AT SMALL VESPERS

O Joyful Light. **Prokeimenon of the day and the Readings.**

Glory. Both now.

**At** Lord, I have cried **we insert 4 Stichera and sing the 3 following Prosomia, doubling the 1st.**

[2] These phrases are a deliberate echo of the well-known troparion, ‘Greater in honour than the Cherubim’, which forms the Irmos the ninth ode of St Kosmas’ Canon for Good Friday.

Glory. Both now.

** Tone 2. Ðïίïéò åὐöçìéῶí óôέììáóé. **

The Reading is from Genesis.

With what lips may we, poor and worthless, call the Mother of God blessed** [1] **? She is greater in honour than creation and holier than the Cherubim and all the Angels** [2] ;** the unshakeable** [3] ** throne of the King; the house in which the Most High made his dwelling** [4] ;** the salvation of the world; the Sanctuary** [5] ** of God; on her memorial she richly grants to all the faithful his great mercy. **(Twice)** ****

The Reading is from Proverbs.

[1] **Cf. Luke 1:48.**

Wisdom has built herself a house. She has slaughtered her beasts and mixed her wine in the mixing bowl, and prepared her table. She her sent out her servants, to invite with a loud proclamation upon the mixing bowl: ‘Whoever is foolish, let him turn to me’. And to those who lack wisdom she said: ‘Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine that I have mixed for you. Abandon folly, and you will live; and seek understanding that you may have life, and set aright your understanding with knowledge. One who corrects the wicked will gain dishonour for himself. One who rebukes the impious will get blame for himself; for to the impious rebukes are blows. Do not rebuke the wicked, lest they hate you. Rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be wiser; teach a just man and he will increase learning. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the counsel of Saints, understanding. While to know the law is the part of a good mind. For by this means you will live for a long time, and years will be added to your life’.

[3] Greek ἀóáëåύôïí. A rare word in both Classical Greek and Scripture, but quite common in the Fathers. It is used for the Hebrew word tpoßj’Aj, for the phylactery worn on the forehead in Exodus and Deuteronomy, of the prow of a ship that has run aground at Acts 27:41, and of the ‘kingdom’ which believers have received at Hebrews 12:28.

[4] Cf. Pss. 45:5 and 86:5.

[5] The Greek is ἁãίáóìá, which is not classical, but found in the LXX. Lampe does not notice its metaphorical use of the Mother of God.

What songs of awe did all the Apostles of the Word offer you then, O Virgin, as they stood around your deathbed and cried out with amazement: ‘The King’s palace is being taken up. The Ark of sanctification is being exalted. Be lifted up, you gates, that the Gate of God may enter with great joy, as without ceasing she asks his great mercy for the world’?

What spiritual songs may we now offer you, O All-holy? For by your immortal Falling Asleep you have hallowed the whole world and have passed over to regions beyond the world to contemplate the beauty of the Almighty and to rejoice with him as his Mother. Angelic ranks and the souls of the Righteous escort you, pure Virgin. With them ask peace for us and his great mercy.

She who is higher than the heavens, more glorious than the Cherubim and greater in honour than all creation, who through her surpassing purity became the vessel of the eternal being, today places in the hands of her Son her all-holy soul. With her the universe is filled with joy and to us is given his great mercy.

**We recite the 1st Section of the 1st Kathisma,** Blessed is the man.

Lord, I have cried **we insert 8 Stichera and sing 3 Prosomia.**

Tone 1. Model Melody.

O marvellous wonder! The source of life is laid in a grave, and the tomb becomes a ladder to heaven. Be glad, O Gethsemane, the holy shrine of the Mother of God. Let us the faithful cry, with Gabriel as our captain: O Full of grace, hail! The Lord is with you, who grants the world through you his great mercy. (

**Three times**).

O wonder of your mysteries, pure Lady! You were proclaimed the Throne of the Most High, and you have passed today from earth to heaven. Your glory is full of splendour, shining with grace in divine brightness. O Virgins, with the Mother of the King, be raised to the heights. O Full of grace, hail! The Lord is with you, who grants the world through you his great mercy. (

**Three times**).

Dominions, Thrones, Rulers, Principalities and Powers, Cherubim and the fearful Seraphim glorify your Falling Asleep. Those born of earth rejoice, adorned by your divine glory. Kings fall down and sing with Angels and Archangels: O Full of grace, hail! The Lord is with you, who grants the world through you his great mercy. (

**For both Choirs in the 8 Tones.** ****

Tone 1

By divine command the god-bearing Apostles were caught up from all over the world by clouds on high.

Tone 5.

Reaching your all-immaculate body, source of life, they kissed it with mighty honour.

