2024

On Wednesday | April 10

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THE PROPHECY

READER

Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 2.

Psalm 69 (70).

May all who seek You greatly rejoice and be glad in You.

O Lord, in You I hope; may I never be put to shame. [SAAS]

The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.

PRIEST

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Is 26:21-27:9

For behold, the Lord is bringing wrath from His holy place upon the inhabitants of the earth, and the earth will uncover its blood and will not cover its slain. In that day, God will bring His holy, great, and strong sword upon the fleeing dragon serpent, the perverse dragon serpent that flees; and He shall destroy the dragon. In that day, there shall be a beautiful vineyard, and a desire to begin a hymn against a city: “I am a strong city, a besieged city; I water it in vain; for it shall be taken at night, and its wall shall fall by day. There is no woman who has not taken hold of it. Who will appoint me to guard straw in a field? I rejected it because of this enemy. For that very reason therefore, the Lord God did all the things He ordered. I am burned down.” Those who dwell in it will cry out, “Let us make peace with Him, let us make peace.” Those who come are the children of Jacob. Israel shall bud and put forth flowers, and the inhabited earth shall be filled with its fruit. As he struck, shall he not be thus struck? As he slew, shall he not be thus slain? Fighting and denouncing he shall send them away. Did you not think with a harsh spirit about killing them in a spirit of anger? Therefore the lawlessness of Jacob will be removed; and this is his blessing when I take away his sin, when they make all the stones of the altars beaten like fine dust. Their trees do not remain, and their idols shall be cut down like a distant forest. [SAAS]

Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 2.

Psalm 70 (71).

O Lord, in You I hope; may I never be put to shame.

Deliver me in Your righteousness, and set me free. [SAAS]

The Readings from Vespers

READER

Prokeimenon. Mode 4.

Psalm 71 (72).

Blessed is the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.

O God, give Your judgments to the King. [SAAS]

The reading is from the book of Genesis.

DEACON

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Gn 9:18-29, 10:1

Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated. Then Noah began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard. So he drank of the wine and was drunk and naked in his house. Now Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walking backwards they covered their father’s nakedness. Since their faces were turned away, they did not see his nakedness. Thus when Noah became sober and knew what his younger son had done to him, he said: “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” He also said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the habitations of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant as well.” Now Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood. So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died. Now this is the genealogy of Noah’s sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and sons were born to them after the flood. [SAAS]

Prokeimenon. Mode 4.

Psalm 72 (73).

But as for me, it is good to cling to God.

How good God is to Israel, to the upright in heart. [SAAS]

The reading is from the Proverbs of Solomon.

DEACON

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Pr 12:25-31, 13:1-10

A man of understanding is a throne of perception, but the heart of the undiscerning will meet with curses. The hand of the chosen shall prevail easily, but the deceitful shall be for captivity. A fearful word troubles the heart of a righteous man, but a good message makes him glad. A righteous arbiter shall be his own friend, but the decisions of the ungodly are unreasonable. Evil things shall pursue sinners, and the way of the ungodly will lead them astray. A deceitful man will not gain his prey, but a pure man is a precious possession. In the ways of righteousness there is life, but the ways of remembering wrongs are unto death. An astute son is obedient to his father, but a disobedient son is for destruction. A good man eats from the fruits of righteousness, but the souls of the lawless will destroy themselves before their time. He who guards his mouth keeps his own soul, but he who is hasty with his lips will dismay himself. Every idle man has desire, but the hands of the courageous are diligent. A righteous man hates an unrighteous word, but an ungodly man is ashamed and will not have confidence. Righteousness guards the simple, but sin makes the ungodly worthless. There are those with nothing who make themselves rich, and there are those, though very rich, who humble themselves. The ransom of a man’s soul is his own wealth, but the poor man does not withstand a threat. Light is with the righteous continually, but the light of the ungodly is extinguished. Deceitful souls are led astray in sins, but the righteous have compassion and are merciful. [SAAS]

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Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On April 10, we commemorate the holy martyrs Terence, Africanos, Maximos, Pompey, and another thirty-six; and also those with the blessed Zeno and Alexander and Theodore.

On this day we also commemorate the holy Prophetess Olda.

On this day we also commemorate the holy martyrs Iakovos the priest and Azas the deacon.

The holy new martyr Demos, who witnessed in Smyrna in the year 1763, died by the sword.

On this day we also commemorate our father among the saints Gregory V, the new hieromartyr, Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriach, who witnessed by hanging in that city in the year 1821.

By the intercessions of Your Saints, O Christ 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.