St. Michael the Archangel
Orthodox Christian Community
Pickens, South Carolina
Great Vespers
Arranged as a Reader’s Service
Saturday, the Twenty-second of August, 2026
Tone Three
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
The Leave-taking of the Feast of the Dormition
Martyr Lupus, slave of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica (306)
Hieromartyr Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (202)
Venerable Eutychius (540) and Florentius (547) of Nursia
St. Callinicus, patriarch of Constantinople (705)
The candles outside the altar have been lit. The Holy Doors remain closed. When all is ready, the designated layperson crosses himself three times with bows and begins:
I. The Opening
Lead Cantor: Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.
Second Cantor: Amen. Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
(Plain chant)
O Heavenly King, the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and filling all things. Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, cleanse us from every impurity and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be 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 the Evil One.
Lead Cantor: Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ Our God have mercy on us and save us.
Second Cantor: Amen. Lord have mercy. (twelve times)
Glory to the Father, to the Son, to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Come, let us worship God our King.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ, our King and our God.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.
II. Psalm 103
(Can be chanted antiphonally between the Lead & Second Cantors — the Lead taking the flush lines, the Second those indented.)
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Lord my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with honor and majesty. You cover Yourself with light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a curtain and lay the beams of Your chambers in the waters.
You make the clouds for your ascent and You walk on the wings of the wind.
You make Your angels spirits, Your ministers a blazing fire.
You laid the foundation of the earth that it should never be moved.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.
At Your rebuke, they fled; at the voice of Your thunder, they hurried away.
They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys to the place that You established for them.
You have set a boundary that they may not pass, that they never again flood the earth.
He sends the springs into valleys that run among the hills.
They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst;
By them live the birds of the air; from among the rocks, they pipe their calls.
He waters the hills from His chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of His labor.
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle and green plants for our nourishment, that we may grow food from the earth,
Wine that gladdens our hearts, oil to make our faces shine and bread that strengthens our bodies.
The trees of the plain are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which He planted;
There the sparrows make their nests; there the heron has made its abode.
The high mountains are a refuge for the deer and the rocks for the badgers.
You made the moon to mark the seasons: the sun knows its time for setting.
You make darkness and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God.
The sun rises; they gather themselves together and lay down in their dens.
Mankind goes off to work and to labor until the evening.
Lord, how great are Your works. In wisdom, You have made them all:
The earth is full of Your creatures. So is this great and wide sea, in which there are creeping things without number, creatures, both small and great.
There go the ships; there is that sea beast, which You made to sport therein.
All these wait upon You, that You may give them their food in due season.
They gather what You give them; when You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
When You turn away your face, they are troubled. You take away their breath, they shall cease, and to their dust, shall they return.
You send out Your Spirit and they shall be created and You shall renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord, endure through the ages; the Lord shall rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth and it trembles; He touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord throughout my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.
Let the sinners be consumed from the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, my soul.
The sun knows its time for setting. You make darkness and it is night.
Lord, how manifold are your works. In wisdom, You have made them all.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to You, our God. (thrice)
III. In Place of the Great Litany
First Cantor: Lord have mercy. (Twelve times). Glory … now and ever…
Second Cantor: Amen.
IV. The First Kathisma
(Chanted antiphonally, the First Cantor taking the verses and the Second Cantor the alleluias)
Blessed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Psalm 1:1)
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the godless will perish.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Psalm 1:6)
Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Psalm 2:11)
Blessed are all who trust in Him.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Psalm 2:13)
Arise, Lord; save me, my God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Psalm 3:8)
Salvation is the Lord's and Your blessing is upon Your people!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Psalm 3:9)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to You, our God. (Thrice)
V. Lord, I Cry (Psalms 140, 141, 129)
(Led by the First Cantor in the Third Tone)
Lord, I call upon You, hear me!
Hear me, O Lord!
Lord, I call upon You, hear me!
Receive the voice of my prayer,
when I call upon You! //
Hear me, O Lord!
Let my prayer arise
in Your sight as incense,
and let the lifting up of my hands
be an evening sacrifice! //
Hear me, O Lord!
(Chanted antiphonally by the First and Second Cantors — the First taking the flush lines, the Second those indented.)
Set, O Lord, a watch before my mouth, and a door of enclosure round about my lips.
Incline not my heart unto words of evil, to make excuses for my sins.
With men that work iniquity; and I will not join with their chosen.
The righteous man will chasten me with mercy and reprove me; as for the oil of the sinner, let it not anoint my head.
For yet more is my prayer in the presence of their pleasures; swallowed up near by the rock have their judges been.
They shall hear my words, for they be sweetened; as a clod of earth is broken upon the earth, so have their bones been scattered nigh unto Hades.
For unto You, O Lord, O Lord, are mine eyes, in You have I hoped; take not my soul away.
Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the stumbling-blocks of them that work iniquity.
The sinners shall fall into their own net; I am alone until I pass by.
With my voice unto the Lord have I cried, with my voice unto the Lord have I made supplication.
I will pour out before Him my supplication, mine affliction before Him will I declare.
