Sunday, May 6, 2012

Fourth Sunday of Pascha

 Sunday of the Paralytic

Holy Great-Martyr, Victory-bearer and

Wonder-worker George

Tone 3

Some of the other Saints commemorated today: Holy Empress Alexandra (303). Martyrs Anatolius an Protoleon, soldiers converted by witnessing the martyrdom of St. George. Martyr Lazar of Bulgaria (1802). Venerable Tabitha (I).

 

Tropar for the Tone of the Week

 (Tone 3) Let the heavens rejoice. Let the earth be glad. / For the Lord has shown strength with His arm. / He has trampled down death by death. He has become the First-Born of the Dead. / He has delivered us from the depths of hades // and has granted to the world great mercy.

 

Tropar of Great-Martyr St. George

(Tone 4) Liberator of captives, defender of the poor, / physician of the sick, and champion of kings, / O Trophy-bearer, great-martyr George, // intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

 

Glory…

 

Kondak of Great-Martyr St. George

        (Tone 4) Cultivated by God, you have been revealed a most precious cultivator of piety, / gathering for yourself sheaves of virtues. / For having sown in tears, you reap with gladness, / and having contested, even to the shedding of blood, you have received Christ, / and by your prayers, O saint, // you grant unto all forgiveness of sins.

 

Both now and ever…

 

Kondak for the Sunday of the Paralytic

        (Tone 3) As of old You once raised the Paralytic, /  now through Your divine intercession, O Lord, / raise my soul, paralyzed by all manner of sins and misguided actions, / so that being saved I may cry out to You: // Glory to Your Power, O compassionate Christ.

 

Prokimen:

 

Reader: The Prokimen in the 1st Tone: Let Your mercy, Lord, be upon us as we have put our hope in You.

 

Verse:  Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous. Praise befits the upright.

 

Reader: A second Prokimen in the 7th Tone: The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him.

 

Epistle:          Acts 9:32-42 (Ordinary Reading)

                    Acts 12:1-11 (for Great-Martyr George)

 

        9:32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately. 35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. 37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

 

Alleluia Verses:

 

Verse 1: Of Your mercies, O Lord, will I sing forever; unto generation and generation I will proclaim Your truth with my mouth.

 

Verse 2: For You have said: Mercy shall be established forever and My Truth will be prepared in the heavens.

 

Verse 3: The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree. Like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied.

 

Gospel:          John 5:1-15 (Ordinary Reading)

                    John 15:17-16:2 (for Great-Martyr George)

 

        5:1 After this there was a feast held of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” 11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ” 12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

 

*Paschal Wording Change – Instead of “It is Right in Truth” – page 51 of the blue service book (Paschal melody):

 

The angel cried / to the Lady Full of Grace: / Rejoice, O Pure Virgin. / Again I say: Rejoice. / Your Son is risen on the third day from the tomb, / and He has raised up all the dead: // Rejoice, all you people.

 

Irmos: Shine forth, shine forth, / O New Jerusalem, / for the Glory of the Lord has shone upon you. / Exult now and be glad O Zion, / and rejoice, O pure Theotokos, // in the Rising of the One born of you.

 

Communion Verse:

 

Receive the Body of Christ; / taste the Fountain of Immortality. / Praise the Lord in the heavens, / praise Him in the highest.

 

*Dismissal Wording Change – When the priest says “Glory to You, O Christ, our God…” The Choir then sings “Christ is risen…” once, Lord have mercy (3X), Vladyko bless. The priest then gives the dismissal.