St. Michael the Archangel

Orthodox Christian Community

Pickens, South Carolina

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Great Vespers

Arranged as a Reader’s Service

Saturday, the Nineteenth of September, 2026

Tone Seven

The Sunday after the Exaltation
The Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross

Great-martyr Eustathius Placidas, his wife Martyr Theopistes,
and their children Agapius and Theopistus (118)
Martyrs and Confessors Michael, prince of Chernihiv, and his boyar Theodore (1246)

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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 evil.

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 and fall down before God, our King!
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God!
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God!
Come, let us worship and fall down before Him!

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 walks not in the counsel of the wicked.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Salvation belongs to the Lord, Thy blessing be upon Thy people.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Glory to Thee, O God. (twice)

V. Lord, I Cry (Psalms 140, 141, 129)

(Led by the First Cantor in the Seven 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 Seventh Tone

Verse 10. Bring my soul out of prison, / that I may give thanks to Your Name!

Come, let us rejoice in the Lord
who has smashed the might of death
and enlightened the human race,
as we cry with the Bodiless Powers:
Our Creator and Saviour, glory to You!

Verse 9. The righteous will surround me, / for You will deal bountifully with me.

For us, O Saviour, You endured the Cross and burial;
but as God by Your death You put death to death;
and so we worship Your Resurrection on the third day.
Lord, glory to You!

Verse 8. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord! / Lord, hear my voice!

The Apostles marvelled when they saw the Creator's Rising
and cried aloud the angelic hymn of praise:
This is the glory of the Church, this is the wealth of the Kingdom.
O Lord, who suffered for us, glory to You!

Verse 7. Let Your ears be attentive / to the voice of my supplications!

Though You were seized by lawless men, O Christ,
yet You are my God, and I am not ashamed;
Your back was scourged, I do not deny You;
You were nailed to a Cross, and I do not hide.
I make my boast in Your Rising;
for Your death is my life.
All-powerful Lord who love mankind, glory to You!

For the Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross, in the Fourth Tone

Verse 6. If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? / But there is forgiveness with You.

Today Thy precious Cross hath shone forth radiantly like the sun, O Savior Christ, set up and elevated on the all-glorious place of the skull, on Thine all-holy mountain, showing forth most manifestly that it is thereby, O Omnipotent One, that Thou hast raised our nature up to the heavens, in that Thou lovest mankind.

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.

Today, O Unapproachable One, the heavens have declared Thy glory unto men; for the image of the Cross, shining forth in radiance with unapproachable light, hath denounced the savage and cruel nature of those who slew God. Wherefore, we glorify Thy loving dispensation, O almighty Jesus, Savior of our souls.

Verse 4. From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, / let Israel hope on the Lord!

By stretching forth his arms Moses vanquished Amalek, prefiguring the image of the Cross; and, bowing down before the tree of the Cross, we now trample the wiles and machinations of the enemy underfoot, having Christ as our champion, Who was lifted up upon it in the flesh, slew the serpent and saved man.

For the Holy Great-martyr Eustathius, in the Fourth Tone

Verse 3. For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, / and He will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.

Thy calling was from on high, and not from men, O Eustathius; for Christ, Who loveth mankind, Himself appeared to thee and ensnared thee, O blessed one, in the nets of faith, washing away thy sins with thy baptism and the trials of life, and, as Master, He extendeth patience to thee and showeth thee to be a victor renowned.

Verse 2. Praise the Lord, all nations! / Praise Him, all peoples!

Rejoicing, O Eustathius, in thy youth thou didst receive instruction in the virtues, and, bereft of thy children and thy spouse, thou didst valiantly endure captivity, suffering ignominious slavery. But thy courage in battle made thee loving and rendered thee radiant, O ever-memorable one.

Verse 1. For His mercy is confirmed on us, / and the truth of the Lord endures forever.

Thou didst offer thyself to God as divine incense rendered most fragrant in the fire, a beautiful holocaust, a right acceptable sacrifice, a living and most perfect offering, fruitful with all thy household. Wherefore, the mansions of heaven and the armies of the saints have now received thee and thine, O right wondrous Eustathius.

