March 6, 2016 Specials

Divine Liturgy Specials on Sunday, March 6, 2016

Tone 7 / Eothinon 7, Sunday of Meatfare: The Last Judgment

42 Martyrs at Amorion (†845); Remembrance of St Helen’s Finding of H. Cross (326)  

Ἀντίφωνον α´ – Ἦχος β´ 1 Εὐλόγει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν Κύριον, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐντός μου τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ. 2 Εὐλόγει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν Κύριον, καὶ μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου πάσας τὰς ἀνταποδόσεις αὐτοῦ. 3 Κύριος ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἡτοίμασε τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ πάντων δεσπόζει.     Ταῖς πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, Σῶτερ, σῶσον ἡμᾶς. Ἀντίφωνον β´ – Ἦχος ὁ αὐτός 1 Αἴνει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν Κύριον, αἰνέσω Κύριον ἐν τῇ ζωῇ μου, ψαλῶ τῷ Θεῷ μου ἕως ὑπάρχω. 2 Μὴ πεποίθατε ἐπ' ἄρχοντας, ἐπὶ υἱοὺς ἀνθρώπων, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι σωτηρία. 3 Μακάριος, οὗ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακὼβ βοηθὸς αὐτοῦ, ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῦ.     Σῶσον ἡμᾶς, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ νεκρῶν, ψάλλοντάς σοι· Ἀλληλούϊα. Δόξα... Καὶ νῦν... Ὁ Μονογενὴς Υἱός... Ἀντίφωνον γ´ – Ἦχος βαρὺς 1 Αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα, ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος, ἀγαλλιασώμεθα, καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ. 2 Αἰνεσάτωσαν αὐτὸν οἱ οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἡ γῆ, θάλασσα καὶ πάντα τὰ ἕρποντα ἐν αὐτῇ. Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος βαρὺς Κατέλυσας τῷ Σταυρῷ σου τὸν θάνατον, ἠνέωξας τῷ Ληστῇ τὸν Παράδεισον, τῶν Μυροφόρων τὸν θρῆνον μετέβαλες, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις κηρύττειν ἐπέταξας, ὅτι ἀνέστης Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Εἰσοδικόν – Ἦχος β´ Δεῦτε προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν Χριστῷ. Σῶσον ἡμᾶς, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ νεκρῶν, ψάλλοντάς σοι· Ἀλληλούϊα. Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος βαρὺς Κατέλυσας τῷ Σταυρῷ σου τὸν θάνατον, ἠνέωξας τῷ Ληστῇ τὸν Παράδεισον, τῶν Μυροφόρων τὸν θρῆνον μετέβαλες, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις κηρύττειν ἐπέταξας, ὅτι ἀνέστης Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Ἀπολυτίκιον – Ἦχος πλ. δ' Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας, φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοι. Ἀπολυτίκιον – Ἦχος δ' Κανόνα πίστεως καὶ εἰκόνα πραότητος, ἐγκρατείας Διδάσκαλον, ἀνέδειξέ σε τῇ ποίμνῃ σου, ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀλήθεια· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκτήσω τῇ ταπεινώσει τὰ ὑψηλά, τῇ πτωχείᾳ τὰ πλούσια, Πάτερ Ἱεράρχα Νικόλαε· πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν. Κοντάκιον –  Ἦχος α' Ὅταν ἔλθης ὁ Θεός ἐπὶ γῆς μετὰ δόξης, καὶ τρέμωσι τὰ σύμπαντα, ποταμὸς δὲ τοῦ πυρὸς πρὸ τοῦ Βήματος ἕλκη, καὶ βίβλοι ἀνοίγωνται, καὶ τὰ κρυπτὰ δημοσιεύωνται,  τότε ῥύσαί με, ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς τοῦ ἀσβέστου, καὶ ἀξίωσον ἐκ δεξιῶν σου μὲ στῆναι, Κριτὰ δικαιότατε. Τρισάγιον. Εἰς τό ᾽Εξαιρέτως:  ῎Αξιόν ἐστιν.... Κοινωνικόν: Αἰνεῖτε.... Εἴδομεν τό φῶς... Εἴη τό ὄνομα Κυρίου… Ἀπόλυσις·   Ὁ ἀναστάς ἐκ νεκρῶν.... Κατὰ τὴν ἑβδομάδα τῆς Τυροφάγου γίνεται ἀποχὴ κρέατος καὶ κατάλυσις τυροῦ, ὠῶν καὶ ἰχθύος.	Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 16:  ANTIPHON I – Tone 2 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me bless His holy name.  [Psalm 102:1] 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.  [Psalm 102:2] 3 The Lord has prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom rules over all.   [Psalm 102:19]     Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us. Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 18:  ANTIPHON II – Same tone 1 Praise the Lord, O my soul, I shall praise the Lord all my life, I shall sing to my Lord as long as I exist.  [Psalm 145:1-2] 2 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.  [Psalm 145:3] 3 Happy is he whose helper is the God of Jacob, whose hope is upon the Lord his God.  [Psalm 145:5]     Save us, O Son of God, Who is risen from the dead; who sing to You.  Alleluia. Glory… Both now… O, only begotten Son… Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 24:  ANTIPHON III – Tone 7 1 This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad therein.  [Psalm 117:24] 2 Let the heavens and the earth praise Him, the sea and every creature crawling in it.  [Psalm 68:35] APOLYTIKION resurrectional of the tone of the day – Tone 7 O Lord by Your sacred Cross You abolished death, and granted unto the thief blessed paradise.  The myrrh- bearers ceased lamenting and turned to joy.  The apostles did preach the Good News at your command: that You had risen from the dead O Christ our God, bestowing Your mercy upon the world ever more.                 (DLH, p. 87) EISODIKON –Tone 2 Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, Who are risen from the dead; who sing to You. Alleluia. APOLYTIKION resurrectional of the tone of the day – Tone 7 O Lord by Your sacred Cross You abolished death, and granted unto the thief blessed paradise.  