ON SATURDAY EVENING
AT VESPERS
After the Opening Psalm and the usual reading from the Psalter, at Lord, I have cried, we insert ten stichera: six of the Resurrection in the Tone of the week from the Octoichos, and the following two Idiomels from the Triodion, doubling them.
Tone 1.
I was entrusted with a sinless and living country, but, having sown the ground[1] with sin, with a sickle I have reaped the ears of indifference and piled up the heaps of the sheaves of my actions, which I have not spread out on the threshing floor of repentance.[2] But I beg you, our God, husbandman before the ages, with the wind of your loving compassion winnow away[3] the chaff of my works, and provision[4] my soul with forgiveness; shut me in your heavenly storehouse and save me. (Twice)
Brethren, let us learn the power of the mystery. For when the Profligate Son ran back from sin to his Father’s hearth, the all-loving Father, coming out to meet him, kissed him and gave him back again the tokens of his own glory, and completed the mystical joy of those on high by sacrificing the fatted calf, so that we might live lives worthy of the loving Father, who offered the sacrifice, and of the glorious sacrificial victim, the Saviour of our souls. (Twice)
Glory. Tone 2.
Of what great blessings, wretch that I am, have I deprived myself! From what a kingship[5] in my misery have I fallen! I have wasted the wealth that I received, I have transgressed the commandment. Alas, unhappy soul ! You are henceforth condemned to the eternal fire. Therefore before the end cry out to Christ our God, ‘Receive me as the Profligate Son, O God, and have mercy on me’.
Both now.
The 1st Theotokion in the Tone of the week from the Octoichos.
Entrance, O Joyful Light. Prokeimenon of the day. At the Liti[6] we sing the sticheron of the patron saint of the monastery.
Glory. Tone 4.
Alphabetical Aposticha from the Octoichos.
Glory. Tone 6.
I have squandered the wealth of my Father’s gift, and have grazed[7], poor wretch, with irrational beasts. Yearning for their food, I starved and was not filled. But now I return to the compassionate Father and cry out with tears, ‘Accept me as a hired servant, as I fall down before your loving‑kindness, and save me’.
Both now. Theotokion.
My maker and redeemer, Christ the Lord, by coming from your womb, All-pure Lady, and clothing himself in me freed Adam from the former curse. Therefore, All-pure, as to her who is truly Mother of God and Virgin, we cry unceasingly the Angel’s ‘Hail’: Hail, Sovereign Lady, defence, protection and salvation of our souls!
Apolytikion, Virgin Mother of God, three times. And the rest of the office of the Vigil.[8]
ON SUNDAY MORNING
AT MATINS
After the Six Psalms, The Lord is God, the Apolytikion of the Resurrection (twice) and the Theotokion in the Tone of the week. The usual readings from the Psalter, the Kathismata in the Tone of the week from the Octoichos, the Evlogitaria, the Ypakoï, the Anavathmi and the Prokeimenon in the Tone of the week, and the appointed Morning Gospel. Then Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, followed by Psalm 50, and the following Idiomels.
Glory. Tone 8.
Open the gates of repentance to me, O Giver of Life, for my spirit rises early in the morning to your holy temple, bearing a temple of the body all defiled. But as you are full of pity, cleanse it by your compassionate mercy.
Both now. Same Tone.
Guide me to paths of salvation, Mother of God, for I have befouled my soul with shameful sins and have squandered all my life in sloth. By your intercessions deliver me from all uncleanness.
Have mercy on me, O God, in accordance with your great mercy. According to the multitude of your compassion blot out my offences.
Tone 6.
As I ponder the multitudes of dreadful things that I have done, wretch that I am, I tremble for the fearful day of judgement. But confident in your merciful compassion, like David I cry to you, ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, in accordance with your great mercy’.
The Canons. The Canon of the Resurrection, the Canon of the Cross and Resurrection, the Canon of the Mother of God, and of the Triodion. We sing the Office from the Menaion on the preceding Friday at Compline.
Canon of the Triodion to 6.
Composition of Kyr Joseph. Acrostic in Ode 9: JOSEPH.
Ode 1. Tone 2. Take up Moses’ song.
Jesus my God, now accept me too as I repent like the Profligate Son. All my life I have lived in carelessness and provoked you to anger.
The divine wealth that you once gave me I have squandered wickedly. I have gone far from you and lived like the Profligate, compassionate Father. And so accept me too as I return.
