Thursday
THURSDAY MATINS
(After the 1st reading of the Psalter):
SESSIONAL HYMN (of the apostles)
YOU MADE YOUR APOSTLES HUSBANDMEN IN YOUR FIELD, WORD AND MASTER:
THEY MOWED DOWN THE IDOLS!
PREACHING YOU TO THE NATIONS WITH TRUE FAITH AND REVERENCE,//
THEY HAVE MAGNIFIED YOU!
Verse: Their voice has gone out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the universe!
CHILDREN OF THE CHURCH,
LET US CELEBRATE THE MEMORY OF THE ALL GLORIOUS APOSTLES;
LET US SING IN PRAISE OF CHRIST!
FOR BY PREACHING REPENTANCE THEY HAVE SAVED THOSE GUILTY OF SIN;
DRIVING OUT ALL ERROR, THEY BRING LIGHT TO THE WORLD//
AND OFFER INTERCESSION FOR THE INHABITED EARTH.
GNE... (Theotokion)
REJOICE, FOR THE WORD TOOK FLESH FROM YOU AND DWELT AMONG US,
WHILE REMAINING STILL UNCHANGED!
REJOICE, HONORED VIRGIN, JOY OF THE APOSTLES AND MARTYRS;
THE SALVATION OF THE FAITHFUL!//
REJOICE, MOTHER OF CHRIST OUR GOD!
(After the final reading from the Psalter)
SESSIONAL HYMN (to the apostles)
NOT CHERISHING ANY WORLDLY GLORY ON EARTH, GLORIOUS APOSTLES,
YOU PREACHED THE GOD OF HEAVEN TO MANKIND//
AND YOU LED ALL PEOPLE TOWARD HIM.
VERSE: Wonderful is God in His saints: the God of Israel!
WE ENTREAT YOU, SAINTS, TO INTERCEDE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS,
AND TO PRAY FOR OUR DELIVERANCE FROM THE TORMENT THAT AWAITS US//
AND FROM BITTER DEATH.
GNE... (Theotokion)
THE FRUIT OF YOUR WOMB, DIVINE BRIDE,
BECAME THE SOURCE OF SALVATION FOR MANKIND.
THUS, MOTHER OF GOD, WE THE FAITHFUL, GLORIFY YOU WITH OUR LIPS AND HEARTS//
AND WE MAGNIFY YOU!
APOSTIKHA
(Stikhera of repentance)
GLORIOUS APOSTLES,
PILLARS OF THE CHURCH AND PREACHERS OF THE TRUTH,
YOU ARE BRIGHTLY SHINING LAMPS,
CONSUMING EVERY DELUSION WITH THE FIRE OF THE SPIRIT,
AND ENLIGHTENING ALL MANKIND WITH FAITH!
THEREFORE, WE BESEECH YOU,
ENTREAT OUR SAVIOR AND GOD//
THAT HE MAY GRANT PEACE TO THE WORLD AND SALVATION TO OUR SOULS!
APOSTLES OF CHRIST, AND FELLOW WORKERS OF THE SAVIOR,
YOU TOOK UP YOUR CROSSES UPON YOUR SHOULDERS LIKE PLOUGHS,
AND CLEANSING THE DESOLATE LAND OF THE ERROR OF IDOLATRY,
YOU SOWED THE WORD OF FAITH.//
WE RIGHTLY HONOR YOU, HOLY APOSTLES OF CHRIST!
BREATHING ONE PURPOSE AND LOOKING TO A SINGLE HOPE,
VYING WITH EACH OTHER IN THEIR END,
THE VICTORIOUS MARTYRS LOOKED UPON DEATH FOR CHRIST
AS THE ONLY ENTRY INTO LIFE!
WHAT WONDER! THOUGH THE TORTURE MIGHT BE POSTPONED,
THEY SEIZED HOLD OF IT AS PEOPLE SEIZE HOLD OF TREASURE,
AND THEY SAID TO ONE ANOTHER:
IF WE DO NOT DIE TODAY, YET SOME DAY WE SHALL SURELY DIE,
OBEYING AS WE MUST THE LAWS OF HUMAN BIRTH.
LET US TURN THIS LAW INTO A LABOR OF LOVE,
AND MAKE WILLINGLY OUR OWN THE COMMON FATE OF ALL!
SO WE WILL PURCHASE LIFE WITH DEATH!//
AT THEIR INTERCESSIONS, O GOD, HAVE MERCY ON US!
GNE... (Theotokion) To the special melody, Today Judas Keeps Watch
WOE IS ME! I AM IN UTTER MISERY!
I HAVE BECOME A HOUSE OF PLEASURES!
THEREFORE MY ENEMIES EVER BEHOLD ME AS A CAUSE FOR DERISION.
SO I FALL BEFORE YOU, HOLY VIRGIN:
BEHOLD MY AFFLICTION AND EXTEND YOUR HELP TO ME;
CLEANSE ME WITH TEARS AND PROTECT ME, I PRAY.//
LET THOSE WHO REJOICE AT MY DESTRUCTION BE ASHAMED, PURE ONE!
THURSDAY VESPERS
LORD I CALL
(Stikhera to the Cross)
IN ORDER TO BRING MANKIND TO PERFECTION AND MAKE HIM DIVINE,
YOU, ONLY GOOD ONE, BECAME MORTAL AND WERE CRUCIFIED.//
GLORY TO YOUR POWER, O CHRIST!
WHEN THE ASSEMBLY OF THE JEWS CONDEMNED YOU TO THE CROSS, O WORD,//
THE EARTH QUAKED AND THE SUN WAS DARKENED.
THE WICKED ASSEMBLY CROWNED YOU WITH THORNS, IMMORTAL ONE,//
AND YOU, HOLY KING, DESTROYED TO THE ROOT THE THORN TREE OF ERROR!
GNE... (Theotokion)
HOLY THEOTOKOS, YOU GAVE BIRTH TO THE MASTER WHO WAS CRUCIFIED FOR US;
YOU ARE OUR DEFENDER AND OUR SURE HOPE.
AS YOU ARE THE INTERCESSOR FOR US IN OUR SINFULNESS,//
WE BESEECH YOU TO PRAY TO HIM TO SAVE OUR SOULS.
APOSTIKHA
(Stikhera to the Cross)
NOW THAT WE HAVE YOUR CROSS AS OUR HOPE, O LORD,
WE ARE NO LONGER HELD BACK FROM THE TREE OF LIFE.//
GLORY TO YOU, O LORD!
HUNG UPON THE TREE, IMMORTAL LORD,
YOU TRIUMPHED OVER THE SNARES OF THE DEVIL.//
GLORY TO YOU, O LORD!
(To the martyrs)
GLORY TO YOU, O CHRIST GOD,
THE APOSTLES' BOAST, THE MARTYRS' JOY,//
WHOSE PREACHING WAS THE CONSUBSTANTIAL TRINITY!
GNE... (Theotokion)
WHEN THE ALL PURE ONE BEHELD YOU, NAILED OF YOUR OWN WILL TO THE CROSS,//
SHE WEPT AND PRAISED YOUR MIGHT!