Saturday July 18, 2020 Vespers TONE 5

6th Sunday after Pentecost

Ven. Sisoes the Great of Egypt (429). Ven. Sisoes of the Kyiv Caves (13th c.). Uncovering of the relics of Holy Princess Juliana Vilshanska (1540).

Priest: “Through the prayers of the Holy Fathers…”

Choir: Amen. And the Trisagion……

Psalm 104

Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, thou art very great! Thou art clothed with honor and majesty, who coverest thyself with light as with a garment, who hast stretched out the heavens like a tent, who hast laid the beams of thy chambers on the waters, who makest the clouds thy chariot, who ridest on the wings of the wind, who makest Thy angels spirits, and thy ministers a firey flame. Thou didst set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be shaken. Thou didst cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled; at the sound of thy thunder they took to flight. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place which thou didst appoint for them. Thou didst set a bound which they should not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth. Thou makest springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild asses quench their thirst. By them the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches. From thy lofty abode thou waterest the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy work. Thou dost cause the grass to grow for the cattle, fodder for the animals that serve man, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread to strengthen man’s heart. The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon which he planted. In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the badgers. Thou hast made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. Thou makest darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep forth. The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. When the sun rises, they get them away and lie down in their dens. Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until the evening. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, which teems with things innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan which thou didst form to sport in it. These all look to thee, to give them their food in due season. When thou givest to them, they gather it up; when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good things. When thou hidest thy face, they are dismayed; when thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the ground. May the glory of the Lord endure for ever, may the Lord rejoice in his works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!

The Kathisma Hymn

Blessed is the Man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,

Blessed are all who take refuge in Him Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,

Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,

Salvation belongs to the Lord: Your blessing be upon Your people. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Glory to You, O God. (3X) Glory to You, O God, glory to You!

"Lord I Call..." Tone 5

Lord, I call upon You, hear me! Hear me, O Lord! Lord, I call upon You, hear me! Receive the voice of my prayer, when I call upon You!// Hear me, O Lord! Let my prayer arise in Your sight as incense, and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice!// Hear me, O Lord!

v. (10) Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks to Your name!

By Your precious Cross, O Christ, You have put the devil to shame. By Your Resurrection, You have blunted the sting of sin and saved us from the gates of death.// We glorify You, O only begotten One.

v. (9) The righteous will surround me; for You will deal bountifully with me.

Christ was led as a sheep to the slaughter in order to grant Resurrection to the human race. The princes of hell were frightened by this, for the gates of sorrow were lifted. Christ the King of glory had entered, saying to those in chains: “Go forth!”// And to those in darkness: “Come to the light!”

v. (8) Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice!

O great wonder! The Creator of the invisible suffered in the flesh in His love for man and rose again immortal. Come, O sons of nations, let us worship Him, for delivered from error by His compassion,// we have learned to sing of one God in three Persons!

v. (7) Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!

We offer You our evening worship, O never setting Light, Who came in these last days to the world in the flesh; Who even descended to hell to dispel its darkness. Who has revealed the light of Resurrection to the nations.// Glory to You, O Lord and Giver of light!

v. (6) If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You.

We glorify the Leader of our salvation: By His Resurrection from the dead, the world was saved from deceit. The assembly of angels rejoices as the deceit of demons is overthrown!// Fallen Adam rises as the devil falls.

v. (5) For Your name's sake I have waited for You, O Lord, my soul has waited for Your word; my soul has hoped on the Lord.

The guards were instructed by the lawless ones: Hide the rising of Christ, take money and say: The body was stolen from the tomb while we were asleep. But who has heard of a body being stolen, a body embalmed and naked, with its grave clothes left behind in the tomb? People, do not be deceived, study the words of the prophets and understand:// Christ is the Redeemer of the world and all powerful!

v. (4) From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope on the Lord!

