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15th Sunday after Pentecost (Aug 23/Sept 5)

Apodosis of the Dormition of our All-Holy, Glorious Mistress,
The Theotokos & Ever-Virgin Mary

VESPERS: Tone 6

P. Regular Beginning
C. Lord I have cried...

1. O Christ, triumphant over hell,/ Thou hast ascended upon the Cross,/ to
raise up with Thyself those dwelling in the darkness of death./ Free
among the dead,/ Thou pourest forth life from Thine own light:// O
almighty Saviour, have mercy upon us.

2. Christ, having trampled upon death today,/ according to His word, rose
up bestowing joy upon the world,/ that all of us shouting this hymn
might say:/ O Fount of life, O Light that no man can approach,// O
almighty Saviour, have mercy upon us.

3. Whither shall we sinners fly from Thee, O Lord,/ Who art everywhere in
the creation?/ Into heaven? Thy abode is there./ Into hell? Thou
hast trampled upon death./ Into the uttermost parts of the sea?/ Thy
hand reaches thither, O Master./ We run to Thee and falling before
Thee we pray:// O Thou, risen from the dead, have mercy upon us.

4. We exult in Thy Cross, O Christ,/ and we praise and glorify Thy

Resurrection./ For Thou art our God;// we know no other Lord but Thee.

Stichera for the Feast (Tone 1)

5/6 O wondrous marvel!/ The well-spring of Life is laid in a tomb,/ and
the grave becometh a ladder to the heavens!/ Be glad, O Gethsemane,
thou holy dwelling-place of the Theotokos!/ O ye faithful, let us cry
aloud, with Gabriel as our leader:/ Rejoice, O thou who art full of
grace!// The Lord is with thee, granting great mercy to the world
through thee!

7/8 Wondrous are thy mysteries, O Theotokos!/ Thou hast been shown to be
the throne of the Most High, O Mistress,/ and hast been translated from
earth to heaven today./ Thy glory is majestic, shining with godly
miracles!/ O ye virgins, ascend on high with the Mother of the King!/
Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace!// The Lord is with thee,
granting great mercy to the world through thee!

9/10 The authorities and thrones, the principalities and dominions,/ the
powers, the cherubim and the awesome seraphim glorify thy dormition,/
and mortal men rejoice, adorned by thy divine glory./ Kings fall down
in homage with the archangels and angels,/ and chant: Rejoice, O thou
who art full of grace!// The Lord is with thee, granting great mercy
to the world through thee!

Glory... (Tone 1)
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At the divine behest, the God-bearing apostles were caught up from

whence they were,/ and, coming to thine all-pure and life-creating body,/
they venerated it with love./ And the hosts of heaven above, arriving with
their Master,/ were seized with awe as they accompanied the all-pure body
which had received God;/ and they went forth in beauty and cried aloud
invisibly to the hierarchies above:/ ‘Behold! the divine Maiden, the Queen
of all, is come!/ Lift up your gates, and receive her above the world,/ who
is the Mother of everlasting Light;/ for it is through her that salvation
hath come to all the human race./ We cannot gaze upon her, we are unable to
render her fitting honour;/ for her excellence passeth all understanding!’/
Wherefore, O all-pure Theotokos,/ dwelling ever with thy life-bearing King
and Offspring,/ pray thou without ceasing, that He preserve and save thy new
people/ from every attack of the adversary;/ for we have acquired thine
intercession,// manifestly blessing thee with splendor forever.

Both now & ever... Dogmatikon Tone 6

Who does not call thee blessed,/ O all-hallowed Virgin?/ Who does not
sing the praises of thy giving birth,/ which was not according to the laws
of nature;/ for the only-begotten Son Himself,/ timelessly having shone out
of the Father,/ came forth from thee who art pure;/ and having been
ineffably made flesh, He, Who by nature is God,/ for our sakes became also
by nature man,/ not in two divided persons, but in two natures without
confusion is He known./ O thou, honoured and greatly blessed,// beseech Him
to have mercy on our souls.

P. Wisdom. Aright!
C. O Joyful Light...
P. Prokimenon. The Lord is King...
P. Wisdom! (And readings, if any)
P. Augmented Litany
R. Vouchsafe...
P. Litany of Fervent Supplication

C. Litya (Tone 1)
It is fitting that the servants of the Word,/ who saw Him with their
own eyes,/ see also the repose of His Mother in the flesh,/ inasmuch as it
was the final mystery concerning her,/ that they might behold not only the
Saviour’s ascension from the earth,/ but also witness the translation of her
who gaveth Him birth./ Wherefore, assembled from all parts of the earth by
the power of God,/ they reached Sion and bade farewell to her/ who is more
highly exalted than the cherubim as she passed on to heaven./ And we also,
with them,// bow down to her as one who prayeth for our souls.

(Tone 2)
As she was more exalted than the heavens,/ more glorious than the
cherubim and higher in honour than all creation,/ and in her exceeding
purity becameth the dwelling-place of the ever-existent Essence,/ she
surrendereth her most holy soul into the hands of her Son today./ By her
are all things filled with joy;// and He granteth us great mercy.

The all-immaculate Bride and Mother of Him in Whom the Father was well-
pleased,/ who was foreordained by God to be the habitation of His unconfused
Union,/ doth commit her all-pure soul to God the Creator./ Her do the hosts
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of the incorporeal ones bear aloft,/ and she passeth over to life, in that
she is the Mother of the Life,/ the light of the Light unapproachable,// the
salvation of the faithful and the hope of our souls.

