AT GREAT VESPERS

We recite the 1st Section of the 1st Kathisma, Blessed is the man. *At* Lord, I have cried we insert 6 Stichera and sing the 3 following, doubling them.

With what garlands of praise should we bind the brows of Peter and Paul? Separated in body, united in the Spirit, the leaders of God’s heralds; the one as chief of the Apostles, the other as having toiled more than the rest; for with diadems of immortal glory he has indeed fittingly crowned them, Christ our God, who has great mercy.

Tone 2. Model Melody. By Andrew of Crete.

With what beauties of hymnody should we sing the praise of Peter and Paul? The wings of the knowledge of God, who flew through the ends of the earth and were lifted up high to heaven; the hands of the Gospel of grace, the feet of the truth of the proclamation, the rivers of wisdom, the arms of the Cross, through which he has cast down the arrogance of demons, Christ our God, who has great mercy.

Glory . Tone 2. By Monk John.

With what spiritual songs should we praise Peter and Paul? The unblunted mouths of the dread sword of the Spirit that slaughter godlessness; the radiant ornaments of Rome; the delights of the whole inhabited world; the reasoning tablets, written by God, of the New Testament, which  in Sion Christ proclaimed, who has great mercy.

Both now . Theotokion.

By the triple question, ‘Peter, do you love me?’ Christ set right the triple denial; and so Simon said to him who knows the heart, ‘Lord, you know all things, you understand all things, you know that I love you’. Therefore the Saviour said to him, ‘Shepherd my sheep, shepherd my flock, shepherd my lambs, which I purchased with my own blood to save them. Entreat him, O Apostle, called blessed by God, that his great mercy be given to our souls.

Entrance, O Joyful Light. The Prokeimenon of the day and the Readings.

The Prophet David, through you the ancestor of God, spoke of you in song beforehand to him who has done great things for you, ‘The Queen stood at your right hand’. For he, the God who was well pleased without father to become man from you, de­clared you to be mother, source of life, that he might refashion his own image, corrupted by passions, and, hav­ing found the lost sheep wander­ing on the mountain and laid it on his shoulders, he might bring it to his Father; and by his own will unite it to the heavenly Powers and save the world, O Mother of God, Christ who has great and rich mercy.

At the Liti, Idiomel Stichera. Tone 2. By Andrew of Jerusalem.

The Reading is from the First Universal Epistle of Peter.

By Arsenios. Same Tone.

Brethren, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith–being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

By Germanos. Same Tone.

The Reading is from the First Universal Epistle of Peter.

Tone 3. By Monk John.

Beloved, therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.

Glory. Tone 5. By Vyzantios.

The Reading is from the First Universal Epistle of Peter.

Both now. Theotokion.

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honourably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honourable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge. For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honour everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honour the emperor. Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness.

Come then to me today with fervour, acceptable sacrifice of the faithful; as we stand together in choir let us garland with fitting songs Peter and Paul, the chosen weavers of grace; because they sowed the word unstintingly for all and enriched them with the gift of the Spirit; and being branches of the true vine, they have brought to perfection for us the ripe grape cluster, making glad our hearts. To them let us cry out, with faces unveiled and with pure consciences, as we say: Hail, guides of the unreasoning and servants of those with reason. Hail, fair chosen members of the maker and guardian of all. Hail, protectors of the good and persecutors of the deceitful. Teacher to give the world stable peace and our souls his great mercy.

The whole world, let us praise as its champions the Disciples of Christ and foundations of the Church, the true pillars and bases, and inspired trumpets of the doctrines and sufferings of Christ, the Princes, Peter and Paul. For they passed through the whole breadth of the earth as with a plough, and sowed the faith, and they made the knowledge of God well up for all, showing forth the understanding of the Trinity. O Peter, rock and foundation, and Paul, vessel of election; the yoked oxen of Christ drew nations, cities and islands to knowledge of God. While they have brought Hebrews again to Christ and the intercede that our souls may be saved.

Peter, Prince of the glorious Apostles, the rock of the faith, and inspired Paul, the preacher and beacon of the holy Churches, as you stand before the throne of God intercede with Christ on our behalf.

Paul, mouth of the Lord, foundation of doctrines, once the persecutor of Jesus my Saviour, but now become first throned of the Apostles, blessed one; therefore you saw things ineffable, O wise one, when you ascended to the third heaven, and you cried: Come with me, and let us not be deprived of the blessings.

The citizens of the Jerusalem on high, the rock of the faith, the preacher of the Church of Christ, the pair of the Trinity, the fishers of the world, leaving behind today the things on earth, have journeyed in truth to God, and they implore him with boldness that our souls may be saved.

As the wisdom of God, the co-eternal Word of the Father, foretold in the Gospel, you are the fruitful branches, all-praised Apostles; you bear on your shoots the ripe and lovely grape cluster, which we faithful eat and experience a taste which brings delight. Peter, rock of the faith, and Paul, boast of the inhabited world, establish the flock which you have gained by your teachings.

We the faithful, as is fitting, call you blessed, Virgin Mother of God, the unshakeable city, the unbreachable wall, the invincible protection and refuge of our souls.