At Great Vespers

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

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: As one valiant among the martyrs…” —

Now & ever…: Dogmatic theotokion, in the same tone —

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

As is meet, let us hymn the divinely eloquent Nicodemus, the dwelling-place of grace, the divinely inspired interpreter who was guided by the Holy Spirit, the clarion blown by God, announcing the word of grace in the world, the ineffable glory of God and immaterial gifts of life.

Now & ever…: Theotokion —

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

O Nicodemus, whose heart was enlightened by the divine Spirit, from thy mouth thou didst pour forth a sea of doctrines upon the Church, and didst abundantly irrigate its meadows with the discourse of the grace given thee, O father, as David saith; and thou bringest joy to the assemblies of the pious by thy wisdom.

Now & ever…: Theotokion, or this Stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel.: “Having set all aside…” —

Celebrating thy most holy memory, O Nicodemus, we hymn thee as a new and radiant lamp illumining the Church with thy divine words, as a teacher of piety, as a divinely wise mouth of miraculous virtues, as a preacher of the higher life and a harp of hymns most sweet.

And 3 stichera, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…” —

The abundant grace of the all-holy Spirit dwelt within thy soul, O wise one; and having first cleansed it with the rewards of the virtues, it made thee a divine vessel and a divinely inspired word. O thy most wise teachings, O Nicodemus, whereby we are all ever taught the higher life! Twice

Like a noetic wellspring thou hast poured forth torrents of doctrines, which sweeten the hearts of the faithful more than honey, O Nicodemus; and by thine understandings and works thou hast been shown to be a treasury of all wisdom and a coffer containing divine effulgence, imparting correction unto all who piously follow thy teaching, O Father.

Glory…, in Tone VI —

Today the memorial of Nicodemus, the venerable teacher of heavenly mind, hath shone forth for us like a luminary of the morning, enlightening the Church. Come, therefore, ye who love his words, and in spirit and truth let us celebrate, crying out to him: Rejoice, thou who madest thy mind a habitation of the Holy Spirit by thy virtuous life! Rejoice, divinely inspired treasury of wisdom, wherein lieth an inexhaustible wealth of the most divers wisdom! Rejoice, godly scion of Naxos, adornment of the Holy Mountain, and divinely wise instructor of the whole Church! O father, intercede, we pray, in behalf of our souls!

Who doth not call thee blessed, O all-holy Virgin? Who will not hymn thine all-pure birth–giving? 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. Three readings:

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for Himself. As gold in the furnace hath He tried them and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. They that put their trust in Him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with Him: for grace and mercy is to His saints, and He hath care for His elect.

The righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the Most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall He cover them, and with His arm shall He protect them. He shall take to Him His jealousy for complete armor, and make the creature His weapon for the revenge of His enemies. He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment for an invincible shield. His severe wrath shall He sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with Him against the unwise. Then shall the right-aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them. Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty. Hear, therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. For power is given you by the Lord, and sovereignty from the Most High.

Though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest. For honorable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years. But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age. He pleased God, and was beloved of Him: so that living among sinners he was translated. Yea, speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind. He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time: for his soul pleased the Lord; therefore hasted He to take him away from among the wicked. This the people saw, and understood not, neither laid they up this in their minds: that His grace and mercy is with His saints, and that He hath respect unto His chosen.

At Litia, these stichera idiomela —

In Tone I: Rejoice in the Lord, O glorious Athos, thou chosen portion of the Mother of God! For, lo! within thee, like a pillar of light reaching up to the heavens, is revealed the divinely wise Nicodemus, who is pleasing unto God in wisdom and godly in virtues; for by his blameless life he inherited the splendor of life on high, and, emitting everywhere the rays of the gifts of the Spirit, he guideth to deeds of light those who in compunction cry aloud unto God: O Lord, glory be to Thee!