VII. Glory … Now and Ever

Doxastikon of the Great-martyr, in the Second Tone

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Eustathius setteth himself before us as a second Job in life, sufferings and struggles, a model of the virtues and a tower of patience truly surpassing Job in that virtue with his spouse and children, faithful in life and unshaken amid trials, a victor amid sufferings. Him do we set forth in supplication before Christ, that He grant unto our souls enlightenment and cleansing of transgressions.

The Dogmatikon of the Seven Tone

Now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

You were known as a Mother beyond nature, O Mother of God;
You remained a Virgin beyond reason and understanding;
no tongue can expound the marvel of Your child-bearing;
for while Your conceiving, Pure One, was wondrous,
the manner of Your bearing child cannot be comprehended,
for wherever God wills the order of nature is overthrown.
Therefore as we all acknowledge You to be Mother of God
we implore You insistently:
Intercede that our souls may be saved.

VIII. O Gladsome Light

There is no entrance with the censer.

All: O Gladsome light of the holy glory of the immortal Father, heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ. Now that we have come to the setting of the sun, and behold the light of evening, we praise God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For meet it is at all times to worship Thee with voices of praise, O Son of God and giver of Life. Therefore all the 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. Preserve, O God, the Holy Orthodox Faith and Orthodox Christians, unto ages of ages.

XI. The Evening Prayer

(Can be plain-chanted antiphonally by the Lead and Second Cantors)

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our Fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy name for ever. Amen.

Let Thy mercy be upon us, O Lord, as we have set our hope on Thee.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes.

Blessed art Thou, O Master, make me to understand Thy commandments.

Blessed art Thou, O Holy One, enlighten me with Thy precepts.

Thy mercy, O Lord, endures for ever; despise not the works of Thy hands.

To Thee belongeth worship, to Thee belongeth praise, to Thee belongeth glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto 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 Seven Tone

You rose from the tomb, Saviour of the world,
and with Your flesh You raised mankind.
Lord, glory to You!

Verse 1. The Lord is King; He is robed in majesty!

Come, let us worship the One who rose from the dead and enlightened all things;
for He has freed us from the tyranny of Hell through His Rising on the third day
so granting us life and His great mercy.

Verse 2. For He has established the world, / so that it shall never be moved.

O Christ, by descending below Hell You despoiled death,
and by rising on the third day You raised us with You
as we glorified Your all-powerful Rising.
Lord, glory to You!

Verse 3. Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, / forevermore!

Fearful You appeared, Lord, as You lay in the tomb;
but rising on the third day in power You raised with You Adam, who cried:
Glory to Your Resurrection, only Lover of mankind.

XIV. Glory … Now and Ever

Doxastikon of the Great-martyr, in the Sixth Tone

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O thou who art as firm as adamant in soul, how can we praise thee as is meet? For, deprived of thy spouse, thou didst transcend nature, possessions and children, and didst utter the blessed and ever-memorable cry of Job: “The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away! As the Lord hath willed, so hath it been!” But God Whom thou didst love and Whom thou didst fervently desire, again gave thee most cherished things, O thou who didst consider beforehand concerning those who suffered with thee. And having reached the end of divers torments with them, receiving them as thy fellow supplicants, O blessed Eustathius, patient of soul, pray thou, that we be delivered from our iniquities.

Of the Cross, in the Sixth Tone

Now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

O Cross of Christ, hope of Christians, guide of the lost, haven of the tempest-tossed, victory amid battles, confirmation of the whole world, physician of the ill, resurrection of the dead: Have mercy upon us!

XV. The Canticle of St. Symeon

(St. Luke 2:29–32)

Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word. For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people: a light to enlighten the gentiles, and the glory of Thy 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 evil.

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 Seven Tone

All: You destroyed death by Your Cross. You opened paradise to the thief. You changed the Myrrhbearers weeping and commanded Your Apostles to proclaim that You are risen, O Christ God, granting the world great mercy.

Troparion of the Great-martyr, in the Fourth Tone

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

In their sufferings, O Lord, Thy martyrs received imperishable crowns from Thee, our God; for, possessed of Thy might, they set at nought their torments, and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons. Through their supplications save Thou our souls.

Troparion of the Cross, in the First Tone

Now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance. Grant victory unto Orthodox Christians over their adversaries, and by the power of Thy Cross preserve Thou Thy commonwealth.

XVIII. The Dismissal

All: More hon’rable than the Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to the Word. True Theotokos, 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.)