Agape Vespers 4/19/2020 (Evening of Pascha)
The order of Lenten Vespers as given in the Liturgikon; formatted as a reader service for personal prayer at home.
Standing before your icons, make the sign of the Cross and say:
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
THE PASCHAL VERSES IN TONE FIVE
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death; and upon those in the tombs bestowing life! (THRICE)
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Him flee from before His face.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!
As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish; as wax melteth before the fire.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!
So let sinners perish at the presence of God, and let the righteous be glad.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!
This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad therein.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!
Lord, have mercy. (12×)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O LORD, I HAVE CRIED
Tone 2
O Lord, I have cried out unto Thee, hear Thou me; hear Thou me, O Lord. O Lord, I have cried out unto Thee, hear Thou me. Give ear to the voice of my supplication when I cry out unto Thee: hear Thou me, O Lord.
Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as the incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice; hear Thou me, O Lord.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and a protecting door round about my lips. Incline not my heart to evil words, to make excuses in sins. With men that work iniquity; and I will not communicate with the choicest of them. The just man shall correct me in mercy and shall reprove me; but let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head. For my prayer also shall still be against the things with which they are well pleased; their judges falling upon the rock have been swallowed up. They shall hear my words, for they are sweet; as when the thickness of the earth is broken upon the ground, their bones are scattered by the side of hell. But to Thee, O Lord, Lord, are mine eyes; in Thee have I put my trust, take not away my soul. Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and the traps of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst I alone escape. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, with my voice unto the Lord, did I make my supplication. I poured out my supplication before Him; I showed before Him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they secretly laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me. Refuge failed me; no one cared for my soul. I cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said: Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Thy Name. The righteous shall wait for me until Thou recompense me. Out of the depths have I cried to Thee, O Lord, Lord hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
For the Resurrection in Tone Two
Verse 6. If Thou, O Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? For with Thee there is forgiveness.
Come ye, let us worship Him Who was born of the Father before all time, the Word of God, incarnate of the Virgin Mary; for He did submit to crucifixion by His own choice, was delivered to burial as He Himself willed, rose from the dead, and saved me, who was lost.
Verse 5. Because of Thy Name have I waited for Thee, O Lord; my soul hath waited upon Thy word, my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
Verily, Christ our Savior nailed to His Cross the handwriting of the decree, and did expunge it. And He abolished the might of Death. Let us therefore adore His third-day Resurrection.
Verse 4. From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch let Israel trust in the Lord.
Come, let us with the archangels praise the Resurrection of Christ; for He is the Redeemer and Savior of our souls, and He it is Who will come with fearful magnificence and glorious might to judge the world which He hath created.
Verse 3. For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is abundant redemption, and He will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.
O Thou Who wast crucified and wast buried, the angel did proclaim Thee, that Thou art the Master, saying to the women: Come ye and behold where the Lord was laid; for He is risen as He said; for He is the Almighty One, and therefore, do we worship Thee, O Thou Who alone art deathless; O Christ, Giver of life, have mercy upon us.
Verse 2. Praise the Lord, all ye nations; praise Him, all ye people.
With Thy Cross Thou didst abolish the curse of the tree; with Thy Death and Burial Thou didst cause the might of Death to die; and with Thy Resurrection Thou didst enlighten mankind. Wherefore, do we cry to Thee, O Christ our God, the Benefactor, glory to Thee.
Verse 1. For His mercy is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever.
O Lord, verily, the gates of Death were opened to Thee for fear of Thee. And as the gate-keepers of Hades saw Thee they did tremble; for Thou didst break asunder its brazen gates; didst crush its iron bars; didst bring us out from the shadow and darkness of death; and didst break our bonds asunder.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Come let us all sing with our mouths a song of salvation. Let us kneel down in the house of the Lord saying, O Thou Who wast crucified on a Tree, Who didst rise from the dead, and Who still remainest in the bosom of the Father, forgive us our sins.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin, verily, the shadow of the law hath been annulled by the coming of thy grace; for as the bush was burning but not consumed, so didst thou give birth while yet a Virgin. And instead of the pillar of fire, the Sun of justice shone forth; and instead of Moses, Christ the Savior of our souls.
