AFTER-VESPERS. SO-CALLED FROM THE SLAVONIC. OR, FROM THE GREEK: SMALL AFTER-SUPPER. The Priest gives the Blessing, saying: O LESSED is our GOD, always, now, and ever, and to the ages of the Bages. Choir. Amene. Glory to Thee, our GoD; Glory to Thee. ¶ When this Service is immediately preceded by that of VESPERS, what follows on the present page is omitted. Reader. O Heavenly King, O Comforter, the SPIRIT of the Truth, Who art everywhere present, and fillest everything; Who art the Treasury of the Good-things, and Supplier-of-the-means of life: come, and tabernacle in us, and cleanse us from all impurity, and save, O Good, our souls. The Trisagion. Holy GoD, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us. All-Holy TRINITY, have mercy upon us. O LORD, be gracious unto our sins; O MASTER, concede our transgressions; O HOLY, look down, and heal our infirmities, for Thy Name's sake. LORD, have mercy. LORD, have mercy. LORD, have mercy. Our FATHER, Who art in the Heavens: Hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy Will be done, as in Heaven, so on the earth; Give us this day our Bread for subsistence; And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from the evil-one. Priest. For of Thee is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, of the FATHER, and of the Son, and of the Holy GHOST, now, and ever, and to the ages of the ages. Choir. Amene. Glory to the FATHER, and to the SON, and to the Holy GHOST: Both now, and ever, and to the ages of the ages. Amene. Psalm 140. Reader. LORD, I have cried unto Thee, hear me; hear me, O LORD. LORD, I have cried unto Thee, hear me; attend to the voice of my prayer when I cry unto Thee: hear me, O LORD. Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; the lifting-up of my hands as an evening sacrifice: hear me, O Lord. Set a guard, O LORD, to my mouth; and a door of defence about my lips. Incline not my heart to evil words, to pretend pretences in sins. With men who work transgression: and let me not unite with their chosen-ones. The righteous shall chastise me in mercy, and shall reprove me; but let not the oil of a sinner anoint my head. For yet also shall my prayer be in their good-will: their judges have been swallowed up beneath a rock. They shall hear my words, for they have prevailed: like as a lump of earth is crushed upon the earth, our bones have been scattered beside Hades. For to Thee, LORD, LORD, are mine eyes; upon Thee have I hoped: 0 take not away my soul. Keep me from the snare which they have set for me; and from the scandals of them that work transgression. The sinners shall fall into their own net: I am alone, until I escape. Psalm 141. I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice did I make my prayer unto the LORD. I will pour out my prayer before Him; I will declare before Him mine affliction. When my spirit was fainting within me, then Thou knewest my paths. In this way wherein I walked, they hid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, and there was no-one that would know me. Refuge fled from me; and there was none that cared for my soul. I cried unto Thee, O LORD; I said: Thou art my Hope, my Portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my prayer, for I am humbled exceedingly. Deliver me from them that persecute me, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may confess unto Thy Name. [Stichera of the Resurrection. Tone 1.* I. Our evening prayers receive, O Holy LORD, and grant us forgiveness of sins: for it is Thou, Only, Who hast shewn, in the world, the Resurrection. The righteous shall wait for me, until Thou recompense me. * In the absence of the intermediate Tones, the above may be said, for convenience, in place of Tones 2, 3, and 4; and the following in place of Tones 6, 7, and 8. Stichera of the Resurrection. Tone 5. I. By Thine honourable Cross, O CHRIST, Thou hast shamed the devil, and by Thy Resurrection hast blunted the point of sin, and saved us from the gates of death. We Glorify Thee, Only-Begotten. The righteous shall wait for me, until Thou recompense me. II. Encircle Sion, O ye peoples, and encompass her, and give glory in her for the Resurrection from the dead: for He is our GOD, Who hath redeemed us from our transgressions. Psalm 129. Out of depths have I cried unto Thee, O LORD: LORD, hear my voice. III. O come, ye peoples, let us hymn and worship CHRIST, glorifying His Resurrection from the dead: for He is our GoD, Who hath redeemed the world from the wandering of the enemy. O let Thine Ears be attentive unto the voice of my prayer. Stichera of the Elevation. Tone 1. I. Be glad, ye Heavens; leap, ye foundations of the earth; cry aloud, ye mountains, with gladness: for behold, EMMANUEL, as Lover-of-men, hath nailed to the Cross our sins; and He, Who giveth life, hath slain death, raising up Adam. If Thou, O LORD, wilt mark transgressions, O LORD, who shall stand? for with Thee is propitiation. II. Him, Who in the Flesh, of His own free-will, was Crucified for us, Suffered, and was Buried, and Rose-again from the dead, let us hymn, saying: Establish the Orthodoxy of Thy Church, O CHRIST; and give peace in our life, as Good, and Lover-of-men. For Thy Name's sake have I waited for Thee, O LORD; my soul hath waited for Thy Word: my soul hath hoped in the LORD. II. As a sheep to the slaughter wast Thou led, that Thou mightest give to the race of men the Resurrection: the princes of Hades were afraid of Him, and the lofty gates were distressed: for CHRIST, the King of Glory entered in, saying unto those in chains, Go forth; and to those in darkness, Enter into light. Psalm 129. Out of depths have I cried unto Thee, O LORD: LORD, hear my voice. III. O great wonder! He, Who is Creator of the invisible, through Love-to-men hath Suffered in the Flesh, and hath Risen Immortal. O come, ye lineage of the nations, let us adore Him: for, by His tenderness-of-heart, we, being delivered from wandering, intelligently hymn One God in Three Persons. O let Thine Ears be attentive unto the voice of my prayer. Stichera of the Elevation. Tone 5. I. The evening worship we offer to Thee, O Unfading