Opening Hymn:

Troparion, Tone 8:

You descended from on high, O merciful One. You accepted burial for three days to free us from our passions. O Lord, our Resurrection and our Life, glory to you.

Troparion, Tone 4:

Father Anthony, you imitated Elijah in his zeal and you followed John the Baptist in his holy way of life. You took up your abode in the desert and strengthened the world by your prayers. Intercede with Christ our God that he may save our souls.

The following is read:

On January 17, we commemorate our venerable father Anthony the Great.

Did heaven hold anyone more illustrious than Anthony, at the moment when it welcomed that first and greatest monk? On the seventeenth, he received heaven as his patrimony.

By his holy prayers, O our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

On this day, the Sunday before the beginning of the Lenten Triodion, we commemorate the repentance of the tax- collector, the Holy Apostle Zacchaeus, who desired to behold Christ.

Zacchaeus’ conversion in this manner offers us two important lessons: first, God’s compassion and the signs of sincere and active repentance, and second, the fact that correction of evil as far as one is able is an inseparable proof of sincere repentance. In this manner the good Zacchaeus exceeded the ordinances of the Mosaic Law in his generosity, for which cause he was counted worthy of the Lord’s blessing.

Through the prayers of the Holy Apostle Zacchaeus, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

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 8) Remember us, O Christ, Savior of the world, as you remembered the thief on the cross, and make us all worthy of your heavenly kingdom, only merciful One.

9. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for

righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

– Adam, hear and rejoice along with Eve, because he who stripped both of you naked and took us captive by deceit, has been overcome by the cross of Christ.

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

– Adam, hear and rejoice along with Eve, because he who stripped both of you naked and took us captive by deceit, has been overcome by the cross of Christ.

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

– O our Savior, when you were willingly nailed to the cross, you delivered us from the curse of Adam, and since you are merciful, you restored the image and the dwelling in Paradise.

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

-Today Christ rose from the grave, granting incorruption to all the faithful. He ushers in joy for the myrrh-bearers after the passion and resurrection.

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

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

– Rejoice, you wise myrrh-bearing women, the first to see Christ’s resurrection. You announced to his apostles the restoration of the whole world.

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

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

(Tone 8) Confirmed in mind and measured in understanding, you made the flame of the passions become extinguished. O father Anthony, you robed yourself in the wondrous garment of impassibility and the mantle of salvation.

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

– You despised the weak strength of the devils, bold in their exceedingly strong designs, who took upon themselves the form of wild beasts, for you had a strong helper in battle.

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

– Triumphing by strong abstinence over the prince of darkness and his powers, Anthony was a victorious conqueror, the glory of the ascetics and boast of those leading the monastic life.

1. Now and ever and forever. Amen.

– Let him who appeared in the world through you who are pure, raise my mind, which was put to death, and guide it to life, O you who alone have destroyed for the world the gates of death

Prokeimenon, Tone 8:

Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them.

Verse: God is known in Judah; in Israel his name is great.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7:

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.

Epistle: 1 Timothy 4:9-15 and Hebrews 13:17-21

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

Timothy, my son: This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. For this we toil and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the savior of all, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was conferred on you through the prophetic word with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate. Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to everyone.

Brothers and Sisters: Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account, that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are confident that we have a clear conscience, wishing to act rightly in every respect. I especially ask for your prayers that I may be restored to you very soon. May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia, Tone 8: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Verse: Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim God our Savior.

Verse: Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving, and let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

Tone 6:Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Verse: Happy the man who fears the Lord and greatly delights in his commands.

Leader: A reading from the gospel of the holy apostle and evangelist Luke. (Luke 19:1-10 and Luke 6:17-23)

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

Leader:

At that time: Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvationc has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

At that time: Jesus came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all. And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.

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 8:

Rising from the grave, you raised the dead. You lifted up Adam and Eve rejoice in your resurrection. The whole world celebrates your resurrection from the dead, O Most Merciful One.

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 Hymns:

Kontakion, Tone 2:

You rejected the troubles of this world, most venerable Anthony, and spent your life in peace by imitating John the Baptist. With him, we exalt your name, for you are a perfect example of good conduct.

Kontakion, Tone 8:

Today Jesus sees the tax-collector in the sycamore tree. Today the Son of Man saves the repentant son of Abraham. Today the Lord baptized in the Jordan seeks and saves what was lost. Rejoice, O city of Jericho, you beheld the entrance of Joshua but now receive the Lord Jesus who takes away the sin of the world. Rejoice, O Zacchaeus, for salvation has come to your home.

(New Composition)