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Hieratikon

Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Pentecostarion

Wednesday of the Seventh Week

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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 2 of the Feast.

Ode iii. Mode 4. Establish your servants.

Τοὺς σοὺς ὑμνολόγους.

From Pentecostarion - - -

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

“Behold, Christ the Lord and King of glory is coming, now that He has put on * a body, which was made of earth. * Therefore lift up your heavenly gates.” * Thus did the lower bodiless orders call out to the higher ones. [GOASD]

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

Adam was beguiled by the serpent. O Christ, You came down to look for him, * assuming his humanity. * You found him and ascended and sat * at Your coequal Father’s right, while angels praised and exalted You. [GOASD]

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

The feast of the glorious Ascension of Christ the Creator of the world * is celebrated joyfully * in heaven and on earth today; * for by His will He visibly unites what used to be separate. [GOASD]

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

Theotokion.

Lady, you gave birth to the destroyer of death, yes the only deathless God. * O Virgin Mother wholly pure, * ever entreat Him earnestly * to kill the passions that will be the death of me, and to save my soul. [GOASD]

Canon 2 of the Feast.

Ode vi. Mode 4. O godly-minded believers.

Τὴν θείαν ταύτην.

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]

Let clouds rain down on us from on high * and sprinkle us on earth with eternal joy, for Christ ascends today * unto His Father upon a cloud, * as if upon the chariot of the Cherubim. [GOASD]

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

Appearing in the likeness of flesh, * You gathered into one things that formerly were separate, O Christ; * and You ascended, as Your beloved * Disciples gazed toward heaven, O tender-loving Lord. [GOASD]

Glory.

The holy Angels, beholding Christ * united with our physical flesh, remarked, “Why are His garments red?” * Because He bears on His flesh the marks * of His all-holy Passion that He endured for us. [GOASD]

Both now. Theotokion.

O Virgin pure, we extol and praise * your marvelous conceiving and childbirth, through which we have been saved * from death and ruin and suffering * and from the bleak imprisonment in the netherworld. [GOASD]

Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.

Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, who were taken up in glory to heaven from us. We sing to You, Alleluia. [GOA]

Hymns after the Entrance.

Apolytikion of the Feast.

From Pentecostarion - - -

Mode 4.

You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, after You filled the Disciples with joy, by promising to send them the Holy Spirit, and You blessed them and established their faith, that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. [SD]

The Apolytikion of the parish church is sung. Then:

Kontakion of the Feast.

From Pentecostarion - - -

Mode pl. 2. Automelon.

Τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν.

When You had fulfilled the dispensation for our sake, * and united things on earth with the things in heaven, * You were taken up thither in glory, O Christ our God, * going not away from any place, * but continuing inseparable, * and to them that love You crying out: * “I am with you, and there is, therefore, none against you.” [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 3. Ode ix.

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. [RSV]

Verse: For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. [RSV]

The Epistle

Wednesday of the 7th Week

The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 23:1 – 11

In those days, Paul, looking intently at the council, said, “Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience up to this day.” And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God shall strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” And Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial.” And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamor arose; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome.” [RSV]

Alleluia. Mode pl. 4. Psalm 131.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 1: Arise, O Lord, into Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness. [SAAS]

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 2: The Lord swore to David this truth, and He shall not reject it, “I shall set upon your throne one from the fruit of your loins.”

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

The Gospel

Wednesday of the 7th Week

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jn. 16:15 – 23

The Lord said to his disciples, “All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. A little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will see me.” Some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” They said, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he means.” Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him; so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being is born into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day, you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” [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 115.

I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Alleluia. [SAAS]

Hymn after Holy Communion.

Instead of “We have seen.”

Mode 4.

You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, after You filled the Disciples with joy, by promising to send them the Holy Spirit, and You blessed them and established their faith, that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. [SD]

DISMISSAL

Glory to You, our God, glory to You.

May He who ascended from us into heaven in glory, and sat at the right hand of God the Father, 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

Wine: Wine and oil are allowed. Refrain from meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.