(After the 1st reading of the Psalter):

Sessional Hymn
Tone 8

Illumined by the light of the fathers,
Let us now enter a paradise of joy!
Let us refresh ourselves beside the river of delight that flows there!
Let us look with wonder at the victory of the saints
And strive to equal them in virtue,
Crying out to the Savior:
O God, at their intercessions, make us sharers in your heavenly kingdom!

Glory...

With one accord, let us praise Paul, the first monk;
Anthony the wise and Euthymius,
And all the other fathers!
Let us beg them ever to intercede with Christ on our behalf
As we celebrate their joyful memory,
Glorifying in songs the Savior and Lord!

Now and ever...

Theotokion

We ever thank and magnify you, pure Theotokos;
We venerate and praise your childbearing, full of grace!
We call on you without ceasing:
Save us in your love, merciful Virgin!
Deliver us from the fearful scrutiny we must undergo before demons;
In the hour of our test do not let your servants be put to shame!

(After the 2nd reading of the Psalter):

Sessional Hymn
Tone 8

Let us all praise Anthony and Euthymius in hymns
With all the other fathers who bore God in their hearts.
Let us celebrate their memory!
For they intercede with the Lord on behalf of all the world,
That we may be saved from punishment and delivered from the ancient curse!

Glory...

As if walking among the flowers of virtue
In the field of the God-bearing ascetics,
We are filled with fragrance that is sweet to breathe.
Their struggles hardened them as steel in the face of temptations;
By abstinence they held the body subject to the spirit,
Living on earth the life of angels.
Therefore they have been counted worthy of glory!

Now and ever...

Theotokion

Grant, O Christ, at the prayers of your holy angels,
The forerunner, disciples, prophets and martyrs,
Of all your saints and holy monks, and of your virgin mother,
That we may walk in your light.
Through your mercy and compassion count us worthy to receive your kingdom!

Hymn of Light

Great multitude of holy fathers,
You denied the world and took up the cross,
Together with the choirs of martyrs,
The assembly of hierarchs and company of holy women!
Shine on us with your light,
That we may rightly sing the praises of your glorious memory.

Glory to the Father... Now and ever...

Theotokion

Let us praise with hymns of joy
The God-bearing fathers who shone forth in the ascetic life
Together with the hierarchs and the martyrs
And the choirs of holy women.
So we shall be sanctified,
And through their prayers and the intercessions of the Theotokos,
We shall easily accomplish the course of the fast.

The Praises

Tone 8

Come, faithful, let us glorify the many fathers
Who lived the ascetic life in holiness!
Brethren, let us praise with one accord,
In hymns inspired by God
The hierarchs of Christ who lived in fasting and abstinence,
Showing us plainly the gospel of Christ.
Let us sing also the praises of the holy and glorious women:
All those who bore God in their hearts!
Out of love for him, let us follow their way of life,
That in the world to come we may receive remission of our sins!

Come, brethren, let us praise and glorify
Those who shone forth in the ascetic life!
Here on earth they lived in holiness and righteousness;
Now they are translated in joy to eternal life.
In virtue and holiness they ran the straight course
Leading to the eternal blessings of the world to come.
Let us give them rightful honor,
That through their intercessions
We may obtain mercy, eternal joy and glory from God,
And escape unending punishment in the future life!

Choir of hierarchs and assembly of the righteous
With the ascetics and holy women who lived in Godliness:
We pray that you will intercede with the Lord
The only good and merciful one,
That he may have compassion on us.
May we be delivered at your prayers, O saints,
From condemnation in the age to come,
And rejoice to all eternity in the blessedness of heaven,
Crying out with ceaseless hymns of praise to the giver of life!

Come, faithful! Let us celebrate today a solemn feast:
The memorial of the saints, hierarchs and ascetics,
Together with the martyrs and holy women.
They despised all that is passing and corruptible,
Seeing it as no more than refuse or a spider's web,
That they might gain Christ and his kingdom,
And enjoy the blessings no eye has seen or ear ever heard!
At their prayers, O God, deliver our souls from corruption!

