At the Aposticha, the stichera from the Triodion; and Glory..., in Tone II—

Now and ever...: Theotokion—

Chanting a hymn unto the Savior, the forty martyrs have given the faithful to drink from the cup of truth which is filled with their blood, with the fire of their torments and icy waters; for, though one in mind, they offered themselves to Christ in many bodies. And the godly mother of a Christ-loving son, bearing him upon her shoulder, said: “Come, O athlete, and suffer with the rest!”

Then, “It is good to give praise unto the Lord...,” Trisagion, troparion, litany, and three full prostrations, the First Hour with its kathisma, and the dismissal.

Glory..., in the same tone—

O impassible portal mystically sealed, blessed Virgin Theotokos: Accept thou our supplications and bear them to thy Son and God, that through thee He may save our souls.

Now and ever...: Theotokion—

The Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours, with their kathismata, at the proper time, and the Beatitudes quickly, and the rest. At each Hour, three full ­prostrations.

ON THE SAME DAY, AT VESPERS

After the usual kathisma, on “Lord, I have cried...,” we appoint 10 stichera: 6 from the Triodion, and 4 for the martyrs—

In Tone I: The choir of forty-fold splendor, the whole army assembled by God, hath shone forth upon the Fast in their honorable sufferings, illumining and enlightening our souls. Twice

In Tone II: The martyrs considered the lake to be as paradise, and winter to be as the heat of day, O Christ God; and thoughts of the tyrants’ threats did not daunt them. Valiant, they feared not the increase of tortures, having acquired the weapon of the Cross; and therewith, as mighty, they vanquished the foe, for which they have received crowns of grace.

Who will not hymn the choir of the martyrs forty in number? For they entered the waters of the lake boldly, and, huddling together in the cold, they chanted a hymn unto the Lord: “Nay, in the rivers art Thou wroth against us, O Lord? Nay, in the rivers art Thou wroth against us, O Thou Who lovest mankind? Lighten Thou the oppression and bitterness of the wind, for our feet are empurpled with our own blood. But lead us into thine everlasting habitations, O God, and let the bosom of Abraham warm us!”

Prophetically David cried aloud in the Psalms: We went through fire and water, and Thou didst bring us out into refreshment! And ye, O martyrs of Christ, fulfilling the word in very deed, passed through fire and water and entered into the kingdom of heaven. Wherefore, pray, O ye forty athletes, that we be given great mercy.

All my hope do I set on thee, O Mother of God. Shelter me beneath thy protection.

After the Entrance (with the Gospel), Prokimenon and readings as set forth in the Lenten Triodion, and Let my prayer be set forth…:

Prokimenon of the saints, in Tone V—

Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt preserve us from this generation, and for evermore.

Stichos: Save me, O Lord, for a righteous man there is no more; for truths have diminished from the sons of men.

Reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews, §331 (Heb 12:1-10)

Brethren, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him Who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children: My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked by Him: for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.

Alleluia, in Tone IV—

Stichos: Shout with jubilation unto the Lord all the earth; chant ye unto His name, give glory in praise of Him.

Stichos: For Thou hast proved us, O God, and by fire hast Thou tried us even as silver is tried by fire.

Reading from the Gospel according to Matthew, §80 (Matt 20:1-16)

The Lord spake this parable: The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man who is a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto them: “Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you.” And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them: “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” They say unto him: “Because no man hath hired us.” He saith unto them: “Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.” So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward: “ Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.” And when they came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying: “These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden and heat of the day.” But he answered one of them, and said: “Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”

Communion verse —

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright.