The Holy Venerable-Martyr Dometius.
Dormition Fast. Post-feast of the Transfiguration. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.
Divine Liturgy
Antiphon 1
Shout to the Lord, all the earth, sing now to His name, give glory to His praise.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; Your lightning lit up the world.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
You have clothed Yourself in praise and splendour; You robe Yourself in light as with a cloak.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.
Glory… Now… Only-begotten Son…
Antiphon 3
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Saviour.
Son of God, transfigured on the mount, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.
Son of God, transfigured on the mount, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
For God is the great Lord, and the great king over all the earth.
Son of God, transfigured on the mount, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Entrance
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ.
Son of God, transfigured on the mount, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 7: You were transfigured on the mount, O Christ God,* showing Your glory to Your disciples as much as they could bear.* Make Your eternal light shine* also on us who are sinners,* through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Giver of Light, glory to You!
Troparion, Tone 4: Your martyr, Dometius, O Lord,* by his passion acquired the crown of incorruptibility from You, our God.* For possessing Your power he overcame the torturers* and shattered the feeble insolence of demons.* By his supplications, save our souls.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 2: As a bright and unerring star you appeared to the world* proclaiming with your rays the Sun, that is, Christ, O martyr, Dometius,* and you have extinguished all error.* But to us you give light, praying without ceasing for all of us.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 7: You were transfigured on the mount, O Christ God,* and Your disciples saw Your glory as much as they could;* that when they saw You crucified* they might know that You suffered willingly*, and might proclaim to the world* that You are truly the brightness of the Father.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
How great are Your works, O Lord, You have made all things in wisdom.
verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord, my God, You are exceedingly great. (Psalm 103:24,1)
Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Precious in the sight of the Lord* is the death of His venerable ones.
Epistle
2 Corinthians 4:13-18
Brothers and Sisters, just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—”I believed, and so I spoke”—we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
Alleluia, Tone 8
verse: Yours are the heavens, and Yours the earth.
verse: Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, they will walk in the light of Your countenance, O Lord. (Psalm 88:12,16)
verse: The just man shall flourish like the palm tree; and he shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon.
Gospel
Matthew 24:27-33, 42-51
The Lord said to his disciples, “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
“Immediately after the suffering of those days
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
“Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
“Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Hymn to the Theotokos
O my soul, magnify the Lord transfigured on the mountain.
And the Irmos, Tone 4: Your giving birth was revealed as incorrupt; for it was God who came forth from your womb; He appeared on earth in the flesh, and made His dwelling among us. Thus, O Mother of God, all of us magnify you.
Communion Hymn
We will walk in the light of Your face, O Lord,* and rejoice in Your name forever (Psalm 88:16,17).* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6)
Vespers
Priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
Heavenly King, Advocate, Spirit of Truth, Who are everywhere present and fill all things, Treasury of Blessings, Bestower of Life, come, and dwell within us; cleanse us of all that defiles us, and O Good One, save our souls.
Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Trinity most holy, have mercy on us. Cleanse us of our sins, O Lord* pardon our transgressions, O Master; look upon our weaknesses and heal them, O Holy One; for the sake of Your Name.
Lord, have mercy. (3)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
Priest: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (12)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Come, let us bow in worship before the King, our God.
Come, let us bow in worship before Christ, the King, our God.
Come, let us bow in worship and fall down before the very Lord Jesus Christ, our King and God.
Psalm 103
Bless the Lord, O my soul! You are very great O Lord, my God;
Clothed in pomp and brilliance; arrayed with light as with a cloak.
Stretching out the sky as a tent-cloth, covering Your lofty halls with water.
You make the clouds Your conveyance. You surge on the wings of the wind.
You make spirits Your messengers, and flaming fires Your attendants.
You settle the earth on its firm foundation; it shall stand unmoved from age to age.
The abyss covers it like a garment; waters stand over the mountains.
At Your rebuke they will take flight; at the peal of Your thunder they will fear.
They hurdle the hills and run down the dales, to the place You have chosen for them.
You have set up a boundary not to be passed; they shall never return to cover the earth.
Down in the gullies You make springs to rise; water shall go down between the mountains.