(Tone 3)
Come, all ye ends of the earth,/ let us praise the honoured translation
of the Mother of God;/ for she hath placed her immaculate soul in the hands
of her Son./ Wherefore, the world hath been given life through her holy
dormition;/ and in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs// doth it celebrate
splendidly with the incorporeal hosts and the apostles.

Glory... (Tone 5)
Come, ye assembly of those who love the feasts of the Church!/ Come,
let us form a choir!/ Come, and with hymns let us crown the temple, the ark
of the rest of God!/ For today heaven expandeth its bosom, receiving her
who gave birth to Him/ Who is invisible to all,/ and the earth receiveth the
well-spring of Life,/ who imparteth blessing and is adorned with splendor./
The angels form a chorus with the apostles,/ gazing with awe upon her who
gave birth to the Author of life,/ and who is translated from life to Life./
Let us all bow down before her, praying:// O Mistress, forget not thy
kinship with those who celebrate thy most holy dormition with faith!

Both now and ever... (Tone 5)

O ye people, hymn ye,/ hymn ye the Mother of our God!/ For today she
committeth her most radiant soul/ into the all-pure hands of Him Who became
incarnate of her without seed./ And she entreateth Him unceasingly,// that
He grant peace and great mercy to the whole world.

P. Litya prayers in back of Church

APOSTICHA: (Tone 6)

1. Angels in heaven sing the praises/ of Thy Resurrection, O Christ our

Saviour./ Vouchsafe that we too on earth// may from pure hearts give
Thee glory.

V. The Lord is King,/ and hath put on glorious apparel.

2. After breaking in pieces the gates of brass/ and crushing the bolts and
bars of hell,/ Thou, being almighty God, didst raise fallen man./
Therefore, with one accord, we cry:// Glory unto Thee, O Lord, risen
from the dead.

V. He hath made the world so sure/ that it cannot be moved.

3. Wishing to lift us out of the ancient corruption,/ Christ was nailed

upon the Cross and laid in the tomb./ As in tears the women bearing
myrrh searched for Him,/ they said, lamenting: Woe are we, O Saviour of
all:/ How comes it that Thou wast pleased to dwell in the tomb?/ How
comes it, if that was Thy wish, that Thou hast now been stolen?/ How
comes it that Thou hast been taken elsewhere?/ In what place have they
laid Thy life-bearing Body?/ But, O Master, as Thou hast promised,
appear to us and dry up the fountain of our tears./ Upon which, as
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they wept, an angel came to them and cried:/ Cease your weeping and
tell the apostles that the Lord is risen// giving the world
purification and great mercy.

V. Holiness becometh Thine house/ O Lord, forever.

4. Crucified according to Thy Will, O Christ,/ despoiling death by Thy

entombment,/ Thou hast risen up on the third day as God in glory,//
granting the world life without end and great mercy.

G/B... (Tone 4)
When thou didst depart unto Him Who had been ineffably born of thee, O
Virgin Theotokos,/ James the brother of God and first bishop was present
with Peter,/ the most honourable and pre-eminent,/ the foremost of
theologians, and the whole divine choir of the apostles,/ hymning the divine
and awesome mystery of God’s dispensation with manifest theology;/ and,
burying thy life-giving and God-receiving body, they rejoiced, O most hymned
one./ And regarding one another, they said, marveling at the wonders of her
who transcendeth the all-holy senior ranks of the angels:/ ‘Lift up your
gates and receive her who gave birth to the Creator of heaven and earth,/
and with glorifications let us hymn the precious and holy body which
contained the Lord Who is invisible to us.’/ Wherefore, celebrating thy
memory,/ we also cry out to thee, O all-hymned one:// Exalt the estate of
Christians and save our souls!

C. St. Symeon's Prayer

R. Trisagion
C. Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos x2

C. Troparion for the Dormition (Tone 1)

In giving birth, thou didst preserve thy virginity,/ in falling asleep
thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos./ Thou was translated to life
O Mother of Life.// And by thy prayers thou deliverest our souls from
death.

P. Blessing of loaves.
C. Amen. Blessed be the Name of the Lord...

MATINS: Tone 6

P. Regular Beginning
P. Great Ectenia
C. God is the Lord...

C. Sunday Troparia (Tone 6) x2

The angelic powers were at thy tomb;/ the guards became as dead men./
Mary stood by Thy grave,/ seeking Thy most pure Body./ Thou didst capture
hell not being tempted by it./ Thou didst come to the Virgin, granting
life./ O Lord, Who didst rise from the dead:// Glory to Thee.

G/B... Troparion for the Dormition (Tone 1)

In giving birth, thou didst preserve thy virginity,/ in falling asleep
thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos./ Thou was translated to life
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O Mother of Life.// And by thy prayers thou deliverest our souls from
death.

Lord Have Mercy 3x

Glory...

R. Now...
R. Kathisma II
P. Small Ectenia

R. Sessional Hymns:
When the tomb was opened and hades wept, Mary cried out to the
apostles, who had hidden themselves: “Come forth, ye laborers of the
vineyard! Proclaim the tidings of the resurrection! The Lord hath risen,
granting the world great mercy.”

