Books - Sources
Hieratikon
Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Octoechos - Mode pl. 1.
On Thursday Morning
Menaion - November 28
Memory of our Devout Father Stephen the New; and the Holy Martyr Irenarchos
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LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
An optional alternative to the Antiphons are the Typika (Psalms 102 and 145), and the Beatitudes with the appointed troparia, which are provided here.
Psalm 102.
Psalm 145.
The Beatitudes.
Mode pl. 1.
In Your kingdom. Remember us, O Lord, when You come in Your kingdom. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [RSV]
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. [RSV]
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. [RSV]
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. [RSV]
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. [RSV]
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. [RSV]
Troparia.
From Octoechos - - -
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. [RSV]
When the robber had believed * that You the crucified were truly God, * he wholeheartedly and sincerely confessed You, * and he cried aloud to You, O Christ, “In Your kingdom, remember me.” [SD]
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [RSV]
You appeared like sunlit clouds * that traversed the earth and rained down on all * living water, O divine Disciples of the Savior, * richly irrigating the hearts * of those who had languished in sins. [SD]
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely [for my sake]. [RSV]
You were like mystical rays * of the Sun that from the Virgin shone forth, * and you illumined those who were sitting in darkness * of ignorance of truth, O divine * Disciples of Christ our God. [SD]
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. [RSV]
For the Martyrs.
O holy Martyrs, you endured * torture by fire with an ardor of soul, * and you burned away the deception of the idols. * Then you were transported to divine * refreshment in heaven with Christ. [SD]
Glory.
In the abyss of many sins * humanity was buried like a coin. * Through the Holy Spirit, You perfected the Apostles * as preachers, O Christ, and pulled us out * and to the Father presented us. [SD]
Both now. Theotokion.
Worldly pleasures make me dark. * Lady full of grace divine, I entreat, * shine the light of repentance on me, that I may call you * blessed, as the jewel of the Saints, * Apostles and Martyrs all. [SD]
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. Stephen.
From Menaion - - -
Mode 4. You who were lifted.
Ὁ ὑψωθεὶς ἐν τῷ Σταυρῷ.
When you had trained ascetically on the mountain, * wearing the armor of the Cross, blessed Father, * you then destroyed the spiritual armies of the foe. * Afterwards you manfully stripped yourself for the contest * and you slew Copronymous with the sword of the true Faith. * For both these vict’ries you were crowned by God, * monastic Martyr * Saint Stephen, extolled by all. [SD]
For St. Irenarchos.
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. [SD]
The Apolytikion of the parish church is sung. Then:
Kontakion for the Day. For the Apostles.
Mode 2. Automelon.
Τοὺς ἀσφαλεῖς.
You have taken to yourself, O Lord, the pinnacles of Your Disciples, those unerring theologians and preachers, to enjoy Your blessings and repose. For You accepted their labors and their death as being higher than any whole-burnt offering, for only You know what is in the heart. [SD]
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.
The Epistle
Thursday of the 23rd Week
Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 4. Psalm 18.
Their proclamation went forth into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. [SAAS]
Verse: The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament shows the creation of His hands. [SAAS]
The reading is from Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians.
1 Th. 2:9 – 14
Brethren, remember our labor and toil; we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our behavior to you believers; for you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea. [RSV]
Alleluia. Mode 1. Psalm 88.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 1: The heavens shall confess Your wonders, O Lord. [SAAS]
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 2: God is glorified in the counsel of saints.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The Gospel
Thursday of the 11th Week of Luke
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.
Lk. 20:9 – 18
The Lord said this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, that they should give him some of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant; him also they beat and treated shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third; this one they wounded and cast out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants, and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “God forbid!” But he looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner’? Every one who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on any one it will crush him.” [RSV]
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 18.
Their proclamation went forth into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. [SAAS] 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, O Christ 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, of our devout and God-bearing father Stephen the New, whose memory we observe, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
Fasting Rule
Fish: fish, oil and wine are allowed. Refrain from meat, dairy and eggs.
It is the Christmas fast.