ON MONDAY EVENING

At, Lord, I have cried, Prosomoia.

Stichera for the Master.

Mode pl. 2. N/M (When the saints.)

From my youth I have been wholly enslaved to the pleasures of the flesh and have become a lodging of passions of the soul that tyrannise over me; while with total lack of reason, Saviour, I have despised your commandments. But do you, who fashioned me and know our weakness, who alone are without sin, give me pardon, O Compassionate, for the sins I have committed in ignorance and knowledge, in body and in mind from my youth, O only loving and most merciful.

Who will deliver me from the death of my miserable flesh and keep my soul from hurt and from temptation? For living in enjoyment the flesh holds sway with tyrannical force and rises in rebellion against the soul, and it afflicts it again and grows weak. Ah, wretch that I am! Therefore, my Saviour, I am unable to hold out against its weakness. But, my Maker, do not let my spirit be conquered by dust, that spirit which you breathed into as you were well-pleased.

When you wish to separate me from the bonds of the flesh by your command, then spare my soul, O Immortal, sending out a gentle Angel, looking like one bringing gladness, to take me up and save me from the rulers of darkness, easily empowering me to take a fair ascent in the air and to reach the worship of your dread throne uncondemned, O God supremely good.

Additional Stichera. For the Forerunner. N/M (That woman, who was spurned.)

Condemned by my life of a wastrel, I fall down before you, who are glorified beyond all accounting, and I implore you from the depth of my heart: See the affliction of my soul, you who outshone joy. See the sores of my heart, Herald of repentance, and grant me salvation through your godly intercession, O Forerunner, as you entreat the Lord.

Wholly condemned by wickedness, wholly drowned by despair, I am utterly evil and dark. I am wholly and utterly marked by unseemly pleasures; wholly and terribly ruined and ill-treated. I fall at your footprints, blessed John. Do not cast me away, but save me, friend and Forerunner of the Lord.

Deliver my soul from the bitter death of sin and faults, O Forerunner, and make me lives by the godly works of Christ''s commandments by the power of your intercessions. Put an end to wars that are invisibly waged against me, and guide my by the straight paths of saving and eternal rest by your entreaties to God.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion. N/M (When the saints.)

Remembrance of wrongs is a sign of anger and temper is a manifestation of anger. Through them absurdities of insults shamelessly leap up from the wretched mouth, making the one who is activated by them liable to Gehenna''s fire, as it written. Therefore, soul, keep watch, flee bitter temper, anger, wrath and insolence and every foul-smelling excess, as you cry out to the Mother of God, ''My Lady, save me!''

At the Aposticha.

Aposticha. Mode pl. 2. For compunction.

I have not acquired repentance, nor yet again tears, therefore, O Saviour, I implore you, before the end turn and grant me repentance, that I may be delivered from damnation.

Verse: I lift my eyes to You, who dwell in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hands of their masters, as the eyes of the maidservant look to the hands of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God until He shall have compassion on us. [SAAS]

At your dread coming, O Christ, do not let us hear, ''I do not know you''; for we have put our hope in you, the Saviour, even though we have not done your commands through our indifference: but spare our souls we beg.

Verse: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we are greatly filled with contempt; our soul is greatly filled with it. We are a disgrace to those who prosper, and a contempt to the arrogant. [SAAS]

For the Martyrs.

The Martyrs who bore witness for your sake, O Christ, endured many torments and received the perfect crown in heaven, that they may intercede for our souls.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.

For the afflicted, transformation and liberation for the ailing are you, O Mother of God, most pure Virgin: save your City, save us all. To all those embattled, you are peace, you are calm to those tossed by the tempest the one Protection of the faithful.

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ON TUESDAY MORNING

MATINS

After the first Psalter reading, Kathismata. For compunction.

Mode pl. 2.

I think upon the fearful day and lament my evil acts. ⁄ What answer shall I give to the immortal King? ⁄ And what boldness could I have as prodigal to gaze upon the Judge? ⁄⁄ Compassionate Father, only-begotten Son and Holy Spirit, have mercy on me!

In the valley of lamentation, the place you have appointed, ⁄ when you shall sit, merciful Lord, to execute just judgement, ⁄ do not publish my secret sins, or put me to shame before the angels, ⁄⁄ but spare me, O God, and have mercy on me.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion. N/M (You are the good hope.)

O Mother of God, without the agency of a man, from your pure blood, you gave birth to the Son and Logos of God, in latter times. He was begotten of the Father before all ages, without a mother, and became incarnate of you. We pray you to entreat Him to grant us forgiveness of sins before the end.

After the second Psalter reading, Kathismata. For compunction.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; for we sinners, lacking all defence, offer you, as our Master, this supplication: have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us, for in you we have put our trust. Do not be very angry with us, nor remember our iniquities. But look on us now, as you are compassionate, and rescue us from our enemies. For you are our God, and we are your people; we are all the work of your hands, and we have called on your name.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion. Model Melody.

You are the good hope of the world, O Virgin Theotokos. * Therefore we beg for only your awe-inspiring protection. * Take pity on a people left with no defense. * Insistently supplicate our merciful God, * O only blessed Lady, to deliver our souls * from all impending danger.

After the third Psalter reading, Kathismata.

For the Forerunner. N/M (You are the good hope.)

As you show all people the ways of life, O holy John, ⁄ crying out: Prepare your hearts for the Lord, ⁄ save my soul which is burdened by sins. ⁄ Penetrate the hardness of my heart with compunction, ⁄ and save me from eternal punishment by your prayers, ⁄⁄ Forerunner of the Saviour.

