Author: JH

Twenty Sixth 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 26 November 2023.

Troparion, Tone 1
Though the stone was sealed by the Judeans, * and soldiers guarded Your most pure body, * You arose, O Saviour, on the third day, * and gave life to the world. * And so the heavenly powers cried out to You, O Giver of Life: * Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ! * Glory to Your kingdom! * Glory to Your saving plan, * O only Lover of mankind.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 1
You arose in glory from the tomb * and with Yourself You raised the world. * All humanity acclaims You as God, * and death has vanished. * Adam exults, O Master, * and Eve, redeemed now from bondage, cries out for joy: * ‘You are the One, O Christ, Who offer resurrection to all.’

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 1
When Gabriel uttered to you, O Virgin, his ‘Rejoice!’ * at that sound the Master of all became flesh in you, the Holy Ark. * As the just David said, * you have become wider than the heavens carrying your Creator. * Glory to Him Who dwelt in you! * Glory to Him Who came forth from you! * Glory to Him Who freed us through birth from you!

Prokeimenon, Tone 1
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in You.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; praise befits the righteous. (Psalm 32:22,1)

Epistle: Ephesians 5:9–19
Brothers and Sisters,for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts.

Alleluia, Tone 1
Verse: God gives me vindication, and has subdued people under me.
Verse: Making great the salvation of the king, and showing mercy to His anointed, to David, and to His posterity forever. (Psalm 17:48,51)

Gospel: Luke 12:16–21
The Lord  spoke this parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.’

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest (Psalm 148:1). * 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.]

Twenty Fourth 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 12 November 2023.

Troparion, Tone 7
By Your cross You destroyed death; * You opened Paradise to the thief; * You changed the lamentation of the myrrh-bearers to joy, * and charged the apostles to proclaim * that You are risen, O Christ our God, * offering great mercy to the world.

Troparion, Tone 4
You appeared as a radiant light, * O priest-martyr Josaphat. * Like the Good Shepherd, you lay down your life for your sheep; * killed by enemies who loved division, you entered the holy of holies to dwell with the bodiless powers. * Therefore we pray you, long-suffering saint: * beg Christ, the Prince of Shepherds, * to number us among the sheep at His right hand and to save our souls.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 7
No longer shall the dominion of death be able to hold humanity, * for Christ went down shattering and destroying it s powers. * Hades is bound. * The prophets exult with one voice. * The Saviour has come for those with faith, saying: * ‘Come forth, O faithful, to the resurrection!’

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4
Enlightened in childhood * by the flame from the crucified Christ, * you resembled the angels in your life as a monk, * and as bishop you lived in godliness. * You clearly preached unity and with your martyr’s blood, you calmed hearts inflamed by love for dispute. * From Christ you received the crown. * And so remember us as we cry to you: * Rejoice, O unshakeable pillar of unity.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
The Lord will give strength to His people; * the Lord will bless His people with peace.
Verse: Bring to the Lord, O you sons of God; bring to the Lord young rams.
(Psalm 28:11,1)

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His venerable ones.

Epistle: Ephesians 2:14–22
For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

Alleluia, Tone 7
Verse: It is good to give praise to the Lord; and to sing to Your name, O Most High.
Verse: To announce Your mercy in the morning, and Your truth every night.
(Psalm 91:2,3)
Verse: Your priests shall clothe themselves with justice, and Your venerable ones shall rejoice. (Psalm 131:9)

Gospel: Luke 8:41–56
At that time, came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying.As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, ‘Who touched me?’ When all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.’ When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’ ¶While he was still speaking, someone came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.’ When Jesus heard this, he replied, ‘Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved.’ When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, ‘Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and called out, ‘Child, get up!’ Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astounded; but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.

Communion 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.]

Twenty Third 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 5 November 2023.

Troparion, Tone 6
Angelic powers were upon Your tomb * and the guards became like dead men; * Mary stood before Your tomb * seeking Your most pure body. * You captured Hades without being overcome by it. * You met the Virgin and granted life.* O Lord, risen from the dead, * glory be to You!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 6
With His life-giving hand * Christ our God, the Giver of life, * raised all the dead from the murky abyss * and bestowed resurrection upon humanity. * He is for all the Saviour, * the resurrection and the life, and the God of all.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 6
Undaunted patroness of Christians, * O steadfast intermediary with the Creator, * turn not away from the suppliant voices of sinners, * but in your kindness come to help us who cry out to you in faith. * Be quick to intercede, make haste to plead, * for you are ever the patroness of those who honour you, O Mother of God.

