Books - Sources

Hieratikon

Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Pentecostarion

Thursday of the Fourth Week

Menaion - May 7

Commemoration of the Appearance of the Holy Cross in the Sky

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LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

An optional alternative to the Antiphons are the Typika (Psalms 102 and 145), and the Beatitudes with the appointed troparia, which are provided here.

Psalm 102.

Psalm 145.

The Beatitudes.

Mode 4.

In Your kingdom. Remember us, O Lord, when You come in Your kingdom. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [RSV]

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. [RSV]

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. [RSV]

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. [RSV]

Canon 1 of Mid-Pentecost.

Ode iii. Mode 4. Your Church rejoices in You.

Εὐφραίνεται ἐπὶ σοί.

From Pentecostarion - - -

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. [RSV]

You opened within the Church * the springs of vivifying water, O Christ. * Good Lord, You said, “Whoever thirsts * and is willing, come now to me and drink.” [GOASD]

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. [RSV]

You opened within the Church * the springs of vivifying water, O Christ. * Good Lord, You said, “Whoever thirsts * and is willing, come now to me and drink.” [GOASD]

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. [RSV]

You said that You must ascend * from earth to heaven, and You promised to send * from heaven to Your followers * the all-holy Spirit, O Christ our God. [GOASD]

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [RSV]

Theotokion.

Innately Giver of Life, * born of the Virgin was the merciful Lord. * He granted immortality * unto all who ever believe in Him. [GOASD]

Canon 1 of Mid-Pentecost.

Ode vi. Mode 4. I will sacrifice to You.

Θύσω σοι μετὰ φωνῆς.

From Pentecostarion - - -

Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely [for my sake]. [RSV]

Today we observe the sacred feast of Mid-Pentecost. * It is illumined on one side * by the most divine light of holy Pascha, * on the other, it is aglow with grace of the Comforter. [GOASD]

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. [RSV]

Today we observe the sacred feast of Mid-Pentecost. * It is illumined on one side * by the most divine light of holy Pascha, * on the other, it is aglow with grace of the Comforter. [GOASD]

Glory.

Christ, when You went up into the Temple in Jerusalem, * You spoke to the Jewish people, * hiding Your innate glory, while disclosing * natural kinship with God the Father who had begotten You. [GOASD]

Both now. Theotokion.

O only Theotokos, I pray you to be for me * an unassailable fortress, * to protect and save me from worldly scandals, * and to brighten and illumine my soul with the light of God. [GOASD]

Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.

Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, risen from the dead. We sing to You, Alleluia.

Hymns after the Entrance.

Apolytikion of the Feast.

From Pentecostarion - - -

Mode pl. 4.

O Lord, midway through the feast, give drink to my thirsty soul from the living waters of right belief. You, O Savior, proclaimed to everyone, “Let whoever is thirsty come to Me and drink.” You are the fountain of life, O Christ our God. Glory to You! [SD]

For the Cross.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 1.

The sign of Your Cross shined more brightly than the sun. You made it stretch from Calvary to the holy Mount of Olives, and You demonstrated Your power that it possesses, O Savior. By it You strengthen our leaders who believe in You. We pray You continually preserve them in peace, at the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Christ our God, and save us. [SD]

The Apolytikion of the parish church is sung. Then:

Kontakion of the Feast.

From Pentecostarion - - -

Mode 4. You who were lifted.

Ὁ ὑψωθεὶς ἐν τῷ Σταυρῷ.

The feast according to the Law at its midpoint, O Christ our God, as the Creator and Master of everything, You said to all those who were present there, “Come that you might draw from Me the water of immortality.” Hence with faith we cry to You as we prostrate before You. Your tender mercies grant to us, we pray. You are the fountain and source of our life, O Lord. [SD]

Trisagios Hymn

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

THE READINGS

Prokeimenon. Mode 1. Psalm 27.

O Lord, save Your people, and bless Your inheritance. [SAAS]

Verse: To You, O Lord, I cry; O my God. [SAAS]

The Epistle

For the Cross.

The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 26:1, 12 – 20

In those days, King Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: “I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles — to whom I send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ After that, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance.” [RSV]

Alleluia. Mode 1. Psalm 88.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 1: The heavens shall confess Your wonders, O Lord. [SAAS]

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 2: God is glorified in the counsel of saints.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

The Gospel

Thursday of the 4th Week

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jn. 8:12 – 20

The Lord said to the Jews who came to him, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The Pharisees then said to him, “You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know whence I have come and whither I am going, but you do not know whence I come or whither I am going. You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.” They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father also.” These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. [RSV]

Hymn to the Theotokos.

It is truly right to bless you, Theotokos, ever blessed, most pure, and Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Logos. We magnify you, the true Theotokos.

Communion Hymn. Psalm 18.

Their proclamation went forth into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. Alleluia. [SAAS]

Hymn after Holy Communion.

Instead of “We have seen.”

Mode pl. 1.

Christ is risen from the dead, by death trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life. [GOA]

DISMISSAL

Glory to You, our God, glory to You.

May He who rose from the dead, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, the protection of the honorable, bodiless powers of heaven, the supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist, of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy apostles, of the holy, glorious, and triumphant martyrs, of our righteous and God-bearing fathers, (local patron saint); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.

Fasting Rule

Fast Free: All foods allowed.