Spread wide your fatherly embrace now and accept me too like the Profligate, compassionate Lord, that with thanksgiving I may glorify you.
Theotokion
Show in me all your goodness, O God. As my Benefactor, overlook the multitude of my offences at your Mother’s godly prayers.
Katavasia.
Take up Moses’ song, my soul, and shout, ‘He has become my helper and protector. This is my God, and I will glorify him.’
Ode 3. Make my barren mind.
Wholly beside myself, I attached myself in madness to the inventors of passions. But accept me, O Christ, like the Profligate.
Imitating the words of the Profligate I cry aloud, ‘I have sinned, Father’. Like him now embrace me too and do not reject me.
Open wide your arms, O Christ, and in compassion receive me as I return from a far country of sin and passions.
Theotokion
O lovely among women, enrich me too, reduced to poverty by many sins, pure Virgin, with notions of what is fair and lovely, that I may glorify you.
Katavasia.
Make my barren mind produce fruit, O God, husbandman of what is lovely and planter of good things, in your compassion.
Kathisma. Tone 1. The soldiers watching.
Make haste and open to me your fatherly embrace. Like the Profligate I have squandered my whole livelihood. As I look to the inexhaustible wealth of your mercy, do not now despise my beggared heart, for to you, Lord, with compunction I cry, ‘I have sinned against you. Save me!’
Glory. The Same.
Both now. Theotokion
Pure Virgin Mother of God without bridegroom, the only guardian and protection of the faithful, deliver from dangers, afflictions and dread circumstances all who have their hopes on you, O Maiden, and by your godly intercessions save our souls.
Ode 4. Irmos. Foreseeing your birth.
The wealth of fair blessings which you gave me, heavenly Father, I have wrongly squandered, enslaved to citizens of a foreign country, therefore I cry to you, ‘I have sinned against you. Receive me like the Profligate of old, unfolding your arms to me’.
I have become enslaved to every evil and, wretchedly bowed down to the creators of the passions, through negligence I have lost possession of myself. Take pity on me, Saviour, heavenly Father, as I flee to your many mercies.
I have been filled with every shame and dare not look towards the height of heaven, for I have irrationally bowed down to sin. But now as I return I cry aloud in compunction, ‘I have sinned against you. Receive me, King of all’.
Theotokion.
You are the help of humankind, the sure hope of all Christians, immaculate Virgin, and the refuge of the saved. Save me by your motherly intercessions and count me worthy of the life to come.
Katavasia.
Foreseeing your birth from a Virgin, the Prophet cried out and proclaimed, ‘I heard your report, O Christ, and I was afraid, for you came from Theman and from a holy shaded mountain.’
Ode 5. Irmos. The night has passed.
I was enslaved to citizens of a foreign country, I became an exile in a land of destruction, and I was filled with shame. But now, as I return, O Compassionate, I cry to you, ‘I have sinned.’
Open to me now your fatherly compassion as I return from evils, heavenly Father, and in your surpassing mercy do not reject me.
I dare not look up at the height of heaven, O Christ, for I have angered you beyond measure. But knowing your compassion, merciful Lord, I cry, ‘I have sinned. Be merciful. Save me’.
Theotokion.
All-holy Virgin, full of grace, who gave birth to the propitiation of all, by your prayers lighten the heavy burden of my offences.
Katavasia.
The night has passed, the day is at hand, and the light has shone out on the world. Therefore the ranks of angels sing your praise and glorify you, Christ our God.
Ode 6. I am held fast by an abyss.
The depth of sin ever holds me fast, and a tempest of transgressions drags me down. Pilot me, Christ my God, to the harbour of life and save me, King of glory.
I have wickedly squandered my Father’s wealth, and reduced to poverty, I am filled with shame, enslaved to fruitless thoughts. Therefore I cry to you who love humankind, ‘Take pity on me and save me’.
I am wasted with starvation of every good, and estranged from you, O Christ supremely good. Take pity on me as I now return, and save me as I sing the praise of your love for humankind.
Theotokion.
Maiden, who conceived Christ the Saviour and Master, count me, beggared of every kind of good, worthy of salvation, pure Virgin, that I may sing the praise of your mighty acts.
Katavasia.
I am held fast by an abyss of sins, O Saviour, and am drowning in the ocean of life. But like Jonas from the beast, bring me up too from the passions and save me.
Kontakion. Tone 3. Today the Virgin.