Light: Who, in the end of the ages, through the Flesh, as in a mirror, hast appeared unto the world; and didst descend into Hades, and there dispersedst the darkness; and didst shew unto the nations the Light of the Resurrection. O Light-giving LORD, Glory to Thee. If Thou, O LORD, wilt mark transgressions, O LORD, who shall stand? for with Thee is propitiation. II. Let us Glorify CHRIST, the Head of our Salvation: for He hath Risen from the dead; saved the world from wandering; rejoiced the Choir of Angels; banished the wandering of demons: the fall of Adam He hath raised up, overcoming the devil. For Thy Name's sake have I waited for Thee, O LORD; my soul hath III. We, unworthy, standing around Thy life-giving Grave, offer doxologies to Thine unutterable tenderness-of-heart, O CHRIST our God: for Thou hast welcomed the Cross, and hast not shunned Death, that Thou mightest, as Lover-of-men, give to the world the Resurrection. From the morning watch until night; from the morning watch, let Israel hope in the LORD. IV. The WORD, Co-unoriginate and Co-eternal with the FATHER, Who from the Virginal Womb came forth unutterably, and the Cross and Death welcomed for us of His Own free-will, and Rose-again in Glory, let us hymn, saying: O Life-giving LORD, the Saviour of our souls, Glory to Thee. For with the LORD is mercy, and with Him is plentiful redemption; and He shall redeem Israel from all his transgressions. Stichera of the Holy Apostle Thomas. * I. When the doubting Disciples were assembled on the eighth day, the Saviour came near, and giving peace, cried aloud to Thomas: Hither, O Apostle, touch thou the Palms which the nails fixed. O auspicious unbelief of Thomas! knowledge spreads around to the hearts of the faithful-ones, and they, with fear, cry aloud: My LORD and my God, Glory to Thee. Psalm 116. Praise the LORD, all ye nations; praise Him, all ye peoples. II. After Thy Rising, O LORD, when Thy Disciples were assembled, and the doors were shut, Thou stoodest in the midst, granting them peace. But Thomas also was persuaded, by beholding Thy Hands and Side, to confess Thee LORD and GOD, Who savest them that put their trust in Thee, O Lover-of-men. waited for Thy Word: my soul hath hoped in the LORD. III. The lawless-ones said unto the keepers: The covering of CHRIST is raised take ye then money, and say, That while we slept the Dead was stolen from the tomb. Who saw? who heard the Dead taken away? Though highly anointed, yet naked must He be; and in the grave are the things buried with Him. No, wandering Jews: learn ye the words of the Prophets, and know ye, that He is truly the Redeemer of the world, and All-Powerful. From the morning watch until night; from the morning watch, let Israel hope in the LORD. IV. O LORD our Saviour, Who hast spoiled Hades, and trodden death under foot; Who art the Light of the world: by Thine honourable Cross, have mercy upon us. For with the LORD is mercy, and with Him is plentiful redemption; and He shall redeem Israel from all his transgressions. The First Sticheron of the Festival of the Day is then said. † Praise the LORD, all ye nations; praise Him, all ye peoples. The Second Sticheron of the Festival of the Day is then said. † * On the Eve of the Sunday of Anti-Pascha only. For which, see APPENDIX A. For His mercy hath been abundant towards us; and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. III. With the closed doors, JESUS came near to the Disciples, causing no fear, and giving peace. Then said He to Thomas: Who art thou that disbelievest that I have Risen from the dead? Reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My Side, and behold: for through thine unbelief, these all understand My Passion and Resurrection, crying after thee: My LORD and my GOD, Glory to Thee. Glory to the FATHER, and to the Let us hymn Mary the Virgin, of the seed of men, and the Bearer of the MASTER; the glory of all the world; the Heavenly gate; the chant of the Bodiless; and the ornament of the faithful: for she hath been shewed forth as Heaven, and Temple of the Divinity; she, taking down the partition wall of enmity, hath substituted peace, and opened the Kingdom. Then, holding her, the anchor of the faith, we have a Champion, Who from her was born, the LORD. Take courage, therefore, take courage, people of God, for He hath also vanquished the enemies, as All-Powerful. Prayer of the Entrance. Deacon, silently. Of the LORD let us pray. Priest. At evening, and morning, and at noon-day, we praise, we bless, we give thanks, and pray of Thee, O MASTER of all: let our prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, and let not our hearts be inclined to words or thoughts of evil; but deliver us from all which may ensnare our souls: for to Thee, LORD, LORD, are our eyes, and we have hoped in Thee; let us not be ashamed, O our God. For to Thee befitteth all Glory, Honour, and Worship, to the FATHER, and to the SON, and to the Holy GHOST, now, and ever, and to the ages of the ages. Amene. Deacon. Master, bless the Holy For His mercy hath been abundant towards us; and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. ¶The Third Sticheron of the Festival of the Day is then said. * Glory to the FATHER, and to the Son, and to the Holy GHOST: Both now, and ever, and to the ages of the ages. Amene. Theotokion. Tone 5. Prayer of the Entrance. Deacon, silently. Of the LORD let us pray. Priest. At evening, and morning, and at noon-day, we praise, we bless, we give thanks, and pray of Thee, O MASTER of all: let our prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, and let not our hearts be inclined to words or thoughts of evil; but deliver us from all which may ensnare our souls: for to Thee, LORD, LORD, are our eyes, and we have hoped in Thee; let us not be ashamed, O our God. For to Thee befitteth all *For which, see APPENDIX A. In the Red Sea an Eikon of the unmarried Bride was sometime written: there Moses divided the water, here Gabriel did service of the miracle; then Israel passed through the depth dryshod, but now the Virgin hath, without seed, brought forth CHRIST; the sea, after Is |