Prokeimenon, Tone 6
Save Your people, O Lord, * and bless Your inheritance.
Verse: Unto You I will cry, O Lord, my God, lest You turn from me in silence. (Psalm 27:9)

Epistle: Ephesians 2:4–10
Brothers and Sisters, God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Alleluia, Tone 6
Verse: He who lives in the aid of the Most High, shall dwell under the protection of the God of heaven.
Verse: He says to the Lord: You are my protector and my refuge, my God, in Whom I hope. (Psalm 90:1)

Gospel: Luke 8:26–39
At that time Jesus arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me’— for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion’; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * 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.]

Twenty Second 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 29 October 2023.

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.

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 for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 5
Rejoice, O impassable door of the Lord! * Rejoice, O rampart and protection of those who have recourse to you! * Rejoice, O tranquil haven and Virgin, * who gave birth in the flesh to your Maker and God! * Fail not to intercede for those * who sing and worship the Child you bore.

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)

Epistle: Galatians 6:11–18
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians.
Brothers and Sisters, see what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Alleluia, Tone 5
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)

Gospel: Luke 16:19–31
The Lord told this parable: ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”’

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * 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.]

Twenty First 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 22 October 2023.

Troparion, Tone 4
When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel * the glorious news of the resurrection * and cast off the ancestral condemnation, * they proudly told the apostles: * ‘Death has been plundered! * Christ our God is risen, * granting to the world great mercy.’

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 4
My Saviour and Deliverer from the grave * as God raised out of bondage the children of the earth * and shattered the gates of Hades; * and as Master, He rose on the third day.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 4
By your birth, O immaculate one, * Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness, * and Adam and Eve * from the corruption of death. * And your people, redeemed from the guilt of their sins, * celebrate as they cry out to you: * ‘The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God * and nourisher of our life.’

Prokeimenon, Tone 4
How great are Your works, O Lord * You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, You are exceedingly great.
(Psalm 103:24,1)

Epistle: Galatians 2:16–20
Brothers and Sisters, we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Alleluia, Tone 4
Verse: Poise yourself and advance in triumph and reign in the cause of truth, and meekness, and justice.
Verse: You have loved justice and hated iniquity. (Psalm 44:5,8)

Gospel: Luke 8:5–15
The Lord spoke this parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.’ As he said this, he called out, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ ¶Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that “looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.” ¶‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.’

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * 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.]

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Commemoration of the Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council

Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom celebrated by Father Yuriy at Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Parish, Victoria.
10AM 15 October 2023.

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 8
Christ our God, You are glorified above all, * You established our fathers as beacons on earth * and through them guided all of us to the true faith. * Glory to You, most compassionate Lord.

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.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 6
The Son who ineffably shone from the Father * was born two-fold of nature from a woman. * Beholding Him, we do not reject the image of His form; * but depicting it, we revere it faithfully. * Therefore the Church, holding the true faith, * kisses the icon of Christ’s becoming man.

Now and forever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 6
Undaunted patroness of Christians, * O steadfast intermediary with the Creator, * turn not away from the suppliant voices of sinners, * but in your kindness come to help us who cry out to you in faith. * Be quick to intercede, make haste to plead, * for you are ever the patroness of those who honour you, O Mother of God.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4
Blessed are You, Lord God of our fathers, * and praised and glorified is Your Name forever.
Verse: For You are righteous in everything that You have done to us. (Daniel 3:26-27)

Epistle: Galatians 1:11–19
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians.
Brothers and Sisters, I want you to know that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother.

Alleluia, Tone 1
Verse: The God of gods, the Lord, spoke and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Verse: Gather to Him His devout ones, who with sacrifice make covenant with Him. (Psalm 49:1,5)

Gospel: Luke 7:11–16
At that time, the Lord went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens, * praise Him in the highest. * Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; * praise befits the righteous. (Psalms 184:1; 32:1) * 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.]

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Protection of the Most Holy 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 8 October 2023.

Troparion, 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!’