I have foolishly run away, O Father, from your glory; I have squandered in evil deeds the riches you entrusted to me; therefore I offer you the words of the Profligate: I have sinned before you, compassionate Father: take me now repentant and make me as one of your hired servants.
Ikos.
Our Saviour teaches us every day through his own voice. Let us therefore listen to the Scriptures concerning the Profligate who became temperate again, and with faith let us imitate his fair repentance. With humble heart let us cry out to him who knows all secrets, ‘We have sinned against you, merciful Father, and are not worthy ever to be called your children as before. But since you are by nature full of love for humankind, accept me and make me as one of your hired servants.
Synaxarion from the Menaion, then what follows.
On this day we commemorate the parable of the Profligate Son from the holy Gospel, which our most godly Fathers prescribed for the second Sunday of the Triodion.
Verses.
If you’re a Profligate, like me, take heart!
All doors to God’s compassion open lie.
By your ineffable love for humankind, Christ our God, have mercy on me.
Ode 7. Irmos. Imitating the Cherubim.
I have bowed down miserably to the pleasures of the body and I have become wholly enslaved to the inventors of the passions; and I have become a stranger to you, lover of humankind. But now I cry with the voice of the Profligate, ‘I have sinned, O Christ, do not despise, for you alone are merciful’.
I call out, ‘I have sinned’, and I dare not even look towards the height of heaven, O King of all; for in foolishness I alone have angered you, rejecting your commandments. Therefore, as you alone are good, do not cast me away from your presence.
At the prayers of the apostles, prophets, ascetics, honoured martyrs and the just, pardon me all the things by which I have offended, and angering your goodness, Christ my Lord, that I may sing your praise to all the ages.
Theotokion.
Mother of God, you are revealed as more radiant than the Cherubim and Seraphim and all the heavenly host. With them, O all-blameless, entreat the One to whom you gave a body, God the Word of the Father without beginning that we may all be found worthy of the good things that last for ever.
Katavasia.
Imitating the Cherubim, the Youths in the furnace, danced as they cried out, ‘Blessed are you, O God, for with truth and judgement you have brought all these things upon us because of our sins; you who are highly praised and glorified to all the ages.’
Ode 8. Him, whom the wonder.
You, who through great mercy came down to earth to save the world by voluntary poverty, save me as you are merciful, for I am poor in all good works.
Distancing myself from your commandments, in utter wretchedness I became enslaved to the deceiver. But, as I now turn back like the Profligate of old and fall before you, accept me, heavenly Father.
Subjected by corrupting thoughts, I became dark and distanced myself from you, and I lost all possession of myself, compassionate Lord. Therefore, as I fall before you in repentance, save me.
Theotokion.
Pure Mother of God, only restoration of the broken, restore me, for I am wholly crushed and humbled by every kind of sin.
Katavasia.
Him, who for Moses foreshadowed the wonder of the Virgin in the Bush on mount Sinai, praise, bless and highly exalt to all the ages.
Ode 9. Who of those born of earth.
See, O Christ, the affliction of my heart; see my turning back; see my tears, O Saviour, and do not despise me. But embrace me once again through your compassion and number me with the multitude of the saved, that with thanksgiving I may sing the praise of your mercies.
Like the Thief I cry to you, ‘Remember me’. Like the Tax Collector, with downcast eyes cast, I now beat my breast and say, ‘Be merciful’. Like the Profligate deliver me from all my evils, compassionate King of all, that I may sing the praise of your profound condescension.
Groan now, my soul, all-wretched, and cry aloud to Christ, ‘Lord, who for my sake willingly became poor, in my poverty I lack every good work. Make me rich with an abundance of fair things, as you alone are good and full of mercy’.
O Good One, the joy that you once created at the voluntary return of the Profligate, now create once again because of me, wretch though I am. Open wide your holy arms to me, that saved I may sing the praise of your profound condescension.
Theotokion.
I pray you, Virgin, through your radiant intercessions enlighten the eyes of my mind darkened by wickedness and bring me to ways of repentance. So that, as is fitting, I may sing your praise, who beyond reason gave a body to the Word.
Katavasia.
Who of those born of earth has heard the like? Or who has ever seen that a Virgin has been found to bear in her womb and give birth to a babe without pangs? Such is your wonder. And, Mary, pure Mother of God, we magnify you.
The appointed Exapostilarion of the Resurrection
and the following of the Triodion.
