Bridegroom Matins for Holy Monday

Great and Holy Monday

Bridegroom Matins 

(Sunday evening)

Troparion Tone 8
Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching; and again, unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless.  Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighted down with sleep,
lest you be given up to death,  and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom!
But rouse yourself, crying: “Holy, holy, holy, are You, O our God!” Through the Theotokos have mercy on us! (three times)

After the first reading from the Psalter:

Kathisma Hymn Tone 1

Today Christ’s holy Passion draws upon the world as a saving light. For He comes of His goodness to suffer.He Who holds all things in His hand / consents to be hung upon the Wood in order to save mankind.

Glory be to the Father....Both now....

Repeat

After the second reading from the Psalter:

Kathisma Hymn Tone 1 

O invisible Judge, how have You been seen in the flesh? How have You been slain by lawless men, condemning our condemnation by Your sufferings? Therefore, with one voice, O Lord,/ we ascribe glory, dominion, and praise to Your power.

Glory be to the Father....Both now....

Repeat

After the third reading from the Psalter:

Kathisma Hymn Tone 8 

Today shines as the first-fruits of the Lord. Come, then, all who love the feast and join together in hymns. For the Creator comes to accept the Cross, the afflictions, the beatings,  and the judgment by Pilate. A servant strikes Him on the head, but He endures all things that He  may save mankind.Therefore, let us cry out to Him: “Grant remission of sins to those who venerate Your holy Passion in faith,/
O Christ, our God, Who love mankind!”

Gospel:Matthew 21:18-43

     18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. 33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Psalm 50

Priest: O Lord, save thy people....

Tone 2 

Canticle One

(Irmos)Let us sing unto the Lord. By His divine command, He dried up the raging and impassable sea, and led the people of Israel through on foot, for gloriously has He been glorified.

Glory to You, our God, glory to You!

Oh, the inexpressible condescension of the Word of God!  For Christ, Who is both God and man, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself and appeared to His disciples in the form of a servant.  Gloriously has He been glorified!

Glory to You, our God, glory to You!

“With the wealth of My divine nature, I came in order to minister to Adam in his  poverty.  I fashioned his body and now willingly I put it on.  Though in My divine nature I am not subject to passion, I lay down my life to ransom his.”

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

Let us sing unto the Lord. By His divine command, He dried up the raging and impassable sea, and led the people of Israel through on foot, for gloriously has He been glorified.

The Small Litany

Kontakion

Tone 8 

Jacob lamented the loss of Joseph but his noble son was seated on a chariot and honored as a king. For when he refused to be enslaved by the pleasures of the Egyptian woman he was glorified by the Lord, Who beholds the hearts of men//
and bestows upon them an incorruptible crown.

Ikos

Today let us add lamentation to lamentation!Let our tears flow with those of Jacob, who weeps for his celebrated and sober-minded son; for though bodily Joseph was indeed a slave, he preserved the freedom of his soul and was lord over all Egypt.
For God prepares for His servants an incorruptible crown.

Canticle Eight

(Irmos)The relentless fire was fed by fuel in endless supply, yet it shrank before the flesh of the Holy Youths, as pure as their souls, and when the never-ending flame was quenched, the singing of an everlasting hymn began: “Praise the Lord, all works of the Lord, and exalt Him throughout  all ages!”

Glory to You, our God, glory to You!

“By this will all men know that you are my disciples,” said the Savior to His friends as He went to His Passion, “if you will keep my commandments.  Be at peace among yourselves, and you will be exalted!  And, knowing that I am the Lord,
you will sing and exalt Me throughout all ages.”

Glory to You, our God, glory to You!

“Let your order be contrary to that of the Gentiles, who hold power over their fellow-men, for such is not my portion, but rather self-appointed tyranny!
He, then, who would be great among you, must be the servant of all, and knowing that I am the Lord, he will sing and exalt Me throughout all ages.”

Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord, now and ever and unto ages of ages!  Amen.

We praise, bless, and worship the Lord, singing and exalting Him throughout all ages.

The relentless fire was fed by fuel in endless supply, yet it shrank before the flesh of the Holy Youths, as pure as their souls, and when the never-ending flame was quenched, the singing of an everlasting hymn began: “Praise the Lord, all works of the Lord, and exalt Him throughout  all ages!”

Canticle Nine

(Irmos)You have magnified the Theotokos who bore You, O Christ. From her You put on a body like our own, O our Creator, which releases us from our errors. Blessing her, we in all generations magnify You.

