St. Michael the Archangel

Orthodox Christian Community

Pickens, South Carolina

---

Great Vespers

Arranged as a Reader’s Service

Saturday, the Tenth of October, 2026

Tone Two

The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council

The three hundred and sixty-five Fathers of the Second Council of Nicæa (787)
Holy Apostle Philip of the Seventy, one of the Seven Deacons (1st c.)
Ven. Theophanes the Branded, bishop of Nicaea (c. 850)

---

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. (Thrice)

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

(Led by the First Cantor in the Second 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 Second Tone

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

Come, let us worship the Word of God
begotten of the Father before all ages,
and incarnate of the Virgin Mary!
Having endured the Cross,
He was buried as He Himself desired.//
And having risen from the dead, He saved me, an erring man.

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

Christ our Savior
nailed to the Cross the bond against us,
He voided it and destroyed the dominion of death.//
We fall down before His Resurrection on the third day.

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

With the Archangels
let us praise the Resurrection of Christ!
He is our Savior, our Redeemer.
He is coming with awesome glory and mighty power//
to judge the world which He made.

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

The Angel proclaimed You,
the crucified and buried Master.
He told the women: “Come, see the place where He lay!
He is risen as He said,
for He is almighty.”
We worship You, O only immortal One.//
Have mercy on us, O Christ, the Giver of life!

For the Holy Fathers, in the Sixth Tone

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

The Patriarch Germanus the New, taking the honored councils of the fathers, brought them together in one single canon, recording and holding their dogmas; and these valorous intercessors for salvation doth he present to the Lord, and to the flock and its pastors.

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:) The Patriarch Germanus the New, taking the honored councils of the fathers, brought them together in one single canon, recording and holding their dogmas; and these valorous intercessors for salvation doth he present to the Lord, and to the flock and its pastors.

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

The Scriptures of the law appointed the honored number seven for the Hebrew children, who wait in shadow and serve it; whilst the fathers who, at the command of God Who created all that exists in six days and blessed the seventh, met at the sevenfold Councils, have made it most honorable.

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

O thrice-blessed fathers! Using material things ye clearly taught unto all the Trinity, Who is the Cause of the world’s creation; for, as champions of Orthodox discourse, whose most mystical words compared seven councils as like unto the four elements, ye have made clear the doctrine of the Trinity, Who hath created these things and fashioned the world.

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

A single bending of the greatly renowned Prophet Elisha over the prone son of the woman who had rendered him service was sufficient to breathe life into him; yet he returned and bent over him seven times, proclaiming beforehand, as a seer of things to come, your Councils, whereby ye have brought to life the mortality of God the Word, slaying Arius and those who labored with him.

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

Who hath rent Thy garment, O Savior? It was Arius, Thou hast said, who separated the Trinity’s authority of equal honor into divisions. He hath denied that Thou art One of the Trinity. He hath taught Nestorius not to say “Theotokos.” But the Council in Nicæa hath proclaimed Thee, O Lord, to be the Son of God, equally enthroned with the Father and the Spirit.

VII. Glory … Now and Ever

Doxastikon of the Holy Fathers, in the Sixth Tone

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

This day let us praise the God-bearing fathers as clarions of the Spirit, which sound forth within the Church the melodious hymn of theology, that the Trinity is One and immutable in essence and divinity. They have cast down the Arians, are the champions of the Orthodox, who ever beseech the Lord to have mercy on our souls.

The Dogmatikon of the Second Tone

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

The shadow of the Law passed when grace came;
as the Bush burned, yet was not consumed,
so the Virgin gave birth, yet remained a Virgin.
The Righteous Sun has risen instead of a pillar of flame.//
Instead of Moses, Christ, the Salvation of our souls.

VIII. O Gladsome Light

There is no entrance with the censer.

All: 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. The Readings

Three readings of the Holy Fathers.

The First Reading — The Book of Genesis

Abram, having heard that Lot, his nephew, had been taken captive, numbered his own home-born servants, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued after them to Dan. And he came upon them by night, he and his servants; and he smote them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus. And he recovered all the cavalry of Sodom, and he recovered Lot, his nephew, and all his possessions, and the women and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after he returned from the slaughter of Chedorla-omer, and the kings with him, to the valley of Shaveh (this was the plain of the kings). And Melchizedek, King of Salem, brought forth loaves and wine, and he was the priest of the Most High God. And he blessed Abram, and said: “Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, Who made heaven and earth; and blessed be the Most High God Who delivered thine enemies into thy power.” And Abram gave him the tithe of all.