When my spirit was fainting within me, then You knew my paths.
In this way wherein I have walked they hid for me a snare.
I looked upon my right hand, and beheld, and there was none that did know me.
Flight has failed me, and there is none that watch out for my soul.
I have cried unto You, O Lord; I said: You are my hope, You are my portion in the land of the living.
Attend unto my supplication, for I am brought very low.
Deliver me from them that persecute me, for they are stronger than I.
VI. The Stichera on Ten
For the Resurrection, in the Third Tone
Verse 10. Bring my soul out of prison, / that I may give thanks to Your Name!
By Your Cross, Christ Saviour,
death's might has been abolished,
the devil's deception destroyed,
while the human race, saved by faith,
each evening offers You its hymn.
Verse 9. The righteous will surround me, / for You will deal bountifully with me.
By your Resurrection, Lord,
the universe has been filled with light
and Paradise has been opened again,
while all creation as it sings your praise,
each evening offers You its hymn.
Verse 8. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord! / Lord, hear my voice!
I glorify the power of the Father and the Son,
and I praise the authority of the Holy Spirit,
undivided, uncreated Godhead,
consubstantial Trinity,
that reigns from age to age.
Verse 7. Let Your ears be attentive / to the voice of my supplications!
We worship Your precious Cross, O Christ,
and we praise and glorify Your Resurrection,
for by your stripes we have all been healed.
For the Leave-taking of the Dormition, in the First Tone
Verse 6. If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? / But there is forgiveness with You.
O wondrous marvel! The wellspring of Life is laid in a tomb, and the grave becometh a ladder to the heavens! Be glad, O Gethsemane, thou holy dwelling-place of the Theotokos! O ye faithful, let us cry aloud, with Gabriel as our leader: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee, granting great mercy to the world through thee!
Verse 5. For Your Name's sake I wait for You, O Lord. My soul has waited for Your word; / my soul has hoped on the Lord.
(Repeat:) O wondrous marvel! The wellspring of Life is laid in a tomb, and the grave becometh a ladder to the heavens! Be glad, O Gethsemane, thou holy dwelling-place of the Theotokos! O ye faithful, let us cry aloud, with Gabriel as our leader: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee, granting great mercy to the world through thee!
Verse 4. From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, / let Israel hope on the Lord!
Wondrous are thy mysteries, O Theotokos! Thou hast been shown to be the throne of the Most High, O Mistress, and hast been translated from earth to heaven today. Thy glory is majestic, shining with godly miracles! O ye virgins, ascend on high with the Mother of the King! Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee, granting great mercy to the world through thee!
Verse 3. For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, / and He will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.
(Repeat:) Wondrous are thy mysteries, O Theotokos! Thou hast been shown to be the throne of the Most High, O Mistress, and hast been translated from earth to heaven today. Thy glory is majestic, shining with godly miracles! O ye virgins, ascend on high with the Mother of the King! Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee, granting great mercy to the world through thee!
Verse 2. Praise the Lord, all nations! / Praise Him, all peoples!
The authorities and thrones, the principalities and dominions, the powers, the cherubim and the awesome seraphim glorify thy dormition, and mortal men rejoice, adorned by thy divine glory. Kings fall down in homage with the archangels and angels, and chant: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee, granting great mercy to the world through thee!
Verse 1. For His mercy is confirmed on us, / and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
(Repeat:) The authorities and thrones, the principalities and dominions, the powers, the cherubim and the awesome seraphim glorify thy dormition, and mortal men rejoice, adorned by thy divine glory. Kings fall down in homage with the archangels and angels, and chant: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee, granting great mercy to the world through thee!
VII. Glory … Now and Ever
Doxastikon of the Feast, in the First Tone
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
At the divine behest, the God-bearing apostles were caught up from whence they were, and, coming to thine all-pure and life-creating body, they venerated it with love. And the hosts of heaven above, arriving with their Master, were seized with awe as they accompanied the all-pure body which had received God; and they went forth in beauty and cried aloud invisibly to the hierarchies above: “Behold! the divine Maiden, the Queen of all, is come! Lift up your gates, and receive her above the world, who is the Mother of everlasting Light; for it is through her that salvation hath come to all the human race. We cannot gaze upon her, we are unable to render her fitting honor; for her excellence passeth all understanding!” Wherefore, O all-pure Theotokos, dwelling ever with thy life-bearing King and Offspring, pray thou without ceasing, that He preserve and save thy new people from every attack of the adversary; for we have acquired thine intercession, manifestly blessing thee with splendor forever.
The Dogmatikon of the Third Tone
Now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
How should we not marvel at Your Offspring, who is both God and man, All-honoured one?
For without knowing man, O all-blameless,
You gave birth in the flesh to a Son without father,
begotten from the Father before the ages without mother,
in no way undergoing change, or mixture or separation,
but preserving intact the identity of either nature.
Therefore, Sovereign Lady, Virgin Mother,
implore Him that the souls may be saved
of those who with right belief acknowledge You as Mother of God.
VIII. O Gladsome Light
There is no entrance with the censer.