 Glory to You, our God, glory to You!

You warned Your Apostles, O Wisdom of All: “Flee from all impure passion!
Seek, instead, wisdom worthy of the Kingdom of God! Thus, you will be glorified and shine more brightly than the sun.”

 Glory to You, our God, glory to You!

The Lord said to His Disciples: “As you look at Me, do not be haughty, but be joined to the lowly!  The cup which I drink, drink also, that you may be glorified with Me in my Father’s Kingdom!”

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

 You have magnified the Theotokos who bore You, O Christ. From her You put on a body like our own, O our Creator, which releases us from our errors. Blessing her, we in all generations magnify You.

Exapostilarion
Your bridal chamber I see adorned, O my Savior, and I have no wedding garment that I may enter. O Giver of Light, enlighten the vesture of my soul, and save me! (three times)

Lauds.

The Praises

(Psalms 148. 149, 150)

Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His exceeding
greatness! (Ps 150:2)

Tone 1

(from the Lenten Triodion) 

As the Lord was going to His voluntary Passion, He said to the Apostles on the way: “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered up, as it is written of Him.” Come, therefore, let us also go with Him, purified in mind!
Let us be crucified with Him and die through Him to the pleasures of this life!
Then we shall live with Him and hear Him say: “I go no more to the earthly Jerusalem to suffer,  but to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.
I shall raise you up to the Jerusalem on high/ in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! (Ps 150:3)

As the Lord was going to His voluntary Passion, He said to the Apostles on the way: “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered up, as it is written of Him.” Come, therefore, let us also go with Him, purified in mind!
Let us be crucified with Him and die through Him to the pleasures of this life!
Then we shall live with Him and hear Him say: “I go no more to the earthly Jerusalem to suffer,  but to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.
I shall raise you up to the Jerusalem on high/ in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe! (Ps 150:4)

Tone 5  

We have reached the saving Passion of Christ our God. Let us, the faithful, glorify His ineffable forbearance, that in His compassion He may raise us up who were dead in sin,/ for He is good and loves mankind!

Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Ps 150:5)

We have reached the saving Passion of Christ our God. Let us, the faithful, glorify His ineffable forbearance, that in His compassion He may raise us up who were dead in sin,/ for He is good and loves mankind!

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

Tone 5

Going to Your Passion, O Lord, You took Your Disciples aside and reassured them:
“How have you forgotten the words that I once spoke? Is it not written:
‘A prophet cannot be killed but in Jerusalem?’ Now is the time of which I told you.
Behold, I am betrayed into the hands of sinners to be mocked! They will nail Me to the  Cross and deliver Me up to burial, regarding Me, as a dead man, a thing of loathing. Yet, take courage, for I will arise on the third day,/ giving to the faithful joy and life everlasting!”

Aposticha

Tone 5 (from the Lenten Triodion)

The mother of Zebedee’s children, O Lord, could not understand the ineffable mystery of Your dispensation. She asked the honor of a temporal kingdom for her sons; but instead, You promised Your friends  that they should drink the cup of death, a cup that You would drink before them for the cleansing of sins.Therefore we cry out to You:/“O Salvation of our souls, glory to You!”

v: Satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice
and be glad all our days!  Make us glad as many days as You have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil!  Let Your work be manifest to
Your servants, and Your glorious power to their children! (Ps 90/91:14)

You taught Your Disciples, O Lord, to desire what is perfect, saying: “Be not like the Gentiles, who oppress the weak! It shall not be so with you, O my Disciples.
for of my Own will I am poor. Let the first among you, therefore, be the servant of all! Let the ruler be like those who are ruled! Let him who is first be like the last!
For I have come to serve Adam in his poverty, and to give My life as a ransom for the many who cry to Me:/ ‘O Lord, glory to You!’”

v: Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands; yea, establish the work of our hands! (Ps 90/91:17)

Tone 8

The fig tree was withered up because it was unfruitful.We should fear the same punishment, O brethren, and bring worthy fruits of repentance to Christ,//
Who brings to us great mercy.

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

Tone 8

The serpent found a second Eve in the Egyptian woman, and plotted the fall of Joseph through words of flattery. But, leaving behind his garment, Joseph fled from sin. He was naked but unashamed, like Adam before the fall./ Through his prayers, O Christ, have mercy on us!