Antiphon 1. Mode 2.
Verse 1: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and everything within me, bless His holy name.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Verse 2: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His rewards.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Verse 3: The Lord prepared His throne in heaven, and His Kingdom rules over all.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Antiphon 2. Mode 2.
Verse 1: Praise the Lord, O my soul! I shall praise the Lord while I live; I shall sing to my God as long as I exist.
Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Verse 2: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob; his hope is in the Lord his God.
Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Verse 3: The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Only-begotten Son and Logos of God, being immortal, You condescended for our salvation to take flesh from the holy Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary and, without change, became man. Christ, our God, You were crucified and conquered death by death. Being one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit: Save us.
Antiphon 3.
Apolytikion. For St. Maximus.
Mode pl. 4.
Guide of Orthodoxy and a sacred teacher of piety and dignity, luminary of the world, and God-inspired jewel of monastics, O wise Maximus, the Spirit’s instrument: by your teachings you enlightened all. Intercede with Christ our God for the salvation of our souls.
Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Hymns after the Entrance.
Apolytikion. For St. Maximus.
Mode pl. 4.
Guide of Orthodoxy and a sacred teacher of piety and dignity, luminary of the world, and God-inspired jewel of monastics, O wise Maximus, the Spirit’s instrument: by your teachings you enlightened all. Intercede with Christ our God for the salvation of our souls.
Apolytikion. For St. Neophytos.
Mode 4. Come quickly.
Your Martyr, O Lord, was worthily awarded by You * the crown of incorruption, in that he contested for You our immortal God. * Since he possessed Your power, he defeated the tyrants, * dashing the demons’ powerless displays of defiance. * O Christ God, at his fervent entreaties, save our souls.
The Apolytikion of the parish church is sung. Then:
Kontakion for the Day. For the Cross.
Mode 4. Automelon.
To the melody, “You who were lifted on the Cross voluntarily.”
You who were lifted on the cross voluntarily, * O Christ our God, bestow Your tender compassions * upon Your new community to which You gave Your name. * Cause our faithful emperors to be glad in Your power, * granting them the victories against their adversaries. * And for an ally, Lord, may they have You, * peace as their armor, the trophy invincible.
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.
Verse: What shall we give back to the Lord for all He rendered to us?
The Epistle
The reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.
Phil. 1:12 – 20
Brethren, I want you to know that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole praetorium and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ; and most of the brethren have been made confident in the Lord because of my imprisonment, and are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I shall rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 1: Arise, O Lord, into Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness.
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
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.
Lk. 12:8 – 12
The Lord said to his disciples, “Every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And every one who speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
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.
Hymn after Holy Communion.
Mode 2.
We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the true faith, worshiping the undivided Trinity, for the Trinity has saved us.
DISMISSAL
Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
May 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, our devout and God-bearing father Maximus the Confessor, whose memory we observe; and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
Strict: Refrain from meat, fish, oil, dairy, and eggs.
It is a Wednesday or Friday.