In Tone II: Living an ascetic life, thou didst make what is baser subject to that which is higher, O Nicodemus. Thou didst unite thyself unto God with ever-flowing prayer, and from this blessed bond didst straightway learn that which is divine, and, like the godly Paul, didst hear ineffable words. And thou didst set forth in writing what thou didst master by thine activity. Wherefore, like divine light thy words shine forth from the rising of the sun even unto its setting, unto the enlightenment of those who cry: O Lord, glory be to Thee!

In Tone III: Pouring forth philosophy, thou wast shown to be an instrument of theology and a most excellent recorder of the mysteries of the spiritual life; for having done so, thou teachest, and the brief words of the fathers, as saith Isaiah, thou dost in many ways reveal by the power of active discourse and the beauty of God-given wisdom, O greatly wise Nicodemus. For divine grace poured forth from thy mouth and hath revealed thee to be a book of all that is ineffable, unto the salvation of those who cry: O Lord, glory be to Thee!

In Tone IV: Like lilies of the Spirit do thy divinely inspired books emit the fragrance of the life which issueth from Eden, O most blessed Nicodemus; for in thy pure life was the perfume of Christ made manifest, and with the blossoming of thy words thou dost dispel the fœtor of the passions: for like phials of sweet fragrance thy mouth filleth us abundantly with thy writings, enabling us to recognize the virtues and the treasury of divine dogmas, unto the salvation of those who cry: O Lord, glory be to Thee!

Glory…, in the same tone —

O ye multitudes of the reverent, as is fitting let us bless the great Nicodemus, most wise among the venerable and venerable among the learned: for, having sanctified himself by asceticism, he became the mouth of the Comforter, and, as David saith, he mystically proclaimed divine wisdom in the midst of the Church, wherewith he hath raised the souls of the Orthodox to understand and seek that which is higher; and he thundered against the assemblies of the heretics, for his sound hath gone forth into all the earth, unto the glory of Christ God, the Savior of our souls.

From all misfortunes preserve thy servants, O blessed Theotokos, that we may glorify thee, the hope of our souls.

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Joy of the ranks of heaven…” —

With rays of miracles dispel every sickness of our infirmity, freely extending grace to us, and enrich us with the gifts of the Master Who hath taken on His shoulders the afflictions of mortals on earth.

Having first been trained well as physicians, ye cleansed away the illnesses of all with faith; and in latter times, having armed yourselves spiritually, ye divinely dispel the symptoms of spiritual sickness.

Having received grace freely from Christ God, ye heal the ailments of all without fee, O unmercenary ones, and cleanse not only our infirmities, but even reasonably treat cattle, in that ye are merciful.

And 3 stichera in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast given a sign…” —

Like rivers in full flood and manifestly overflowing with spiritual waters, ye irrigate creation with divine signs and the all-glorious gifts of healing, dry up soul-corrupting passions, heal infirmities, and expel evil spirits, O God-bearing unmercenaries, intercessors for our souls.

Having subdued the irrational passions, O holy ones, with spiritual powers, ye impart well-being to men and cattle, having been enriched by Christ with the gift of healings. Wherefore, celebrating your sacred and radiant solemnity, we ask cleansing for our souls.

Your divine temple hath been shown to be like a splendid heaven of salvation, which now displayeth salvific miracles like stars, and the divine working of healings like a radiant sun, O all-blessed Cosmas and all-glorious Damian, ye servants of the Lord and intercessors for our souls.

Glory…, in Tone VI —

Boundless is the grace of the saints, which they have received from Christ. Wherefore, their relics continually work miracles through the power of God, and their names, when invoked with faith, heal incurable sicknesses. Through them, O Lord, free us also from the passions of soul and body, in that Thou lovest mankind.

Of old, when the unblemished ewe-lamb, the immaculate Mistress, beheld her Lamb upon the tree of the Cross, she exclaimed maternally and cried out, marvelling: “O Child most sweet, what is this new and all-glorious sight? How is it that the ungrateful assembly hath given Thee over to the judgement-seat of Pilate and condemneth the Life of all to death? Yet do I hymn Thine ineffable condescension, O Word!”