Ode 9. Irmos

After the small litany, the Exapostilarion sung slowly and solemnly:

Let us complete our morning prayer to the Lord. ****

Glory. Both now. **Tone 2**

At Lauds we insert 4 Idiomel Stichera.

‘Come believers, let us enjoy the Master’s welcome and the immortal table in the upper place, with minds raised high, having learnt a transcendent word from the Word, whom we magnify.’

After the Litany and the Prayer at the Bowing down of heads, the Aposticha:

Then the Superior says:

Tone 2

‘Go’, said the Word to the Disciples, prepare for those whom I initiate the Passover in an upper place, in which the mind is established, with the unleavened word of truth; magnify the strength of grace’.

The litany by the Priest:

Then the Superior says:

Psalm 148

The Father before the ages begets the creative Wisdom, the beginning of his ways. He created me for the works which are now being mystically accomplished; for I the Word, being by nature uncreated, make my own the speech of that which I have assumed.

Wisdom. ****

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the highest. To you praise is due, O God.

As I am man in reality and not in mere appearance, so the nature united to me by way of exchange is God; and so recognise me to be one single Christ who saves the things from which and in which I have come to be.

Praise him, all his angels: Praise him, all his Powers. To you praise is due, O God.

Come believers, let us enjoy the Master’s welcome and the immortal table in the upper place, with minds raised high, having learnt a transcendent word from the Word whom we magnify.

Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you stars and light.

Again and again in peace, let us pray to the Lord. ****

Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord.

Lord, have mercy. ****

For he spoke and they came into being; he commanded and they were created.

Help us, save us, have mercy on us and keep us, O God, by your grace. ****

He established them for ever and ever; he made an ordinance, and it shall not pass away.

Lord, have mercy. ****

Praise the Lord from the earth; praise him, you sea-monsters and all deeps;

Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God. ****

Fire and hail, snow and ice and storm-wind; things that do his word.

To you, O Lord. ****

Mountains and all hills, fruiting trees and all cedars;

For all the Powers of heaven praise you, and to you we give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and to the ages of ages. ****

Beasts of the wild, and all cattle, creeping things and winged birds;

Tone 3. Model Melody.

Kings of the earth and all peoples, rulers and all judges of the earth;

Your bridal chamber, O my Saviour, I see all adorned, but I have no garment so that I may enter it. Make bright the mantle of my soul, O Giver of light, and save me! (

Young men and maidens: old men and youths together, let them praise the name of the Lord; for his name alone has been exalted.

**x3**) ****

His praise is above earth and heaven, and he will exalt the horn of his people.

A hymn for all his holy ones; for the children of Israel, a people that draws near him. ****

Psalm 149

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the Church of the holy ones.

Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, let the children of Sion be joyful in their king.

Let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing his praise with timbrel and with harp.

For the Lord is well-pleased with his people; he will exalt the meek with salvation.

His holy ones will exult in glory, and rejoice upon their beds.

The high praises of God in their mouths, and two-edged swords in their hands,

To exact vengeance among the nations, punishments among the peoples.

To bind their kings in fetters; and their nobles in shackles of iron.

To execute upon them the judgement that is decreed; such glory will be for all his holy ones. ****

Psalm 150

Praise God in his saints; praise him in the firmament of his power**.**

Praise him for his mighty acts; praise him according to the greatness of his majesty. ****

By Monk Kosmas. Tone 2

The Sanhedrin of the Jews now hurries together that it may hand over to Pilate the Creator and Fashioner of all things. Oh, the transgressors! Oh, the faithless! Because they are making ready for judgement the One who is coming to judge the living and the dead; they are preparing for the passion the One who cures the passions. Long-suffering Lord, great is your mercy. Glory to you!

Praise him with the sound of the trumpet; praise him with lute and harp. ****

By Monk John. Same Tone.

