Vespers in Cheese-Fare Week

(Tuesday and Thursday)

 

    On Tuesday and Thursday evening of Cheese-fare Week, everything from the beginning up to Lord, now lettest thou . . . is according to the usual rule for daily vespers, but with reverences in the beginning at the Trisagion, at Come, let us worship, after Psalm 103 at Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (3), after each of the three antiphons of the kathisma, after Vouchsafe, O Lord . . . . at the Trisagion which is after Lord, now lettest thou . . ., and at the troparia, O Theotokos Virgin, hail . . ., O Baptizer of Christ . . . and Pray for us . . ., but after Beneath thy tenderness of heart . . ., there is no reverence.

    Then Lord, have mercy is said 40 times, Glory. . . Now and.... More honorable than the Cherubim . . . . and in the name of the Lord, bless, Father.

    The priest, standing before the holy doors, exclaims:

    He Who is, is blessed, even Christ our God, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

    Reader: Amen. and

    O King of heaven, do thou strengthen our (title of the highest civil authority), establish the faith, quiet the nations, give peace to the world, keep this city (or this village, or this holy abode), make our fathers and brethren gone to rest before to dwell in the tabernacles of the righteous, and accept us in repentance and confession, for thou art good and lovest man.

    Then the priest reads the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian:

    O Lord and Master of my life, the spirit of idleness, of meddling (faintheartedness or despondency in Slavonic), of love of power, and of idle words, grant me not. reverence But the spirit of continence, of humility, of patience, and of love, do thou grant unto me, thy servant. reverence Yea, O Lord and King, grant unto me to perceive mine own offenses, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art thou unto ages of ages. Amen. reverence

    Then 12 little reverences, saying at each:

    O God, cleanse thou me a sinner.

    And again the whole prayer of St. Ephraim with one reverence at the conclusion of it. Then the reader, the Trisagion, with reverences, Our Father. . . . and the priest: For thine is the kingdom, the reader, Amen, then Lord, have mercy. twelve times

   The priest says: Glory to thee, Christ God, . . . , and the dismissal.