For the Martyrs. N/M (When the angelic powers.)

The martyr athletes offered resistance in the ring, * contesting for the faith, and the tyrants tortured them. * The hosts of Incorporeals observed and were holding the victory medals. * The truly wise contestants amazed the tyrants and kings. * They overturned the devil by their confession of Christ. * O Lord, who strengthened them, glory to You.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.

O Theotokos, my offences are indeed very many. * To you I run, O Maiden pure, and I pray for salvation. * Visit my infirm and ailing soul, * and pray for me to your Son and our God, * to grant to me forgiveness for the evils I have done, O only blessed Lady.

Canon of Compunction.

Mode pl. 2. Ode i. Heirmos.

He became for me a helper and a shelterer for salvation. * He is my God, and I will glorify Him, * the God of my father, and Him will I exalt, * for He is greatly glorified. [SD]

Troparia.

For the Martyrs.

Theotokion.

Canon for the Forerunner.

(NM)

Theotokion.

Ode iii. Heirmos.

Establish upon the rock of Your commandments my heart, O Master, * sorely shaken as it is, O Lord. * Only You are holy, and again only You are Lord. [SD]

Troparia.

For the Martyrs.

Theotokion.

Canon for the Forerunner. (NM)

Theotokion.

Ode iv. Heirmos.

On hearing about Your advent, * O Lord, the Prophet Habakkuk of old was frightened: * that You purposed from a Virgin to be born * and appear to humankind. And thus he said: * O Lord, I have heard Your report and I am frightened. * Glory to Your power, O Lord my God. [SD]

Troparia.

For the Martyrs.

Theotokion.

Canon for the Forerunner. (NM)

Theotokion.

Ode v. Heirmos.

Early in the morning I awake from night. * Lover of man, I pray, * give me light and guide me in the way of Your commandments, * and teach me ever to do Your holy will, O Savior. [SD]

Troparia.

For the Martyrs.

Theotokion.

Canon for the Forerunner. I rise for you at dawn. (NM)

Theotokion.

Ode vi. Heirmos.

I cried aloud and shouted with all my heart * unto the tender-loving God, * and He heard my voice from the lowest depths of Hades, * and He raised my life from the pit of corruption. [SD]

Troparia.

For the Martyrs.

Theotokion.

Canon for the Forerunner. The final abyss. (NM)

Theotokion.

Ode vii. Heirmos.

We sinned, O Lord, and we broke Your law, * we behaved unrighteously before You, * and neither have we kept Your word, nor acted according to the way You commanded for us. * Yet, O God of the fathers, we pray, do not utterly deliver us up. [SD]

Troparia.

For the Martyrs.

Theotokion.

Canon for the Forerunner. In Babylon the Youths. (NM)

Theotokion.

Ode viii. Heirmos.

Him whom the hosts of the heavens glorify, * at whom quake the Cherubim and the Seraphim, * every breath and creation, * extol Him now and bless Him, * and exalt supremely, unto all the ages. [SD]

Troparia.

For the Martyrs.

Theotokion.

Canon for the Forerunner. The most blest Young Men. (NM)

Theotokion.

Ode ix. Heirmos.

The birth is ineffable, conceived without the seed of man; the unwed Mother''s * childbirth was free of all corruption. The birth of God * makes new again the natures. * And thus, in Orthodox manner all * generations magnify you as the Mother and the Bride of God. [SD]

Troparia.

For the Martyrs.

Theotokion.

Canon for the Forerunner. (NM)

Theotokion.

At the Aposticha of Lauds.

Aposticha. Mode pl. 2. For compunction.

O Savior, heal the wounds of my heart, which have grown in me because of many sins, O physician of souls and bodies. As You ever grant forgiveness of offenses to those who ask, grant me tears of repentance, and give me the remission of my debts, O Lord, and have mercy on me.

Verse: We were filled with Your mercy in the morning, and in all our days we greatly rejoiced and were glad; gladden us in return for the days You humbled us, for the years we saw evil things. And behold Your servants and Your works, and guide their sons. [SAAS]

The enemy found me naked of any virtues, so he shot me with the arrow of sin. But I pray You, the physician of souls and bodies, heal the wounds of my soul, and have mercy on me, O God.

Verse: And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the works of our hands. [SAAS]

For the Martyrs.

O Lord, if we did not have Your Saints as intercessors, and Your benevolence being compassionate towards us, how would we dare to extol You, O Savior, whom the Angels bless unceasingly? O Master who know our hearts, we pray You to spare our souls.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.

No one who has recourse to you goes from your presence put to shame and rejected, O Mother of God, pure Virgin, but asking for grace they receive gifts and benefits most advantageous to the plea they make.

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LITURGY

The Beatitudes. Mode pl. 2.

Like the robber I entreat You, O my Savior, * when You come in Your kingdom, remember me, * O Lord, and save me, O only God who loves mankind.

You accepted Peter''s weeping in repentance. * Please accept my repentance as well, O Christ. * Put me together with those who are being saved.

Holy Forerunner and Baptist of the Savior, * as the herald of repentance to all mankind, * earnestly pray that I repent wholeheartedly.

For the Martyrs.

You endured the painful suffering of torture, * O victorious Martyrs; and now you cure * mankind''s diseases. Therefore you are praised by all.

Glory.

You are glorified, O God, by all the Prophets, * as the Trinity, simple and unconfused. * Save me, through prayers of Your holy Forerunner.

Both now. Theotokion.

Lady, you are the dependable protection * of believers in trouble. Protect me now. * I am exposed to worldly passions. Save me, I pray.