Divine Liturgy for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost. Leave-taking of the Dormition.

Opening Hymns:

Troparion, Tone 3:

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; for the Lord has shown the might of his arm. By his death the Lord has trampled Death; he has become the first-born of the dead; he has delivered us from the depths of Hades and has granted great mercy to the world.

Troparion, Tone 1:

O Theotokos, in giving birth you preserved virginity; and in your falling asleep you did not forsake the world. You are the Mother of Life and have been transferred to life, and through your prayers you deliver our souls from death.

Leader: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

Response: Amen.

Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and filling all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of Life, come and dwell within us, cleanse us of all stain, and save our souls, O gracious One.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse us of our sins; Master, forgive our transgressions; Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Three times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.

Response: Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen

Come, let us worship our King and God.

Come, let us worship Christ, our King and God.

Come, let us worship and bow before the only Lord Jesus Christ the King and our God.

We chant the Typical Psalms:

Psalm 102:

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all my being, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and never forget all his blessings.

It is he who forgives all your guilt,

who heals every one of your ills,

who redeems your life from the grave,

who crowns you with love and compassion,

who fills your life with good things,

renewing your youth like an eagle’s.

The Lord does deeds of justice,

gives judgment for all who are oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses

and his deeds to Israel’s sons.

The Lord is compassion and love,

slow to anger and rich in mercy.

His wrath will come to an end;

he will not be angry forever.

He does not treat us according to our sins

nor repay us according to our faults.

For as the heavens are high above the earth

so strong is his love for those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west

so far does he remove our sins.

As a father has compassion on his sons,

the Lord has pity on those who fear him;

for he knows of what we are made,

he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;

he flowers like the flower of the field;

the wind blows and he is gone

and his place never sees him again.

But the love of the Lord is everlasting

upon those who hold him in fear;

his justice reaches out to children’s children

when they keep his covenant in truth,

when they remember his commands and do them.

The Lord has set his throne in heaven

and his kingdom is ruling over all.

Bless the Lord, all his angels,

mighty in power, fulfilling his word,

who heed the voice of his word.

Bless the Lord, all his hosts,

his servants who do his will.

Bless the Lord, all his works,

in every place where he rules.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit,

now and ever and forever. Amen.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

and all my being, bless his holy name.

Blessed are you, O Lord.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life.

I will make music to my God while I live.

Put no trust in princes,

in mortal men in whom there is no help.

Take their breath, they return to clay

and their plans that day come to nothing.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

who alone made heaven and earth,

the seas and all they contain.

It is the Lord who keeps faith forever,

who is just to those who are oppressed.

It is he who gives bread to the hungry,

the Lord, who sets prisoners free,

the Lord who gives sight to the blind,

who raises up those who are bowed down,

the Lord, who protects the stranger

and upholds the widow and orphan.

It is the Lord who loves the just

but thwarts the path of the wicked.

The Lord will reign forever,

Zion’s God, from age to age.

Now and ever and forever. Amen.

Hymn of the Incarnation

O only-begotten Son and Word of God, who, being immortal, deigned for our salvation to become incarnate of the holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and became man without change; you were also crucified, O Christ our God, and by death have trampled Death, being One of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us.

Troparia at the Beatitudes

In your kingdom, remember us, O Lord, when you come in your kingdom.

12. Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11. Blessed are they who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

10. Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the land.

( Tone 3) O Christ, from Paradise you banished our forefather Adam who rejected your commandment; and, O Compassionate One, into Paradise you brought the thief who confessed you on the cross, as he cried out, “Remember me, O Savior, in your kingdom.”

9. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for

righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

– Lord and Giver of life, when we sinned you condemned us to the curse of death; and, O Master, when you suffered without sin in your body, you gave life to mortals who cry out, “Remember us also in your kingdom.”

8. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

– Having risen from the dead, O Lord, by your resurrection you raised us with you from the passions; you destroyed the entire dominion of death, O Savior. Therefore we cry out in faith, “Remember us also in your kingdom.”

7. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.

– By your three-day burial you, as a life-giving God, raised with you the dead in Hades, and you, as a good God, poured out incorruption on us all who in faith cry out always, “Remember us also in your kingdom.”

6. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

– Having risen from the dead, you appeared first to the myrrh-bearing women, O Savior, and cried out, “Rejoice!” Through them, you reveal your rising to your friends, O Christ. Because of this, we cry out, “Remember us also in your kingdom.”

5. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

– On the mountain Moses prefigured the cross by spreading out his arms and turning back Amalek. Having received the cross as a powerful weapon against demons, we all cry out, “Remember us also in your kingdom.”

4. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you

and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.

(Tone 1) The heavenly choirs were astonished as they beheld their Master in Zion holding the soul of a woman in his hands. As a Son, it was fitting that he spoke to her who had given birth to him without stain and said: Come and share the glory of your Son and your God.

3. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

– The assembly of apostles gathered around your body which had contained God. Beholding it with awe, they cried out with a clear voice: Save your people as you pass over to the heavenly mansions of your Son.

2. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

(Tone 4) Come to Zion, the divine and fertile mountain of the living God, and let us rejoice as we gaze upon the Theotokos. For Christ translates her, as his own Mother, into a dwelling far better and more divine: the Holy of Holies!

