Fifth Sunday of Lent

TROPARION OF THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT IN TONE EIGHT

In you, O Mother Mary, the faithful image of God shone forth, for you carried your cross and followed Christ. You taught by your deeds how to spurn the body, for it passes away and how to value the soul, for it is immortal. Wherefore you soul is forever in happiness with the angels.

TROPARION OF THE MARTYRS IN TONE THREE

Brought together by the Holy Spirit, you became a triumphant army, O illustrious forty martyrs, victorious athletes of Christ! Tried by fire and by water, you were radiantly glorified. Entreat the Most High Trinity to grant us great mercy.

LITURGY OF THE WORD
PROKIMENON
(RESPONSORY—GRADUAL)

Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them:
let all round about Him bring gifts to the awesome Lord.

God is renowned in Judah; in Israel, great is His Name!

THE READING FROM THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS
(for the Forty Martyrs of Sebastea)

BRETHREN: 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. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons? — "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.

ALLELUIA

Come, let us sing to the Lord
And shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.

Let us approach Him with praise and thanksgiving
And sing joyful songs to the Lord.

THE READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MARK

AT THAT TIME: One And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise." And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."