At Great Vespers

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

A Reading from Genesis

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera: 4 in Tone II —

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

A Reading from the Prophecy of Ezekiel

Come, let us rejoice in the Ever-virgin for her goodness! Come, let us pay homage to our Queen, the Theotokos! Come, let us fall down before and kiss her icon “of the three hands”, which, through the will of the most immaculate Virgin, was borne to the Monastery of Khilandar by an ass whom no one guided! And making obeisance before her, let us pray with compunction: O our most merciful protectress and helper, help and protect us against all misfortunes of soul and body, and grant us a sinless life, that we may conceive and bear the fruits of repentance! Twice

A Reading from Proverbs

O Virgin Theotokos, Mother of loving-kindness, speedy comfort for the sick and grieving: Show forth thy mercy even upon us who are in grief and abide in sins. With goodly knowledge illumine our hearts, which are benighted by ignorance, and dispel the darkness of falsehood.

Wisdom hath built a house for herself and set up seven pillars. She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine in a bowl and prepared her table. She hath sent forth her servants, calling with a loud proclamation to the feast, saying: “Whoso is foolish, let him turn aside to me.” And to those who want understanding, she saith: “Come, eat of my bread, and drink wine which I have mingled for you. Leave folly, that ye may reign forever; and seek wisdom, and improve understanding by knowledge.” He that reproveth evil men shall get dishonor to himself; and he that rebuketh an ungodly man shall disgrace himself. Rebuke not evil men, lest they should hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give an opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser: instruct a just man, and he will receive more ­instruction. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the counsel of the law is the character of a sound mind. For in this way thou shalt live long, and years of thy life shall be added to thee.

All the generations of men offer gifts of right goodly praise unto thee as the Queen and Mother of God. Hierarchs preach concerning thee, priests bless thee, monks and laymen offer thee reverence, as do people of every age and class; and we flee beneath thy protection. Protect and preserve us by thy supplications, and save our souls from misfortunes.

And 4 stichera, in Tone IV —

O our all-holy Mistress, the Theotokos, while they declare the glory of God the heavens likewise proclaim thy glory: for by the all-wondrous journey of thine icon “of the three hands” thou didst astonish the whole land of Serbia; through its miraculous appearance all of Athos hath been sanctified; and in its arrival the Monastery of Khilandar rejoiced greatly. Wherefore, we also cry aloud unto thee: O Mother, thou art our hope! Be thou our protection, help and aid! Twice

O all-pure Virgin, Mother of the Lord Most High, who, after God, is like unto thee in heaven or on earth? For in glory and honor thou dost surpass the denizens of heaven and all mortals. In thy precious icon “of the three hands” thou didst come to the Monastery of Khilandar, where even now thou abidest and rulest as abbess. Remain with us forever, granting us great and rich mercy.

O all-good Virgin Theotokos, in thy loving presence the Monastery of Khilandar is shown to be the city of heaven and an ever-radiant temple, wherein thy miraculous icon “of the three hands” is displayed as a great treasure; and, bowing down before it, we kiss it with joy and fear, and cry out to thee: Illumine us also with the radiance of the grace of thine aid!

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone V —

Today all the Christ-loving lands rejoice; the divinely praised Holy Mountain of Athos joineth chorus; and the honorable Monastery of Khilandar is glad: for the glory of the Mother of God hath shone forth upon all in the all-glorious journey of her icon “of the three hands”. And, kissing it with love, we reverently gaze upon the Ever-virgin and cry out unto her: O most merciful Mistress, thou once didst tell us: “My grace and power are with this icon.” And we truly believe what thou didst say, O Theotokos, for in this icon thou hast been with us to this day. Wherefore, we cry aloud unto thee: Thy mercy is ineffable! Henceforth abide with us forever!

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. Three readings:

Jacob went forth from the well of the oath, and departed unto Harran, and came to a certain place and slept there, for the sun had gone down; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it at his head, and lay down to sleep in that place, and dreamed, and beheld a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended on it. And the Lord stood upon it, and said, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac. Fear not; the land on which thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the sand of the earth; and it shall spread abroad to the sea, and to the south, and to the north, and to the east; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed. And behold, I am with thee to preserve thee continually in all the way wherein thou shalt go; and I will not desert thee, until I have done all that I have said to thee.” And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said, “The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not!” And he was afraid, and said, “How fearful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

Thus saith the Lord: “It shall come to pass from the eighth day and onward, that the priests shall offer your wholeburnt-offerings on the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you,” saith the Lord. Then He brought me back by way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that looketh eastward; 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; for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it, and it shall be shut. For the Prince, He shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord; He shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go forth by the way of the same.” And He brought me in by the way of the gate that looketh northward, in front of the house; and I looked, and, behold! the house was full of the glory of the Lord.