V. Arise, O Lord my God, let Thy hand be lifted high; forget not Thy
paupers to the end.

O Lord, Mary Magdalene stood before Thy tomb and wept aloud; and
supposing Thee to be the gardener, she said: “Where hast Thou hidden our
eternal Life? Where hast Thou laid Him Who sitteth upon the throne of the
cherubim? For those who guarded Him have become as dead through fear.
Either give me my Lord, or cry out with me: O Thou Who wast among the dead
and hast raised up the dead, glory to Thee!”

G/B... He Who called thee Mother and blessed went up of His own
will to suffer, and wishing to search out Adam, He made light shine with
the Cross, saying unto the angels: Rejoice with Me, for I have found the
lost piece of silver. Glory unto Thee, O God, Who hast ordered all things
wisely.

R. Kathisma III
P. Small Ectenia

R. Sessional Hymns:
Life lay in the tomb, and a seal was affixed to the stone. Soldiers
guarded Christ as they would a sleeping king, and the Lord arose, invisibly
smiting His enemies.

V. I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, I will tell of

all Thy wonders.

Jonah prefigured Thy tomb, and Symeon told of Thy divine resurrection,
O immortal Lord; for Thou didst descend into the tomb as one dead,
demolishing the gates of hades, and didst arise as Master, without
corruption, for the salvation of the world, O Christ our God, Who hast
enlightened those in darkness.

G/B... O Virgin Theotokos, entreat thy Son, Christ our God, Who of
His own will was nailed to the Cross and arose from the dead, that our souls
be saved.

R. Psalm 118
C. Evlogitaria (Blessed art Thou, O Lord...)
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P. Small Ectenia

R. Ypakoe:
Having, as God broken down the gates of hades by Thy voluntary and
life-creating death, O Christ, Thou didst open ancient paradise unto us; and
rising from the dead, Thou hast delivered our life from corruption.

Hymn of Degrees: (Antiphon One)

I lift up mine eyes to heaven, to Thee, O Word. Have pity, that I may
live in Thee.
Have mercy upon us who are downcast, O Word, making us vessels useful
to Thee.
G/B... The Holy Spirit is the Cause of all salvation. And if He
blow upon anyone as is meet, He quickly taketh him away from among the
things of earth: He giveth him wings, maketh him grow and setteth him on
high.

Hymn of Degrees: (Antiphon Two)

If the Lord were not among us, none of us would be able to combat the
warfare of the enemy; for they who conquer are lifted upon from hence.
Let not my soul be seized like a bird by the teeth of the enemy, O
Word. Woe is me! How shall I, who love sin, escape them?
G/B... From the Holy Spirit come deification, goodwill,
understanding, peace and blessing for all; for He worketh equally with the
Father and the Word.

Hymn of Degrees: (Antiphon Three)

They that hope in the Lord are fearsome to the enemy and wondrous to
all; for they direct their gaze on high.
He who hath Thee, O Saviour, as his Helper, the Portion of the
righteous, doth not stretch out his hands toward iniquities.
G/B... The dominion of the Holy Spirit is over all. Him do the
armies on high worship, as doth every creature here below.

P. Prokimenon:
O Lord, stir up Thy might/ and come to save us.
V. O Shepherd of Israel, attend, Thou that leadest Joseph like a
sheep.

C. Let every breath praise the Lord.

P. GOSPEL #4

C. Having Beheld the Resurrection of Christ...

R. Psalm 50
C. Glory... Now... Have mercy on me... Jesus having risen...

P. Save, O God, Thy People...

Anointing.

Canticle One

Irmos: Traversing the deep on foot/ as though it were dry land,/ and
seeing the tyrant Pharaoh drowned,/ Israel cried aloud://
Let us chant unto God a hymn of victory.
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Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.

Jesus the Good, by Thine arms outspread upon the Cross, Thou hast
filled all things with the good pleasure of the Father. Therefore shall we
all sing Thee a triumphal song.

For fear of Thee, the end that is death became like a servant and was
ordered to approach the Master of Life, whereby He awarded us life without
end and the Resurrection.

Theotokion
Having received thine own Creator incarnate of thy seedless womb in
manner past understanding, O pure one, as He Himself desired, thou wast
truly shown to be the Mistress of creation.

Most Holy Theotokos, Save us.

Eve partaking of the forbidden fruit of the garden brought in the

curse. But thou, O Pure, hast loosed it by bearing Christ, first-fruit of
blessing.

O pure Virgin, who hast borne Christ the pearl from the divine
lightning, do thou disperse by the light of thine own brightness the gloom
of my passions and the tumult of my faults.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Let the immaterial ranks accompany thy divine and immaterial body to
Sion. For the multitude of the apostles, coming together of a sudden from
the ends of the earth, stood before thee, O Theotokos. With them we also
glorify thine honoured memory, O pure one.

The honours of victory over nature hast thou taken, having given birth
unto God, O pure one; yet, emulating thy Creator and Son, thou submittest to
the laws of nature in supernatural manner. Wherefore, having died, thou
risest with thy Son unto everlasting life.

Glory... O virgin maidens, with Miriam the prophetess raise ye now a

hymn of parting! For she who alone is Virgin and Mother of God is
translated and received into heaven.

Both... The divine mansions of heaven received thee as an animate

heaven, as is meet, O all-pure one; and thou hast taken thy place as a
bride, splendidly adorned, before thy King and God, O most immaculate one.

C. Katavasia (Tone 1)
Thy sacred and glorious memory,/ all-adorned with divine glory, O
Virgin,/ that gathered all the faithful in gladness,/ who, led by Miriam
with choirs and timbrels,// hymn thine only-begotten Son, for gloriously
hath He been glorified.