They shall give drink to the beasts of the field; wild asses will seek them to quench their thirst.
The birds of the sky will abide by them; from among the rocks they will raise their song.
From Your lofty halls You refresh the mountains; the earth shall be fed with the fruit of Your works.
You make green pastures for the cattle and food-plants for the service of all,
So that bread may be brought forth from the earth, and wine that gladdens the heart of man.
So that oil may put a gleam upon his face; and that bread may strengthen the heart of all.
The trees of the plain will be satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted.
The sparrows will build their nests in them; and the herons will call them their home.
To the deer belong high mountains, to rodents, the shelter of the rocks.
You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows the time of its setting.
You establish darkness, and it is night wherein the forest creatures prowl around.
Young lions roar for their prey, and call out to God for their meat.
As the sun rises, they will come together, and lay themselves down in their dens.
Man will go out to his labour and work until eventide.
How great are Your works, O Lord, in wisdom You have wrought them all.
The earth is filled with Your creatures. Even the wide and open sea itself, within it there are countless creeping things, living beings small and large.
Upon it there are ships a-sailing, and that great beast You made to have fun.
All of them look up to You, to give them their food in due time.
You provide and they gather up; You open Your hand and they are full.
You hide Your face and they cringe; You suspend their breath, and they die and return to their dust.
You send forth Your breath and they live; You renew the face of the earth.
May the Lord’s glory endure for ever: may the Lord rejoice in His works;
He looks upon the earth and makes it quake; He touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will praise my God as long as I last.
Would that my thoughts be pleasing to Him: and I will rejoice in the Lord.
May sinners vanish from the earth, and may the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul!
The sun knows the time of its setting. You establish darkness, and it is night.
How great are Your works, O Lord, in wisdom You have wrought them all.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Glory be to You, O God! (3)
Litany of Peace
Deacon: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For the peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For peace throughout the world, for the well-being of God’s holy churches and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For this holy church and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For the most holy universal Pontiff, (name), the Pope of Rome, our most blessed Patriarch, (name), our most reverend Metropolitan, (name), our God-loving Bishop, (name), for the reverend priesthood, the diaconate in Christ, and all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For our nation under God, for our government, and for all the military, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For this city, for every city and country and for the faithful who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For favourable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For the seafarers and travellers, for the sick and the suffering, for those held captive, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: That we may be delivered from all tribulation, wrath, and misfortune, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Help and save, have mercy, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Remembering our most holy and immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life, to Christ our God.
All: To You, O Lord.
Priest: For all glory, honour, and worship befit You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Psalm 140
O Lord, I have cried to You, hear me. Hear me, O Lord! O Lord, I have cried to You, hear me. Receive the voice of my prayer when I call upon You. Hear me, O Lord!
Let my prayer rise like incense before You, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord!
Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth and a portal around my lips.
Incline my heart away from evil dealings, from finding excuses for sinful deeds.
In company with those who work iniquity, let me not partake of what they choose.
May the just chasten me with justice and reprove me; may the oil of the wicked never touch my head.
Yet even then shall I pray for their welfare. Their rulers were swallowed near the rock.
My words will be heard, for they were sweet. As a lump of clay broken on the ground, so their bones were strewn near the grave.
On You, Lord, O Lord, my eyes are fixed. In You have I trusted; take not my life.
Keep me from the snare that was set for me, and from the stumbling-blocks of the wicked.
The wicked shall fall into their own nets, while I remain alone until I can escape.
Psalm 141
With my voice I cried to the Lord; with all my voice I implored the Lord.
Before Him I pour out my supplications; before Him I declare my distress.
When my breath was escaping me, then You knew my paths;
On the road upon which I was walking, they set up snares for me.
I looked to my right and observed there was no one friendly to me;
Even flight was denied me; there was no one to take care of my life.
I cried out to You, O Lord, and said: You are my hope, my share in the land of the living.
Listen to my supplication, for I am laid very low.
Deliver me from my oppressors, for they have overwhelmed me.
Lead my soul forth from prison that I may give thanks to Your name.
The just shall gather around me when You give me my due reward.
Psalm 129
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice!
Let Yours ears be attentive to the voice of my prayer.