1. Now and ever and forever. Amen.

– Come, O faithful, let us approach the tomb of the Mother of God, and let us embrace it, touching it sincerely with the lips and eyes and forehead of the heart. Let us draw abundant gifts of healing grace from this ever-flowing fount.

Prokeimenon, Tone 3:

Sing praise to our God, sing praise; sing praise to our King, sing praise.

Verse: All you peoples, clap your hands; shout to God with cries of gladness.

Prokeimenon, Tone 3:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Leader: A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.

Brothers and Sisters: Now I am reminding you of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Alleluia, Tone 3: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Verse: In you, O Lord, I have placed my trust; let me never be put to shame.

Verse: Be a protector for me, O God, and a house of refuge for my salvation.

Alleluia, Tone 8:

Verse: Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest, you and your holy ark.

Verse: The Lord swore a true oath to David; he will not go back on his word.

Leader: A reading from the gospel of the holy apostle and evangelist Matthew. (Matthew 19:16-26)

Response: Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you.

Leader:

At that time: someone approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

Response: Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you.

Then:

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

now and ever and forever. Amen.

Remember us, O Lord,

when you come in your kingdom.

Remember us, O Master,

when you come in your kingdom.

Remember us, O Holy One,

when you come in your kingdom.

The heavenly choir praises you and says,

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts;

heaven and earth are filled with your glory.

Look towards him and be radiant;

let your faces not be abashed.

The heavenly choir praises you and says,

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts;

heaven and earth are filled with your glory.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit.

The choir of holy angels and archangels, with all the heavenly powers, praises you and says,

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts;

heaven and earth are filled with your glory.

Now and ever

and forever. Amen.

Profession of Faith

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, the only-begotten, born of the Father before all ages. Light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in essence with the Father; through whom all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven and was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. He rose on the third day according to the scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of Life, who proceeds from the Father. Together with the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified; he spoke through the prophets. In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I profess one baptism for the remission of sins. I expect the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Remit, pardon, and forgive our transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in deed and in word, with knowledge and in ignorance, in thought and in desire, by night and by day, forgive them all, O God, for you are good and love us all.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.

Response: Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 2

The grave and death did not detain the Theotokos. She intercedes without rest and is our unfailing hope of protection; for he who dwelt in the womb of the ever-Virgin, transferred to life the Mother of Life.

Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)

Leader: Most holy Trinity, Consubstantial Power, Indivisible Kingdom, Cause of all good things, look favorably upon me, a sinner, at this present hour. Take away all the defilement of my mind and enlighten my understanding that I may always praise, glorify, and say:

Response: One is holy, one is Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen

The Leader bows his head and together with the faithful makes a spiritual Communion praying aloud:

O Lord, I believe and confess that you are truly Christ,

who came into the world

To save sinners of whom I am the first.

Although I cannot be a partaker now of your mystical supper, O Son of God,

Come at least spiritually into my heart by Your Divine Grace

for the healing of my soul and body.

For I will not reveal your mystery to your enemies,

Nor will I give you a kiss as did Judas,

But like the thief I profess to you:

+ Remember me, O Lord, when you come in your kingdom.

+ Remember me, O Master, when you come in your kingdom.

+ Remember me, O Holy One, when you come in your kingdom.

O Lord, I also believe and profess, that this,

Which I would receive, and which is now here present with us in Mystery,

Is truly your most precious Body, and your life-giving Blood,Which, I pray, I may one day receive again

For the remission of all my sins and for life everlasting. Amen

Then immediately:

Psalm 33

I will bless the Lord at all times,

his praise always on my lips;

In the Lord

my soul shall make its boast

The humble shall hear

and be glad.

Glorify the Lord with me.

Together let us praise his name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

from all my terrors he set me free.

Look towards him and be radiant;

let your faces not be abashed.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him

and rescued him from all his distress.

The angel of the Lord is encamped,

around those who revere him, to rescue them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

Revere the Lord, you his saints.

They lack nothing, those who revere him.

Strong lions suffer want and go hungry

but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.

Come, children, and hear me

that I may teach you the fear of the Lord.

Who is he who longs for life and many days,

to enjoy his prosperity?

Then keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking deceit.

Turn aside from evil and do good;

seek and strive after peace.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked

to destroy their remembrance from the earth.

The Lord turns his eyes to the just

and his ears to their appeal.

The just cried out and the Lord heard them,

and rescued them from all their distress.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;

those whose spirit is crushed he will save.

Many are the trials of the just,

but from them all the Lord will rescue them.

He will keep guard over all their bones,

not one of their bones shall be broken.

Evil brings death to the wicked;

those who hate the good are doomed.

The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants.

Those who hide in him shall not be condemned.

More honorable than the cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim; who, a virgin, gave birth to God the Word, you, truly the Theotokos, we magnify.

Leader: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

Response: Amen.

Closing Hymn:

The angels were struck with amazement beholding the dormition of the Most Pure; seeing how the Virgin was taken up from earth to heaven.

[Irmos}: The limits of nature are overcome in you, O pure Virgin, for birthgiving remains virginal, and death is the prelude to life: a virgin after childbearing and alive after death! You ever save your inheritance, O Theotokos.