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ON
SATURDAY MORNING AT MATINS After
the 1st Reading from the Psalter, Kathismata. Tone
1. When the stone had been sealed. As good soldiers, believing with one accord, not trembling before the threats of tyrants, you fervently drew near to Christ, O Saints, having taken up the precious Cross, and having finished your course, you received victory from heaven. Glory to him who gave you strength; glory to him who crowned you; glory to him who through you grants healings to all. Verse: God is wonderful in his saints, the God of Israel. Be entreated by the sufferings, which the Saints endured for you, O Lord; and heal all our pains, we beg, O Lover of mankind. Verse: Their souls will dwell among good things. Let
us all beseech Christ’s Martyrs, for they ask for our salvation; and let us in
love approach them with faith; they possess the grace of healing; they ward off
the regiments of demons, as guardians of the Faith. Glory. Both now. Theotokion. When Gabriel addressed you, O Virgin, with his ‘Hail’, as he spoke the Master of all things became incarnate in you the holy Ark, as righteous David sang. You were proclaimed wider than the heavens, for you carried your Creator. Glory to him who dwelt in you, glory to him who came forth from you, glory to him who has set us free through your bearing child. After
the 2nd Reading, Kathisma of the Martyrs. The
glorious Champions have surrounded you, O Lord, as the boast of struggle and the
pride of victory crowns; for by their courage under tortures they wounded the
lawless and by divine power they received victory from heaven. At their
intercessions grant us, O God, your great mercy. Others
of the Dead. You destroyed the might of death, O Christ, and poured out incorruption for those on earth; and those who believe in you do not die, but live in you. Give rest then, Lord, to the souls of your servants, and settle them with your saints, at the prayers of the Mother of God, granting them your great mercy. The
soldiers watching. Give rest, O saviour, in a place of light, in the choir of the Just, those who have passed over to you, for they placed their hopes in you, Lover of mankind. Accept our supplication for parents and children, and justify those whose memory we celebrate, for you are full of mercy. Glory. Both now. Theotokion. Wonder of wonders, O Full of grace, in you Creation when it sees you rejoices, for you conceived without seed and gave birth ineffably to the One upon whom the commanders of the Angels cannot look. Implore him, O Mother of God, on behalf of our souls. Aposticha
of Lauds, of the Martyrs. Come, all you peoples, and let us honour with hymns and spirituals songs Christ’s Champions, the beacons of the world and heralds of the Faith, the everflowing source from which healings spring up for the faithful. At their intercessions, Christ our God, grant peace to your world and to our souls your great mercy. These soldiers of the great King opposed the decrees of tyrants, nobly despised their torments, and having trampled on every error, been fittingly crowned, they ask of the saviour peace and for our souls his great mercy. All-praised Martyrs, nor tribulation,
nor suffering, nor starvation, nor persecution, nor scourgings, nor the rage of
wild beasts, nor sword nor threatening fire could separate you from God; rather
through love for him as though in bodies not your own you struggled and
surpassed nature, despising death; and so you have fittingly received the reward
of your toils and have become heirs of the Kingdom of heaven. Intercede
unceasingly for our souls. Be
glad in the Lord, you Martyrs, because you have fought the good fight; you have
stood against Kings and defeated tyrants; you were not frightened by fire and
sword; when wild beasts were devouring your bodies you raised a hymn with the
Angels to Christ and received the crowns from heaven, asking that peace be given
to the world and his great mercy. Of
the Dead. Showing by deed, my Saviour, that you are the resurrection of all, by a word, O Word, you raised up Lazarus from the dead. Then the bars were smashed, the gates of Hell confounded; then the death of mortals was revealed to be a sleep. But do you, who came to save your creature and not to judge, give rest to those whom you have chosen, for you love mankind. Glory. Both now. Theotokion. Hail Mary, Mother of God, for you gave birth to the King, the Saviour and radiance of all the ages. If
Alleluia is sung we say the above Verses of the Martyrs at Lauds; but at the
Aposticha the following Prosomia, composed by Theophanes. Their Acrostic is:[1] Write your servants, O Christ, in the book of the living. All-praised
Martyrs. We entreat you, Saviour, grant to the departed sweet participation with you. Settle them in the tents of the Just, in the mansions of your Saints, in the heavenly dwellings, in your compassion overlooking their offences and granting them repose. Verse: Blessed are those whom you have chosen and taken, O Lord. No one is sinless, no one, save you, O only Immortal; therefore as you are a merciful God, establish your servants in light, with the choirs of your Angels, in your compassion disregarding their iniquities and granting them repose. Verse: Their souls will dwell among good things. Far above visible things are those which you have promised, O Saviour, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered the heart, O Master. Be well-pleased that they who have passed over to you may enjoy a loving share in them, O Master, in your merciful compassion. Verse: And their memorial is from generation to generation. Joyful and trusting in your Cross, O Saviour, your servants have departed to you. Grant it, O Master, as a ransom for their offences. For them you poured out the life-giving and precious stream of your Blood: grant them also the enjoyment of your glory that knows no evening. Glory. Both now. Theotokion. Implore Christ, your child, O Virgin Mother, to grant pardon of offences to your servants, who devoutly proclaimed you and with true reason declared you to be Mother of God, and count them worthy of the splendour and brilliance of your Saints in your Kingdom. [1]
This acrostic goes through all eight tones. |
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