Books - Sources

Hieratikon

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Menaion - August 2

Memory of the Transfer of the Relic of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr

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LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Antiphon 1. Mode 2.

Verse 1: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and everything within me, bless His holy name. [SAAS]

Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.

Verse 2: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His rewards.

Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.

Verse 3: The Lord prepared His throne in heaven, and His Kingdom rules over all.

Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.

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

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.

Antiphon 2. Mode 2.

Verse 1: Praise the Lord, O my soul! I shall praise the Lord while I live; I shall sing to my God as long as I exist. [SAAS]

Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.

Verse 2: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob; his hope is in the Lord his God.

Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.

Verse 3: The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.

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

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Only-begotten Son and Logos of God, being immortal, You condescended for our salvation to take flesh from the holy Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary and, without change, became man. Christ, our God, You were crucified and conquered death by death. Being one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit: Save us.

Antiphon 3.

Apolytikion.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 4. Come quickly.

Ταχὺ προκατάλαβε.

O Stephen, a crown of royalty was laid on your head * for contests you courageously endured for Christ our God, * as first among Martyr saints. * You refuted the ravings of the Jews who accused you, * and you saw your Savior at the right hand of the Father. * We pray that you will ever entreat Him to save our souls. [GOASD]

An optional alternative to the Antiphons are the Typika (Psalms 102 and 145), and the Beatitudes with the appointed troparia, which are provided here.

Psalm 102.

Psalm 145.

The Beatitudes.

Mode pl. 4.

In Your kingdom. Remember us, O Lord, when You come in Your kingdom. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [RSV]

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. [RSV]

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. [RSV]

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. [RSV]

Canon for the Saint.

Ode iii. Mode pl. 4. N/M (In the beginning.)

Ὁ στερεώσας κατʼ ἀρχάς.

From Menaion - - -

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. [RSV]

You showed yourself to be a theologian and a sacred instructor in holy things, O most excellent Martyr Stephen, contending with the assemblies of the Hebrews and unerringly convicting their godlessness and God-opposing temper. [SD]

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. [RSV]

Come, and with one accord let us honor in hymns inspired by God that companion of the Angels, Christ’s First Martyr and First Deacon, who illustriously drew the starting line of the race for other Martyrs. [SD]

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. [RSV]

The first of Martyrs and foremost of Deacons, that treasure hidden beneath the earth, is made manifest and has filled the whole world with a sweet divine fragrance and abundant gifts. [SD]

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [RSV]

Theotokion.

You are the spiritual gate of the Dayspring from on high, Who appeared upon the earth, O immaculate Virgin; for through you, the Logos came to us, to save all from irrationality. [SD]

Canon for the Saint.

From Menaion - - -

Ode vi. Mode pl. 4. N/M (Be gracious to me.)

Ἱλάσθητί μοι Σωτήρ.

Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely [for my sake]. [RSV]

You acquired an angelic likeness, being by will an imitator of the Angels. Now as you rejoice in their company, O blessed Stephen, preserve those who extol you. [SD]

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. [RSV]

The power of your divinely inspired words thundered clearly like the rolling of thunder in the ears of the transgressors, and it blinded their eyes, O blessed and divinely speaking Stephen. [SD]

Glory.

You were counted worthy to see the Father’s Glory, and His Effulgence of the same nature, who showed you the shining crowns of your contests, O all-venerable Stephen, proclaimer of the things divine. [SD]

Both now. Theotokion.

The God of my salvation, the Only-begotten Son, who was invisible before the ages, became physically visible in these last times as the Only-begotten of you, O Mother of God. [SD]

Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.

Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.

Hymns after the Entrance.

Apolytikion.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 4. Come quickly.

Ταχὺ προκατάλαβε.

O Stephen, a crown of royalty was laid on your head * for contests you courageously endured for Christ our God, * as first among Martyr saints. * You refuted the ravings of the Jews who accused you, * and you saw your Savior at the right hand of the Father. * We pray that you will ever entreat Him to save our souls. [GOASD]

The Apolytikion of the parish church is sung. Then:

From Menaion - - -

Kontakion.

Grave Mode.

Upon the mountain were You transfigured, and Your disciples beheld Your glory as far as they were able, O Christ our God; so that when they would see You crucified they might understand that Your Passion was deliberate, and declare to the world that in truth You are the Father’s radiance. [SD]

Trisagios Hymn

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

The Epistle

For the Protomartyr.

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 98.

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy mountain. [SAAS]

Verse: The Lord reigns; let the peoples be angry. [SAAS]

The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 6:8 – 15; 7:1 – 5, 47 – 60

In those days, Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated men, who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. And the high priest said, “Is this so?” And Stephen said: “Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Depart from your land and from your kindred and go into the land which I will show you.’ Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans, and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living; yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’ You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth against him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. [RSV]

Alleluia. Mode pl. 2. Psalm 73.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 1: Remember Your congregation You acquired from the beginning. [SAAS]

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 2: God is our King before the ages; He worked salvation in the midst of the earth.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

The Gospel

For the Protomartyr.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Mk. 12:1 – 12

The Lord said this parable, “A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away. [RSV]

Hymn to the Theotokos.

It is truly right to bless you, Theotokos, ever blessed, most pure, and Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Logos. We magnify you, the true Theotokos.

Communion Hymn. Psalm 18.

His proclamation went forth into all the earth, and his words to the ends of the world. Alleluia. [SAAS]

Hymn after Holy Communion.

Mode 2.

We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the true faith, worshiping the undivided Trinity, for the Trinity has saved us.

DISMISSAL

Glory to You, O Christ our God. Glory to You.

May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, the protection of the honorable, bodiless powers of heaven, the supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist, of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy apostles, of the holy, glorious, and triumphant martyrs, of our righteous and God-bearing fathers, (local patron saint); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr, the transfer of whose holy relic we celebrate, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.

Fasting Rule

Strict: Refrain from meat, fish, oil, dairy, and eggs.

It is the Dormition fast.