At Great Vespers

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

A Reading from Proverbs

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—

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

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

With songs let us hymn the golden clarion, the divinely inspired instrument, the unfathomable abyss of dogmas, the confirmation of the Church, the celestial mind, the golden cup which poureth forth rivers of mellifluous doctrines and watereth creation. Thrice

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

As is meet, let us honor John Chrysostom, the never-setting star who illumineth the whole world with rays of doctrines, the preacher of repentance, the golden sponge which removeth the vile wetness of ignorance and moisteneth hearts which have wasted away through sins. Thrice

In hymns let Chrysostom be magnified: the earthly angel and heavenly man, the sweet-voiced and melodious swallow, the treasury of the virtues, the unbroken stone, the paragon of the faithful, the model of martyrs, the peer of the holy angels, the equal of the apostles. Twice

Glory…, in Tone VI—

O venerable, thrice-blessed and most holy father, thou good shepherd and disciple of Christ, the Chief Shepherd, who laid down thy life for thy sheep: Do thou now, by thy supplications, O most laudable John Chrysostom, ask that we be given great mercy.

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. Three readings:

The memory of the righteous man calleth forth praises, and the blessing of the Lord is upon his head. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Out of her mouth truth proceedeth, and law and mercy she carrieth on her tongue. Hear me, then, O children, for I will speak of excellent things; and happy is the man that will keep unto my ways, for my paths are the paths of life, and the desire is fashioned of the Lord. Wherefore, I entreat you and put forth my voice before the sons of men, for I with wisdom set up everything; I have called forth counsel, understanding and knowledge. Counsel is mine and sound wisdom, mine is understanding and strength is mine. I love those who love me, and those that seek me shall find grace. Understand, then, O ye simple, the cunning, and ye uninstructed — direct your hearts unto it. Hearken unto me again, for I will speak of honorable things, and the opening of my mouth shall be right things, for my mouth shall speak truth and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him who understandeth, and right to those who find knowledge. For I will teach you the truth, so that your hope may be in the Lord and ye may be filled with the Spirit.

The mouth of the righteous droppeth wisdom, and the lips of wise men know grace. The mouths of the wise do meditate wisdom, but righteousness shall deliver them from death. At the death of a just man his hope perisheth not; for a righteous son is born for life, and in his good works he taketh hold of the fruit of righteousness. The righteous always have light, and from the Lord they acquire grace and glory. The tongue of the wise knoweth what is good, and wisdom resteth in their heart. The Lord loveth holy hearts, and all the blameless are acceptable to Him in the way. The wisdom of the Lord enlighteneth the countenance of the understanding; for she overtaketh those who desire her, and is readily seen by those who desire her. Whoso seeketh her early shall have no great travail; and whoso watcheth her shall quickly be without care. For she goeth about seeking such as are worthy of her, she manifesteth herself favorably unto them in her ways. Vice shall never prevail against wisdom. For the sake thereof I became a lover of her beauty, and sought her out from my youth; I desired to make her my spouse, for the Master of all loved her. For she is privy to the mysteries of the knowledge of God and a seeker of His works. Her labors are virtues, she teacheth chastity and prudence, justice and fortitude, which are such things as men can have nothing more profitable in their life. If a man desire much experience, she knoweth things of old, and conjectureth aright what is to come; she knoweth the subtleties of speeches and can expound dark sentences; she foreseeth signs and wonders, and the events of seasons and times. Unto all she is a counsellor of good things, for there is immortality in her, and glory in the communication of her words. Wherefore, I conversed with the Lord and besought Him, and with my whole heart I said: O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy, Who hast made all things by Thy word and ordained man by Thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the creatures which Thou hast made, and that he may order the world in holiness and righteousness: Give me wisdom which sitteth by Thy throne, and reject me not from among Thy children, for I am Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaid. Send her out of Thy heaven, from Thy holy habitation and the throne of Thy glory, that being present with me she may teach me what is well-pleasing in Thy sight. She shall guide me to understanding and preserve me in her glory. For the thoughts of mortal men are all miserable, and their devices are but uncertain.

