When the priest hath given the blessing, we say: Christ is risen…, thrice. Then the Trisagion through Our Father; Lord, have mercy!, twelve times; Glory…, Now & ever…; O come, let us worship…, thrice. And we read the Ninth Hour as usual, with three psalms, including the troparion and kontakion of the feast. Then we chant Vespers, without a kathisma.

On Lord, I have cried…, 6 stichera, in Tone I: Special Melody: O all-praised martyrs…—

After Thy dread arising from the tomb, O Bestower of life, just as Thou didst not break the seals of the sepulcher, so didst Thou enter in to Thine all-glorious apostles, the doors being shut, granting them peace and bestowing upon them Thine upright Spirit in Thine infinite mercy.

Thomas the Twin had not arrived when Thou didst appear to the disciples, O Lord. Wherefore, he did not believe in Thy resurrection, and unto those who had seen Thee he cried: “If I do not thrust my finger into His side and the print of the nails, I will not believe that He hath risen!”

“As thou desirest to touch Me,” Christ cried out to Thomas, “bring hither thy hand, and acknowledge that I possess bones and an earthly body; and be not unbelieving, but be convinced with the others.” And he cried out: “Thou art my God and Lord! Glory to Thine arising!”

And 3 stichera prosomia from the Menaion; Glory…, of the saint. 

But if there be none, Glory…, Now & ever…, of the feast, in Tone I—

When the doors were shut, and the disciples were gathered together, Thou didst suddenly enter in, O almighty Jesus our God, and standing in their midst and granting them peace, Thou didst fill them with the Holy Spirit, and didst command them to wait, and in nowise to depart from Jerusalem, until they were invested with power from on high. Wherefore, we cry out to Thee: O our Enlightenment, Resurrection and Peace, glory to Thee!

Entrance. O gladsome Light…

Great Prokimenon, in Tone VII—

What God is as great as our God? Thou art God Who workest wonders.

Stichos: Thou hast made Thy power known among the peoples.

Stichos: And I said: Now have I made a beginning; this change hath been wrought by the right hand of the Most High.

Stichos: I remembered the works of the Lord; for I will remember Thy wonders from the beginning.

And again: What God is as great as our God? Thou art God Who workest wonders.

Then the litany: Let us all say…; And, Vouchsafe, O Lord…; And the litany: Let us complete our evening prayer unto the Lord…

Aposticha: sticheron of the resurrection, from the Octoechos, in Tone I—

Accept Thou our evening prayers, O holy Lord, and grant us remission of sins, as Thou alone art He Who hath shown forth the resurrection in the world.

Stichos: Unto Thee have I lifted up mine eyes, unto Thee that dwellest in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hands of their masters, as the eyes of the handmaid look unto the hands of her mistress, so do our eyes look unto the Lord our God, until He take pity on us.

Of compunction: Great is the abyss of my many transgressions, O Savior, and I sink grievously because of mine offenses. Grant me Thy hand, as Thou didst to Peter, O God. Save me, and have mercy upon me!

Stichos: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for greatly are we filled with abasement. Greatly hath our soul been filled therewith; let reproach come upon them that prosper, and abasement on the proud.

Martyricon: Through the supplications of all the saints and the Theotokos, O Lord, grant us Thy peace, and have mercy upon us, in that Thou alone art compassionate.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in the same tone—

Eight days after Thine arising, O Lord, Thou didst appear to Thy disciples in the place where they were gathered; and having proclaimed to them “Peace be unto you!” Thou didst show Thy hands and all-pure side to the unbelieving disciple; and, believing, he cried out to Thee: “My Lord and my God, glory to Thee!”

After the Trisagion, the troparion of the feast. If there be a troparion of the saint, we say it first, and afterwards, Glory…, Now & ever…, of the feast: When the sepulcher was sealed…; And the dismissal. 

This is the order of service for Vespers on all Sundays throughout the period of Pentecost.