Canticle Three
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Irmos: There is none as holy as Thee,/ O Lord my God,/ Who hast

uplifted the horn of Thy faithful/ and established us// on
the rock of the confession of Thee, O Good One.

Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.

The creation, looking upon God crucified in the flesh was dissolved by
fear but was strongly held together by the firm hand of Him Who was
crucified for us.

Death having been destroyed by death, the wretch lay lifeless; For, not
able to bear the divine assault, he who was strong was put to death and the
Resurrection was bestowed upon all.

Theotokion
The miracle of thy divine birthgiving transcendeth every order of
nature, O pure one; for thou didst supernaturally conceive God in thy womb,
and having given birth thou dost ever remain a virgin.

Most Holy Theotokos, Save us.

Ineffably taking upon Himself my changing and mortal flesh from thee, O
all-pure Mother of God, He Who is Good, after making it incorruptible,
joined it eternally to Himself.

Looking at God, made flesh from thee, O Virgin, the choirs of angels
were stricken with fear and wonder and they honour thee as Mother of God in
hymns that are never still.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The glorious apostles, seeing thee to be a mortal woman, yet, in manner

transcending nature, the Mother of God, O all-immaculate one, with awe
touched with their hands thee who art resplendent in glory, perceiving thee
to be a habitation acceptable to God.

When God preserved with the glory of His divinity the honour of the
animate ark wherein the Word becameth flesh, the judgment of retribution
overtook the insolent one through the severing of his audacious hands.

Glory... Having issued forth from a mortal womb, O pure one, thou
didst receive an end conforming to nature; but, having given birth unto Him
Who is Life, thou hast been translated to the divine and hypostatic Life.

Both... At the behest of the Almighty, the choir of theologians

journeyed from the ends of the earth, and multitudes of angels came from on
high to Sion, to minister at thy burial as was meet, O Mistress.

C. Katavasia (Tone 1)
O Christ, the Wisdom and the Power of God,/ Who dost create and uphold
all,/ establish the Church unshaken and unwavering:// for only Thou art
holy, Who hast Thy resting place among the saints.

P. Small Ectenia
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C. Kontakion (Tone 2)
The tomb and mortality could not hold the Theotokos,/ who is untiring
in her supplications and our certain hope in her intercessions./ For, as
the Mother of Life,// she hath passed over to the Life Who dwelt within her
ever-virgin womb.

R. Ikos of the Feast

Guard Thou my thoughts, O my Christ, for I make bold to hymn the
bulwark of the world, Thy pure Mother. Establish me firmly in the bastion
of my words, and help me in the midst of difficult thoughts; for Thou
fulfillest the entreaties of those who cry out and ask with faith.
Wherefore, grant unto me a deft tongue and a ready mind, for every good
deed of enlightenment cometh down from Thee, O Bestower of light, Who dwelt
within her ever-virgin womb.

R. Sessional Hymns 2x
All of us, the generations of men, bless thee, O Virgin Theotokos;/ for
Christ our God, Who is infinite,/ was well-pleased to be contained within
thee./ Blessed are we to enjoy thine intercession;/ for thou prayest for us
day and night,/ and by thy supplications are the scepters of kingdoms made
steadfast./ Wherefore, chanting, we cry aloud to thee:// Rejoice, O thou
who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!

Canticle Four

Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and my Lord,/ the honoured Church

doth sing,/ crying out in godly manner/ with a pure mind,//
keeping festival in the Lord.

Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.

The Wood made life truly flower, O Christ. For the Cross set up and
watered by the Blood and Water from Thy spotless side, put forth life for
us.

The serpent no more whispers falsely to me that I should be God; for

Christ, the divine Maker of the nature of man hath now unfolded unto me,
without hindrance, the path of life.

Theotokion
Truly ineffable and unapproachable to those on earth and in heaven are
the mysteries of thy divine birthgiving, O Ever-virgin.

Most Holy Theotokos, Save us.

We praise thee, undefiled and without blemish, through whom we have

been saved and singing with reverence we cry: Blessed art thou, O ever-
Virgin, who hast given birth to God.

Thou, O most blessed Virgin, hast borne the Light that never sets, Who
shone through the flesh unto those in the darkness of life and thou hast
poured forth joy unto those who sing thy praises, O ever-Virgin.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

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Behold, O ye people, and marvel, for the holy and openly manifest
mountain of God is exalted on high to the mansions of heaven: the earthly
heaven becometh a celestial and incorrupt habitation.

Thy death became a passage to an everlasting and better life, O pure

one, translating thee from transitory life to that which is truly divine and
eternal, that thou mightest behold thy Son and Lord in gladness, O pure one.

The gates of heaven were raised and the angelic choirs chanted; and
Christ received the vessel of His Mother’s virginity. The cherubim lifted
her up with gladness, and the seraphim glorify her, rejoicing.

A wonder was it to see the animate heaven of the King of all, which
surpasseth the barren places of the earth. How wondrous are Thy works!
Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Glory... If her unapproachable Fruit, through Whom the heavens arose,

chose of His own will to accept burial as a mortal, how can she, who gaveth
birth to Him without knowing wedlock, refuse burial?

Both... At thy repose, O Mother of God, with trembling and joy the
armies of the angels covered with their sacred wings thy most spacious body,
which had held God.

