Sunday of the Paralytic
Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom, celebrated by Father Yuriy at Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Parish, Victoria. 10AM 3 May 2020.
After the priest has exclaimed, Blessed be the Kingdom… and the people have responded, Amen, the clergy sing the Paschal Troparion once and the people repeat it. Then, the clergy sing the first half, and the people conclude it:
Paschal Troparion
Christ is risen from the dead, * trampling death by death, * and to those in the tombs * giving life.
Христос воскрес із мертвих, * смертю смерть подолав, * і тим, що в гробах, * життя дарував
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.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 3
Lord, as of old You raised the Paralytic, * lift my soul by Your divine presence, * for by many sins and foolish actions, * I, too, am now afflicted and crippled. * Raise me, that being saved I may cry to You: * Glory to Your power, O merciful Christ.
Now and forever and ever, Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 8
Though You descended into a tomb, O Immortal One, * yet You destroyed the power of Hades; * and You rose as victor, O Christ God, * calling to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice! * and giving peace to Your Apostles: * You, who grant resurrection to the fallen.
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.
Epistle : Acts 9:32–42
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles:In those days Peter went here and there among all the believers, he came down also to the saints living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralysed. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!’ And immediately he got up. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’ So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
Alleluia, Tone 8
Verse: Of Your mercies, O Lord, I will sing forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Your truth from generation to generation.
Verse:For You have said, ‘Mercy will be established forever.’
Gospel : John 5:1–15
At that time Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep (Gate) a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. For from time to time an angel of the Lord used to come down into the pool; and the water was stirred up, so the first one to get in after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease afflicted him. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be well?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your mat, and walk.’ Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, ‘It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.’ He answered them, ‘The man who made me well told me, “Take up your mat and walk.”’ They asked him, ‘Who is the man who told you, “Take it up and walk”?’ The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you.’ The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Instead of “It is truly...” we sing: The Angel cried out to the One full of Grace: O chaste Virgin, rejoice! And again I say, Rejoice! Your Son has risen from the tomb on the third day, and raised the dead. Let all people rejoice! Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem! for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Exult now and be glad, O Sion! And you, O chaste Mother of God, take delight in the resurrection of your Son.
Сommunion Hymn
Receive the Body of Christ; * taste the fountain of immortality. * Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise Him in the highest. 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.]
Instead of “Blessed is He” we sing: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life. (1x)
Instead of “We have seen the true light” we sing: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life. (1x)
Instead of “Let our mouths be filled” we sing: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life. (3x)
Instead of “Blessed be the name of the Lord” we sing: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life. (3x)
At the end of the Liturgy we sing:
Christ is risen from the dead, * trampling death by death, * and to those in the tombs * giving life. (3x)
And to us he has granted life eternal; * we bow down before his resurrection on the third day.
Христос воскрес із мертвих, * смертю смерть подолав, * і тим, що в гробах, * життя дарував. (3x)
І нам дарував життя вічне, * поклоняємось його триденному Воскресенню.
As the month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, every Sunday in May after Divine Liturgy we will celebrating Moleben (prayers of intercession) to the Mother of God [PDF]