N.B.: From this day we read Little Compline. And we chant the Canon of Supplication to the All-holy Theotokos, which is in the Octoechos, and the three-ode canons of the day from the Pentecostarion, the composition of Kyr Joseph. Wherever we recite an ode of the three-ode canon, the corresponding ode of the Canon of Supplication to the Theotokos is omitted. After It is truly meet…, and Our Father…, throughout the period of Pentecost we recite the kontakion of the feast. Each clay during Liturgy, on the Beatitudes we read 6 troparia from the appointed ode, including the irmos, thus: On Monday, Ode I, on Tuesday, Ode IV, on Wednesday, Ode V, on Thursday, Ode VII, on Friday, Ode VIII, on Saturday, Ode IX. This is the case for every day throughout the fifty days until Pentecost.

After the priest hath begun: Glory to the Holy, Consubstantial…, we say Christ is risen…, thrice. We use this beginning Christ is risen… also for the Hours, Vespers and Compline, from this Matins of the Sunday of Antipascha until the Ascension of Christ. [Though no mention is made of Nocturns, I am of the opinion that it is clearly to be chanted privily, because its beginning seemeth to indicate this.] And straightway, after Christ is risen…, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace…, is said, and the usual Six Psalms. Great litany. Then, God is the Lord…, in Tone V II. Troparion of the feast, When the sepulcher was sealed…, thrice. This troparion is done all throughout the week. We chant two kathismata of the Psalter, while the third is done at Vespers. And thus do we read the Psalter until September 21st.

After the first chanting of the Psalter, the sessional hymn of the resurrection, in Tone I—

The soldiers guarding Thy tomb, O Savior, became as dead men because of the radiance of the angel who appeared before them, proclaiming the resurrection to the women. We glorify Thee, the Destroyer of corruption, and we bow down before Thee, our one God Who hast risen from the grave.

Stichos: O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger, nor chasten me in Thy wrath.

I, the prodigal, am conceived in iniquities, and I dare not gaze upon the heights of heaven; but risking offense to Thy love for mankind, I cry: Cleanse me, O God, and save me!

Stichos: Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel.

O Lord, the glorious passion-bearers were invested by Thee with the boast of suffering and the dignity of crowns; for by enduring wounds they vanquished the iniquitous, and by divine power they received victory from heaven. Through their supplications free me also from the invisible foe, O Savior, and save me.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Beholding the miracle of miracles wrought in thee, O thou who art full of grace, creation rejoiceth; for thou didst conceive without seed and gavest birth ineffably unto Him upon Whom the orders of angels cannot gaze. Him do thou beseech as God in behalf of our souls.

Then the reading in St. John Chrysostom’s interpretation of the Gospel of John.

After the second chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone I: Special Melody: Thy tomb O Savior…

Thomas the Twin, who touched the unbearable side with his hand, was not consumed at the touch, but remained, touching the wounds with yet greater assurance, and saying unto Him Who was pierced for our sake: “Thou art my Lord and my God, even though Thou hast endured suffering!”

Glory…, Now & ever…: The foregoing is repeated. 

And another reading. 

Then, Having beheld the resurrection of Christ…, once; and Psalm 50. 

NB.: Thus do we do until the Ascension of the Lord. Nor do we say Unto the Lord we chant…; rather, we do as prescribed in the Irmologion. We begin from the irmoi, which we chant twice, and then chant the troparia, to make up the number six, and then the troparia of the canon from the Menaion, to the number four. After Ode III, the kontakion and sessional hymn of the saint; Glory…, Now & ever…, sessional hymn of the feast. After Ode VI, the kontakion of the feast, and its ikos. We chant the Magnificat. After Ode IX, the exapostilarion of the feast, twice; Glory…, that of the saint, if there be one; Now & ever…, the second exapostilarion of the feast.

On the Praises, 4 stichera from the Octoechos, in Tone I—

We hymn Thy saving Passion, O Christ, and glorify Thy resurrection. Twice

The next world awaiteth thee, O soul, and the Judge will rebuke thy hidden and evil deeds. Wherefore, tarry not amid the things that are here, but step forth beforetime, crying out to the Judge: Cleanse me, O God, and save me!

