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: 4 of the feast, in Tone VI: Spec. Mel.: “Having set all aside…”—

At the blessing of the loaves, the troparion of the saint, in Tone VIII—

A Reading from Proverbs

Raised on high, the Cross exhorteth all creation to hymn the all-pure Passion of Him Who was lifted up thereon. For thereon having slain him who slew us, in that He is merciful, He gave life unto the dead, and in the exceeding greatness of His goodness He hath made them beautiful and vouchsafed them to live in the heavens. Wherefore, rejoicing, we exalt His name, and magnify His extreme condescension. Twice

And the troparion of the feast, in Tone I—

Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon.

Moses prefigured Thee, stretching forth his arms on high, and vanquished the tyrant Amalek, O precious Cross, boast of the faithful, confirmation of sufferers, savior of all the venerable. Wherefore, creation, beholding thee lifted up, is gladdened, and keepeth festival, glorifying Christ, Who through thee hath gathered the dispersed in His extreme goodness.

O most precious Cross, who art today exalted, and about whom the ranks of angels stand in gladness, by divine command thou dost uplift all who for the stealing of the fruit were driven out and were sunk in death. Wherefore, we, the faithful, venerating thee with hearts and lips, derive from thee sanctification, crying out: Exalt ye Christ, the all-good God, and worship His divine footstool.

And 4 stichera of the saint—

In the same tone: On earth, O holy Demetrius, thou didst strive to make that which is baser subject to that which is higher, and to enslave the flesh to the spirit; wherefore, thou didst receive the archpastoral staff, wherewith thou didst shepherd well those who were right submissive, and didst drive far away the disobedient. And now thou standest in the heavens as a priest, joining chorus with the angels.

During thy lifetime, O holy hierarch Demetrius, thou didst gird thy loins with love, and, putting trust in Christ on thy feet as shoes, thou didst adorn the lamp of faith with the oil of good works; wherefore, thou hast entered into the bridal-chamber of heaven with the wise, where, standing before Christ the Master, do thou pray that, when the cry cometh at midnight, we may be ready to go forth to meet Him.

In Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…”: Having adorned thy soul with the virtues, and finished the race of this transitory life in the fear of God, thou hast found grace before God, O holy Demetrius; and, standing now before the throne of the Lord, pray thou that our souls be saved.

O good shepherd, fervent emulator of the Good Shepherd, the Son of God: hearken to us sinners, who call thine unceasing mediation to our aid, and entreat the most merciful God in our behalf, that we may escape all evils and perils, and may receive eternal blessedness, O holy hierarch Demetrius, that with thee we may glorify and hymn the Holy Trinity.

Glory…, in the same tone—

With praises let us bless the holy hierarch Demetrius, the great bishop, the Chrysostom of Russia, who, having been made a chosen vessel of the most Holy Spirit, hath been shown to be a member of the choir of the friends of God! And he prayeth that peace and length of days be granted to all Orthodox Christians, victory and triumph over their enemies, might to their native lands, and great mercy to the world.

Now & ever…, of the feast, in Tone II—

Come, all ye nations, let us worship the blessed Tree whereby everlasting righteousness hath come to be; for he who by the tree deceived our forefather Adam, is himself deceived by the Cross, and he who by tyranny held fast the royal house, falleth, cast down by a strange fall. By the blood of God the venom of the serpent is washed away, and the curse of the just condemnation was lifted by the Righteous One when He was condemned by an unjust sentence; for it was fitting that the tree be healed by a Tree, and that, by the sufferings of the Dispassionate One on the Tree, the sufferings of the condemned be loosed. Glory, O Christ our King, to Thy wise dispensation toward us, whereby Thou hast saved all, in that Thou art good and lovest mankind.

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. 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.

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 Litia, these stichera of the saint, in Tone V—

Come, ye councils of the Orthodox, let us hymn the holy hierarch who hath guided us to the knowledge of God by his teaching, the all wondrous wellspring of wonders, the all-radiant beacon of the Church, the all-wise teacher of Rostov, the all-beauteous adornment of all Russia; for he delivereth us from all evil temptations and misfortunes, and prayeth for our souls.

Thou didst tend the flock of the reason-endowed sheep of Christ well on the pasture of piety, O hierarch; wherefore, forsake not the children of thy Church after thy repose, but visit them; and, standing with the hierarchs before the Holy Trinity, pray that all be saved who with love honor the uncovering of thy precious relics, O all-praised Demetrius.