When the righteous is praised, the people will rejoice; for his memory is immortality, because it is known with God, and with men; for his soul pleased the Lord. Love wisdom, therefore, O men, and live; desire her, and ye shall be instructed. For the beginning of her is love and the observation of the law. Honor wisdom, that ye may reign for evermore. I will tell you, and will not hide from you the mysteries of God, for he it is who is the instructor of wisdom, the director of the wise, the master of all understanding and activity. And wisdom teacheth all understanding; for in her is a spirit understanding and holy, the brightness of the everlasting light, and the image of the goodness of God. She maketh friends of God, and prophets; she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the constellations of the stars; compared with the light, she is found preëminent. She hath delivered from pain those who please her, and guided them in right paths, given them knowledge of holy things, defended them from their enemies, and given them a mighty struggle, that they might all know that godliness is stronger than all; vice shall never prevail against wisdom, neither shall judgment pass away without convicting the evil. For they said to themselves, reasoning unrighteously: Let us oppress the righteous man, let us not spare his holiness, neither need we be ashamed of the ancient gray hairs of the aged, for our strength shall be a law unto us; let us lie in wait for the righteous, for he is displeasing to us, opposeth our doings, upbraideth us with our offending the law, and denounceth to our infamy the transgressions of our training. He professeth to have the knowledge of God, and calleth himself the child of the Lord. He is become a reproof to our thoughts, and is grievous even for us to behold; for his life is not like other men’s, his ways are of another fashion. We are accounted by him as a mockery, and he avoideth our ways as filth, and pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed. Let us see if his words be true; let us test what things happen to him. Let us examine him with mockery and torture, that we may know his meekness and prove his forbearance. Let us condemn him with a shameful death, for by his own words shall he be visited. Such things did they imagine, and were deceived; for their own wickedness blinded them. As for the mysteries of God, they knew them not; neither bethought they that Thou alone art God, who hast the power of life and death, savest in time of tribulation, and deliverest from all evil; who art compassionate and merciful, givest grace to Thy saints and opposest the prideful with Thine own arm.

At the Litia, the sticheron of the temple, and these stichera of the holy hierarch, the composition of Anatolius, in Tone I—

O luminary John, mouth of golden luster, ornament of divinely wrought virtues, receptacle of mystic writings: thou wast the all-pure and incorrupt treasury of the most Holy Spirit, from whence thou hast brought gladness to the whole Church by thy salvific discourse; wherefore, having found boldness before God, amid the enjoyment of heavenly delight, pray thou for us, O most holy father.

Grace was poured forth in thy lips, O venerable father John Chrysostom, for which cause God anointed thee a high priest for His people, to shepherd His flock in holiness and righteousness. Wherefore, girded about with the armor of the Mighty One, thou didst cut down the blasphemies of heresy. And now, cease thou never to pray, that peace be granted to the world, and that our souls be saved.

The composition of the Studite, in Tone II: Praising thee with love, the great high priest and pastor, innocent and venerable, the preacher of repentance, the golden mouth of grace, we pray: Grant us thy supplications, O father, unto the salvation of our souls.

The composition of George of Nicomedia, in the same tone: Having been adorned with thy golden words as with golden ornaments, O John Chrysostom, the Church crieth out to thee: “I have drunk my fill of thy flowing golden waters, adorned with thy drink of golden honey mingled with gold; for I am brought from works to vision because of thy teachings, and am united to Christ, the noetic Bridegroom, reigning with Him.” Wherefore, assembling to honor thy memory, we also cry out: Cease thou never to pray to the Lord for us, that our souls be saved.

Thou didst receive the most elevated philosophy, O hierarch, and didst transcend the world, living above visible things; and in godly manner didst show thyself to be an undefiled reflection of God. And ever united with the Light, thou didst receive the Light and a most clearly blessed end. Pray thou, O Chrysostom, in behalf of our souls.

In Tone IV: Thou didst manifestly water the earth with words of golden luster, possessed of a body and soul flowing with gold, O most blessed one; and having by thy discourses on thy dogmas rendered all things golden, O maker of gold, and written books of golden letters, thou didst soar aloft to the heavens. Wherefore, we cry out to thee: O river and mouth of gold, entreat Christ God, that He save our souls.

Glory…, the composition of Germanus, in the same tone—

It was fitting for the queen of cities to have John as its hierarch, like a certain royal adornment and a golden clarion instructing all the ends of the earth with the dogmas of salvation, and moving all to zeal in chanting divinely splendid hymns. To him do we now cry out: O thou of golden discourse and golden mouth, entreat Christ God, that He save our souls.

Thee have we acquired as a rampart, a right tranquil haven and a confirmation, O all-pure Theotokos; wherefore, tempest-tossed amid this life, we pray: Guide us and save us.