C. Katavasia (Tone 1)
The sayings and images of the prophets/ revealed Thine incarnation from
the Virgin, O Christ./ The splendor of Thine effulgence goeth forth/ unto
the enlightenment of the nations/ and the abyss gaveth forth her voice to
Thee with gladness:// Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Canticle Five

Irmos: With Thy divine light/ illumine the souls of those who with
love/ rise at dawn unto Thee, I pray Thee, O Good One,/ that
they may know Thee, O Word of God, to be the true God// Who
calleth all forth from the darkness of sin.

Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.

The cherubim now withdraws from me and the flaming sword turns its back
on me, O Master, after beholding Thee, O Word of God Who art God indeed,
making for the thief a way in Paradise.

I shall no more fear my return to the earth, O Master Christ, for

through much compassion hast Thou by Thy Resurrection led me, forgotten,
from the earth to the height of immortality.

Theotokion
Save those who with all their soul confess thee to be the Theotokos, O
good Mistress of the world, for we have thee, the true Theotokos, as an
invincible intercession.

Most Holy Theotokos, Save us.

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Shining radiantly with purity, thou, whom all men sing, hast become the
divine dwelling-place of the Master. For only thou hast been shown forth as
Mother indeed of God, and hast carried Him as a babe in thine arms.

Wearing the spiritual beauty of thy most fair soul, thou hast become
the Bride of God, sealed with holy virginity and shining upon the world the
joyful light of purity.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The choir of the apostles assembled, borne as on a cloud to Sion from

the ends of the earth, to serve thee, the light cloud through whom God Most
High, the Sun of righteousness, hath shone forth upon them that are in
darkness and shadow.

More harmonious than clarions, the God-pleasing tongues of the

theologizing men sounded forth to the Theotokos, playing a funeral hymn
inspired by the Spirit: Rejoice, O incorrupt fountain of God’s life-
creating incarnation which saveth all!

Glory... Let the clarions of the theologians trumpet forth today, and
let the eloquent tongues of men now render praise; let the air resound,
shining with boundless light, and let the angels hymn the dormition of the
all-pure Virgin.

Both... It was fitting for thee, O most lauded Virgin Theotokos, to

be the chosen vessel, which is wholly marveled at in hymnody at thy
departure, wholly consecrated to God, divinely pleasing unto all, and truly
shown to be such.

C. Katavasia (Tone 1)
We confess the divine and ineffable beauty of Thy virtues, O Christ;/
for having shone forth from eternal glory/ as the co-eternal and hypostatic
Effulgence,/ incarnate of the Virgin’s womb Thou hast shone forth as the
Sun// upon them that are in darkness and shadow.

Canticle Six

Irmos: Beholding the sea of life/ surging with the tempest of

temptations,/ fleeing to Thy calm haven I cry unto Thee:/
Lead up my life from corruption,// O greatly Merciful One.

Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.

O Master, crucified with nails, Thou hast wiped out the curse against
us while pierced in Thy side by the lance, Thou hast torn up the handwriting
against Adam and set the world free.

Tripped up by the heel through beguilement, Adam hath been led down
towards the pit of hell. But God Who is compassionate by nature, descended
to seek him and carrying him on His shoulders, He raised him up with
Himself.
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Theotokion
O all-pure Mistress who for men gavest birth to Christ, the Helmsman,
allay the inconstant and grievous tumult of my passions, and grant serenity
to my heart.

Most Holy Theotokos, Save us.

Moses, great among the Prophets, wrote proclaiming thee beforehand as

being a Tabernacle and Table, and Candlestick and Jar, symbolically
signifying the Incarnation of the Most High from thee, O Mother Virgin.

Death is put to death and the corruption from the condemnation of Adam
is abolished by its coming into conflict with thy Fruit, O Lady, for thou
hast given birth to the Life Who delivers from corruption all those who sing
thy praises, O Mother Virgin.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

God, the King of all, giveth thee that which transcendeth nature; for,
as He kept thee a virgin during thy birthgiving, so did He preserve thy body
untouched by corruption in the tomb; and He glorified thee with Himself by a
divine translation, rendering thee honour as a Son to His Mother.

Truly, O Virgin, thine Offspring set thee in the Holy of Holies as the
splendid candlestick of the immaterial Light, the golden censer of the
divine Ember, the jar and the staff, the divinely inscribed tablet, the holy
ark, the table of the Word of life.

Glory... For thee did Life shine forth, leaving intact the seal of
thy virginity. How, therefore, hast thine all-pure and life-giving body been
permitted to be tempted by death?

Both... As the temple of Life, thou didst attain life everlasting;

for, having given birth to the hypostatic Life, thou didst pass through
death on to life.

C. Katavasia (Tone 1)
The fire within the whale,/ the monster dwelling in the salt waters of
the sea,/ was a prefiguring of Thy three days’ burial,/ and Jonah acted as
interpreter./ For, saved and unharmed, as though he had never been
swallowed, he cried aloud:// 'I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of
praise, O Lord.'

P. Small Ectenia

C. Kontakion (Tone 6)
When Christ God the Giver of Life,/ raised all of the dead from the
valleys of misery with his mighty hand,/ He bestowed resurrection on the
human race.// He is the Saviour of all, The Resurrection, the Life, and the
God of all.

R. Ikos
We, the faithful, hymn and bow down before the Cross and Thy burial, O
Bestower of life, O Immortal One. Thou didst raise the dead with Thyself,
didst break down the gates of death, and didst destroy the dominion of hell,
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in that Thou art God. Wherefore, with love we mortals glorify Thee Who hast
arisen and cast down the most destructive might of the enemy, and hast
raised up all who have believed Thee to have risen and delivered the world
from the arrows of the serpent and the deception of the enemy, in that Thou
art the God of all.

Canticle Seven

Irmos: An angel caused the furnace to pour forth dew/ upon the pious
youths,/ and the command of God, which consumed the
Chaldeans,/ prevailed upon the tyrant to cry out:// Blessed
art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.

The sun, lamenting at Thy Passion, was wrapped in gloom, and on that
day, O Master, the light was darkened over the whole earth, that cried
aloud: Blessed art Thou, the God of our fathers.

At Thy descent, O Christ, the lowest parts of the earth put on light:
while our forefather appeared singing full of joy and he danced crying
aloud: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers.

Theotokion
Through thee, O Virgin Mother, radiant Light hath shone forth upon the
whole world; for thou gavest birth unto God, the Creator of all. Him do
thou entreat, O most pure one, that He send down great mercy upon us, the
faithful.

Most Holy Theotokos, Save us.

The furnace that burnt not the three Children was the prefigure of thy
giving birth. For the divine fire went to dwell in thee without consuming
thee and taught all to cry aloud: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers.

The ends of the earth enlightened by the beams of thy brightness call
thee blessed as thou hast foretold, O pure Mother, and filled with grace
they sing aloud crying: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Enraged, Moses smashed the divinely wrought tablets which had been
inscribed by the divine Spirit; but the Master, preserving unharmed her who
gaveth birth to Him, hath now caused her to dwell in the mansions of heaven.
Celebrating with her, let us cry out to Christ: O all-glorious God of our
fathers, blessed art Thou!

On the cymbals of pure lips, with the music of a radiant heart, on the
high-sounding clarion of exalted thought, clapping our diligent hands on the
renowned and chosen day of the repose of the pure Virgin, let us cry aloud:
O all-glorious God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Gather ye together, O divinely wise people, for the dwelling-place of

the glory of God is translated from Sion to the habitation of heaven, where
is the pure voice of them that keep festival, the voice of the unutterable
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rejoicing of them that cry out to Christ in gladness: O all-glorious God of

our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Honouring the memory of the Mother of God, O youths and virgins, elders
and princes, kings and judges, chant ye: O Lord and God of our fathers,
blessed art Thou!

Glory... Let the mountains of heaven sound the trumpet of the Spirit!
Let the hills rejoice and the divine apostles dance! The Queen passeth over
to her Son, reigning with Him!

Both... The most sacred repose of Thy divine and incorrupt Mother
hath united the celestial ranks of the exalted hosts to rejoice with those
on earth, chanting unto Thee: Blessed art Thou, O God!

C. Katavasia (Tone 1)
The divine will, opposing the shameless rage and the fire,/ bedewed the
fire and put wrath to shame/ by the divinely inspired three-stringed lyre of
the venerable youths,/ opposing the musical instruments amid the flames,
chanting:// O all-glorious God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Canticle Eight

Irmos: From the flame didst Thou pour forth dew upon the venerable
ones,/ and didst consume the sacrifice of the righteous one
with water;/ for Thou, O Christ, dost do all things soever
Thou desirest.// Thee do we exalt supremely for all ages!

Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.

Envy hath now made the people of the Jews who killed the Prophets in
past times into killers of God, since they hung Thee upon the Cross, O Word
of God Whom we exalt above all for ever.

Without forsaking the vaults of Heaven, Thou hast gone down into hell,
and hast raised up with Thyself, O Christ, man entire who lay in decay and
who exalts Thee above all forever.

Theotokion
From Light thou didst conceive the Word, the Bestower of light; and
having ineffably given birth unto Him, thou hast been glorified. For the
Spirit of God dwelt within thee, O Maiden. Wherefore, we hymn thee for all
ages.

Most Holy Theotokos, Save us.

O Most Pure, thy Son, having made thee shine by the brightness of the
spirit, set thee at His right hand, clothed as a Queen in garments of gold,
and we exalt Him above all for ever.

He Who by His will alone set up the world was lent flesh of thy pure
womb, wishing to form it anew from above. We exalt Him above all forever.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

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With discourses the whole multitude of theologians accompanied the

sacred coffin of the Theotokos in Sion, exclaiming: Whither goest thou, O
tabernacle of the living God? Cease not to regard those who chant with
faith: O ye who have been delivered, let us hymn and exalt the one Creator
for all ages!

Thou goest forth, O all-immaculate one, lifting up thine hands, the

hands wherewith thou didst bear God in the flesh; and as a Mother thou didst
with boldness say to Him Who was born of thee: Preserve Thou forever them
whom Thou hast given to me, who cry out to Thee: O ye who have been
delivered, let us hymn and exalt the one Creator for all ages!

The principalities, authorities and powers, the angels, archangels,

thrones, dominions, the cherubim and the dread seraphim, glorify thy memory,
O pure Virgin; and we, the race of men, hymn and exalt it supremely for all
ages.

Let us bless Father, Son, Holy Spirit, the Lord!

He Who, in manner strange, made His abode, incarnate, within thy pure
womb, O Theotokos, receiveth thy most sacred spirit and, as thy Son and One
in thy debt, hath given it rest by His side. Wherefore, we hymn and exalt
thee supremely for all ages, O Virgin.

Both... O the wonders of the Ever-virgin and Mother of God, which

pass understanding! For, taking up her abode in the grave, she hath shown
it to be paradise; and standing before it today, rejoicing, we chant: Hymn
the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

We praise, we bless, we worship the Lord, praising and supremely

exalting Him unto all ages.

C. Katavasia (Tone 1)
The all-powerful Angel of God revealed to the Children/ a flame, that
brought refreshment to the holy while it consumed the ungodly./ And he
made the Theotokos into a life-giving fount,/ gushing forth to the
destruction of death/ and to the life of those that sing:/ ‘We who have
been delivered praise the one and only Creator// and exalt Him above all
for ever.’

P. Magnificat
C. Song of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Canticle Nine

Irmos: It is not possible for men/ to behold God,/ upon Whom the
ranks of angels dare not gaze;/ but through thee, O most pure
one,/ hath the Word appeared incarnate unto men;// and
magnifying Him with the armies of heaven, we call thee
blessed.

Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.

Having associated in the flesh with passion, Thou hast remained without
participation in passion. And Thou, O our Saviour, dost set man loose from
 16

passion by having made the passions suffer. For Thou only art impassible
and almighty.

Having accepted the corruption of death, Thou hast kept Thy body from
tasting corruption: While Thy life-giving and divine soul, O Master, hath
not been left in hell, but Thou, risen as from sleep, hast made us rise with
Thyself.

Triadicon
O all ye men, with pure lips let us glorify God the Father and the Son
Who is equally without beginning, and let us honour the ineffable and all-
glorious power of the most Holy Spirit; for Thou alone art the almighty and
indivisible Trinity.

Most Holy Theotokos, Save us.

The Star which shineth forth out of Jacob with the rays of divinity
shone forth upon those held fast in darkness; for through thee, O most pure
one, did Christ God the Word become incarnate. And illumined by Him, with
the armies of heaven we call thee blessed.

Strengthened by thy power and grace, I have earnestly set forth hymnody
for thee with all my heart. Accept it, O pure Virgin, bestowing on me thy
greatly radiant grace out of thine incorrupt treasuries, O blessed of God.

Most Holy Theotokos, Save us.

The angelic hosts were amazed, seeing their Master in Sion, bearing in
His arms a woman’s soul; for as befitteth a Son, He exclaimed to her in all-
pure manner: Come, O pure one, and be glorified with thy Son and God!

The choirs of angels buried thy body, which had received God, gazing
upon it with fear, and exclaiming with a loud voice: O Theotokos who
ascendest to thy Son in the heavenly mansions, thou ever savest thine
inheritance!

Come ye to Sion, the divine and fertile mountain of the living God, and
let us behold the Theotokos; for Christ hath translated her, as His Mother,
to the Holy of Holies of a far better and divine tabernacle.

Glory... Come, ye faithful, let us approach the tomb of the Mother of

God and kiss it with hearts and lips, touching to it your eyes and faces,
and drawing gifts of abundant healings from the ever-flowing fountain.

Both... Accept from us a hymn of parting, O Mother of the living God,

and with thy light-bearing and divine grace overshadow us, granting victory
to Orthodox hierarchs over heresies, and forgiveness to all Christian people
who hymn thee, and salvation to their souls.

C. Katavasia (Tone 1)
In thee, O Virgin without spot,/ the bounds of nature are overcome:/
for childbirth remains virgin and death is betrothed to life./ O
Theotokos, Virgin after bearing child and alive after death,// do thou ever
save thine inheritance.
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P. Small Ectenia
C. Holy is the Lord our God...

R. Exapostilarion Four, (Luke 24:1-12)

Lightning-bright with the virtues, we see standing upon the life-
bearing tomb a man in shining garments while the women bearing myrrh bowed
down their faces to the earth. Let us learn of the rising of Him Who reigns
over heaven and let us hasten with Peter to Life in the tomb and wondering
at that which has happened let us stay to behold Christ.

G/B... Exapostilarion (MAY BE SUNG!!!)

O ye apostles, having gathered here from the ends of the earth, bury my
body in the Garden of Gethsemane. And do Thou, O my Son and God, receive my
spirit!

C. Lauds: Tone 6 Stichera

Let every breath praise the Lord/
Praise the Lord from the Heavens/
Praise Him in the highest/
To Thee is due a hymn, O God/
Praise Him, all ye His Angels;/
Praise Him, all ye His hosts.//
To Thee is due a hymn, O God.

R. (The following may be read or sung antiphonally)

Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all ye stars and light.
Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and thou water that art above the
heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord; For He spake, and they came to be; He
commanded, and they were created.
He established them forever, yea, forever and ever; He hath set an
ordinance, and it shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons and all ye abysses,
Fire, hail, snow, ice, blast of tempest, which perform His word,
The mountains and all the hills, fruitful trees, and all cedars,
The beasts and all the cattle, creeping things and winged birds,
Kings of the earth, and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth,
Young men and virgins, elders with the younger; let them praise the name of
the Lord, for exalted is the name of Him alone.
His praise is above the earth and heaven, and He shall exalt the horn of
His people.
This is the hymn for all His saints, for the sons of Israel, and for the
people that draw nigh unto Him.
Sing unto the Lord a new song; His praise is in the church of the saints.
Let Israel be glad in Him that made him, let the sons of Sion rejoice in
their king.
Let them praise His name in the dance; with the timbrel and the psaltery
let them chant unto Him.
For the Lord taketh pleasure in His people, and He shall exalt the meek
with salvation.
The saints shall boast in glory, and they shall rejoice upon their beds.
The high praise of God shall be in their throat, and two-edged swords shall
be in their hands.
To do vengeance among the heathen, punishments among the peoples,
To bind their kings with fetters, and their nobles with manacles of iron,
 18

V. To do among them the judgment that is written/ This glory shall be

to all His saints.

