2024

On Wednesday | March 27

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THE PROPHECY

READER

Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 1.

Psalm 29 (30).

I shall cry to You, O Lord my God.

I will exalt You, O Lord, for You lifted me up [SAAS]

The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.

PRIEST

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Is 5:16-25

The Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and the Holy God shall be glorified in righteousness. Those plundered shall be fed as bulls, and lambs shall eat on the waste places of those taken away. Woe to those who draw sins to themselves as with a long rope and lawlessness as with the strap of a cow’s yoke, who say, “Let Him speedily hasten what He will do that we may see it, and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it!” Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are intelligent in their own eyes and expert in their own sight! Woe to your strong ones who drink wine and the mighty ones who mix intoxicating drink, who justify the ungodly for a bribe and take away justice from the righteous man! Therefore in the manner that stubble shall be burned by coals of fire and consumed by a violent flame, their root shall be like chaff and their flower shall go up like dust, for they did not will to do the law of the Lord of hosts, but despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Thus the wrath of the Lord of hosts is furious against His people. He laid His hand on them and struck them. The mountains were provoked, and their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the road. For all this His anger was not turned away, but His hand is still uplifted. [SAAS]

Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 2.

Psalm 30 (31).

In You, O Lord, I hope; may I not be ashamed forever.

In Your righteousness deliver and rescue me. [SAAS]

The Readings from Vespers

READER

Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 2.

Psalm 31 (32).

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice greatly, O righteous ones.

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven. [SAAS]

The reading is from the book of Genesis.

DEACON

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Gn 4:16-26

Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod opposite Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael; and Mehujael begot Methushael; and Methushael begot Lamech. Then Lamech took two wives for himself: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. So Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal. He is the one who invented the psaltery and harp. As for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, a smith and a manufacturer of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah. Then Lamech said to his wives Adah and Zillah: “Hear my voice, you wives of Lamech, and listen carefully to my words, because I killed a man for wounding me and a young man for hurting me. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.” Again Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Seth, saying, “God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” As for Seth, to him also a son was born. He named him Enosh, and he hoped in the Lord God and called upon His name. [SAAS]

Prokeimenon. Mode 1.

Psalm 32 (33).

Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.

Rejoice greatly in the Lord, O righteous ones. [SAAS]

The reading is from the Proverbs of Solomon.

DEACON

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Pr 5:15-23, 6:1-3

Drink waters from your vessels and from the fountains of your spring. Do not let the waters from your fountain be spilled by you, but let your waters pass through your wide places; let them be only for you, and let no stranger partake with you; let the fountain of your water be for you alone, and rejoice together with the wife of your youth. Let your loving deer and graceful colt keep company with you, and let her alone go before you and be with you at all times; for in living with her love, you will be great. Do not be intimate with a strange woman, neither cling to the embrace of a woman not your own; for the ways of man are before the eyes of God, and He keeps close watch on all his paths. Lawless women ensnare a man, but each man is bound by the chains of his own sins. Such a man dies with the uninstructed and is cast forth from the abundance of his own substance; and he is destroyed by lack of discernment. My son, if you assume the debt of your friend, you will deliver your hand to an enemy; for a man’s own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is conquered by the utterances of his own mouth. My son, do what I command you, and you will save yourself. [SAAS]

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Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On March 27 we commemorate the holy martyr Matrona of Thessaloniki.

On this day devout St. Kerycos of Apros reposed in peace.

On this day we also commemorate the holy martyrs Philetos the senator and Lydia his wife, and their two children Macedon and Theoprepios, the public official Cronides, and the duke Amphilochios.

On this day the holy martyrs John and Baruchios died by the sword.

On this day the prophet Anani reposed in peace.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father Paul, Bishop of Corinth, brother of Peter the worker of signs of the most holy diocese of Argos, and our devout father Eftychios.

By the intercessions of Your Saints, O God, have mercy on us. Amen.

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Fasting Rule

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

It is a weekday in Lent.