Martyricon: Come, O ye people, and with hymns and spiritual songs let us all honor the passion-bearers of Christ, for they are the luminaries of the world and the preachers of the Faith, the ever-flowing fountain from whence healings pour forth upon the faithful. By their supplications, O Christ our God, grant peace to Thy world and great mercy to our souls.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in the same tone—

Thomas, who is called the Twin, was not with them when Thou didst enter in, the doors being shut, O Christ; wherefore, he did not believe the things that were said unto him, by his disbelief confirming our faith. But Thou, O Good One, didst not fail to show him Thine all-pure side, and the wounds of Thy feet and hands; and touching and beholding them, he confessed Thee to be not God alone, nor merely man, and cried out: “My Lord and my God, glory to Thee!”

Then, Glory to Thee Who hast shown us the light!, and the Doxology.

Litany: Let us complete our morning prayer unto the Lord…

Aposticha stichera, in Tone II: Special Melody: O house of Ephratha…—

With pure lips, O men, with the angels hymn ye the One Who arose from the tomb on the third day and hath raised up the world with Himself.

Stichos: Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Sion.

When the doors were shut, O Savior, Thou didst appear to Thy sacred apostles, through them renewing Thy divine Spirit in us.

Stichos: For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates, He hath blessed thy sons within thee.

Beholding Thee now not with our eyes, but with heartfelt love, and believing Thee to be God, O King of all, we magnify Thee in hymns.

Glory…, doxasticon of the saint, if there be one.

Now & ever…, in Tone I—

When the disciples doubted, on the eighth day the Savior stood before them where they were assembled, and, granting them peace, cried out to Thomas: “Come, O apostle, and touch the hands which the nails have pierced!” O the goodly unbelief of Thomas! He brought the hearts of the faithful to knowledge, and cried out with fear: “My Lord and my God, glory to Thee!”

Troparion of the feast, in Tone VII—

When the sepulcher was sealed Thou didst shine forth life from the tomb, O Christ God; and when the doors were shut Thou didst stand before Thy disciples, O Resurrection of all, through them renewing an upright Spirit in us, according to Thy great mercy.

Then, the litany: Have mercy on us, O God…, after which the priest saith: Christ our God, He Who Is, is blessed…

People: Establish, O God…

And straightway the First Hour, with three psalms, is read as usual. Troparion and kontakion of the feast and the saint. If for the saint’s canon only four troparia are prescribed, only the kontakion of the feast is read, and the kontakion of the saint is omitted. Then followeth the final dismissal. The usual commemoration of the departed in the narthex. From this day we begin the Interhours as appointed by the Typicon. Be it known that the prayers are prescribed to be read during the Introductory Psalm at Sunday Vespers and the Six Psalms at Monday Matins; also, the stichera and sessional hymns from the Octoechos change throughout the weeks before the Ascension of the Lord.

On the Beatitudes, 6 troparia from Ode I of the canon of the feast. This is the case for every Monday throughout the fifty days until Pentecost.

After the entrance: Troparion of the feast: When the sepulcher was sealed…; troparion of the temple, if of the Theotokos; troparion of the temple of a saint; troparion of the saint of the day, if there be one; then, kontakion of the temple, if of a saint; Glory…, that of the saint of the day; Now & ever…, that of the feast: With his curious right hand…; We do not chant the kontakion of the temple, if of the Lord or the Theotokos, at any time during the fifty days of Pentecost.

Prokimenon, in Tone III—

Great is our Lord, and great is His strength, and of His understanding there is no measure.

Stichos: Praise ye the Lord, for a psalm is a good thing; let praise be sweet unto our God.

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, §9 [3:19-26]

In those days, Peter said to the people: “Repent ye, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And He shall send Jesus Christ, Who before was preached unto you: Whom heaven must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers: ‘A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.’ Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham: ‘And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.’ Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”

Alleluia, in Tone VIII—

Stichos: Come, let us rejoice in the Lord; let us shout with jubilation unto God our Savior.

Stichos: For the Lord is a great God and a great King over all the earth.

Gospel According to John, §6 [2:1-11]

At that time, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the Mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the Mother of Jesus said unto Him: “They have no wine.” Jesus said unto her: “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” His Mother said unto the servants: “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.” And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus said unto them: “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said unto them: “Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.” And they bore it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and said unto him: “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.” This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him.

Communion verse—

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Sion. Alleluia. Thrice

And thus do we do throughout the whole week, and throughout all the weeks of the period of Pentecost. Then followeth the rest of the Liturgy. Dismissal.