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 2
You rose from the tomb, O almighty Saviour; * and Hades, seeing this wonder, was stricken with fear; and the dead arose. * Creation saw and rejoices with You, and Adam exults. * And the world, my Saviour, sings Your praises for ever.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 2
The tomb and death could not hold the Mother of God, * unceasing in her intercession and an 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.

Prokeimenon, Tone 2
The Lord is my strength and my song of praise, and He has become my salvation.
Verse: The Lord has indeed chastised me, but He has not delivered me to death. (Psalm 117:14,18)

Epistle: 2 Corinthians 11:31–12:9
Brothers and Sisters, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus (blessed be he forever!) knows that I do not lie. In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands. It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Alleluia, Tone 2
Verse: The Lord will hear you in the day of tribulation; the name of the God of Jacob will shield you.
Verse: Lord, grant victory to the king and hear us in the day that we shall call upon You. (Psalm 19:2,10)

Gospel: Luke 6:31–36
The Lord said, do to others as you would have them do to you. ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.’

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * 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.]

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
(Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross)

Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom celebrated by Father Yuriy at Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Parish, Victoria.
10AM 17 September 2023.

Antiphon 1
Verse: O God, my God, hear me; why have You forsaken me? The words of my transgressions put salvation far from me.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.

Verse: O God, I will call to You by day but You will not listen; and by night, yet it will not be foolish of me.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.

Verse: But You, the praise of Israel, dwell in the holy place.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.

Antiphon 3
Verse: Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Saviour.
Refrain: Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Verse: Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.
Refrain: Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Verse: For God is the great Lord, and the great king over all the earth.
Refrain: Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Entrance verse: Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ.
Refrain: Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Troparion, Tone 7
By Your cross You destroyed death; * You opened Paradise to the thief; * You changed the lamentation of the myrrh-bearers to joy, * and charged the apostles to proclaim * that You are risen, O Christ our God, * offering great mercy to the world.

Troparion, Tone 1
Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance. * Grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies, * and protect Your community by Your cross.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 7
No longer shall the dominion of death be able to hold humanity, * for Christ went down shattering and destroying it s powers. * Hades is bound. * The prophets exult with one voice. * The Saviour has come for those with faith, saying: * ‘Come forth, O faithful, to the resurrection!’

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4
By Your own choice, O Christ our God, * You were lifted on the cross. * Grant Your mercies to Your new community * that bears Your Name. * By Your power gladden the faithful people, * and grant them victory against enemies. * May they have the help of Your instrument of peace, * the invincible sign of victory.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Exalt the Lord our God, * and bow in worship at the footstool of his feet, for it is holy.
Verse: The Lord reigns, let the people tremble. (Psalm 98:5,1)

Epistle : Galatians 2:16–20
A reading from the epistile of Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians.
Brothers and Sisters, yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Alleluia, Tone 1
Verse: Remember Your congregation which You acquired from the beginning.
Verse: But God is our king before the ages; He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. (Psalm 73:2,12)

Gospel: Mark 8:34–9:1
At that time, Jesus called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’

Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify the most precious cross of the Lord.
And the Irmos, Tone 8: You are a mystical Paradise, O Mother of God, who though untilled, have brought forth Christ. He has planted upon earth the life-giving Tree of the Cross. Therefore today as we raise it on high we bow low and we magnify you.

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * Let the light of Your countenance, O Lord, * shine upon us. (Psalm 4:7) * Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.

At the end of Liturgy we sing:
To Your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection. (3)

[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.]

Fifteenth 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 10 September 2023.

Troparion, Tone 6
Angelic powers were upon Your tomb * and the guards became like dead men; * Mary stood before Your tomb * seeking Your most pure body. * You captured Hades without being overcome by it. * You met the Virgin and granted life. * O Lord, risen from the dead, * glory be to You!

Troparion, Tone 4
Your nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, * has made joy known to all the world, * for from you dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God. * He abolished the curse and gave the blessing; * and by making death of no effect He bestowed on us eternal life.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 6
With His life-giving hand * Christ our God, the Giver of life, * raised all the dead from the murky abyss * and bestowed resurrection upon humanity. * He is for all the Saviour, * the resurrection and the life, and the God of all.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4
By your birth, O immaculate one, * Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness, * and Adam and Eve * from the corruption of death. * And your people, redeemed from the guilt of their sins, * celebrate as they cry out to you: * ‘The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God * and nourisher of our life.’

