion - - -

READER

Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 1.

Psalm 7.

O Lord my God in You I hope.

Save me from all who pursue me, and deliver me. [SAAS]

The reading is from the book of Genesis.

PRIEST

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Gn 1:14 – 23

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven for illumination to divide day from night. Let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. Let them be for illumination in the firmament of heaven to give light on the earth.” It was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. So evening and morning were the fourth day. Then God said, “Let the waters bring forth creatures having life, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of heaven’s firmament.” It was so. Thus God made great sea creatures and every living thing that moves with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on earth.” So evening and morning were the fifth day. [SAAS]

Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 1.

Psalm 8.

O Lord, our Lord, how wondrous is Your name!

For Your splendor is exalted far beyond the heavens. [SAAS]

READER (sung)

Command!

The Priest holds a lit candle in his right hand with the censer hanging below it, stands before the holy Table, gestures crosswise and says:

PRIEST

Wisdom. Arise.

Then he turns to face the people, blesses them crosswise with the candle, and says:

The light of Christ shines on all.

READER

The reading is from the Proverbs of Solomon.

PRIEST

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Pr 1:20 – 35

Wisdom sings in the streets; she moves boldly in the squares. She preaches on high city walls and sits at the gates of lords. At the gates of a city she boldly says, “So long a time as the simple hold fast to righteousness, they shall not be ashamed; but those without discernment, since they are desirous of arrogance, and are become ungodly, they hate perception, and are become subject to reproofs. Behold, I shall bring forth upon you the utterance of my breath, and I shall teach you my word. Since I called, but you did not obey, and spoke at length, but you paid no attention, but made my counsels invalid, and were not persuaded by my reproofs; consequently, I will laugh at your annihilation, and will exult when ruin comes to you, and when confusion reaches you unawares, and overthrow comes like a whirlwind, and when tribulation and anguish come to you, and when destruction comes to you. For it shall be, when you shall call upon me, I will not listen to you; evil men will seek me, but not find me, for they hate wisdom, and choose not the fear of the Lord. Neither do they wish to follow my counsels, but despise my reproofs. Therefore, they shall eat the fruits of their own way and be filled with their own ungodliness. For since they wrong the simple, they shall be killed, and a close examination shall destroy the ungodly. But he who obeys me shall dwell in hope, and shall be at rest without fear from every evil.” [SAAS]

THE READINGS

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 63.

The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord. [SAAS]

Verse: Hear my voice, O God. [SAAS]

The Epistle

For the Forerunner.

The reading is from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians.

2 Cor. 4:6 – 15

Brethren, it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we too believed, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. [RSV]

Alleluia. Mode 4. Psalm 91.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 1: The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. [SAAS]

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 2: Those planted in the house of the Lord.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

The Gospel

For the Forerunner.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Mt. 11:2 – 15

At that time, when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by two of his disciples and said to him, “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.” As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been coming violently and men of violence take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” [RSV]

(Go back to the Presanctified Liturgy booklet.)