Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom, celebrated by Father Yuriy at Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Parish, Victoria. 10AM 28 August 2021.
Troparion, Tone 5
Let us the faithful acclaim and worship the Word, * co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, * and born of the Virgin for our salvation. * For He willed to be lifted up on the cross in the flesh, to suffer death * and to raise the dead by His glorious resurrection.
Troparion, Tone 2
The just man is remembered with praises, * but for you the Lord’s testimony suffices, O Forerunner, * for you truly became more honourable than the prophets* and were deemed worthy to baptize the One foretold. * Then you suffered for the truth and joyfully announced to those in Hades * that God appeared in the flesh taking away the sin of the world * and offering us great mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 5
You, my Saviour, descended to Hades, * and as the Almighty, You shattered its gates. * With Yourself You, as the Creator, raised the dead and shattered the sting of death, * and delivered Adam from the curse, O Lover of Mankind. * And so we cry out: “Save us, O Lord.”
Now and forever and ever, Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 5
The Forerunner's glorious beheading * came to be a form of dispensation divine * that he might proclaim to those in Hades * the message of the coming of the Saviour. * Lets Herodias shed tears of lament * for a lawless murder that was her request; * for she loved a false and transitory age * rather than God's law and the age of life.
Prokeimenon, Tone 5
You, O Lord, will guard us and will keep us* from this generation and for ever.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for there is no longer left a just man. (Psalm 11:8,2)
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Verse: The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him.
Epistle : 1 Corinthians 1:21–2:4
A reading from the First Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.
Brothers and Sisters, it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, by putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a first instalment. But I call on God as witness against me: it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. I do not mean to imply that we lord it over your faith; rather, we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand firm in the faith. So I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice; for I am confident about all of you, that my joy would be the joy of all of you. For I wrote you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
Alleluia, Tone 4
Verse: Your mercies, O Lord, I will sing for ever; from generation to generation I will announce Your truth with my mouth.
Verse: For You have said: Mercy shall be built up for ever; in the heavens Your truth shall be prepared. (Psalm 88:2,3)
Verse: The just man shall flourish like the palm tree; and he shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon. (Psalm 91:13)
Gospel : Matthew 22:1–14
The Lord told this parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, “Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.” But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?” And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’
Сommunion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance; * of evil hearsay he shall have no fear. (Psalm 111:6) * 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.]