At Litia, these stichera, idiomela —

In Tone I: Rejoice, O Mother of mercy, for thou dost inexhaustibly pour forth upon us sinners the gifts of thy grace. By thine intercession before thy beloved Son and our God thou healest the wounds of our sins. How many sinners who have called upon thee with tears hast thou all-mercifully rescued from the very depths of their fall and vouchsafed to enter eternally into blessed joy? Wherefore, we cry aloud unto thee: Glory to thee, O all-merciful Mother!

The venerable John of Damascus, the earthly angel and heavenly man, possessed of ardent love for thee, O Virgin Theotokos, prayed with compunction before thine icon. Yet through the intrigues of the iniquitous iconoclastic emperor his right hand was cut off. But, asking it of the infidel tyrant, with tears he prayed to thee before thy precious icon, that thou heal it, and thou didst speedily hearken to his entreaty, and, appearing to him in a dream, didst grant him healing of his severed hand.

In Tone II: A great wonder was wrought through thine icon, O most hymned Mother of God, which no one can explain: How was the severed right hand of the venerable one healed in a single night and found to be whole, the only sign of its former wound being a red mark about his wrist? But knowing thee to be the comforter of the sorrowful and healer of souls and bodies, we are truly aware that nought is impossible for thee, and with all our soul we cry out to thee: Glory to thee, O Queen of heaven!

Glory…, Now & ever…: Idiomelon, in Tone III —

Let the heavens be glad, and let all born on earth rejoice, for the Theotokos hath shown forth her mercy, healing the severed hand of the venerable one, setting her divine icon “of the three hands” in the abbot’s place of the holy Monastery of Khilandar, and revealing to one of the monks that in her precious icon she herself desireth to rule as abbess in that monastery, where it abideth to this day and by her omnipotent intercession unceasingly granteth great mercy to all.

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

Having endured many and divers torments, O Hilarius and Proclus, together ye received radiant crowns. Wherefore, with faith we celebrate your most festive memorial, making earnest entreaty, that ye pray for us all.

O blessed Proclus, thou didst endure the laceration of thy flesh, looking forward to everlasting glory, to an abode in paradise and to the never-waning light; and dwelling therein, pray that we who hymn thee may also find enlightenment.

Like two beacons ye illumine the world with the radiance of miracles, O Hilarius and Proclus, athletes of the Lord, who dispel the darkness of the passions. Wherefore, we hymn you with joy, celebrating your memory.

And 3 stichera for the venerable one, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: “O venerable father…” —

O venerable father, from thy youth thou didst embrace the angelic life, regarding the beauties of the world as but dung; and, ever mindful of divine glory, thou didst avoid transitory glory as an insubstantial shadow. And thou sharest now in true glory, having cast down the bonds of the flesh; and, standing before the light of the threefold Sun, thou delightest in the effulgence of Christ. Him do thou beseech, to Him do thou ever pray, that He grant to the Church oneness of mind, peace and great mercy.

O venerable father, splendor of compunction, beacon for those in the darkness of despair, never-setting morning-star, all-honorable burning coal of repentance, divine pearl of the virtues, great lamp of almsgiving and prayer, intercessor for orphans and widows, lawful standard of the Church and active luminary of abstinence: entreat Christ, ever pray to Christ, that He grant to the Church oneness of mind, peace and great mercy.

O venerable father, thou wast hallowed even before thy birth, as was the most sacred Jeremiah; for to her who gave thee birth the Mother of the Lord foretold that in thee she would be given fruit, and she manifestly proclaimed that thou wouldst be given to her from thine earliest infancy. And straightway, with upright intent, she received thee, O divinely wise one, who fleddest the tumult of life and loved the life of stillness, through which thou didst pass. And thou didst plant assemblies of those like thee like sand by the wellsprings of the waters of the Spirit of God.

Glory…, in Tone VI —

O venerable father Michael, the sound of thy corrections hath gone forth into all the earth; wherefore, thou hast found the reward for thy labors in the heavens, hast destroyed hordes of the demons, and attained unto the ranks of the angels, whose life thou didst blamelessly emulate. As thou hast boldness before Christ God, ask thou peace for our souls.

The most immaculate Theotokos, beholding our Life hanging upon the Tree, cried out, lamenting maternally: O my Son and my God, save those who hymn Thee with love!