Divine Liturgy of St. Basil with Vespers for Great Thursday

STAND

 

Psalm 103
Praise of God's Creation

-Bless the Lord, 0 my soul!
You are very great, 0 Lord, my God!
-Clothed in pomp and brilliance,
arrayed with light as with a cloak.

-Stretching out the sky as a tent-cloth,
covering your lofty halls with water.
-You make the clouds your conveyance,
You surge on the wings of the wind.

-You make spirits your messengers
and flaming fires your attendants.
-You settle the earth on its firm foundation:
it shall stand unmoved from age to age.

-The abyss covers it like a garment;
waters stand over the mountains.
-At your rebuke, they will take to flight,
at the peal of your thunder they will fear.

-They hurdle the hills and run down the dales
to the place you have chosen for them.
-You have set up a boundary not to be passed:
they shall never return to cover the earth.

-Down in the gullies, You make springs to rise:
waters shall go down between the mountains.
-They shall give drink to the beasts of the field;
wild asses will seek them to quench their thirst.

-The birds of the sky will abide by them:
from among the rocks they will raise their song.
-From your lofty halls You refresh the mountains;
the earth shall be fed with the fruit of your works.

-You make green pastures for the cattle
and food-plants for the service of man,
-So that bread may be brought forth from the earth
and wine that gladdens the heart of man.

-So that oil may put a gleam upon his face
and that bread may strengthen the heart of man.
-The trees of the plain will be satisfied,
the cedars of Lebanon that He planted.

-The sparrows will build their nests in them
and the herons will call them their home.
-To the deer belong high mountains,
to rodents, the shelter of the rocks.

-You have made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows the time of its setting.
-You establish darkness and it is night
wherein the forest creatures prowl around.

-Young lions roar for their prey
and call out to God for their meat.
-As the sun rises, they will come together
and lay themselves down in their dens.

-Man will go out to his labor
and work until eventide.
-How great are your works, 0 Lord!
In wisdom You have wrought them all:
the earth is filled with your creatures.

-Even the wide and open sea itself:
within it there are countless creeping things,
living beings small and large.
-Upon it there are ships a-sailing
and that great beast You made to have fun.

-All of them look up to You
to give them their food in due time.
-You provide and they gather up;
You open your hand and they are full.

-You hide your face and they cringe,
You suspend their breath and they die and return to their dust.
-You send forth Your breath and they live:
You renew the face of the earth!

-May the Lord's glory endure forever,
may the Lord rejoice in his works.
-He looks upon the earth and makes it quake,
He touches the mountains and they smoke.

-I will sing to the Lord as long as I live,
I will praise my God as long as I last.
-Would that my thoughts be pleasing to Him
and I will rejoice in the Lord.

-May the sinners vanish from the earth
and may the wicked be no more.
-Bless the Lord, 0 my soul!

-Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.
-Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia.
Glory be to You, O God. (3 times with a bow)

LITANY OF PEACE

STAND

PSALM 140
Tone 2

O Lord, I have cried to You, hear me. Hear me, O Lord. O Lord, I have cried to You, hear me: receive the voice of my prayer when I call upon You. * Hear me, Lord.

Let my prayer be directed as incense to You, * the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice; hear me, O Lord.

HYMNS OF THE VESPERS
TONE 2

Verse: For Your Name’s sake, 0 Lord, I have waited for You, * my soul has waited for Your word, * my soul has hoped in the Lord.

Verse: From the watch of dawn until the night, * from the watch of dawn let Israel long for the Lord.

STAND

Then in TONE 6

PRAYER OF ENTRANCE

As the "Glory be" is being sung, the priest opens the royal doors and places incense in the censer. Then taking the holy gospel from the altar and censer in hand, and preceeded by servers carrying a candle, he proceeds around the altar and comes before the royal doors where he recites the following prayer quietly:

O gracious King, You love mankind and bless all things. With contrite heart and humble spirit we pray to You, 0 Christ our true God, to bless our going and coming. For Your coming and dwelling among us and Your going in the Ascension are blessed always, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

When the people complete the last Hymn of Vespers, the priest raises the Holy Gospel on high and intones:

O Joyful Light! * Light and Holy Glory * of the Father immortal, * the heavenly holy, the Blessed One; * O Jesus Christ. * Now that we have reached the setting of the sun, * and see the evening light, * we sing to God, * Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. * it is fitting at all times * to raise a song of praise in measured melody to You, * O Son of God, the Giver of Life. * Behold, the universe sings Your glory.

