Troparion, Tone 2:

When you descended to death, O Immortal Life, you destroyed Hades by the brilliance of your divinity; and when you raised the dead from the depths of the earth, all the heavenly powers cried out: O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory to you.

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 2) We offer you the words of the thief, and we shout to you, “Remember us, O Savior, in your kingdom.”

9. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for

righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

– For the forgiveness of failings, we offer you the cross, which you accepted for us, O lover of humanity.

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

– O Loving Master, we venerate your burial and rising, through which from corruption you redeemed the world.

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

– By your death, O Lord, Death was swallowed up and by your resurrection, O Savior, you saved the world.

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

– When you rose from the tomb and met the myrrh-bearers, you commanded them to tell the disciples of your rising.

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

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

– When those who were sleeping in darkness saw you, O Christ the Light, in the depths of Hades, they arose.

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

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

(Tone 2) The abyss of my sins unceasingly encircles me, and I am drowning beneath the rage of their torrents. Lead me to the harbor of life, O Christ our God, and save me, O King of glory.

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

– I have wasted the treasure of my Father, and now I am ashamed of my poverty. I have become the slave of fruitless thoughts. Therefore, O Lord and Lover of Humankind, I cry out: save me, O God of mercy.

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

– Weakened by the loss of all blessings and turned away from your presence, O Source of goodness, I now turn back to you. Spare me, O Christ, and save me, that I may sing of your love for humanity.

1. Now and ever and forever. Amen.

– O pure Virgin, you gave birth to Christ our Savior and God. Look upon me in my misery and grant me joy and salvation so that I may sing of all your wonders.

Prokeimenon, Tone 2:

My strength and my song is the Lord; he has become my salvation.

Verse: The Lord punished me severly but did not hand me over to Death.

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

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

Brothers and Sisters: “Everything is lawful for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful for me,” but I will not let myself be dominated by anything. “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will do away with both the one and the other. The body, however, is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body; God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take Christ’s members and make them the members of a prostitute? Of course not! Or do you not know that anyone who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For “the two,” it says, “will become one flesh.” But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Avoid immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.

Alleluia, Tone 2: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Verse: The Lord will hear you on the day of distress; the name of Jacob’s God will protect you.

Verse: O Lord, save the king, and hear us when we call upon you.

Leader: A reading from the gospel of the holy apostle and evangelist Luke. (Luke 15:11-32)

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

Leader:

The Lord told this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

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 3:

When I foolishly spurned your fatherly glory, I squandered the riches you had given me on evil deeds. So now I cry out to you with the voice of the prodigal son: I have sinned against you, O merciful Father; accept my repentance and treat me as one of your hired servants.

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:

Hear now, you faithful, once more the story

Of the young man whose prodigal ways

Led him to sin and then to repentance:

God’s boundless grace is theme for our days!

Hear how the father, longing and yearning,

Ran out to meet the penitential boy:

Hugged him and clothed him, shoes and rings gave him,

Set out a feast to show forth his joy!

See, too, the brother, pouting in silence,

Jealous of father’s heart full of love.

Thus we are often guilty of malice,

Not understanding grace from above.

Everything’s lawful, so says the Scripture;

Not all is good, or done at our whim,

This mortal body, purchased at great praice

By Christ the Lord, should glorify him!

Soon will arrive the season of fasting;

Prayer and good works will fill every day.

Give us your grace to have the right spirit,

That in our deeds, your law we obey.

Text: J. Michael Thompson, based on Luke 15:11-32 (vv. 1-3), 1 Corinthians 6 (v. 4)

Melody: Krestu Tvojemu / At the most holy cross (from Grekokatolicki Duchonňi Pisňi, 1969)