Variable Portions of the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts
6th Wednesday in Great Lent
The Week of Palms
“Lord I Call” Stichera
Begin “Lord, I Call” in Tone 5
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.
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.
From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch,
let Israel hope on the Lord.
Tone 5 I am rich in passions.
I am clothed in vile garments of hypocrisy.
Through lack of abstinence I delight in foul deeds,
and show a boundless lack of tenderheartedness.
Cast before the gates of repentance, I despise my mind,
thirsting for every blessing but ill from lack of concentration. Make me, O Lord, like Lazarus, who was poor in sin,
lest I receive no answer when I pray:
the finger dipped in water to relieve my burning tongue.
Make me dwell in the bosom of Abraham,
as 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 5 With boundless love in your souls, O holy martyrs,
you did not forsake Christ.
Enduring the various wounds of sufferings
you laid low the torturers’ impudence.
Preserving unbending and unshakeable faith,
you were translated to heaven.
Since you received boldness before Him,
entreat Him to grant peace to the world,
and for our souls great mercy.
Reader: Praise the Lord, all nations. Praise Him, all peoples.
Tone 5 Jesus told those who were with Him
when He walked in the flesh by the River Jordan:
My friend Lazarus is already dead, given over for burial.
But I rejoice for your sake, O friends,
for by His death you shall learn that I know all, for I am God,
even though I have appeared as man.
Let us go and bring him to life,
so that death my really feel its utter destruction,
and the victory I will win,
granting the world great mercy.
Reader: For His mercy is confirmed on us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
Tone 5 Imitating Martha and Mary, O faithful,
let us offer divine works to the Lord as they did,
that He might come and raise our minds,
which now lie dead in the tomb of carelessness,
feeling no fear of God and deprived of any living action.
Behold, O Lord, who of old didst raise Thy friend Lazarus
by Thy coming.
Give life to us also, O Bountiful One,
granting us great mercy.
Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 6 Lazarus is in the tomb two days,
seeing the dead of all ages,
beholding strange sights of terror,
a great crowd held by the bonds of hell.
His relatives grieve bitterly, looking for his tomb.
But Christ is coming to bring His friend to life,
so that one harmonious song may be sung by all:
Blessed art Thou, O Savior, have mercy on us.
Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Tone 6 The evil adversary,
jealous of your flock, O most Pure One,
always battles and desires us as food for himself.
But deliver us from this danger, O Theotokos.
The Readings from Holy Scripture
6th 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: I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
People: I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
Reader: I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplication.
People: I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
Reader: I will walk before the Lord.
People: In the land of the living.
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: The Reading is from Genesis.
Priest: Let us attend!
Genesis 43:26-31-45:1-16
Reader: When Joseph came home, his brothers brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" And they answered, "Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive." And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son." Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, "Serve the bread." So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin's serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money." So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, "Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.' " So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. And they said to him, "Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves." And he said, "Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless." Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city. So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, "What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?" Then Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord's slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found." But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father."
Then Judah came near to him and said: "O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother?' And we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.' Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.' And we said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.' But you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.' So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, 'Go back and buy us a little food.' But we said, 'We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn to pieces"; and I have not seen him since. But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.' Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.' Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?"
Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Make everyone go out from me!" So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph; does my father still live?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me." So they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph: "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children's children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine." 'And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here." Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, "Joseph's brothers have come." So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: The Prokeimenon in the 4th Tone: I will offer my prayers to the Lord in the presence of all His people.
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People: I will offer my prayers to the Lord in the presence of all His people.
Reader: Sing to the Lord, bless His name.
People: I will offer my prayers to the Lord in the presence of all His people.
Reader: I will offer my prayers to the Lord.
People: In the presence of all His people.
The priest comes forth with the candle and censer.
All make a prostration or kneel.
Priest: Wisdom! Let us attend!
The Light of Christ illumines all!
Reader: The Reading is from Proverbs.
Priest: Let us attend!
Proverbs 21:23-22:4
Reader: Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.
A proud and haughty man--"Scoffer" is his name; He acts with arrogant pride.
The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all day long, But the righteous gives and does not spare.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with wicked intent!
A false witness shall perish, but the man who hears him will speak endlessly.
A wicked man hardens his face, but as for the upright, he establishes his way.
There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord.
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.
The rich and the poor have this in common, the Lord is the maker of them all.
A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.
By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.
Priest: Peace be unto you. Wisdom!
Let My Prayer Arise follows
This content has been generously provided by Fr. Jerome Cwiklinski, CAPT, CHC, USN