PROKIMENON
Tone 1

The priest intones from behind the altar:

Response: O Lord, deliver me from the evil man and free me from the unjust man.

Verse: Who contemplate injustice in their hearts all the day long.

OLD TESTAMENT READING

The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient, nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord GOD helps me, therefore, I am not disgraced; therefore, I have set My face like flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He who vindicates me is near; who will contend with me? Let us stand up to each other; who has a case against me? Let him draw near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who is he who condemns me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them. Who is among you that fears the LORD, that obeys the voice of His servant, that walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with firebrands, walk in the light of your fire and among the brands you have set ablaze. This you will have from My hand; and you will lie down in torment.

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STAND

PROKIMENON
Tone 7

The priest intones from behind the altar:

O God, deliver me from my enemies and redeem me from those who rise against me.

Two more Old Testament reading are prescribed at this time but may be omitted at the discretion of the celebrant:

SECOND READING: Exodus 19: 10-19

The LORD also said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. "And you shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, 'Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 'No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain."

So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman."

So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder.

THIRD READING: Job 38: 1-22 and 42: 1-5

When the reading is completed, the priest intones:

Response: Amen.

STAND

REMAIN STANDING

PROKIMENON
Tone 7

The priest in tones from behind the altar:

Priest: Let us be attentive! Peace be with all! Let us be attentive!

Response: The princes of the people have gathered together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.

Verse: Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing.

Reader: 1st Corinthians 77: 23-32

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.

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ALLELUIA
Tone 6

My enemies say the worst of me: * "When will he die and his name perish?"

STAND

GOSPEL

Response before and after the Gospel:

Glory be to You, O Lord, glory be to You.

"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be delivered up for crucifixion."

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth, and kill Him. But they were saying, "Not during the festival, lest a riot occur among the people."

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it upon His head as He reclined at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, "Why this waste? "For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor." But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. "For the poor you have with you always; but you do not always have Me. "For when she poured this perfume upon My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. "Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done shall also be spoken of in memory of her."

Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said, "What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you?" And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver. And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?" And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'" And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

Now when evening had come, He was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God, rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. And so He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter." Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."

And so when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

And as they were eating, He said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me." And being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, "Surely not I, Lord?" And He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." And Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said it yourself."

And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."

And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.' "But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." But Peter answered and said to Him, "Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away." Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you that this very night, before a cock crows, you shall deny Me three times." Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You." All the disciples said the same thing too. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me."

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? "Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Thy will be done." And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples, and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. "Arise, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!" And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up, accompanied by a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, "Whomever I shall kiss, He is the one; seize Him." And immediately he went to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. And Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you have come for." Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? "How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?" At that time Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. "But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

And those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. But Peter also was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome. Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; and they did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, and said, "This man stated, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.'" And the high priest stood up and said to Him, "Do You make no answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?" But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his robes, saying, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think? "They answered and said," He is deserving of death! " Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, and said, "Prophesy to us, you Christ; who is the one who hit you?"

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a certain servant-girl came to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about." And when he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man." And a little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; for the way you talk gives you away." Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a cock crowed. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, "Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.

Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death; and they bound Him, and led Him away, and delivered Him up to Pilate the governor.

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LITANY OF SUPPLICATION

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. (3) - for four petitions

Amen.

STAND

Let all mortal flesh be silent, * and let it stand with fear and awe, * having no earthly thought. * The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords * comes to be sacrificed * and to be given as food to the faithful. * Before Him go the choirs of angelic Hosts, * Powers and Principalities, * the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim. * They cover their faces while they chant: * "Alleluia, * alleluia, * alleluia."

Let all mortal flesh be silent, * and let it stand with fear and awe, * having no earthly thought. * The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords * comes to be sacrificed * and to be given as food to the faithful. * Before Him go the choirs of angelic Hosts, * Powers and Principalities, * the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim. * They cover their faces while they chant: * "Alleluia, * alleluia, * alleluia."

Response: It is proper and just to worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, one in substance and undivided.

KNEEL

Priest: May we obtain mercy and grace especially with our most holy, most pure, and most blessed and glorious Lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary.

STAND

Response: Amen.

KNEEL

The Faithful approach with the fear of God, and with faith, and with love, to recieve Jesus.

STAND

Response: Amen.

And the people immediately continue:

Response: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy. Give the blessing!

End of the Divine Liturgy