Glory...
Tone 6

The sound of your teachings has gone out into all the earth,
Venerable fathers!
Therefore you have found the reward of your labors in the heavens.
You destroyed the hosts of demons
And reached the ranks of angels whose life you blamelessly followed!
Since you have boldness before Christ our God,
Entreat peace for our souls!

Now and ever... Tone 6

Theotokos,
You are the true vine who blossomed for us the fruit of life:
Implore him, we pray you, lady,
Together with the apostles and all the saints,
That he will have mercy on our souls!

Prokeimenon
Tone 7

Let the faithful exult in glory; * let them sing for joy on their couches!

Verse: The high praises of God shall be in their mouth!

Reading from Romans 14:19-23, 16:25-27 (for the day)
Galatians 5:22-6:2 (for the saints)

Alleluia
Tone 2

They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God!
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous! Praise befits the just!

Reading from Matthew 6:1-13 (for the day)
Matthew 11:27-30 (for the saints)

Communion Verse

The righteous will be remembered forever; he is not afraid of evil
tidings! Alleluia!

"Lord I call..."

(6 stikhera of the resurrection)

Tone 6

The Lord took a handful of dust from the earth.
He breathed into it, and created me, a living man!
He made me Lord and master of all things on earth;
Truly I enjoyed the life of the angels!
But satan the deceiver, in the guise of a serpent, tempted me:
I ate the forbidden fruit, and forfeited the glory of God.
Now I have been delivered to the earth through death.
My compassionate Lord, call me back to eden!

When the enemy tempted me,
I disobeyed your command, O Lord.
I exchanged the glory of my immortal body for shame and nakedness.
Now I must wear garments of skins and fig-leaves;
I am condemned to eat the bread of bitter hardship
By the sweat of my brow.
The earth is cursed, and brings forth thorns and husks for me.
Lord, you took flesh from the virgin in the fullness of time:
Call me back and restore me to eden!

Paradise, garden of delight and beauty,
Dwelling-place made perfect by God,
Unending gladness and eternal joy,
The hope of the prophets and the home of the saints,
By the music of your rustling leaves beseech the creator of all
To open to me the gates which my sins have closed,
That I may partake of the tree of life and grace
Which was given to me in the beginning.

Adam was exiled from paradise through disobedience;
He was driven from eternal bliss, deceived by the words of eve;
He sat naked and weeping before the gates of paradise.
Let us hasten to enter the season of fasting;
Let us carefully obey the gospel commands,
That we may be made acceptable to Christ our God,
And regain our home in eden.

Glory...

Adam sat before the gates of eden,
Bewailing his nakedness and crying out:
Woe to me! I have listened to wicked deceit;
I have lost my glory, and now am driven away!
Woe to me! My open-mindedness has left me naked and confused!
No longer will I enjoy your delights, paradise;
No longer can I see my Lord, my God and creator.
Me formed me from dust, and now to the dust I return!
I beg you, compassionate Lord:
Have mercy on me, who have fallen!

Now and ever...(of the resurrection Tone of the week)

Apostikha (of the resurrection)

Glory...
Tone 6

Adam ate the forbidden fruit and was driven from paradise.
He sat outside, weeping bitterly:
Woe to me! What will become of me, a worthless man?
I disobeyed one command of my master, and lost every good thing!
Holy paradise, planted for me by God
And closed by the weakness of eve,
Grant that I may once again gaze on the flowers of your gardens!
The Savior said to him:
I do not wish the death of my creation!
I desire that all should be saved
And come to the knowledge of the truth,
For he who comes to me I shall never cast out!

Now and ever...

Theotokion
Tone 6

My maker and redeemer, Christ the Lord,
Was born of you, most pure virgin!
By accepting my nature, he freed adam from his ancient curse!
Unceasingly we magnify you as the mother of God!
Rejoice, celestial joy!
Rejoice, O lady!
The protection, intercession and salvation of our souls!