Prokeimenon, Tone 6
Save Your people, O Lord, * and bless Your inheritance.
Verse: Unto You I will cry, O Lord, my God, lest You turn from me in silence.
(Psalm 27:9,1)

Epistle: Galatians 6:11–18
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians.
Brothers and Sisters, see what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Alleluia, Tone 1
Verse: I have exalted one chosen from the people and with my holy oil anointed him.
Verse: My hand shall always be with him and my arm shall make him strong.
(Psalm 88:20–21,22)

Gospel: John 3:13–17
The Lord said, ‘No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.‘

Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify the Virgin Mary, born from a barren womb.
Irmos, Tone 8: Virginity is alien to mothers * and childbearing is foreign to virgins; * yet in you, O Mother of God, both of them came together. * Therefore we and all the nations of the earth * without ceasing magnify you.

Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * I will take the cup 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.]

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 3 September 2023.

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.

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 for ever and ever. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 5
Rejoice, O rampart and protection of those who have recourse to you! * Rejoice, O tranquil haven and Virgin, * who gave birth in the flesh to your Maker and God! * Fail not to intercede for those * who sing and worship the Child you bore.

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)

Epistle: 2 Corinthians 1:21–2:4
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 installment. 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 5
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)

Gospel: Matthew 22:1–14
The Lord spoke this parables: ‘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) * 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.]

Thirteenth 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 27 August 2023.

Troparion, Tone 4
When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel * the glorious news of the resurrection * and cast off the ancestral condemnation, * they proudly told the apostles: * ‘Death has been plundered! * Christ our God is risen, * granting to the world great mercy.’

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 4
My Saviour and Deliverer from the grave * as God raised out of bondage the children of the earth * and shattered the gates of Hades; * and as Master, He rose on the third day.

Now and forever and ever, Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 4
By your birth, O immaculate one, * Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness, * and Adam and Eve * from the corruption of death. * And your people, redeemed from the guilt of their sins, * celebrate as they cry out to you: * ‘The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God * and nourisher of our life.’

Prokeimenon, Tone 4
How great are Your works, O Lord* You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, You are exceedingly great.
(Psalm 103:24,1)

Epistle : 1 Corinthians 16:13–24
A reading from the First Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians
Brothers and Sisters, keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. Now, brothers and sisters, you know that members of the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; I urge you to put yourselves at the service of such people, and of everyone who works and toils with them. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence; for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. So give recognition to such persons. The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, greet you warmly in the Lord. All the brothers and sisters send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Let anyone be accursed who has no love for the Lord. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.

Alleluia, Tone 5
Verse: Poise yourself and advance in triumph and reign in the cause of truth, and meekness, and justice.
Verse: You have loved justice and hated iniquity. (Psalm 44:5,8)

Gospel : Matthew 21:33–42
The Lord told this parable: ‘There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes”?‘

Сommunion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * 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.]

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom celebrated by Father Stepan at Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Parish, Victoria.
10AM 23 July 2023.

Video feed not available this week.

Troparion, Tone 7
By Your cross You destroyed death; * You opened Paradise to the thief; * You changed the lamentation of the myrrh-bearers to joy, * and charged the apostles to proclaim * that You are risen, O Christ our God, * offering great mercy to the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 7
No longer shall the dominion of death be able to hold humanity, * for Christ went down shattering and destroying it’s powers. * Hades is bound. * The prophets exult with one voice. * The Saviour has come for those with faith, saying: * ‘Come forth, O faithful, to the resurrection!’

Now and forever and ever, Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 7
O all-praised treasury of our resurrection, we hope in you, * bring us up from the pit and depth of sin, * for you have saved those subject to sin * by giving birth to our Salvation, * O Virgin before childbirth, and Virgin in childbirth, * and still a Virgin after childbirth.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7
The Lord will give strength to His people; * the Lord will bless His people with peace.
Verse: Bring to the Lord, O you sons of God; bring to the Lord young rams.
(Psalm 28:11,1)

Epistle : 1 Corinthians 1:10–18
A reading from the First Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians
Brothers and Sisters, I appeal to you, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ or ‘I belong to Apollos,’ or ‘I belong to Cephas,’ or ‘I belong to Christ.’ Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Alleluia, Tone 5
Verse: It is good to give praise to the Lord; and to sing to Your name, O Most High.
Verse: To announce Your mercy in the morning, and Your truth every night.
(Psalm 91:2,3)

Gospel : Matthew 14:14–22
At that time, Jesus went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’ And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

Сommunion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * 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.]