Women hear.
By uselessly leaving home, wretch that I am, I wickedly wasted the wealth of grace that you gave me. And living like the Profligate I squandered my wealth deceitfully to demons. But now, as I return, accept me like the Profligate, merciful Father, and save me.
Another to the same melody.
I have squandered and spent all your wealth and have become the subject to evil demons, wretch that I am. But, most compassionate Saviour, take pity on the Profligate, cleanse me of filth and give me back again the first robe of your kingdom.
Theotokion.
Holy Virgin Mother of God, the great boast of Martyrs, Prophets and Ascetics, gain the mercy of your Son and Lord for us your servants, when he sits to judge each according to their due.
At Lauds. Four stichera of the Resurrection from the Octoichos and one by Anatolios, and then the following three Idiomels of the Triodion.
Tone 2.
I bring you the words of the Profligate, Lord. I have sinned in your sight, O Good One. I have squandered the wealth of your gifts of grace. But receive me in repentance Saviour, and save me.
Verse 1: Arise, O Lord, my God, lift up your hand: do not forget your poor for ever.
Tone 4.
Like the Profligate Son I too have come to you, merciful Lord. I have squandered my whole livelihood in a foreign land; I have scattered the wealth which you gave me, Father. Receive me as I repent, O God, and have mercy on me.
Verse 2: I will give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart: I will tell of all your wonders.
Tone 8.
Like the Profligate I have wasted the riches of my Father’s substance; and having spent them all I am now destitute, dwelling in the land of the evil citizens. No longer can I bear to live among them, but turning back I cry to you, merciful Father, ‘I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am not worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants, O God, and have mercy on me’.
Glory. Tone 6.
Loving Father, I have gone far from you, but do not forsake me, nor declare me unfitted for your Kingdom. The all-evil enemy has stripped me naked and taken all my wealth. I have squandered like the Profligate the graces given to my soul. But now I have arisen and returned, and I cry aloud to you, ‘Make me as one of your hired servants, you who for my sake stretched out your spotless hands on the Cross, to snatch me from the fearsome beast and to clothe me once again in the first robe, for you alone art full of mercy‘.
Both now.
You are most blessed, Virgin Mother of God, for through him who took flesh from you, Hell has been taken captive, Adam recalled, the curse slain, Eve set free, death put to death, and we given life. Therefore in praise we cry: Blessed are you, Christ our God, who have been thus well-pleased, glory to you.
Great Doxology. the two Litanies, and the Dismissal. The usual Liti, at which we sing the Eothinon, and the Catecheses are read.
[1] This word geosporo is not attested in the lexica, though the meaning is obvious.
[2] The first sentence of this sticheron is not easy. The use of the preposition eis, ‘to’, with the passive of pisteuo is, so far as I can tell, unprecedented. The passive ‘To be entrusted with something’ would normally have the accusative of the thing entrusted. The Slavonic is equally odd. Bishop Kallistos takes the meaning to be ‘with’, which at least makes sense, and for the moment I follow him. It is unclear what the ‘sinless and living land is’. The latter adjective is not scriptural and the former only occurs twice, at Deuteronomy 29:18 and John 8:7; neither of which is of any help. The word ‘but’ in the first line is not in the Greek and there is a colon after ‘sin’. The latter would not make sense. It is simpler to take ‘having sown the ground with sin’ with what follows. In Slavonic ‘reaped’ and ‘piled’ are also participles, which all depend on ‘I was entrusted’ in the first clause. This is also very odd. As so often in these texts, one can ask to whom the ‘I’ refers. In one sense it clearly refers to the writer, and hence to the person praying, but if the opening phrase means ‘entrusted with’, there could also be a allusion to Adam. There is no obvious reference to the Profligate Son, except, perhaps, the use of the word ‘country’.
[3] The word apolikmazo is not attested in the lexical, but again the meaning is obvious.
[4] The usual meaning is ‘pay’, used with reference to soldiers, but the word is connected with sitos, ‘corn’, and so the meaning must be the one proposed above.
[5] The Greek basileia means both ‘kingdom’ and ‘kingship’.
[6] See the note to the Liti of the previous Sunday.
[7] The only reference in Liddell and Scott is to Isaias 11:6, which is the only occurrence of the word in Scripture. The Septuagint has pointed up the reference to animals, since the Hebrew simply means ‘dwell with’.
[8] See the rubrics for the previous Sunday.
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