At Great Vespers

Glory..., in Tone V: Spec. Mel: “Let us trumpet forth...” —

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

Now & ever…: the Dogmatic theotokion, in the same tone —

At the blessing of the loaves, the troparion of Demetrius, twice, and “Virgin Theotokos, rejoice...,” once.

On “Lord, I have cried...,” 8 stichera: 4 in Tone II: Spec. Mel: “When from the Tree...” —

Now & ever…: Theotokion, the composition of Patriarch Germanus, in the same tone —

O glorious martyr Demetrius, like a radiant star dost thou ever illumine thy native land; for thou dost ever protect it from the destruction wrought by the foe, and dost deliver it from misery and every tempest. Wherefore, O blessed one, it doth joyously offer praise unto thee, celebrating thine annual commemoration, hymning with faith and love the Lord Who hath glorified thee. Twice

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

O martyr and passion-bearer of Christ, holy Demetrius, thou dost illumine the world with miracles like the sun. Wherefore, on the day of thy commemoration we all delight in thy wonders, O blessed one, keeping festival with faith. Thus, as thou hast boldness before the Lord, beseech Him to save thy servants from corruption and tribulations.

Thy side was pierced by spears for the sake of the Savior Whose side was pierced on the Cross; for with love didst thou emulate Him in thy wounds, O passion-bearer Demetrius, revealing unto all the steadfastness of thy witness. Wherefore, the tyrant fell wounded, receiving the shaft of thy confession, O athlete of Christ.

And 4 in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel: “O all-glorious wonder...” —

O most glorious wonder! Today, on the commemoration of the martyr Demetrius, joy hath shone forth in heaven and on earth. He is crowned with praises by the angels and receiveth hymns from men. O, how he suffered! How well he fought the fight! Thereby was the evil foe brought low when Christ vanquished him. Twice

O most glorious wonder! With rays of miracles brighter than the sun doth Demetrius ever enlighten the ends of the earth, he that is illumined with the never-fading light and delighteth in the Light unwaning. By his rays have clouds of barbarians been dispelled, infirmities driven away, and the demons vanquished.

O most glorious wonder! The thrice-blessed Demetrius, pierced for the sake of Christ, hath ever shown himself to the foe as a two-edged sword, hewing down the uprisings of the enemy and casting down the audacity of the demons. Let us cry out to him: O holy Demetrius, save us that ever faithfully honor thee with love!

Glory…: The composition of Byzantius, in Tone VI —

Today the universal festival of the passion-bearer doth call us together. Come, then, O ye who love the feasts of the Church, and let us radiantly celebrate his commemoration, saying: Rejoice, thou who didst rend the robe of ungodliness with faith and didst clothe thyself in manliness of spirit! Rejoice, thou who didst wreck the schemes of the alien one with the might given thee by the One God! Rejoice, thou who in thy pierced limbs didst spiritually portray the suffering of Christ for us! Him do thou entreat, O Demetrius, adornment of athletes, that we be delivered from enemies, visible and invisible, and that our souls be saved!

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 lessons:

Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Turn from heaven, and look from Thy holy habitation and from Thy glory. Where is Thy zeal and Thy strength? Where is the abundance of Thy mercy and of Thy compassions, that Thou hast withdrawn Thyself from us? For Thou art our Father. Though Abraham knew us not, and Israel did not acknowledge us, yet do Thou, O Lord our Father, deliver us. Thy name hath been upon us from the beginning. Why hast Thou caused us to err, O Lord, from Thy way, and hast hardened our hearts, that we should not fear Thee? Return for Thy servants’ sake, for the sake of the tribes of Thine inheritance, that we may inherit a small part of Thy holy mountain. We are become as at the beginning, when Thou didst not rule over us, and Thy name was not called upon us. If Thou wouldst open the heavens, trembling will take hold upon the mountains from Thee, and they shall melt, as wax melteth before the fire; and fire shall burn up the enemies, and Thy name shall be manifest among the adversaries. At Thy presence the nations shall be troubled, whenever Thou shalt work gloriously; trembling from Thee shall take hold upon the mountains. From of old we have not heard, neither have our eyes seen a God beside Thee, and Thy works which Thou wilt perform for those who wait for mercy. For these blessings shall happen to those who work righteousness, and they shall remember Thy ways. And now, O Lord, Thou art our Father, and we are clay, all of us the work of Thine hands. Be not very wroth with us, and remember not our sins forever; but look now upon us, for we are all Thy people.

Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Thus saith the Lord: “I remember the kindness of thy youth, and the love of thine espousals, in following the Holy One of Israel,” saith the Lord. Israel was the holy people to the Lord, and the first-fruits of His increase. “All who devoured him shall offend; evils shall come upon them,” saith the Lord. Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and every family of the house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord: “What trespass have your fathers found in Me, that they have revolted far from Me, and gone after vanities, and become vain? And they said not, ‘Where is the Lord, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who guided us in the wilderness, in an untried and trackless land, in a land which no man at all went through, and no man dwelt there?’ And I brought you to Carmel, that ye should eat the fruits thereof, and the good thereof; and ye went in, and defiled My land, and made Mine inheritance an abomination. The priests said not, ‘Where is the Lord?’, and they who held by the law knew Me not. The shepherds also sinned against Me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after that which profited not. Therefore, I will yet plead with you, and will plead with your children’s children. For go to the isles of Kittim, and see; and send to Kedar, and observe accurately, and see if such things have been done; if the nations will change their gods, though they are not gods: but My people have changed their glory, for that from which they shall not be profited. The heavens are amazed at this, and are sore stricken with horror,” saith the Lord.

Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon (4:7-15).

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 loved 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 concupiscence 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 it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, that His grace and mercy is with His saints, and that He hath respect unto His chosen.

At Litia, the sticheron of the temple, and these stichera for the greatmartyr —

The composition of George the Sykeiote —

In Tone I: Be thou glad in the Lord, O city of Thessalonica! Rejoice and hold chorus, splendidly arraying thyself with faith, for thou hast as a treasure within thy bosom Demetrius, the most glorious passion-bearer and witness to the truth. Delight thou in his miracles, behold the healings he worketh, and gaze upon him who casteth down the audacity of the aliens; and cry out in thanksgiving unto the Savior: O Lord, glory to Thee!

The composition of Anatolius —

With the beauty of hymns let us brighten this day, and let us proclaim the struggles of the martyr; for the great Demetrius moveth us to praise. For, having manfully repelled the assaults of the demons, he zealously entered the stadium; and, having gloriously carried off the trophies of victory, he entreateth the Savior, that our souls be saved.

The composition of Germanus —

In Tone II: O wise Demetrius, Christ God hath rightly set thy soul in the dwellings on high; for thou wast a champion of the Trinity and, hard as adamant, thou didst manfully suffer in the arena; and pierced in thine incorrupt sides, O most honored one, emulating Him Who was pierced on the Tree for the salvation of the whole world, thou didst receive the gift of working miracles, richly bestowing healings upon men. Wherefore, today we celebrate thy repose as is meet, glorifying the Lord Who hath glorified thee.

Let us make haste with faith and love, let us cry out hymns of jubilation, and let us all clap our hands during this festival of our chief leader. Let the armies of heaven rejoice over him who was pierced for the King and Lord Who was pierced with a spear, and who boldly cast down the audacity of Lyæus. Let the earth and the sea marvel at the most glorious signs wrought by the radiant luminary. Let the young praise, as is fitting, him who teacheth restraint to youth, the support of old age, the intercessor amid misfortunes, the enricher of the destitute, the guide on the good path, the ally in time of war, O city of Thessalonica, and in prayer let us say: O most glorious Demetrius, go thou before us and rescue us from every need, and save thy servants by thy supplications.

Let us sound the trumpet of hymns, for the Virgin Mother, the Queen of all, bending down from on high, with blessings crowneth those who hymn her. Let kings and princes make haste hither, and let them clap their hands in hymns to the Queen who gave birth unto the King Who, in His love for mankind, was well pleased to loose those who afore were held fast by death. O pastors and teachers, assembling, let us praise the all-pure Mother of the good Shepherd, the golden lampstand, the Light-bearing cloud, who is more spacious than the ­heavens, the animate tabernacle, the fiery throne of the Master, the golden jar that held the Manna, the portal of the Word which was shut, the refuge of all Christians; and praising her with divinely eloquent hymns, let us say thus: O palace of the Word, vouchsafe the kingdom of heaven unto us, the lowly, for naught is impossible for thy mediation.

At the aposticha, these stichera of the earthquake, the composition of Symeon of the Wondrous Mountain:

In Tone II: When the earth trembled with fear at Thy wrath, the mountains and hills quaked, O Lord; but, regarding us with the eye of Thy compassion, be Thou not wroth with us in Thine anger, but, taking pity on the works of Thy hands, free us from the terrible threat of earthquake, in that Thou art good and lovest mankind.

Stichos: He looketh on the earth and maketh it tremble.

In Tone IV: Awesome art Thou, O Lord, and who can abide Thy righteous wrath? Who can entreat Thee? Who can render Thee mild toward Thy sinful and despairing people, O Good One? The ranks of heaven: the angels, authorities, principalities, thrones, dominions, cherubim and seraphim, cry out to Thee in our behalf: Holy, holy, holy art Thou, O Lord! Disdain not the works of Thy hands, and in the compassion of Thy mercy save Thou Thine imperiled city.

Stichos: Thou madest the earth to quake and troubled it.

Because of their offenses, the Ninevites heard the threat of destruction by earthquake; yet, through the resurrection of Jonah in the intermediate sign of the whale, made entreaty. Thus, taking pity on Thy people and their babes and cattle, Thou didst accept their cry. So also take pity and have mercy on us who are being chastised, for the sake of Thine own rising on the third day.

Glory…: the composition of Anatolius, in Tone VIII —

O ever-memorable Demetrius, thy most blessed and immaculate soul hath the heavenly Jerusalem as a dwelling place, whose walls have been adorned by the all-pure hands of the invisible God. And on earth thy most eminent temple doth possess thy most precious and much-suffering body as an inviolate treasury of miracles, a medicine for infirmities; and having recourse thereto we draw forth healings. O all-praised one, from the assaults of the adversary preserve this city which magnifieth thee, for thou hast boldness before Christ, Who hath glorified thee.

O unwedded Virgin who ineffably conceived God in the flesh, Mother of God Most High: accept the entreaties of thy servants, O most immaculate one, granting unto all cleansing of transgressions; and, accepting now our supplications, pray thou that we all be saved.