First Sunday of Lent - Sunday of Orthodoxy

TROPARIA AND KONTAKION
(HYMNS OF THE DAY AND SEASONAL HYMN)

TROPARION OF THE RESURRECTION IN TONE FIVE*

Let us, O faithful, praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation; for He was please to be lifted in the flesh upon the Cross and to endure death and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.

TROPARION OF THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT IN TONE TWO

Before your most pure Image, we bow in worship, O Good One, begging forgiveness of our stumblings, Christ God: because You chose of your own Free Will to ascend upon the Cross in the flesh in order to deliver from the enemy’s yoke those You had created. For this reason, we cry out to You in thanksgiving: You our Saviour have filled all things with joy when You came to save the world.

KONTAKION OF THE ANNUNCIATION IN TONE EIGHT

Triumphant leader, to you belongs our praise of victory, and since you saved us from adversity we offer you our thanks: We are your people, O Mother of God. So, as you have that invincible power, continue to deliver us from danger, that we may cry out to you: Hail O Virgin and Bride ever pure.

LITURGY OF THE WORD
PROKIMENON (RESPONSORY)

R. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, God of our fathers, and worthy of praise;
and Thy Name is glorified for ever.

V. For Thou art just in all that thou hast done to us,
and all Thy works are true and Thy ways right,
and all Thy judgments are truth.

THE READING FROM THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS

BRETHREN: By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets — who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated — of whom the world was not worthy —- wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

ALLELUIA

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called on his name.
They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.

He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
they kept his Testimonies, and the statutes that He gave them.

THE READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST JOHN

AT THAT TIME: Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!’ Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.’ And He said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.’

MEGALYNARION OF THE LITURGY OF ST BASIL THE GREAT

In you, O Woman full of Grace, all creation exults, the hierarchy of angels together with the race of men: in you, sanctified Temple, spiritual Paradise, Glory of virgins of whom God took flesh — from whom our God who exists before the world, became a child! For He has made your womb His Throne, making it more spacious than the Heavens. In you, O Woman full of Grace, all creation exults: glory to you!

COMMUNION HYMN

The Lord has sent redemption to His people:
He has established His covenant forever. Alleluia.

*The Troparion of the Resurrection is selected based on the cycle of eight tones and the particular number of Sundays after Pentecost. Thus, while this year the Troparion in the Fifth Tone is proper for the Sunday of Orthodoxy, next year the Troparion in the Fourth Tone will be used, and in the following year it will be the Troparion in the First Tone. Therefore, to prevent potential confusion for future readers of this blog, I will not include the Troparion of the Resurrection in this Lenten series after this post.