The Second Reading — The Book of Deuteronomy

In those days, Moses said to the children of Israel: “Behold, God hath delivered the land before you. Go in and inherit the land, which He promised to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give it to them and to their seed after them. And I spoke to you at that time, saying: I shall not be able by myself to bear you. The Lord your God hath multiplied you; and, behold, ye are today as the stars of heaven in multitude. The Lord God of your fathers add to you a thousandfold more than you are, and bless you as He hath said to you. How shall I alone be able to bear your labor, and your burden, and your gainsayings? Take to yourselves wise men for your tribes, and I will set your leaders over you. And ye answered me, and said: ‘The thing which thou hast told us is good to do.’ So I took of you wise and understanding and prudent men, and I set them to rule over you as rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens, and officers to your judges. And I charged your judges at that time, saying: Hear causes between your brethren, and judge rightly between a man and his brother, and the stranger who is with him. Thou shalt not have respect to persons in judgment, thou shalt judge small and great equally; thou shalt not shrink from before the person of a man, for the judgment is God’s.”

The Third Reading — The Book of Deuteronomy

In those days, Moses said to the children of Israel: “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord thy God, the earth and all things that are therein. Only the Lord chose your fathers to love them, and He chose out their seed after them, even you, beyond all nations, as at this day. Therefore, ye shall circumcise the hardness of your heart, and ye shall not harden your neck. For the Lord your God, He is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, and strong, and terrible God, Who doth not accept persons, nor will He by any means accept a bribe: executing judgment for the stranger and orphan and widow. And as He loveth the stranger, to give him food and raiment, so shall ye love the stranger; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him, and shalt cleave unto Him, and shalt swear by His name. He is thy boast, and He is thy God, Who hath wrought in the midst of thee these great and glorious things, which thine eyes have seen.”

XI. 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.

XII. 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.

XIII. In Place of the Litany of Supplication

First Cantor: Lord have mercy. (Twelve times). Glory … now and ever…

Second Cantor: Amen.

XIV. The Apostikha

For the Resurrection, in the Second Tone

Your Resurrection, O Christ our Savior,
has enlightened the whole universe,
recalling Your creation.//
Glory to You, O almighty Lord!

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

By the Tree You destroyed the curse of the Tree, O Savior.
By Your burial You mortified the majesty of death.
You have enlightened our race by Your Resurrection.//
O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to You!

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

When You were seen nailed to the Cross, O Christ,
You restored the beauty of Your creatures.
The soldiers showed their inhumanity when they pierced Your side with a spear.
The Hebrews, not knowing Your power,
asked that Your tomb might be sealed,
but through the mercy of Your compassion,
You accepted the tomb
and rose on the third day!//
O Lord, glory to You!

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

O Christ, the Giver of life,
for the sake of the dead You voluntarily endured death,
descending into hell as the Mighty One
to save those who awaited Your coming,
granting them the life of paradise instead of hell.
Grant also to us who glorify Your Resurrection on the third day//
cleansing of our sins and great mercy!

XV. Glory … Now and Ever

Doxastikon of the Holy Fathers, in the Fourth Tone

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

This day let us, the assemblies of the Orthodox, faithfully acting in accordance with piety, celebrate the prayerful commemoration of the God-bearing fathers who in the splendid city of Nicæa assembled from throughout all the world; for with pious resolve they cast down the godless dogma of the fearsome Arius, and in council expelled him from the catholic Church, and in their Symbol of Faith have clearly taught all to confess the Son of God to be consubstantial, equally everlasting, and existent from before the ages, setting this forth precisely and devoutly. Wherefore, following their divine dogmas and believing them with certainty, we worship the Trinity One in Essence — the Son and the Holy Spirit together with the Father — in One Godhead.

Theotokion, in the Fourth Tone

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

Mercifully regard the supplications of thy servants, O all-immaculate one, quelling the uprisings of the cruel demons against us, delivering us from every sorrow; for thee alone have we as a steadfast and sure confirmation, and we have acquired thine intercession; let not us that call upon thee be put to shame, O Mistress. Haste thou to answer the entreaty of those who cry out to thee with faith: Rejoice, thou help, joy and protection of all, and salvation of our souls!

XVI. 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.

XVII. The Trisagion Prayers

Plain Chanted

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.

Plain Chanted

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.

XVIII. The Troparia

Resurrection Troparion, in the Second Tone, Or Plain Chanted

All: When You descended to death, O Life Immortal,
You slew hell with the splendor of Your Godhead.
And when from the depths You raised the dead,
all the powers of heaven cried out://
“O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to You!”

Troparion of the Holy Fathers, in the Eighth Tone, Or Plain Chanted

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

All-glorious art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast established our fathers upon the earth as beacons, and hast thereby guided us all to the true Faith! O greatly Compassionate One, glory be to Thee!

Resurrectional Theotokion, in the Second Tone, Or Plain Chanted

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

O Wondrous event transcending all the ancient miracles!
For who has ever heard of a mother giving birth without man;
and carrying in Her arms Him who contains all creation?
Yet this is the will of the born God.
Cease not, therefore, O undefiled one
to pray to Him whom You carried in your arms as a babe,
and with whom You acquired motherly privilege
for us who honour You,
that He may have mercy upon us and save our souls.

XIX. 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.)