At Psalm 140
Tone 4, Podoben “Called from on high…”
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Before Your noble suffering and cross, O Master, You took Your chosen apostles to Mount Tabor, showing them Your glory. When they saw You transfigured and more brilliant than the sun, they fell to the ground and cried out: You are the eternal Light and the radiance of the Father; and although unchanged, You appear in the flesh.
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
O God the Word, You are from all eternity, and You are clothed with light as with a robe. Transfigured before Your disciples, You shone more brightly than the sun. Moses and Elijah stood at Your side revealing You as the Lord of the living and the dead. They glorified Your ineffable work of salvation, Your mercy, and great compassion, by which You saved the world which was lost in sin.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
You were born of a virginal cloud and became flesh and were transfigured in Mount Tabor, O Lord. A bright cloud surrounded You: the voice of the Father clearly told the disciples that You are His beloved Son, for You are the same essence as He and You share His throne. At this sight, Peter spoke with wonder and said: It is good for us to be here. He did not realize what he had said, O most merciful Benefactor.
Tone 6, Podoben “Having set all aside…”
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Putting aside superstition, Persian corruption, and evil worship, you wisely ran to God who in the wisdom of His providence rules the heavens. As an apostle, you healed the illnesses of the animals as well as the infirmities of those who came to you in His name. O Mediator of Christ, pray with confidence that He may save our souls.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
O venerable one, you gave your life to the Lord through fasting, ardent prayer, and all-night vigils, unceasing hymns and angelic purity. You received the power to perform miracles because the Lord knows how to honour His servants. Pray with confidence that He may save our souls.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
You clothed yourself with the armour of the Cross, and covered yourself with the indestructible shield of faith. You were awesome to the hostile demons. You routed them by the strength of your faith and by your intercession before God. You saved travellers from the harm which could come their way. O Dometius, faithful servant of Christ, pray with confidence that He may save our souls.
Tone 6, Glory… Now…
O Christ our God, when You willed to prefigure Your resurrection, You chose three disciples, Peter, James, and John; and You went up with them to Mount Tabor. At the moment of Your Transfiguration, O Saviour, the mountain was flooded with light, and Your disciples fell with their faces to the ground; for they could not bear the sight of Your countenance upon which no one may gaze, O Word. Angels attended with trembling and awe; the heavens were afraid; and the earth shook to its very foundations when they saw the Lord of glory come upon the earth.
Deacon: Wisdom! Stand aright!
Hymn of Light
Tranquil Light, of the holy glory of the immortal heavenly, holy blessed Father, O Jesus Christ: as we come upon the sunset, as we see the evening light, we sing to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. At all times You are worthy of being hymned by joyful voices; O Son of God, You are the giver of life. For this the whole world glorifies You.
Prokeimenon
Deacon: Let us be attentive!
Priest: Peace be with all.
Deacon: Wisdom! Let us be attentive!
Great Prokeimenon, Tone 7
But our God is in the heavens and on earth;* He does whatever He wills.
verse: When Israel came forth from Egypt; Jacob’s sons from an alien people.
verse: The sea fled at the sight; the Jordan turned back on its course.
verse: Why was it, sea, that you fled; that you turned back, Jordan, on your course?
Deign, O Lord
Deign, O Lord, to keep us this evening without sin.
Blessed are You, O Lord God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your name for ever. Amen.
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us because we have set our hope in You.
Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.
Blessed are You, O Master, make me understand Your commandments.
Blessed are You, O Holy One, enlighten me with Your laws.
O Lord, Your mercy endures forever; do not despise the work of Your hands.
It is proper to praise You, and hymns belong to You.
Glory belongs to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Litany of Supplication
Deacon: Let us complete our evening prayer to the Lord.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Help and save, have mercy, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: That this whole evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask the Lord.
All: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask the Lord.
All: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: For the forgiveness and remission of our sins and offenses, let us ask the Lord.
All: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: For all that is good and beneficial for our souls and for peace for the world, let us ask the Lord.
All: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: That we may spend the rest of our lives in peace and repentance, let us ask the Lord.
All: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: For a Christian end to our lives, one that is painless, unashamed, and peaceful; and for a good defence at the awesome tribunal of Christ, let us ask.
