AT GREAT VESPERS

After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon.

A Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera, in Tone VI—

Now & ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone—

A Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah

Thy life was in accordance with thy name, O right-believing Prince Alexander; for having helped thy nation with thy courage and goodly government on earth, thou now helpest thy people by thy supplications in heaven. Wherefore, we honor thee, and in thee our God Who is glorified in His saints. Twice

Now & ever…: theotokion, or this stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel.: “On the third day…”—

A Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah

As a bold steward and a valiant warrior, governing rightly on thy throne with thy scepter, and defending thy people with thy sword in battle, thou hast been vouchsafed twofold honor from the Ruler on high, the Lord of Sabaoth. Twice

Greater love hath no man than he who layeth down his life for his friends. With such love didst thou love thy people, bravely setting out to defend them against the weapons of the adversary, as God protected thy head on the day of battle. Twice

Emulating Moses, David and the other leaders of the people of God, thou didst bravely wage war on behalf of thy people; wherefore, with them thou dost celebrate thy triumph in heaven, as a victor, praying to the Lord for those who do battle. Twice

Glory…, in Tone VI—

Be glad, O land of Estonia! O land of Russia, and thou, O Baltic Sea, clap your hands! O River Neva, spread forth thy streams! For, lo! thy prince and master, who hath liberated thee with the Swedish yoke, doth celebrate his triumph in the City of God. Him do the river’s streams make glad.

Now & ever…: Dogmaticon, in the same tone—

Who doth not call thee blessed, O all-holy Virgin? Who will not hymn thine all-pure birthgiving? For the only-begotten Son Who shone forth timelessly from the Father, came forth, ineffably incarnate, from thee, the pure one; and being God by nature, He became man for our sake, not divided into two Persons, but known in two natures without confusion. Him do thou beseech, O pure and most blessed one, that our souls find mercy!

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. 3 Readings:

Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and all ye that love her hold in her a general assembly. Rejoice greatly with her, all that mourn over her, that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolation, that ye may milk out, and delight yourselves with the influx of her glory. For thus saith the Lord: “Behold, I turn toward them as a river of peace, and as a torrent bringing upon them in a flood the glory of the gentiles. Their children shall be borne upon the shoulders, and comforted on the knees. As if his mother should comfort one, so will I also comfort you. And ye shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall thrive like grass; and the hand of the Lord shall be known to those who fear Him, and He shall threaten the disobedient.” Thus saith the Lord Who delivereth thee, the God of Israel.

[Is. 61: 10-62: 5]

Let my soul rejoice in the Lord; for He hath clothed me with the robe of salvation, and the garment of joy: He hath put a crown on me as on a bridegroom, and adorned me with ornaments as a bride. And as the earth putting forth her flowers, and as a garden its seed, so shall the Lord, even the Lord, cause righteousness to spring forth, and exultation before all nations. For Sion’s sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as light, and My salvation burn as a torch. And the gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and kings thy glory: and one shall call thee by a new name, which the Lord shall name. And thou shalt be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. And thou shalt no more be called Forsaken; and thy land shall not more be called Desert: for thou shalt be called My Pleasure, and the land Inhabited: for the Lord hath taken pleasure in thee, and thy land shall be inhabited. And as a young man liveth with a virgin, so shall thy sons dwell in thee: and it shall come to pass that as a bridegroom will rejoice over a bride, so will the Lord rejoice over thee.

[Is. 60: 1-14]

Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and there shall be gross darkness on the nations: but the Lord shall appear upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And kings shall walk in thy light, and nations in thy brightness. Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold thy children gathered: all thy sons have come from afar, and thy daughters shall be borne on men’s shoulders. Then shalt thou see, and fear, and be amazed in thine heart; for the wealth of the sea shall come round to thee, and of nations and peoples; and herds of camels shall come to thee, and the camels of Madiam and Gæpha shall cover thee: all from Saba shall come bearing gold, and shall bring frankincense, and they shall publish the salvation of the Lord. And all the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered, and the rams of Nabæoth shall come; and acceptable sacrifices shall be offered on My altar, and My house of prayer shall be glorified. Who are these that fly as clouds, and as doves with young ones to Me? The isles have waited for Me, and the ships of Tharsis among the first, to bring thy children from afar, and their silver and their gold with them, and that for the sake of the holy name of the Lord, and because the Holy One of Israel is glorified. And strangers shall build thy walls, and their kings shall wait upon thee: for by reason of My wrath I smote thee, and by reason of mercy I loved thee. And thy gates shall be opened continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; to bring in to thee the power of the gentiles, and their kings as captives. For the nations and the kings which will not serve thee shall perish; and those nations shall be made utterly desolate. And the glory of Lebanon shall come to thee, with the cypress, and pine, and cedar together, to glorify my holy place. And the sons of those who afflicted thee, and of those who provoked thee, shall come to thee in fear; and thou shalt be called Sion, the city of the Holy One of Israel. Because thou hast become desolate and hated, and there was no helper, therefore I will make thee a perpetual gladness, a joy of many generations. And thou shalt suck the milk of the gentiles, and shalt eat the wealth of kings: and shalt know that I am the Lord Who saveth and delivereth thee, the Holy One of Israel.