The myrrh- bearers ceased lamenting and turned to joy.  The apostles did preach the Good News at your command: that You had risen from the dead O Christ our God, bestowing Your mercy upon the world ever more.                 (DLH, p. 87) APOLYTIKION of our Church (Holy Trinity) – Tone 8 O Blessed are you, O Christ our God, who by sending down the Holy Spirit upon them, made the fishermen wise and through them illumined the world.  And unto you, the universe was ever drawn, all glory to you, O God.   (DLH, p. 115) APOLYTIKION of our Church (St. Nicholas) – Tone 4    (DLH, p. 110) As a yardstick of faith and an icon of gentleness; as a teacher of temperance, your actual deeds have declared you as being among your flock.  In this manner you gained by humility, things most sublime, and through poverty earned true wealth.  Father and our hierarch St. Nicholas intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved. KONTAKION – Tone 1 When You come down to the earth, O God, in Your glory, all things will cower tremulous, and a river of fire will draw before Your judgment seat; the books shall be opened up, and public knowledge will things hidden be.  Rescue me then, I pray, from unquenchable fire, and count me worthy to stand at Your right hand, O You, the most righteous judge.                                                          (FSD) Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 26:  TRISAGION. DLH, p. 54:  AT THE Especially…, It is truly meet… DLH, p. 66: KOINONIKON:  Praise the Lord…[Psalm 148:1] DLH, p. 70:  After Communion, We have seen the true light… DLH, p. 74: Blessed be the Name of the Lord… DLH, p. 78:  THE DISMISSAL: May He Who is risen from the dead, Christ... During the week of Cheesefare, we abstain from meat, and partake of cheese, eggs, and fish.
On the western wall of the Kiev Cathedral of St. Vladimir, remarkable for its murals, right over the entrance to the church is a wonderful representation of the Last Judgment. First of all, we are struck by the mass of people, their faces, their eyes. You have the vivid awareness that you are among them. Involuntarily, you try to find yourself, to determine your place according to your spiritual state. And within you occurs, as it were, a private judgment upon yourself. There are faces expressing terrible sorrow, a totally perished life trembles in them. There are others, full of malice, hatred, murmuring, envy, insatiable desires. Life passed on, but something is gnawing at them and will eternally gnaw at them. But here, rays of light start to break their way through the enormous clouds, and they show us other faces: quiet, calm, joyful, happy. This is life! And the closer they are to the Throne, the clearer these faces are. Over the Throne shines the Cross. On the Throne is seated the Lord Savior of the world Himself, and around Him, John the Baptist, the Apostles, all the Saints are praying, triumphing. Here is harmonious rejoicing. Only one cry, one wail disturbs it. The Mother of God has fallen on the shoulder of Christ, and she alone is pleading for the salvation of sinners, for mercy for all those without hope. She alone has been given the power to intercede to the end before the mercy of God. Dear brothers and sisters!	Wherever you may be in this terrible picture, do not despair. You have not yet perished! There is our Mother. She is whispering for you, and it is doubtful that even the Almighty God can refuse her. She is the 'finder of all those who are lost'. Just believe in this, and warmth will begin to fill your heart; and a new hope will light up in it. Then love of the Wisdom of God will begin to reveal itself to you! The plan of the Wisdom of God, which alone can save sinners, i.e., all of us, begins on the day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God. She was raised at the temple; she experienced the day of the Annunciation. Then came the days of the Nativity of Christ, the flight into Egypt, the hard life in Nazareth, and finally they led her Godly Son to Crucifixion. They led Him away! The Mother of God was at the Cross. Her Son was dying on the Cross. Here is how the Wisdom of God accomplishes our salvation; and how the Truth of God is fulfilled. In fact, another similar sacrifice could not even have been conceived. This is the Pure Lamb of God, Who takes upon Himself the sin of the world. Why, there is not a single person in existence who could become the sacrifice for the sins of the world. After all, there is no man without sin. And if anyone suffers, then this is for his own sins. Only Christ could accomplish this, because He alone was without sin.                               ARCHBISHOP ANDREI RYMARENKO (1893-1978)
This insert is a gift from our Byzantine School.  We invite you to join us during our special Lenten services, including Great Compline, Presanctified Liturgy, and Akathist Hymn, leading to H. Pascha.  Our regular monthly meetings will resume on 08/25/16!  Please consult the Sunday Bulletin for our regular announcements, or contact Tasos, ioanniam@yahoo.com or (937)232-9665.  Translation Sources: DLH= Divine Liturgy Hymnal; FSD=Fr Seraphim Dedes; KL=Kevin Lawrence; FEH =Fr Edward Hughes; FEL=Fr Ephraim Lash.