Tone 2.

The highest Powers of heaven stood by with their own Master.

Tone 6.

Seized with dread they accompanied your inviolate body that had contained God; while they went on before in a manner not of this world and crying out, unseen, to the ranks above them: See, the Queen of all, God’s Child, has come.

Tone 3.

Lift up the gates, and in a manner not of this world receive the Mother of the everlasting light.

Tone 7.

For through her the salvation of all mortals has come. We have not the strength to gaze on her, and it is not possible to render her worthy honour.

Tone 4.

For her excellence outstrips all understanding.

Tone 8.

Therefore, immaculate Mother of God, as you live for ever with the life-bearing King, your Offspring, pray without ceasing that he guard and save from every hostile assault your new people; for we have gained your protection.

Tone 1.

As to the ages with splendour we call you blessed.

Jacob went out from the well of the oath and journeyed towards Harran. And he lighted on a place and slept there, for the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of the place and put it at his head; and he slept in that place, and he dreamed. And behold, a ladder set up on the earth, whose head reached to heaven; and the Angels of God were going up and going down upon it. But the Lord stood above it and said: ‘I am the God of Abraham, your father, and the God of Isaac, do not be afraid. The land on which you are sleeping I shall give to you and to your seed. And your seed will be like the sand of the earth, and it will be spread abroad to the Sea and Liva and North and East; and in you and in your seed all the tribes of the earth will be blessed. And behold, I am with you, guarding you on every road on which you may journey; and I shall bring you back again to this land, because I shall never abandon you until I have done all that I have said to you’. And Jacob arose from his sleep and said: ‘The Lord is in this place, but I did not know it’. And he was afraid, and said: ‘How fearful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, this is the gate of heaven’.

The Reading is from the Prophecy of Ezekiel.

‘It shall be from the eighth day and upwards, the Priests shall make your holocausts upon the altar, and those for your salvation; and I shall accept you’, says the Lord. And he turned me back by the way of the outer gate of the Holy Place, which looks towards the east, and it was shut. And the Lord said to me: ‘This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it, because the Lord, the God of Israel, will enter through it, and it shall be shut. Therefore this prince shall sit in it to eat bread. By the way of the Elam of the gate he shall enter, and by that way he shall go out’. And he brought me by the way of the gate towards the North, opposite the House; and I saw, and behold the whole house of the Lord was full of glory.

At the Liti, Idiomel Stichera.

Tone 1.

It was fitting for the eye-witnesses and ministers of the Word to see the Falling Asleep of his Mother according to the flesh, the final mystery concerning her, that they might not only see the Ascension of the Saviour from the earth, but also be witnesses to the Translation from earth of her who bore him. Therefore, carried over from all parts by divine power, they came to Sion and escorted her, as she who is higher than the Cherubim hastened towards heaven. With them we worship her as she intercedes for our souls.

Tone 2. By Anatolios.

She who is higher than the heavens, more glorious than Cherubim and greater in honour than creation, who through her surpassing purity became the vessel of the eternal being, today places in the hands of her Son her all-holy soul. With her the universe is filled with joy and to us is given his great mercy.

The same Tone. By John.

The all-blameless Bride and Mother of the Father’s Good Pleasure, who was foreordained by God as a dwelling for himself of the union without confusion, today delivers her immaculate soul to her Maker and God. The Bodiless Powers receive her in a manner fitting God, and she, who is indeed Mother of life, passes over to life, the lamp of the unapproachable Light, the salvation of the faithful, the hope of our souls.

Tone 3. By Germanos.

Come, all the ends of the earth, let us call blessed the Translation of the Mother of God. For she has placed her unblemished soul in the hands of her Son. Therefore the world has been restored to life by her holy Falling Asleep, as with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs it radiantly celebrates the feast with the Bodiless hosts and the Apostles.

**Tone 5. By Theophanes**

Come, gathering of the lovers of festivals; come, and let us form a choir; come, let us garland the Church with songs as the Ark of God goes to her rest. For today heaven unfolds its bosom as it receives the one who gave birth to him whom nothing can contain. The earth, as it gives back the source of life, is robed in blessing and majesty. Angels with Apostles form a choir as they gaze with fear while she who gave birth to the Prince of life is translated from life to life. Let us all worship her as we beg: ‘Sovereign Lady, do not forget your ties of kinship with those who celebrate with faith your all-holy Falling Asleep’.

**Same Tone.**

Sing, you peoples, to the Mother of our God, sing! For today she places her soul, all filled with light, in the immaculate palms of the One who was incarnate from her without seed. And she implores him without ceasing that to the inhabited world there may be granted his peace and great mercy.