O GLADSOME LIGHT
O gladsome Light of the holy glory of the immortal, heavenly, holy and blessed Father: O Jesus Christ. Lo now that we have come to the setting of the sun, as we behold the evening light, we hymn Thee: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God. Meet it is for Thee at all times to be magnified by joyous voices, O Son of God and Giver of life. Wherefore the whole world doth glorify Thee.
THE GREAT PROKEIMENON IN TONE SEVEN
Who is so great a god as our God? Thou art the God Who workest wonders.
Verse 1. Thou hast made Thy power known among the peoples; with Thine arm hast Thou redeemed Thy people. (Refrain)
Verse 2. And I said: Now have I made a beginning; this change hath been wrought by the right hand of the Most High. (Refrain)
Verse 3. I remembered the works of the Lord; for I will remember Thy wonders from the beginning. (Refrain)
THE PASCHAL AGAPE GOSPEL
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John (20:19-25).
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the Disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the Disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other Disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe.”
Lord, have mercy. (40×)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
THE EVENING PRAYER
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this evening without sin. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is thy Name forever. Amen.
Let thy mercy be upon us O Lord, even as we have set our hope on thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes. Blessed art thou, O Master; make me to understand thy statutes. Blessed art thou, O Holy One: enlighten me with thy statutes.
Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever. O despise not the works of thy hands. To thee belongeth worship, to thee belongeth praise, to thee belongeth glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (12×)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
THE APOSTICHA
FOR THE RESURRECTION IN TONE TWO
Thy Resurrection, O Christ Savior, hath illumined the whole universe. Thou hast renewed Thy creation. O Lord Almighty, glory to Thee.
THE PASCHAL STICHERA IN TONE FIVE
Verse 1. Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Him flee from before His face.
A sacred Pascha hath been shown forth to us today; a new and holy Pascha, a mystic Pascha, an all venerable Pascha, a Pascha that is Christ the Redeemer; a spotless Pascha, a great Pascha, a Pascha of the faithful, a Pascha that hath opened unto us the gates of Paradise; a Pascha that doth hallow all the faithful.
Verse 2. As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish; as wax melteth before the fire.
Come from that scene, O women, bearers of good tidings, and say to Sion; Receive from us the tidings of joy, of the Resurrection of Christ. Exult, dance, and be glad, O Jerusalem, for thou hast seen Christ the King as a bridegroom come forth from the tomb.
Verse 3. So let sinners perish at the presence of God, and let the righteous be glad.
The myrrh-bearing women at deep dawn drew nigh to the tomb of the Giver of life; they found an Angel sitting upon the stone, and he, addressing them, in this manner did say: Why seek ye the Living among the dead? Why mourn ye the Incorruptible amid corruption? Go, proclaim it unto His disciples.
Verse 4. This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad therein.
A Pascha of delight, Pascha, the Lord's Pascha, an all venerable Pascha hath dawned for us, a Pascha whereon let us embrace one another with joy. O Pascha, ransom from sorrow! Today Christ hath shone forth from the tomb as from a bridal chamber, and hath filled the women with joy, saying: Proclaim it unto the Apostles.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
It is the day of Resurrection; let us be radiant for the festival, and let us embrace one another. Let us say, O brethren, even to those that hate us: Let us forgive all things on the Resurrection. And thus let us cry:
Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life! (THRICE)
THE PASCHAL DISMISSAL
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
[If the service is being read with other members of the family, the Paschal Greeting is exchanged, thrice: Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!]
Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!
Note: The service of the Paschal Hours is read for the Morning and Evening Prayers throughout all of Bright Week.