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 idiomela, in Tone II —

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —

After the Blessing of the loaves, this troparion, in Tone IV —

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

A Reading from the Prophecy of Ezekiel

O golden censer, jar and staff, radiant lamp, divine scroll whereon the Word was written by the finger of God, save us who magnify thee. Thrice

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

And this troparion, in the same tone —

A Reading from Proverbs

Grant aid unto us who place our trust in thee, O Theotokos, thou refuge of the faithful. And deliver thy servants from misfortunes, O Virgin; for on thee, after God, do we set our hope. Thrice

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

Troparion, in Tone III —

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.

O Mistress, Mother of the Deliverer, accept the supplication of thy servants who pray unto thee even though unworthily, that thou mayest pray for us unto Him Who was born of thee. O Mistress of the world, be thou our deliverer. Twice

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

After the Blessing of the Loaves, the troparion of the saint, in Tone IV —

A Reading from Proverbs

Glory…, in Tone VI —

A Reading from Proverbs

O Virgin, who didst receive the joy of the angels and gavest birth to thy Creator: save those who magnify thee.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

Now & ever…, in Tone VIII —

O Mistress, accept the supplications of thy servants, and deliver us from all want and grief.

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. Three readings:

Jacob went forth from the well of the oath, and departed into Haran. And he 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 behold 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 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 like the sand of the earth; and it shall spread abroad to the sea, and the south, and the north, and the east; and in thee and in thy seed shall all 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 bring thee back to this land; for 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 sad: “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 the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that faceth 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 faceth 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 —

In Tone VIII: O Good One, Who ridest upon the cherubim and art hymned by the seraphim, Thou didst descend from heaven as the prophets said, and madest Thine abode in the womb of the pure divine Maiden, to whom the angels mystically sang: Rejoice, O joyous Virgin, who in manner past recounting didst receive in thy womb God Who leadeth the world from unbelief unto faith. Glory to Thee, O Christ, Who alone art merciful and lovest mankind.

In Tone VII: Adorn thy chamber, O pure one, and receive thy King. Hearken to the salutation of the angel, O Virgin! For, lo! thou art the throne of the cherubim! Behold, thou hast received the King of all. Thou art a cloud of light, O Theotokos, having through the Spirit received rays in thy soul. Thee doth the divine Gabriel proclaim aloud, crying out with joy: Thou shalt give birth to a Son, the Most High, through the wondrous coming of the Spirit of God!

Adorn thyself, O holy chamber! O Gabriel, herald Christ the King! Greet Mary, the portal of heaven! For she is the throne of the cherubim newly wrought; for she is worthy to receive the cry: Rejoice! The Virgin is seen to be a cloud of light, bearing Christ, the Sun of glory, the Master of life, of death, and of all, Whom the Spirit of God caused to dwell in her womb at thy word, O all-glorious one.

Gabriel came from heaven to announce unto the Virgin Him Who shone forth from the Father before time began, and in latter days became ineffably incarnate of His Mother; and he cried: Rejoice, O pure one! Rejoice, sacred and joyous Virgin who conceived Christ God in thy womb, Whom Moses when he beheld God on Mount Sinai, foreseeing, rejoiced, and to Whom Symeon cried: Behold, the Light of the nations, the glory of Israel, and the Savior of our souls!

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone VIII —

Let us all hymn Mary the Theotokos, the Mother of God, chanting: Rejoice, O animate ladder! Rejoice, bush unconsumed! Rejoice, jar all of gold! Rejoice, flower of faith! Rejoice, staff which put forth branches! Rejoice, golden censer! Rejoice, O Virgin, thou divine mountain overshadowed! Rejoice, annulment of the curse of the first Eve! Rejoice, throne of the Lord! Rejoice, beauty of many names! Rejoice, O Mistress!

At the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “When from the Tree…” —

Thou dost intercede for all who with faith have recourse to thy mighty protection, O good one; for we sinners who ever find ourselves in tribulations and sorrows have no other deliverance unto God, weighed down as we are by many sins, O Mother of God Most High. Wherefore, we fall down before thee: Deliver thy servants from every evil circumstance.

