Variable Portions of the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts
5th
Wednesday in Great Lent
“Lord I
Call” Stichera
Begin “Lord, I Call” in Tone 8
The following are chanted at the end of Psalm 142:
Reader: Bring my soul out of prison, that I may confess Thy name.
The righteous shall await me for Thou wilt recompense me.
Out of the depths have I cried to Thee, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
If Thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with Thee, there is forgiveness.
Tone 8 I fell among thieves by my reasonings,
I was robbed by my wretched mind.
Greatly stricken and wounded in soul, naked of grace,
I lie upon the road of life.
The priest saw my hopeless wounds and passed me by,
the Levite knew my disease and turned away.
But in Thy love for man Thou wast pleased to stoop down
to me, O Christ God,
not by the road of Samaria,
but from the flesh of Mary.
Grant me healing by pouring out on me Thy great mercy.
Reader: Because of Thy name, I have waited for Thee, O Lord; my soul has waited for Thy word; my soul has hoped on the Lord.
Tone 8 Fame and praise befits the saints.
For they bowed their necks beneath the sword
to Thee who didst bow the heavens and come down.
They shed blood for Thee who didst empty Thyself
and take the form of a servant.
By emulating Thy poverty they too humbled themselves
even unto death.
By their prayers have mercy on us, O God,
according to the abundance of Thy mercies.
Reader: From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch,
let Israel hope on the Lord.
Tone 8 O Lord, Thou hast revealed Thy sacred disciples
as an understandable heaven.
By their sacred mediations deliver me from earthly pains,
by abstinence always elevating my reasoning above
wandering to passions,
since Thou art bountiful and the Lover of man.
Reader: For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plentious redemption, and He will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.
Tone 8 Since we all have the time for fasting,
as a companion of divine design,
let us weep from our hearts and cry to our Savior:
O Lord of many mercies,
for the sake of Thy disciples,
save those who with fear praise Thy great love for man.
Reader: Praise the Lord, all nations. Praise Him, all peoples.
Tone 8 O most laudable apostles,
intercessors for the world,
physicians of the sick, protectors of health,
preserve us who are passing the time of fasting.
So that, making peace with each other in divine fashion,
preserving our minds unsullied by passions,
we may sing a song of victory to the Risen Christ.
Reader: For His mercy is confirmed on us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
The stikhera from the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete
may be added here, with the response after each:
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!
Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 4 Ineffable is Thy compassion, O long-suffering Lord,
supreme in love!
Sinless art Thou and merciful;
cast me not away from Thy presence,
that with thanksgiving and rejoicing I may cry to Thee:
Save me before I perish to the end, O Lord.
Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Tone 4 What great Condescension.
What wonder of Nativity.
The Virgin carries Thee, her Creator and God, in her arms,
O Benefactor, who willed to receive flesh from her,
Save me before I perish to the end, O Lord.
The Readings from Holy Scripture
5th Wednesday in Great Lent
Priest: Let us attend! Peace be unto all!
Reader: And to your spirit!
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: The Prokeimenon in the 4th Tone: O Lord, Thou God of vengeance show Thyself.
People: O Lord, Thou God of vengeance show Thyself.
Reader: Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render to the proud their desserts.
People: O Lord, Thou God of vengeance show Thyself.
Reader: O Lord, Thou God of vengeance.
People: Show Thyself.
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: The Reading is from Genesis.
Priest: Let us attend!
Genesis 17:1-9
Reader: When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: The Prokeimenon in the 4th Tone: Sing to the Lord a new song.
People: Sing to the Lord a new song.
Reader: Sing to the Lord, bless His name.
People: Sing to the Lord a new song.
Reader: Sing to the Lord.
People: A new song.
The priest comes forth with the candle and censer.
All make a prostration or kneel.
Priest: Wisdom! Let us attend!
quot;;text-align: center;/spanspan style=quot;CG TimesMsoNormalnbsp;; The Light of Christ illumines all!
Reader: The Reading is from Proverbs.
Priest: Let us attend!
Proverbs 15:20-16:9
Reader: A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother.
Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, but a man of understanding walks uprightly.
Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.
A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!
The way of life winds upward for the wise, that he may turn away from hell below.
The Lord will destroy the house of the proud, but He will establish the boundary of the widow.
The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasant.
He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.
The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.
The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good report makes the bones healthy.
The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise.
He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.
The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits.
Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.
The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.
Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.
In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Better is a little with righteousness, than vast revenues without justice.
A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Priest: Peace be unto you. Wisdom!
Let My Prayer Arise follows
This content has been generously provided by Fr. Jerome Cwiklinski, CAPT, CHC, USN