Lord, You have captured hell and trampled on death; You have enlightened the world by Your precious Cross!// O Savior, have mercy on us!

v. (3) For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He will deliver Israel from all his iniquities. Tone 4 Your all-festive commemoration, venerable one, has shone forth brightly like the sun! It enlightens the thoughts of the faithful with the splendor of your wonders and brightens them with the rays of your mighty works, all-blessed one! Therefore in celebration we joyously honor you// and faithfully bless you as the boast of monks! v. (2) Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise Him, all peoples!

You lived as an earthly angel, most wealthy one, Wasting your body as though it belonged to another. You ever instructed yourself divinely, father, with vigils and the remembrance of death. You grew with great strides to your ultimate desire!// You have indeed drawn near to perfection itself!

v. (1) For His mercy is abundant towards us; and the truth of the Lord endures forever.

At the time of your dormition, Father, an incomprehensible wonder took place: A choir of angels stood at once before you; your countenance, wise one, shone like the sun, revealing your radiant form and the purity of your soul,// showing all the manner of the repose you received!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone 5

In the Red Sea of old, a type of the Virgin Bride was prefigured. There Moses divided the waters; here Gabriel assisted in the miracle. There Israel crossed the sea without getting wet, here the Virgin gave birth to Christ without seed. After Israel's passage, the sea remained impassable; after Emmanuel's birth, the Virgin remained a Virgin. Ever existing God, Who appeared as Man,// O Lord, have mercy on us!

O Gladsome Light

O Gladsome Light of the holy Glory of the immortal Father, heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ! Now that we have come to the setting of the sun and behold the light of evening, we praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God. For meet it is at all times to worship You with voices of praise, O Son of God and Giver of Life. Therefore all the world glorifies You!

The Prokimenon (tone 6)

The Lord is King, He is robed in majesty.

Stichos: The Lord has girded Himself with strength

Stichos: For He has established the world so that it shall never be moved.

Stichos: Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, forever more.

Apostikha Tone 5

We magnify You in songs of praise, incarnate Christ and Savior! By accepting the Cross and death for our sake, as the Lord and Lover of mankind You overthrew the gates of hell,// and arose on the third day, saving our souls!

Verse: The Lord is King; He is robed in majesty!

By being pierced in the side, Lover of mankind, You have poured out drops of life and salvation for all. By accepting death in the flesh, You have granted us immortality. You have freed us by being placed in the tomb, and have resurrected us with Yourself in glory, as God!// Glory to You, Lord and Lover of mankind!

Verse: For He has established the world, so that it shall never be moved!

Your crucifixion and descent into hell are awesome, Lover of mankind! You have captured it, releasing the ancient prisoners! You have opened paradise and given it to us! Grant us purification of sins, who glorify Your Resurrection on the third day! Make us worthy of paradise// and save us, Lover of mankind!

Verse: Holiness befits Your house, Lord, forevermore!

For our sake, You accepted death in the flesh, to rise from the dead on the third day! Heal us from our earthly passions, and restore us from our evil transgressions;// and save us, Lover of mankind!

Glory… Now and ever... (Theotokion)

Most precious Virgin! You are the gate, the temple, the palace, the throne of the King! From You, my Redeemer, Christ the Lord appeared to those asleep in darkness! He is the Sun of righteousness Who desired to enlighten His image, whom He had created! Since you possess motherly boldness before Him, all praised Lady,// pray unceasingly that our souls may be saved!

Song of Symeon

Lord, now let Your servant de part in peace, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people. A light to enlighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of Your people Israel.

READER: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us! (3) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. O Most-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us! O Lord, cleanse us from our sins! O Master, pardon our transgressions! O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your Name's sake. Lord, have mercy. (3) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name! Thy Kingdom come! Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Priest: For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

People: Amen.