Stichos: I shall commemorate thy name in every generation and generation.

O all-pure Mother of God Most High, thou joy of all who sorrow, helper of the oppressed, feeder of the hungry, thou art the consolation of travelers, haven for the tempest-tossed, visitation of the sick, protection and aid of the weak, staff of old age. Haste thou, we pray, that thy servants may be saved.

Stichos: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear.

Rejoice, O all-pure Virgin! Rejoice, precious scepter of Christ the King! Rejoice, thou who gavest rise to the mystic Grape! Rejoice, portal of heaven, bush unconsumed! Rejoice, universal light! Rejoice, joy of all! Rejoice, salvation of the faithful! Rejoice, O Mistress, thou helper and refuge of all Christians!

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone VIII —

Rejoice, O boast of the whole world! Rejoice, temple of the Lord! Rejoice, mountain overshadowed! Rejoice, refuge of all! Rejoice, golden lampstand! Rejoice, Mary, Mother of Christ God! Rejoice, paradise! Rejoice, divine table! Rejoice, tabernacle! Rejoice, jar all of gold! Rejoice, thou hope of all.

To the Theotokos we, the sinful and lowly, now earnestly have recourse; and we fall down in repentance, crying out from the depths of our heart: O Mistress, take pity and have mercy upon us! Haste thou, for we are perishing in the multitude of our transgressions! Turn not thy servants empty away, for thee do we have as our only hope! Twice

We shall never cease to speak of thy power, unworthy though we are, O Theotokos; for if thou hadst not interceded , who would have delivered us from so many misfortunes? Who would have kept us free until this day? We shall never depart from thee, O Mistress, for thou ever savest thy servants from all evils. Once

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

By the election of God were ye chosen to minister to the needs of the saints, as ye were full of divine wisdom, enlightenment and grace, O glorious ones. And now ye dwell in the heavens, rejoicing unceasingly with the angels.

Shown forth unto the world as radiant lamps by the grace of the Spirit, ye richly shone forth the effulgence of understanding and dispelled the gloom of evil; and, having passed on, O apostles, ye have made your abode in light never-waning.

Let the most sacred Nicanor be praised, and Parmenus and Timon, and with them let the godly Prochorus be honored, for they fulfilled the precepts of the Word and enriched those who had nothing, and pray fervently to our God.

Hurled down headlong by my vile character, I lie prostrate, but hasten to thy tranquility, O Virgin. Deliver me from the tempest of the adversary and from multifarious temptations, that I may unceasingly hymn thy grace, O Theotokos, Ever-virgin Mother.

Stavrotheotokion —

When she beheld the Lamb lifted up upon the Cross, the immaculate Virgin cried out, weeping: “O my sweet Child, what is this new and all-glorious sight? How art Thou, Who holdest all things in the palm of Thy hand, nailed in the flesh to the Tree?”

O holy apostles, entreat the merciful God, that He grant remission of transgressions to our souls.

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera: 4 in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “O all-praised martyrs…” —

A day of splendid festivity hath dawned! The angels join chorus in heaven; men rejoice on earth; and the whole assembly of the Church is glad, glorifying God Who is wondrous in His saints, Who hath revealed the holy hierarch Pitirim as a new wonderworker and intercessor for the Russian land. Twice

Rejoice, O land of Russia! Be glad, O city of Tambov! Adorn thyself, O assembly of the pious! For today the Master and Lord of all, our Savior, the heavenly High Priest, crowneth with an everlasting crown His faithful servant, the holy hierarch Pitirim, the good shepherd who prayeth fervently for his flock.

Come, O ye pious people, and behold a multitude of miracles today! By the mere invocation of the holy hierarch of God the afflicted recover their health, the demons are driven away, the sorrowful receive surcease, and the assembly of the faithful who have come together for his memorial is filled with joy.