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils

Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom celebrated by Father Yuriy at Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Parish, Victoria.
10AM 16 July 2023.

Troparion, Tone 6
Angelic powers were upon Your tomb * and the guards became like dead men; * Mary stood before Your tomb * seeking Your most pure body. * You captured Hades without being overcome by it. * You met the Virgin and granted life. * O Lord, risen from the dead, * glory be to You!

Troparion, Tone 8
Christ our God, You are glorified above all, * You established our fathers as beacons on earth * and through them guided all of us to the true faith. * Glory to You, most compassionate Lord.

Kontakion, Tone 6
With His life-giving hand * Christ our God, the Giver of life, * raised all the dead from the murky abyss * and bestowed resurrection upon humanity. * He is for all the Saviour, * the resurrection and the life, and the God of all.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 6
The Son who ineffably shone from the Father * was born two-fold of nature from a woman. * Beholding Him, we do not reject the image of His form; * but depicting it, we revere it faithfully. * Therefore, the Church, holing the true faith, * kisses the icon of Christ’s becoming man.

Now and forever and ever, Amen.

Theotokion, Tone 6
Undaunted patroness of Christians, * O steadfast intermediary with the Creator, * turn not away from the suppliant voices of sinners, * but in your kindness come to help us who cry out to you in faith. * Be quick to intercede, make haste to plead, * for you are ever the patroness of those who honour you, O Mother of God.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4
Blessed are You, Lord God of our fathers, * and praised and glorified is Your Name forever.
Verse: For You are righteous in everything that You have done to us. (Daniel 3:26–27)

Epistle : Hebrews 13:7–16
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews
Brothers and Sisters, remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings; for it is well for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by regulations about food, which have not benefited those who observe them. We have an altar from which those who officiate in the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Alleluia, Tone 5
Verse: The God of gods, the Lord, spoke and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Verse: Gather to Him His devout ones, who with sacrifice make covenant with Him. (Psalm 49:1,5)

Gospel : John 17:1–13
At that time, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.”

Сommunion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. * Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; * praise befits the righteous. (Psalm 148:1) * 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.]

Fifth 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 9 July 2023.

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.

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.

Theotokion, Tone 5
Rejoice, O impassable door of the Lord! * Rejoice, O rampart and protection of those who have recourse to you! * Rejoice, O tranquil haven and Virgin, * who gave birth in the flesh to your Maker and God! * Fail not to intercede for those * who sing and worship the Child you bore.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4
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)

Epistle : Romans 12:6–14
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans
Brothers and Sisters, we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Alleluia, Tone 5
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)

Gospel : Matthew 8:28–9:1
At that time, after getting into a boat Jesus crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’ Then some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’ But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Stand up and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ — he then said to the paralytic — ‘Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.’ And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

Сommunion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * 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.]

Fourth 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 2 July 2023.

Troparion, Tone 4
When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel * the glorious news of the resurrection * and cast off the ancestral condemnation, * they proudly told the apostles: * ‘Death has been plundered! * Christ our God is risen, * granting to the world great mercy.’

Troparion, Tone 8
Protection of humans, ever-Virgin Mother of God * as a mighty bulwark for your city * and you gave your pure body’s robe and sash. * They remained incorrupt by your giving birth without seed. * For in you are nature and time made new. * Therefore, we pray you, give peace to your city, * and—to our souls—great mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 4
O pure one, full of the grace of God, * you have given your sacred robe as a garb on incorruption to all who believe. * It covered your sacred body, * O protection of all mankind. * We feast its deposition with love, and in awe we cry: * Rejoice, O Virgin, boast of Christians.

Now and forever and ever, Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4
My Saviour and Deliverer from the grave * as God raised out of bondage the children of the earth * and shattered the gates of Hades; * and as Master, He rose on the third day.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4
How great are Your works, O Lord * You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, You are exceedingly great.
(Psalm 103:24,1)

Epistle : Romans 10:1–10
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans
Brothers and Sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”’ (that is, to bring Christ down) ‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?”’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

Alleluia, Tone 1
Verse: Poise yourself and advance in triumph and reign in the cause of truth, and meekness, and justice.
Verse: You have loved justice and hated iniquity. (Psalm 44:5,8)
Verse: Rise up, O Lord, to the place of Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness. (Psalm 131:8)

Gospel : Matthew 8:28–9:1
At that time, when Jesus came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, ‘What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?’ Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The demons begged him, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.’ And he said to them, ‘Go!’ So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood. And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town.