Judas the transgressor, Lord, having dipped his hand with you in the dish at the supper, stretched out his hands to take the silver pieces; and having reckoned up the price of the myrrh, he did not flinch from selling you, who are beyond price; the one who stretched out his feet to be washed, deceitfully kissed the Master to betray him to the transgressors; cast from the choir of Apostles, and having cast down the thirty silver pieces, he did not see your Resurrection on the third day. Through it have mercy on us.

Praise him with the timbrel and dances: praise him on the strings and pipe. ****

By Monk John. Same Tone.

Judas the deceitful traitor handed over the Saviour and Lord with a deceitful kiss; he sold to the transgressors like a slave the Master of all things; and like a sheep to the slaughter, so the Lamb of God, the Son of the Father, followed.

Praise him on fine-sounding cymbals: praise him on cymbals of gladness. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. ****

By Monk John. Same Tone.

Judas the slave and deceiver, the disciple and plotter, the friend and accuser, was revealed by his deeds; for he followed the Teacher and inwardly he plotted the betrayal; he said to himself, ‘I shall hand him over and gain the money that has been contracted’; he wanted the myrrh to be sold and Jesus to be taken by guile; he gave a kiss; he handed over Christ; and like a sheep to the slaughter so he followed, the only compassionate lover of humankind.

The Lamb which Isaias proclaimed is coming willingly to the slaughter, and gives his back to scourges, his cheeks to blows; he did not turn away his face from the shame of spittings; he is being condemned to a disgraceful death; the Sinless accepts all things willingly, that he may grant to all the resurrection from the dead.

To you glory is due, O Lord, our God, and to you we give glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and to ages of ages. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among men. We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you, we thank you for your great glory. O Lord, heavenly King, God the almighty Father. O Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Lord God, lamb of God, Son of the Father, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us, who takes away the sins of the world. Receive our prayer, you who sit on the right hand of the Father and have mercy upon us. For you alone are holy, you alone are Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Every day I will bless you, and praise your name for ever and ever. I said, Lord, have mercy upon me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against you. Lord, I have run to you for refuge; teach me to do your will for you are my God. For with you is the source of life, and in your light we shall see light. O continue your merciful kindness toward those who know you.

Grant, Lord, this day to keep us without sin. Blessed are you, Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is your name for to the ages. Amen. May your mercy, Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in you. Blessed are you, Lord, teach me your statutes. Blessed are you, Master, make me understand your statutes. Blessed are you, Holy One, enlighten me with your statutes. Lord, your mercy is for ever; do not scorn the work of your hands. To you praise is due, to you song is due, to you glory is due, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, have mercy.

Help us, save, have mercy on us and keep us, O God, by your grace.

That the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask the Lord.

Grant this, O Lord. ****

An Angel of peace, a faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord.

Pardon and forgiveness of our sins and offences, let us ask of the Lord.

Things good, and profitable for our souls, and peace for the world, let us ask of the Lord.

That we may live out the rest of our days in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord.

A Christian end to our life, painless, unashamed and peaceful, and a good defence before the dread judgement seat of Christ, let us ask.

Commemorating our all-holy, pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

To you, O Lord. ****

For you are a God of mercies and of pity, and to you we give glory, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. ****

Peace to all. ****

And to your spirit. ****

Let us bow our heads to the Lord. ****

To you, O Lord. ****

For yours it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and to you we give glory, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. ****

Tone 8

Today the wicked Sanhedrin against Christ has assembled, and devised vain things against him, to hand the innocent over to Pilate for death. Today Judas places round his neck the noose of money, and is deprived of both this transient life and of life divine. To-day Caiaphas involuntarily prophesies, saying, ‘It is expedient that one man perish for the people’; for he has come to suffer for our sins, that he may free us from the slavery of the enemy, as he is good and loves humankind.

He who ate my bread has lifted up his heel against me.