Dismissal Troparia

Tone 5

Let us, the faithful, praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born for our salvation from the Virgin; for He willed to be lifted up on the Cross in the flesh, to endure death, and to raise the dead// by His glorious Resurrection.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

Troparion Tone 1

Dweller of the wilderness and angel in the body! You were a wonder-worker, our God-bearing Father Sisoes! You received heavenly gifts through fasting, vigil and prayer: Healing the sick and the souls of those drawn to you by faith: Glory to Him Who gave you strength! Glory to Him Who granted you a crown!// Glory to Him Who through you grants healing to all!

now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Theotokion Tone 5 Rejoice, gate of the Lord which no one can force! Rejoice, rampart and shelter of those who come to you! Rejoice, undisturbed haven that never knew man! Since you gave birth in the flesh to your Maker and God, never cease to intercede for those// who sing a hymn of praise to your Son and worship Him!

Priest: Wisdom!

People: Father, bless.

Priest: Through the Prayers of the Holy Fathers……

People: Amen

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The Monk Sisoi the Great (+ 429) was a hermit-monk, pursuing asceticism in the Egyptian wilderness in a cave sanctified by the prayerful labors of his predecessor -- the Monk Anthony the Great. For his sixty years of wilderness deeds the Monk Sisoi attained sublime spiritual purity and he was vouchsafed a gift of wonderworking, such that by his prayer he even once returned a dead lad back to life. Extremely strict with himself, the Monk Sisoi was very merciful and compassionate to those nearby and he received everyone with love. Those, who visited him, the monk first of all always taught humility. To the question of one of the monks as to how might he attain to a constant mindfulness of God, the monk remarked: "That is still not of much consequence, my son, but more important is this -- to account oneself below everyone else, because such disparagement assists in the acquisition of humility". Asked by the monks, whether one year is sufficient for repentance in having fallen into sin against a brother, -- the Monk Sisoi said: "I believe in the mercy of God the Lover-of-Mankind, and if a man repent with all his soul, then God wilt accept his repentance in the course of three days". When the Monk Sisoi lay upon his death-bed, the disciples surrounding the elder saw that his face did shine. They asked the dying man what he saw. Abba Sisoi answered, that he looked upon the prophets and apostles. The disciples asked, with whom did the monk converse? He said that Angels had come for his soul, and he had entreated them to give him a short bit of time yet for repentance. "Thou, father, hast not need for repentance," -- replied the students. But the Monk Sisoi, with his great humility, answered: "I do not know for sure whether I have even begun to make my repentance". After these words the face of the holy abba shone so, that the brethren were not able to look upon him. The monk had time to tell them that he saw the Lord Himself, and his holy soul expired to the Heavenly Kingdom.

The Monastic Sisoi, SchemaMonk of Pechersk (XIII), is commemorated in the general service of the Monastic Fathers of Kievo-Pechersk reposing in the Farther Caves. He is mentioned together with the Monk Gregory the Faster: "Sisoi the wondrous and Gregory, a name courageous, having by fasting both restrained their passions, humble ye the fierce lust of our flesh: for unto you is given to have grace to help us in our passions" (5th ode of the Canon).

Opening of the Relics of Righteous Maiden Juliania, Princess of Ol'shansk: Saint Juliania lived during the first quarter of the XVI Century. Her father, prince Yurii Dubrovitsky- Ol'shansky, was one of the benefactors of the Kievo-Pechersk Lavra. The righteous maiden died at 16 years of age. Her body, buried at the Kievo-Pechersk Lavra near the Great church, was found undecayed during the time of the archimandrite Elisei Pletenets (1599-1624). The holy relics were burned in a fire at the Great church in the year 1718, but the remains were put in a reliquary and placed in the Nearer Caves. Archimandrite Peter Mohila (afterwards metropolitan of Kiev), to whom the saint appeared in a dream reproaching him for lack of attention to her grave, ordered a new reliquary to be made. On the reliquary then was made the inscription: "By the will of the Creator of heaven and earth doth dwell for all years Juliania, patroness and great intercessor to Heaven. Here are the bones -- healing against all passions... Thou adornest paradise, Juliania, like a beautiful flower..."