SIMS

Great Vespers

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost; Octoechos Tone 2

Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon

AT PSALM 140

In Tone 2

10.

Come, let us adore God the Word,

Who was born of the Father before all ages,

and was incarnate of the Virgin Mary;

for of His own free will He suffered the Cross

and submitted Himself to burial,

and arose from the dead to save me, a sinful one.

Christ our Saviour cancelled the decree that was written against us,

by nailing it to the Cross;

and He abolished the dominion of Death.

Let us glorify His Resurrection on the third day.

Let us, together with the archangels, sing of Christ’s resurrection;

for He is the Redeemer and Saviour of our souls.

He will come again in awesome glory and mighty power

to judge the world which He has fashioned.

Although You died and were buried,

the angel yet declared You as Master.

He said to the women: Come and see where the Lord was placed;

for He is risen as He foretold,

because He is almighty.

Therefore, we worship You, the only Immortal One,

and we beseech You to have mercy on us, O Giver of Life.

In Tone 4

Because of your spiritual inheritance you were named Panteleimon.

By lovingly caring for the souls of all men and healing their bodies,

you were shown to be worthy of the wealth of your name.

By acquiring the reward of virtue and retribution of piety, O martyr,

you were revealed as a crown-bearing and invincible warrior of Christ our God.

Implore Him to save and enlighten our souls.

Because of your spiritual inheritance you were named Panteleimon.

By lovingly caring for the souls of all men and healing their bodies,

you were shown to be worthy of the wealth of your name.

By acquiring the reward of virtue and retribution of piety, O martyr,

you were revealed as a crown-bearing and invincible warrior of Christ our God.

Implore Him to save and enlighten our souls.

You unceasingly drew the grace of divine healing

from the spiritual fountains of the Saviour,

abundantly pouring them out upon those who came to you, blessed one!

Illumine by your divine grace

those who in faith keep your glorious, all-holy and light-bearing feast.

In Tone 2

You freely dispense grace to men glorious martyr Panteleimon.

You drive away evil spirits

and grant sight to the blind by your intercession to Christ.

Implore the Physician, holy one, since truly you are pleasing to Him,

to grant lasting peace to the world and great mercy to those who love you.

Desiring the faith of your pious mother,

reproving the impiety of your father,

you were confirmed in the faith and baptized by Hermolaus,

glorious Panteleimon, martyr of the merciful God.

Physician of the sick and dispeller of passions,

pray for deliverance from dangers for those

who keep your most honourable memory in faith.

You rejected the temptation of your father, all-glorious one,

and earnestly accepted the words of your mother.

According to the instructions of the Lord

you bore fruits greater than gold.

You revealed yourself as a worthy physician glorious martyr Panteleimon.

Walking on the way of grace

you found an infant lying poisoned beneath a venomous serpent.

By your fervent prayer to God you resurrected him,

tearing the serpent in sunder!

Therefore, remember us who keep your memorial in faith,

that we may obtain mercy on the day of judgment.

In Tone 6

Glory...

The honourable memorial of the unmercenary has dawned on us today,

calling the faithful to a mystical feast,

leading the company of feast-lovers to a celebration of triumph!

For the wonderworking physician Panteleimon, the great passion-bearer,

now comes to us, healing the infirmities of all,

and praying fervently to the Lord to save our souls!

In Tone 2

Now…

O Virgin, the shadow of the Law passed away

with the realization of grace.

For as the bush had burned without being consumed,

so you gave birth while a virgin

and you remained a virgin.

Instead of the pillar of fire there rose the Sun of Justice.

Instead of Moses, Christ God came forth,

the Saviour of our souls.

READINGS

Isaiah 43:9-14; Wisdom 3:1-9; Wisdom 5:15-6:3

APOSTICHA

In Tone 2

Your Resurrection, O Christ our Saviour,

has enlightened the whole universe;

and, through it, You call back to Yourself all Creation.

Almighty God, glory to You!

The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.

By the wood of Your Cross, O Saviour,

You have abolished the curse of the tree;

by Your burial You have destroyed the power of death;

and by Your Resurrection You enlightened the human race.

We, therefore, cry out to You:

O Christ our God, Giver of Life, glory to You!

For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.

O Christ, when You were nailed to the Cross,

the distorted nature of creation was made manifest.

The soldiers showed their inhumanity by piercing Your side with a lance,

and the people showed their ignorance of Your power

by asking that Your tomb be sealed.

But, in Your mercy, You accepted burial

and then arose on the third day.

O Lord, glory to You!

Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.

O Christ, Giver of Life,

You freely endured the Passion for the sake of mortals.

In Your power You descended into Hades;

and snatching, as from a mighty monster, the souls of those who awaited Your coming,

You placed them in Paradise.

Therefore, show Your great mercy to us who glorify Your Resurrection,

and cleanse our souls.

In Tone 8

Glory…

You came to love the piety of your mother,

and reject the godlessness of your father.

You became a warrior; a true physician of souls!

You instructed yourself in the healing arts.

You were well skilled in matters of both soul and body:

a true physician and destroyer of sufferings.

As you acquired steadfastness in suffering

and perseverance in prayer, Panteleimon, martyr of Christ,

pray fervently that our souls may be saved!

Now…

O Virgin, You have never known wedlock,

Yet You conceived God in the flesh

in a manner which words can never describe.

You thus became the Mother of God on high.

O Immaculate Lady, receive the supplication of your servants

and grant us the cleansing of our sins.

Accept now our prayers and beseech God to save all of us.

TROPARIA

In Tone 2

When You went down to death, O Life Immortal,* You struck Hades dead with the blazing light of Your divinity.* When You raised the dead from the nether world,* all the powers of heaven cried out:* “O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory be to You!”

In Tone 8

Glory…

Taught by the priest Hermolaus* you received your vocation to heal from heaven.* You embraced the faith of your mother* and suffered valiantly for it rejoicing.* You obtained the grace to heal ailments, and so we turn to you:* Heal our infirmities, O glorious Great-Martyr Panteleimon,* that we might honour your memory with praies.

Now…

O gracious Lord, for the sake of mankind You were born of a virgin;* through Your death on the cross You conquered death;* and through Your resurrection You revealed yourself as God.* O merciful Lord, do not disdain those whom You have created with Your own hands,* but show forth Your love for mankind.* Accept the intercession which the Mother, who bore You, makes in our behalf.** O Saviour, save Your despairing people!