Today Judas conceals his pretence of love for the poor, and reveals the form of his greed; no longer does he care for the needy, no longer does he sell the myrrh of the sinful woman, but the heavenly Myrrh, and from it purloins the pieces of silver; he runs to the Jews, says to the transgressors, ‘What are you willing to give me, and I will hand him over to you?’ O avarice of the traitor! He concludes the sale to be profitable; in accordance with the intention of the purchasers he concludes the business of the One being sold; he does not haggle over the price, but sells him like a runaway slave; for it is the custom of thieves to cast away what is valuable; now the disciple throws what is holy to the dogs; for the rage of avarice made him rave against the Master; let us flee his enterprise, as we cry, ‘Long-suffering Lord, glory to you!’

He went out and spoke. All my enemies whispered against me; against me they devised evils for me.

Your manner is full of deceit, lawless Judas, for sick with avarice, you have acquired hatred for humankind. If you loved wealth, why did you frequent the One who taught of poverty? But if you loved him, why did you sell the One who is beyond price, betraying him to be murdered? Tremble sun, earth groan, and quaking cry aloud, ‘Long-suffering Lord, glory to you!’

They spoke a lawless word against me, ‘Now that he sleeps, will he rise again?’

Let no one who is uninitiated, O believers, let no one draw near deceitfully to the table of the Master’s supper, like Judas; for he, having received the morsel, turned against the Bread; in appearance a disciple, but in reality present as a murderer, rejoicing with the Jews, while supping with the Apostles; hating he kissed, kissing he sold the One who redeemed us from the curse, the God and Saviour of our souls.

Your manner is full of deceit, lawless Judas, for sick with avarice, you have acquired hatred for humankind. If you loved wealth, why did you frequent the One who taught of poverty? But if you loved him, why did you sell the One who is beyond price, betraying him to be murdered? Tremble sun, earth groan, and quaking cry aloud, ‘Long-suffering Lord, glory to you!’

Initiating your disciples, Lord, you taught them, saying, ‘My friends, see that no fear separates you from me. For though I suffer, yet it is for the sake of the world. Do not then be scandalized because of me; for I did not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for the world. If then you are my friends, imitate me. The one who wishes to be first, let him be last; the master like the servant. Abide in me, that you may bear a cluster of grapes, for I am the Vine of life.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High. To declare your love in the morning, and your truth every night.

Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (**three times**).

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen

Our Father, in heaven, may your name be hallowed, your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. ****

Our Father**, we say the following the Apolytikion of the day.**

When the glorious disciples were enlightened at the washing of the feet, then Judas the ungodly was stricken and darkened with the love of money; and to lawless judges he delivered you, the just judge. O lover of money, look upon him who for its sake hanged himself; flee from the insatiable soul, which dared such things against the Teacher. O you who are good to all, Lord, glory to you.

Have mercy on us, O God, according to your great mercy, we pray you, hear and have mercy. ****

Lord, have mercy. **Three times. And so after the remaining petitions.**

Also we pray for our Archbishop **N**.

Also we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, pardon and forgiveness of sins for the servants of God, all devout and Orthodox Christians, those who dwell in or visit this city and parish, the wardens and members of this church and their families;

Also we pray for the blessed and ever-remembered founders of this holy church, and for all our brothers and sisters who have gone to their rest before us, and who lie asleep here in the true faith; and for the Orthodox everywhere .

Also we pray for those who bring offerings, those who care for the beauty of this holy and venerable house, for those who labour in its service, for those who sing, and for the people here present, who await your great and rich mercy.

Lord, have mercy. ****

For you, O God, are merciful and love mankind, and to you we give glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. ****

Blessed be he who is, Christ our God, always, now and for ever and to the ages of ages. ****

May the Lord God strengthen the holy and pure faith of devout and orthodox Christians, with his holy Church and this sacred Monastery, unto ages of ages. ****

Most holy Mother of God, save us. ****

Greater in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word, truly the Mother of God we magnify you. ****

And at once he begins the First Hour.