At Litia, the sticheron of the temple, and these stichera, in Tone IV—

Let the new Israel rejoice in Him who created it, and let the children of Russia rejoice in their prince, the right-believing Alexander Nevsky. For, lo! the King of kings hath crowned him with a royal diadem.

Even though thou didst exercise dominion over us, O right-believing Prince Alexander, yet do we call thee servant of God. While exercising dominion over us, thou didst confess thine own Lord. Him didst thou serve, and from Him hast thou heard the words: “O blessed servant, good and faithful, enter into the joy of thy Lord!”

Deluded were the Pharisees, who said: “Have any of the rulers believed on Him?” For, behold! the right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky hath believed on Jesus crucified, and hath pleased Him with piety, and received eternal salvation.

Truly thou wast a faithful and wise steward, O Alexander, whom the Lord set over His servants, the Russian people. Blessed art thou, for when the Lord came to thee at the hour of thy demise, He found thee doing good works; and He hath set thee over all His property in heaven.

Glory…, in Tone I—

Be glad today, O peoples of Russia! Join chorus, ye princes and authorities! For, lo! the right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky, who shared both your flesh and your authority, joineth chorus with the angels in heaven, and summoneth all his kinfolk—his fellow rulers and those under their governance—to a ­spiritual festival. And he prayeth to the Lord for all.

Behold, the prophecy of Isaiah hath been fulfilled, for the Virgin hath given birth, and after giving birth hath remained a virgin as before. For God was born: therefore He began nature anew. O Mother of God, disdain not the supplications of thy servants, which are offered unto thee in thy temple; but as thou bearest the Compassionate One in thine arms, have pity on thy servants, and beseech Him, that our souls be saved.

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 for the Forerunner, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Called from on high…”—

O thou who art the divine mediator between the old and the new testaments, the prophet and forerunner, an angel in the flesh, the denouncer of lawlessness, the offspring of the womb of a barren woman, a fire-breathing mouth: thou didst upbraid Herod, who committed iniquity. And, unable to endure thy denunciation, he commanded that thy head be cut off; and it was brought in on a platter like food of abstinence, divine delight, continually denouncing the adulterer.

Incited by her iniquitous mother, the iniquitous daughter asked for thine all-­glorious head which is cherished by the angels; for she was unable to endure thy denunciation. Wherefore, bearing it on a platter, and dancing as she carried it, she turned the joy of those at the banquet into lamentation. Yet thou dost continually denounce the abomination of fornication, O blessed one. Entreat Christ, that our souls be saved.

Rendered foolish by drunkenness, Herod was carried away by adultery and voices entwined in song, and in fulfillment of his unrighteous oath he caused the murder of thee, the righteous prophet, O glorious one. But thy death manifestly announced immortality to those who had died before; for thou becamest for those in hades a preacher and herald, proclaiming the saving advent of Christ our God. Him do thou entreat, that He save and enlighten our souls.

And 3 stichera of the holy hierarchs, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “O most lauded martyrs…”—

O most blessed Alexander, thou wast a shepherd of the Church and a champion of Orthodoxy, having wisely cast down the heresy of Arius, and thou didst pray with supplications, O all-wise and glorious one, that his soul be cast, in its wickedness, into vile places. Wherefore, we honor thee together.

O honorable John, thou didst disdain the corruption of the flesh, and in thine abstinence and faith, thy vigilance and confession, thou wast found to be an earthly angel and a heavenly man. Entreat Christ, that He grant unto our souls great mercy.

O wise one, thou didst truly submit to the divine teachings of Paul, and didst hasten to the heights of the virtues as to the third heaven, O glorious one, and didst hear the ineffable and divine words of the Spirit. O blessed Paul, thou immovable foundation of the Orthodox, by thy supplications render the Savior merciful to us.

Glory…, in Tone VI—

Again doth Herodias rage insanely, again is she vexed. O what deceitful dancing, what a feast of deception! The Baptist is beheaded, and Herod is troubled. Through the supplications of Thy forerunner, O Lord, grant peace to our souls.

Seeing Thee crucified, O Christ, she who gave Thee birth cried aloud: “What is this strange mystery which I behold, O my Son? How is it that Thou diest, suspended in the flesh on the Tree, O Bestower of life?”