At Vespers

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

Glory..., the composition of Anatolius, in Tone IV—

On “Lord, I have cried...,” 8 stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel: “Called from on high...”—

Now & ever..., Theotokion—

Glory..., the composition of Andrew of Jerusalem, or of Anatolius, in Tone VIII—

When the hypostatic Effulgence of the Father’s glory appeared, depicted by the light of the Forerunner, desiring, in His loving-kindness, to save the human race, then wast thou the first to have recourse unto Him, O glorious one, being enlightened in mind by the most perfect radiance of His divinity, thenceforth becoming the preacher and apostle of Christ our God. Him do thou beseech, that He save and enlighten our souls. Thrice

When the all-holy Word became incarnate, granting us life, heralded by the voice of the Forerunner, announcing the glad tidings of salvation unto those on earth, then didst thou dedicate thyself to Him as first fruits, as the best of offerings, and didst proclaim Him as our God to thy kinsman. Him do thou beseech, that He save and enlighten our souls. Thrice

Having been the disciple of Him Who sprang forth from a barren woman, the teacher of piety and chastity, who showed the way to purity, when the Offspring of the Virgin shone forth, then wast thou a most fervent lover of virtue, O blessed Andrew, and, making ascent within thy heart, thou wast caught up from glory to the ineffable glory of Christ our God. Him do thou beseech, that He save and enlighten our souls. Twice

Leaving behind the netting of fish, O apostle, thou dost trap men with the rod of thy preaching, lowering the lure of piety as a hook and drawing forth all the nations from the depths of falsehood, O apostle Andrew, who art the blood relation of the preëminent one. O clarion-voiced herald of the whole world, fail not in thy prayers in behalf of us who with love and faith ever praise thine honored memory.

Now & ever..., of the forefeast, in the same tone—

Dance thou, O Isaiah! Receive the Word of God! Prophesy unto the Maiden Mary: The bush shall burn with fire, yet shall not be consumed by the effulgence of the Godhead! Adorn thyself, O Bethlehem! Throw wide thy gates, O Eden! Come, ye magi! behold Salvation wrapped and lain in the manger, Whose star hath shone above the cave, the Lord and Bestower of life, Who saveth our race.

Entrance. Prokimenon of the Day. Three Readings:

Reading from the General Epistle of Peter

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by those who have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He Who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written: Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, Who raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To Whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture: Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he who believeth on Him shall not be confounded.

Reading from the General Epistle of Peter

Beloved, Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to him who judgeth righteously: Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by Whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Reading from the General Epistle of Peter

Beloved, forasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: who shall give account to Him Who is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For, for this cause was the Gospel preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent love among yourselves: for love shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ: to Whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

At the Litia, the sticheron of the temple, and these stichera of the apostle, the composition of Andrew of Jerusalem, Archbishop of Gortyna in Crete—

In Tone I: The apostle Andrew, O Lord, the first-called disciple and emulator of Thy suffering, patterning himself on Thee, led to Thee those who once were deceived in the depths of ignorance, drawing them forth with the hook of Thy Cross. Wherefore, saved, we, the faithful, cry out to Thee: Through his prayers, O All-good One, calm Thou our lives and save our souls.

O ye faithful, let us hymn Andrew, the kinsman of Peter, the disciple of Christ; for, once, dragging the sea with nets, he caught fish; but now with the rod of the Cross he ensnareth the whole world and doth convert the Gentiles from deception to baptism. And, standing before Christ, he entreateth peace for the world and great mercy for our souls.

Receiving within his heart the noetic Fire which illumineth thoughts and consumeth sins, the apostle and disciple of Christ shineth forth the mystic rays of his teachings into the hearts of unenlightened pagans. And he burneth up the fabulous contrivances of the gentiles as though they were kindling, for the fire of the Spirit hath such power. O strange and fearsome wonder! A tongue of clay, a nature of clay, a body of dust receiveth noetic and immaterial knowledge! Yet, O initiate of ineffable mysteries and beholder of heavenly things, pray thou that our souls be enlightened!

In Tone VIII: Seeing the longed-for God walking upon the earth in the flesh, O first-called beholder of God, rejoicing, thou didst cry out to thy blood kinsman: “We have found the Desired One, O Simon!” And to the Savior didst thou cry out with the words of David: “As the hart panteth after the fountains of water, so panteth my soul after Thee, O Christ God!” Thence, adding desire to desire, by thy cross thou hast passed over to Him Whom thou didst desire, as a true disciple and wise emulator of His sufferings on the Cross. Wherefore, sharing in His glory, do thou pray earnestly in behalf of our souls.

Let us praise Andrew, the preacher of the Faith and servant of the Word, for he hath drawn forth men from the abyss, wielding the Cross instead of a rod; and lowering a line of power, he bringeth souls up from the deception of the enemy, and doth ever offer them to God as an acceptable gift. Let us praise him, ye faithful, among the choir of the disciples of Christ, that he may pray with them, that Christ be merciful unto us on the day of judgment.

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