1. Thy Cross, O Lord,/ is the life and resurrection of Thy people/ and
assured of this, we sing unto Thee our risen God:// Have mercy upon
us.

V. Praise ye God in His saints,/ praise Him in the firmament of His

power.

2. Thy burial, O Master,/ opened Paradise for mankind,/ and we, delivered
from corruption,/ sing unto Thee our risen God:// Have mercy upon us.

V. Praise Him for His mighty acts,/ praise Him according to the
multitude of His greatness.

3. Let us praise Christ with the Father and the Spirit:/ Let us cry aloud
unto Him risen from the dead:/ Thou art our life and resurrection://
Have mercy on us.

V. Praise Him with the sound of trumpet,/ praise Him with psaltery
and harp.

4. O Christ, on the third day,/ Thou hast risen from the tomb according to
the Scriptures,/ having raised our forefather with Thyself;//
therefore, mankind glorifies Thee and praises Thy Resurrection.

V. Praise Him with timbrel and dance,/ praise Him with strings and
flute.

Stichera for the Feast (Tone 4)

5. The heavens rejoice in thy glorious dormition,/ the armies of the
angels are jubilant,/ and all the earth is glad, giving utterance unto
a parting hymn for thee,/ the Mother of Him Who is Master over all,/ O
all-holy Virgin who knewest not wedlock,// and who hast delivered the
human race from its ancestral condemnation.

V. Praise Him with tuneful cymbals, praise Him with cymbals of

jubilation./ Let every breath praise the Lord.

6. At the behest of God the foremost among the apostles/ hastened from the
ends of the earth to bury thee;/ and, beholding thee taken up on high
from the earth,/ with joy they cried to thee the words of Gabriel:/
Rejoice, O chariot of Him Who is God over all!// Rejoice, O thou who
alone has joined together those on earth with those in heaven.

V. Arise, O Lord into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy holiness.

7. O thou who gavest birth to Life,/ by thine honoured dormition thou hast
passed over to immortal life,/ the angels escorting thee, the
principalities and powers,/ the apostles and prophets, and all
 19

creation,/ as thine immaculate soul was taken// into the incorrupt

hands of thy Son, O Virgin Mother, Bride of God.

V. The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, and He will not annul it.

(Tone 6)
8. O Theotokos, Mother of Life,/ the apostles, who were scattered
throughout the world,/ were caught up in the air by clouds and borne to
thy dormition;/ and in a single choir they stood before thine all-holy
body;/ and, burying it with honour, they sang, chanting to thee the cry
of Gabriel:/ Rejoice, thou who art full of grace,/ Virgin Mother
unwedded, the Lord is with thee!// With them entreat thou thy Son and
our God, that our souls be saved.

Glory... Gospel Sticheron, (Tone 4)

It is very early in the morning/ and the women went to Thy tomb, O
Christ,/ but the Body desired by them was not to be found./ Therefore two
men stood by them in shining garments/ and said to them as they were much
perplexed:/ "Why seek ye the living among the dead?/ He is risen as He
beforehand said./ Why remember ye not His words?"/ And believing the
things they had seen they proclaimed them/ but it was thought that the good
tidings were idle tales./ So dull still were the disciples.// But Peter
ran and beholding, gave Thee glory in himself for the wonders.

Both now and ever... (Tone 2)

Most Blessed art Thou, O Virgin Theotokos,/ for through Him Who became
incarnate of thee is hades led captive,/ Adam recalled, the curse annulled,
Eve set fre-e, death slain,/ and we are given life. Wherefore, we cry aloud
in praise:/ Blessed art Thou, O Christ God,// Who hast been thus well-
pleased, glory to Thee.

The Great Doxology

Dismissal Tropar:
Having risen from the tomb, and having burst the bonds of hades, Thou
hast destroyed the sentence of death, O Lord, delivering all from the snares
of the enemy. Manifesting Thyself to Thine apostles, Thou didst send them
forth to preach; and through them hast granted Thy peace to the world, O
Thou Who alone art plenteous in mercy.

P. Litanies
Dismissal

R. Hours:
Tropar: Resurrection & Feast
Kontak: Feast/Resurrection alternating

At Liturgy:

Order of Troparia & Kontakia:

Tropar Sunday
Tropar Feast
Glory... Kontak Sunday
Both... Kontak Feast
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Prokimenon for Tone 6

O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance.
V. Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry; O my God, be not silent unto me.

Prokimenon for the Feast (Tone 3)

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Saviour.

Epistle(s): II Cor 4:6-15 & Phil 2:5-11

Alleluia for Tone 6

V. He that dwelleth in the help of the Most High shall abide in the
shelter of the God of heaven.
V. He shall say unto the Lord: Thou art my helper and my refuge. He is
my God, and I will hope in Him.

Alleluia for the Feast (Tone 2)

V. Arise, O Lord into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy holiness.

Gospel(s): Matt 22:35-46 & Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-30

Instead of "It is truly meet..." do Ode IX from Canon I of the Dormition