All: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: Remembering our most holy and immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another, and our whole life, to Christ our God.
All: To You, O Lord.
Priest: For You, O God, are gracious and You love mankind, and we glorify You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Priest: Peace to all of you.
All: And with your spirit.
Deacon: Bow your heads to the Lord.
All: To You, O Lord.
Priest: O Lord our God, You lowered the heavens when You came down for the salvation of the human race. Now look upon Your servants and upon Your inheritance; for they have bowed their heads to You, the Judge, both awesome and loving. They do not await human help but look for Your mercy and are ready to receive Your salvation. Guard them at all times, this evening and tonight, against all enemies, against the devil’s assaults, against vain thoughts and evil dreams. May the might of Your kingdom be blessed and exalted, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Aposticha
Tone 6, Podoben “On the third day…”
In Your compassion, O Christ, You appeared from the Virgin in the humanity of the first Adam; indeed You became the new Adam. O my Saviour, You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, and thus you revealed Your divinity.
The heavens are Yours; the world is Yours.
The crowns of grace and the law were amazed to see Your holy Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, O Christ. Together with them we bow down to You, to the Father, and the Divine Spirit.
Tabor and Hermon shout with joy at Your name.
Creation is brightly illumined by Your Transfigurations in the presence of the holy apostles on Tabor, O Christ. Indeed, You revealed to Moses and Elijah that You are God, more radiant than the sun.
Tone 5, Glory… Now…
Come, let us ascend the mountain of the Lord and go into the house of our God. Let us contemplate the glory of His Transfiguration, the glory of the only-begotten Son of God the Father. From His light, let us receive light; and raised up by the Holy Spirit, let us sing the praises of the consubstantial Trinity forever.
Hymn of Simeon
Now, O Master, You have kept Your promise; let Your servant go in peace. With my own eyes I have seen the salvation which You have prepared in the sight of every people; a Light to reveal You to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people, Israel!
Trisagion Prayers
Lector: Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Trinity most holy, have mercy on us. Cleanse us of our sins, O Lord; pardon our transgressions, O Master; look upon our weaknesses and heal them, O Holy One; for the sake of Your Name.
Lord, have mercy. (3)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven,* hallowed by Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
Priest: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Troparia
Tone 4
Your martyr, Dometius, O Lord,* by his passion acquired the crown of incorruptibility from You, our God.* For possessing Your power he overcame the torturers* and shattered the feeble insolence of demons.* By his supplications, save our souls.
Tone 7, Glory… Now…
You were transfigured on the mount, O Christ God,* showing Your glory to Your disciples as much as they could bear.* Make Your eternal light shine* also on us who are sinners,* through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Giver of Light, glory to You!
Litany of Supplication
Deacon: Have mercy on us, O God, in the greatness of Your compassion, we pray You, hear us and have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy. (3)
Deacon: We also pray the most holy universal Pontiff, (name), Pope of Rome, our most blessed Patriarch, (name), our most reverend Metropolitan, (name), our God-loving Bishop, (name), for those who serve or have served in this holy church, for our spiritual fathers, and for all our brethren in Christ.
All: Lord, have mercy. (3)
Deacon: We also pray for our nation under God, for our government, and for all the military.
All: Lord, have mercy. (3)
Petitions may be added here.
Deacon: We also pray for the people here present who await Your great and bountiful mercies, for those who have been kind to us, and for all orthodox Christians.
All: Lord, have mercy. (3)
Priest: For You are a merciful and loving God, and we give glory to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Daily Dismissal
Deacon: Wisdom!
All: More honourable than the cherubim* and by far more glorious than the seraphim;* ever a virgin, you gave birth to God the Word,* O true Mother of God, we magnify you.
Priest: Glory be to You, O Christ our God, our hope, glory be to You.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,* now and for ever and ever. Amen.* Lord, have mercy. (3)* Give the blessing.
Priest: Christ our true God, through the prayers of His immaculate Mother; the holy, glorious, and all-praiseworthy apostles; of Saint, (name, whose church it is), and of Saint, (name, whose day it is) and of all the saints, will have mercy and save us, for He is good and loves mankind.
All: Amen.