All: O gladsome Light of the holy glory of the immortal, heavenly, holy and blessed Father: O Jesus Christ. Lo now that we have come to the setting of the sun, as we behold the evening light, we hymn Thee: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God. Meet it is for Thee at all times to be magnified by joyous voices, O Son of God and Giver of life. Wherefore the whole world doth glorify Thee.
IX. The Evening Prokimen
(Psalm 92:1,5)
Lead Cantor (plain-chanting, not singing; from the middle of the nave): The Prokimen in the Sixth Tone. The Lord is King; He is robed in majesty.
Second Cantor: The Lord is King; He is robed in majesty.
Lead Cantor: The Lord has clothed and girded himself with strength.
Second Cantor: The Lord is King; He is robed in majesty.
Lead Cantor: For He has established the world and it shall not be moved.
Second Cantor: The Lord is King; He is robed in majesty.
Lead Cantor: Holiness befits Your house, Lord, for length of days.
Second Cantor: The Lord is King…
Lead Cantor: … He is robed in majesty.
X. In Place of the Augmented Litany
First Cantor: Lord have mercy. (Twelve times). Glory … now and ever…
Second Cantor: Amen. God, preserve the Holy Orthodox Faith and Orthodox Christians, to the ages of ages.
XI. The Evening Prayer
(Can be plain-chanted antiphonally by the Lead and Second Cantors)
Count us worthy, Lord, of passing this evening without sin.
Blessed are You, Lord God of our Fathers; may Your Name be praised and glorified unto the ages. Amen.
Let Your mercy be upon us, Lord, for we have placed our hope in You.
Blessed are You, Lord, teach me your commandments.
Blessed are You, Master, grant me understanding of Your statutes.
Blessed are You, Holy one, enlighten me by Your precepts.
Lord, Your mercy endures to the ages; despise not the work of Your Hands.
Indeed, it is fitting to praise You and sing hymns to You. It is fitting to glorify You: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
XII. In Place of the Litany of Supplication
First Cantor: Lord have mercy. (Twelve times). Glory … now and ever…
Second Cantor: Amen.
XIII. The Apostikha
For the Resurrection, in the Third Tone
By Your passion, O Christ,
You darkened the sun,
and by the light of Your Resurrection
You made the whole universe radiant.
Accept our evening hymn, O Lover of humankind.
Verse 1. The Lord is King; He is robed in majesty!
Gracious Lord,
Your Rising that received life has enlightened the world,
and recalled Your own fashioning which had become corrupt.
And so, delivered from Adam's curse,
we cry, All-powerful Lord, glory to You!
Verse 2. For He has established the world, / so that it shall never be moved.
Howbeit that as God You are unchanging,
yet by suffering in the flesh You changed.
Creation, unable to bear seeing You hanging on a cross, was shaken with fear,
and it groaned as it sang the praise of Your long-suffering;
but having descended into Hell,
You arose on the third day,
granting life to the world and Your great mercy.
Verse 3. Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, / forevermore!
In order to ransom our race from death, O Christ,
You underwent death;
and rising on the third day from the dead
You raised with Yourself those who acknowledged You as God,
and You enlightened the world.
Lord, glory to You!
XIV. Glory … Now and Ever
Doxastikon of the Feast, in the Fourth Tone
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
When thou didst depart unto Him Who had been ineffably born of thee, O Virgin Theotokos, James the brother of God and first bishop was present, with Peter, the most honorable and preëminent, the foremost of theologians, and the whole divine choir of the apostles, hymning the divine and awesome mystery of God’s dispensation with manifest theology; and, burying thy Life-giving and God-receiving body, they rejoiced, O most hymned one. And regarding one another, they said, marvelling at the wonders of her who transcendeth the all-holy senior ranks of the angels: “Lift up your gates and receive her who gave birth to the Creator of heaven and earth, and with glorifications let us hymn the precious and holy body which contained the Lord Who is invisible to us.” Wherefore, celebrating thy memory, we also cry out to thee, O all-hymned one: Exalt the horn of Christians and save our souls!
XV. The Canticle of St. Symeon
(St. Luke 2:29–32)
Lord now let Your servant depart in peace, / according to Your word: / for my eyes have seen Your salvation / which You have prepared in the presence of all people, / a light of revelation to the Gentiles // and for glory to Your people Israel.
XVI. The Trisagion Prayers
Second Cantor: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us! (thrice)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be 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 the Evil One.
Lead Cantor: Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ Our God have mercy on us and save us.
Second Cantor: Amen.
XVII. The Troparia
Resurrection Troparion, in the Third Tone
All: 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.
Troparion of the Feast, in the First Tone
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
In giving birth thou didst preserve thy virginity, and in thy falling asleep thou hast not forsaken the world, O Theotokos. Thou hast been translated to life, as thou art the Mother of Life. And by thy supplications thou dost deliver our souls from death.
XVIII. The Dismissal
All: More honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, in virginity you gave birth to God the Word. True Birth-giver of God, we magnify you.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy. O Lord, bless.
First Cantor: Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.
Second Cantor: Amen.
(All come forward and venerate the icons.)