And 4 stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…” —

Today the city of Tambov is glad as is meet, having the holy hierarch Pitirim as its helper, and with it the whole land of Russia rejoiceth in spirit; wherefore, O ye faithful, assembling to chant psalms and hymns, let us praise the all-wondrous Pitirim, the treasure of mercy and purity, the all-radiant beacon of the Church, the inexhaustible wellspring of miracles and dependable intercessor before God for those who honor his holy memory with faith and love. Twice

Thou wast shown to be a faithful keeper of the commandment of the Gospel not to lay up for thyself treasures upon the earth, O holy hierarch, wisely distributing thy possessions, building churches of God and monasteries, feeding the ­hungry and clothing the naked. Wherefore, He Who beggared Himself for our sake hath received thee into the eternal mansions. Him do thou entreat, that He grant remission of sins unto those who with faith and love honor thy holy memory.

In the throes of death thou didst utter a mighty cry unto the Lord, and in thy reverence thou wast heard; for Christ Himself appeared to thee on a cloud, indicating with His blessing that thou art His faithful servant and imparting healing unto thee. Him do thou beseech, O holy hierarch who didst behold God, that we also may meet Him on the clouds with all the saints when He shall come in glory to judge the whole world.

Glory…, in Tone V —

As in the days of the apostles the handkerchiefs and aprons of Paul wrought miracles, so today also the vestments of Pitirim, the holy hierarch of God, who was illumined with the spirit of the apostles, when placed upon the afflicted, impart the ability to walk unto the lame, the recovery of sight unto the blind, strength and power unto the paralyzed, consolation unto those who weep, hope to the despairing, and great mercy to all the faithful.

Once, the image of the Bride who knoweth not wedlock was inscribed in the Red Sea. There Moses was the parter of the waters; and here Gabriel is the minister of a miracle. There Israel traversed the deep dryshod; and now the Virgin giveth birth unto Christ without seed. The sea remained impassable after Israel had crossed; and the immaculate one remaineth incorrupt after the birth of Emmanuel. O God Who hast appeared as a man, Who existest and hast existed from the beginning: have mercy upon us!

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. And Three readings:

The memory of the just is praised, and the blessing of the Lord is upon his head. Blessed is the man who hath found wisdom, and the mortal who knoweth prudence. For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver. And she is more valuable than precious stones: no precious thing is equal to her in value. For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory: out of her mouth righteousness proceedeth, and she carrieth law and mercy upon her tongue. Hearken to me, O children, for I will speak solemn truths. Blessed is the man who shall keep my ways; for my outgoings are the outgoings of life, and in them is prepared favor from the Lord. Ye, O men, do I exhort; and utter my voice to the sons of men. I, wisdom, have built up; upon counsel, knowledge and understanding have I called. Counsel and safety are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine. I love those that love me; they that seek me shall find grace. O ye simple, understand subtlety, and ye that are untaught, imbibe knowledge. Hearken unto me again; for I will speak solemn truths. For my throat shall meditate truth; and false lips are an abomination before me. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing in them wrong or perverse. They are all evident to those that understand, and right to those that find knowledge. For I will instruct you in truth, that your hope may be in the Lord, and ye may be filled with the Spirit.

The mouth of the righteous droppeth wisdom: but the tongue of the unjust shall perish. The lips of just men drop grace: but the mouth of the ungodly is perverse. False balances are an abomination before the Lord: but a just weight is acceptable unto Him. Wherever pride entereth, there will also disgrace: but the mouth of the humble doth meditate wisdom. The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the overthrow of the rebellious shall spoil them. Possessions shall not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness will deliver from death. When a just man dieth, he leaveth regret: but the destruction of the ungodly is speedy and causeth joy. Righteousness traceth out blameless paths: but ungodliness encountereth unjust dealing. The righteousness of upright men delivereth them: but transgressors are caught in their own destruction. At the death of a just man his hope doth not perish: but the boast of the ungodly perisheth. A righteous man escapeth from a snare, and the ungodly man is delivered up in his place. In the mouth of ungodly men is a snare for citizens: but the understanding of righteous men is prosperous. In the prosperity of righteous men a city prospereth, but at the destruction of the wicked there is exultation. At the blessing of the upright a city shall be exalted, but by the mouths of ungodly men it is overthrown. A man void of understanding sneereth at his fellow citizens: but a sensible man is quiet.