The Lord hath glorified thee with signs and wonders, O holy hierarch Demetrius; for thou drivest away evil spirits, healest the passions and enlightenest the souls of the faithful who have recourse to thy holy tomb, O converser with the angels, peer of the apostles, champion of ­Orthodoxy, who art equally enthroned with the hierarchs.

Glory…, in Tone VI—

The city hath been sanctified! The nations have been blessed! The Church of the firstborn joineth chorus in the spirit, O hierarch Demetrius, and the people cry out at the uncovering of thy precious relics: Thou art our confirmation, and in thee do we boast! Pray thou, that all who ever glorify the uncovering of thy holy relics with love may be saved.

Now & ever…, of the feast, in Tone IV—

Moses, prefiguring the activity of the precious Cross, O Christ, vanquished Amalek his adversary in the wilderness of Sinai; for when he stretched out his arms, forming the image of the Cross, he strengthened the people. And now these events have found their fulfillment in us: today the Cross is elevated and the demons flee; today all creation is freed from corruption, for gifts have shone forth upon us because of the Cross. Wherefore, rejoicing, we all fall down before it, saying: Glory to Thee, O Lord, for Thy works are magnified!

At the aposticha, these stichera of the feast, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: “Rejoice…”—

Automelon: Rejoice, O life-bearing Cross, invincible victory of piety, gate of paradise, confirmation of the faithful, rampart of the Church, whereby corruption hath been destroyed and abolished, and the power of death hath been trampled down, and we have been raised up from earth to the heavens, O invincible weapon, opponent of the demons, glory of the martyrs, true adornment of the venerable, haven of salvation, grant the world great mercy.

Stichos: Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship the footstool of His feet; for it is holy.

In the same melody: Rejoice, O Cross of the Lord, whereby mankind hath been released from the curse, thou ensign of joy, who in thine exaltation drivest away the enemy, O most honored one, our helper, dominion of kings, might of the righteous, splendor of priests, who, when traced, dost deliver from evils, staff of power, whereby we are shepherded, weapon of peace around whom the angels stand in fear, divine glory of Christ, Who granteth the world great mercy!

Stichos: God is our King before the ages, He hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.

Rejoice, O guide of the blind, physician of the ailing, resurrection of all the dead, who hast lifted us up who have fallen into corruption, O precious Cross, whereby the curse hath been annulled and incorruption hath blossomed forth, and we mortals have been deified, and the devil hath been utterly cast down! Beholding thee today uplifted in the arms of the hierarch, we exalt Him Who was lifted up upon thee, and we bow down before thee, richly drawing forth great mercy.

Glory…, of the saint, in Tone IV—

Let us rejoice, ye councils of Russia, rendering praise and blessing to Demetrius, the wonderworker of Rostov; for he labored greatly for us in the writing of spiritually profitable books, whereby those who have wandered from the true path of piety are directed to the Truth, and the hearts of the Orthodox are made steadfast in the right Faith. To him let us cry aloud: O all-wise teacher, entreat Christ, that, instructed by thy doctrine, we may receive everlasting life.

Now & ever…, the composition of John the Monk, in Tone VIII—

That which Moses prefigured with his body of old cast down and vanquished Amalek; and David the psalmist, crying out, hath commanded us to bow down before Thy footstool, Thy precious Cross, O Christ God. Today we sinners also do homage with our unworthy lips to Thee Whose will it was to be nailed thereto; and, chanting, we pray: O Lord, vouchsafe that with the thief we may receive Thy kingdom!

O lover of Orthodoxy and uprooter of schism, healer of Russia and new advocate before God, by thy writings thou didst heal the minds of the foolish. O blessed Demetrius, thou harp of the Spirit, entreat Christ God, that our souls may be saved. Twice

O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance. Grant victory unto Orthodox Christians over their adversaries, preserving Thy community by Thy Cross. Once

After the usual kathisma, on “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera of the Cross; Glory…, Now & ever…, the festal Doxasticon. (If it be Saturday evening: Glory…, the Doxasticon of the feast; Now and ever…, the Dogmaticon of the current tone.) On the aposticha, the stichera of the feast; Glory…, Now & ever…, the Doxasticon of the feast. After “Our Father”, the troparion of the feast. Dismissal.

After the usual kathisma, on “Lord, I have cried…”, 10 stichera: 4 of the resurrection, and 6 of the feast, from those chanted on the feast itself; Glory…, Doxasticon of the feast; Now & ever…, Dogmaticon of the current tone. At Litia, the stichera and Doxasticon of the feast. On the Aposticha, the resurrectional stichera; Glory…, Now & ever…, of the feast. After the blessing of the loaves, “Virgin Theotokos, rejoice!…”, twice ; and the troparion of the feast, once .