Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
& Dormition of the Mother of God
Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom, celebrated by Father Yuriy at Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Parish, Victoria. 10AM 15 August 2021.
Troparion, Tone 3
Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice, * for the Lord has done a mighty deed with His arm. * He trampled death by death. He became the first-born of the dead; * He saved us from the abyss of Hades * and granted great mercy to the world.
Troparion, Tone 1
In giving birth you retained your virginity, * in falling asleep you did not abandon the world, O Mother of God. * You passed into life, for you are the Mother of Life, * and by your prayers * you deliver our souls from death.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 3
You rose from the tomb, O compassionate Lord, * and led us out from the gates of death. * Today Adam exults and Eve rejoices, * and the prophets together with the patriarchs * unceasingly acclaim the divine might of Your power.
Now and forever and ever, Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2
The tomb and death could not hold the Mother of God, * unceasing in her intercession and unfailing hope of patronage, * for, as the Mother of Life, she was transferred to life * by Him Who had dwelt in her ever-virgin womb.
1st Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Sing to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations; shout unto God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 46:7,2)
2nd Prokeimenon, Tone 3
Verse: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
1st Epistle : 1 Corinthians 15:1–11
A reading from the 1st Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.
Brothers and Sisters, I would remind you of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you - unless you have come to believe in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.
2nd Epistle : Philippians 2:5–11
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Philippians.
Brothers and Sisters, let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Alleluia, Tone 4
Verse: In You, O Lord, have I hoped that I may not be put to shame for ever.
Verse: Be a protector unto me, O God, and a house of refuge to save me. (Psalm 30:2,3)
Verse: Rise up, O Lord, to the place of Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness. (Psalm 131:8)
1st Gospel : Matthew 19:16–26
At that time, a young man came to Jesus and said, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?’ And he said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said to him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The young man said to him, ‘I have kept all these; what do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’
2nd Gospel : Luke 10:38–42, 11:27–28
At that time, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’ While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!’
Instead of ‘It is truly right’ we sing:
Seeing the pure one’s falling asleep, angels marvelled in wonder how the Virgin could ascend from earth to heaven.
Irmos: O pure Virgin, in you are conquered the bounds of nature, * for childbirth remains virginal and death is betrothed to life. * Virgin after childbearing and alive after death, O Mother of God, * never cease to save your inheritance.
Сommunion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * I will take the chalice of salvation; * and I will call upon the name of the Lord. (Psalm 115:13) * Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.
[A private prayer of spiritual communion:
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in these Holy Gifts!
I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot receive You now,
I place before You my whole life and hope, O loving Master;
and I ask, pray, and entreat You: Make me worthy to partake in a mystical way
and with a pure conscience of Your awesome and heavenly Mysteries:
for forgiveness of sins, for the pardon of offences, for communion of the Holy Spirit,
for the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, for confidence before You,
and not for judgment or condemnation.
I embrace You as You enter and abide in me, and I unite myself completely to You.
Permeate my soul and body, and never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.]