Сommunion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * I will take the cup 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.]

Fourth 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 25 June 2023.

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 4
O you, who glorified Christ: * princes and bishops, * monastics and martyrs, * and steadfast confessors of Christian Ukraine throughout all times, * pray Christ God to look with favour on our people * and to grant them the grace to persevere in the faith * that the souls of prayerful faithful * who revere your sacred memory * may be saved.

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 4
You shine as bright beacons, * O God-inspired and righteous saints of our Church. * By your encouraging example, * you serve communities of faithful throughout the Christian world. * Therefore we humbly bow our heads to you * thanking our great and allgracious God * Who has made you our intercessors in heaven * where you pray for our souls.

Prokeimenon, Tone 1
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)

Epistle : Romans 6:18–23
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans
Brothers and Sisters, having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Alleluia, Tone 1
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: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments. (Psalm 111:1)

Gospel : Matthew 8:5–13
At that time, when he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’ The centurion answered, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go,” and he goes, and to another, “Come,” and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this,” and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.’ And the servant was healed in that hour.

Сommunion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; * praise befits the righteous. (Psalm 32:1) * 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.]

Third 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 18 June 2023.

Troparion, 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!’

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 2
You rose from the tomb, O almighty Saviour; * and Hades, seeing this wonder, was stricken with fear; and the dead arose. * Creation saw and rejoices with You, and Adam exults. * And the world, my Saviour, sings Your praises for ever.

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 an 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.

Prokeimenon, Tone 1
The Lord is my strength and my song of praise, and He has become my salvation.
Verse: Lord has indeed chastised me, but He has not delivered me to death.
(Psalm 117:14,18)

Epistle : Romans 5:1–10
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans
Brothers and Sisters, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person— though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

Alleluia, Tone 1
Verse: The Lord will hear you in the day of tribulation; the name of the God of Jacob will shield you.
Verse: Lord, grant victory to the king and hear us in the day that we shall call upon You. (Psalm 19:2,10)

Gospel : Matthew 6:22–33
The Lord said, ‘The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ¶No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. ¶Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’

Сommunion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * 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.]

Second 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 11 June 2023.

Troparion, Tone 1
Though the stone was sealed by the Judeans, * and soldiers guarded Your most pure body, * You arose, O Saviour, on the third day, * and gave life to the world. * And so the heavenly powers cried out to You, O Giver of Life: * Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ! * Glory to Your kingdom! * Glory to Your saving plan, * O only Lover of mankind.

Troparion, Tone 1
Receiving the Spirit as He came in fiery tongues, * you preached the coming of the Word in the flesh. * While one of you was beheaded for the Gospel,  * the other endured stoning for the sake of the faith. * You have been sent to adorn the choirs of heaven, O Bartholomew and Barnabas. * We honour your memory and ask that you intercede * with God to forgive our sins.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 4
O Bartholomew, Apostle of the Lord, * you appeared to the world as a shining star. * You enlightened with the splendor of your teachings and the wonder of your miracles * all those who honour you.

Now and forever and ever, Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 1
You arose in glory from the tomb * and with Yourself You raised the world. * All humanity acclaims You as God, * and death has vanished. * Adam exults, O Master, * and Eve, redeemed now from bondage, cries out for joy: * ‘You are the One, O Christ, Who offer resurrection to all.’

Prokeimenon, Tone 1
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in You.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; praise befits the righteous. (Psalm 32:22,1)

Prokeimenon, Tone 8
Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their word unto the ends of the world.

Epistle : Romans 2:10–16
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans
Brothers and Sisters, there will be glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all.

Alleluia, Tone 1
Verse: God gives me vindication, and has subdued peoples under me.
Verse: Making great the salvation of the king, and showing mercy to His anointed, to David, and to His posterity forever. (Psalm 17:48,51)
Verse: The heavens shall confess our wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints. (Psalm 88:6)

Gospel : Matthew 4:18–23
At that time, as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Сommunion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. (Psalm 148:1) * Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth,* and their word unto the ends of the world (Psalm 18:5) * 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.]