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 lust 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 doth visit His chosen.

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

Today the multitude of the faithful join chorus: the company of hierarchs and priests, the assembly of monastics and laity, the elderly and children, the young and the widowed, literate and simple alike, glorify the Lord with mouth and heart, Who maketh manifest the new intercessor and wonderworker and granteth great mercy to the world.

Assembling today with faith and love, O brethren, let us praise the object of our festivity: Rejoice, O holy hierarch Pitirim, steadfast pillar of the Church! Rejoice, protector of the Russian land! Rejoice, splendid adornment of the city of Tambov! Rejoice, meek and merciful father! Rejoice, feeder of widows and orphans! Rejoice, speedy intercessor for the oppressed! Rejoice, healer of the sick who exactest no fee! Rejoice, O thou who prayest fervently for us all!

Glory…, in Tone IV —

Wondrous things are wrought today in the city of Tambov: the blind recover their sight, the lame walk again, the mute speak, the deaf hear, the paralyzed arise and the poor prosper through the intercession of the holy hierarch and wonderworker Pitirim; and they cry aloud and say: Glory to God our Savior!

Mercifully regard the supplications of thy servants, O all-immaculate one, quelling the uprisings of the cruel demons against us, delivering us from every sorrow; for thee alone have we as a steadfast and sure confirmation, and we have acquired thine intercession; let not us who call upon thee be put to shame, O Mistress. Haste thou to answer the entreaty of those who cry out to thee with faith: Rejoice, thou help, joy and protection of all, and salvation of our souls!

At the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…” —

O venerable father Pitirim, who now dost hymn the Holy Trinity with the angels and the choirs of the saints, and in thy love hast not withdrawn from us: be thou mindful of the flock which thou didst gather together, O wise one, preserving it from the soul-destroying wolves, and invisibly leading it into the fold of the kingdom of heaven.

Stichos: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

In thy lifetime thou didst become a habitation of the Holy Spirit, O Pitirim our father, having first cleansed thyself by faith and love; and, standing now before the throne of Christ, the heavenly Master of the house, pray thou earnestly to Him, that He cleanse us of the passions which harm the soul and make His abode in our hearts with the Father and the Spirit, and lead us to the kingdom of heaven.

Stichos: Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous shall rejoice.

O Pitirim our father, honored scion of the city of Vyazma, transplanted by the right hand of God to the city of Tambov, watered by the grace of the Holy Spirit and adorned with the fruits of the virtues: pray for us to Christ God, that He not hew us down like the barren fig-tree, but cause us to dwell where shineth the light of His countenance.

Glory…, in Tone VI —

Open wide the gates of heaven, O ye princes! Ye angels, bow your heads! For the King of heaven and earth Himself cometh forth and leadeth into celestial glory His faithful servant, the venerable Pitirim, the good shepherd and divinely wise teacher who, during his life, acquired angelic purity by much sweat and toil, and who spurned the corruptible glory of the world and desired the kingdom of heaven.

Christ the Lord, my Creator and Deliverer, Who came forth from thy womb, O all-pure one, and robed Himself in me, hath freed Adam from the curse. Wherefore, like the angel do we unceasingly cry out to thee, O most pure one, who art truly the Mother of God and Virgin: Rejoice! Rejoice, O Mistress, thou intercession, protection and salvation for our souls!

Teacher of faith and piety, beacon of the Church, example for monastics, O most wise and holy hierarch Pitirim: Piously hast thou tended thy flock and led it to Christ. Wherefore, though adorned in the highest with a crown of glory, thou dost abide with us on earth in spirit, radiating miracles. Entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved. Twice

And “Virgin Theotokos, rejoice…”, once.