Choir Cues for 7th Sunday of Pascha, May 31, 2009

The Troparia on the Beatitudes are from the translations of Mother Mary (The Sunday Octoechos, Sundays and Feasts from the Pentecostarion). Scriptures are according to the approved Revised Standard Version. Everything else is from standard OCA texts as published by St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, the Soroka family, St. Tikhon's Seminary Press, the Department of Religious Education, and the Department of Liturgical Music and Translations. Rubrics follow the 2009 Liturgical Calendar and Rubrics published by St. Tikhon's Seminary Press.


SUNDAY, MAY 31
7th SUNDAY OF PASCHA -- Tone 6. The Three Hundred and Eighteen Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea. Afterfeast of the Ascension.

Sunday Readings:
Epistle: (44) Acts 20:16-18, 28-36
Gospel: (56) John 17:1-13

Apostle Hermes of the Seventy (1st c.). Martyr Hermias at Comana (2nd c.). Martyr Philosophus at Alexandria (3rd c.).


READER AND CHOIR CUES


HOURS

Until Holy Pentecost we do not say (or sing) "O Heavenly King...." At the beginning of the 3rd Hour, and other places where "O Heavenly King..." occurs, we also omit "Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!" as well.

At the Third Hour:

Troparion, Resurrection
Glory...
Troparion, Fathers
Now and ever...
Theotokion from the Horologion
Kontakion, Fathers

At the Sixth Hour:

Troparion, Resurrection
Glory...
Troparion, Ascension
Now and ever...
Theotokion from the Horologion
Kontakion, Ascension


DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM


BEATITUDES TROPARIA on 12, Tone 6: Resurrection--4; Ascension--4; Fathers--4.

12. Remember me, my God and Savior, / when Thou comest in Thy Kingdom // and save me as Thou alone lovest mankind.

11. Through the wood of the Cross Thou hast saved again Adam who was beguiled by the tree / and the thief as he cried aloud: // Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom.

10. O Giver of life, having broken the gates and chains of hell, / Thou, Savior, hast made all men rise crying aloud: // Glory to Thy Resurrection.

9. Do Thou Who hast by Thy burial and Thy Resurrection / despoiled death, and filled all things with joy, // remember me as Thou art compassionate.

8 & 7. Thou hast gone up to the Father, O Christ Giver of life, / and in Thine ineffable mercy Thou hast lifted our kind on high, // O Thou Who lovest mankind.

6. When the hierarchies of angels / saw that mortal nature ascended with Thee to heaven, O Savior, // they praised Thee without ceasing in their wonder.

5. The choir of angels were struck with wonder / as they observed Thee ascending in the body, // and they sang the praises of Thine Ascension.

4. The sower of weeds was not able to hide, / the ineffable Providence making him known to be like Judas, // and he, like Judas, burst asunder.

3. The divine and honored assembly of the Fathers proclaimed Thee, O Master, / to be the only-begotten Brightness shining forth from the essence of the Father // and to be the Son begotten before all ages.

Glory...

2. The belly that was the foul and undrinkable source of heresies, gushing forth profanities, / according to the account burst most providentially // before the plough of prayer of the divinely-inspired Fathers.

Now and ever...

1. Moses, great among Prophets, / wrote beforehand describing you as a tabernacle, a table, a candlestick and a jar, // symbolizing the incarnation of the Most High from you, O Virgin Mother.


TROPARIA & KONTAKIA

Troparion, Resurrection, Tone 6: The angelic powers were at Thy tomb; / the guards became as dead men. / Mary stood by Thy grave, / seeking Thy Most Pure Body. / Thou didst capture hell, not being tempted by it. / Thou didst come to the Virgin, granting life. / O Lord Who didst Rise from the dead, // glory to Thee!

Troparion, Ascension, Tone 4: O Christ God, Thou hast ascended in Glory, / granting joy to Thy disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. / Through the blessing they were assured / that Thou art the Son of God, // the Redeemer of the world!

Troparion, Fathers, Tone 8: Most glorious art Thou, O Christ our God! / Thou hast established the Holy Fathers as lights on the earth! / Through them Thou hast guided us to the true faith! // O greatly Compassionate One, glory to Thee!

Glory...

Kontakion, Fathers, Tone 8: The apostles' preaching and the fathers' doctrines have established one faith for the Church. / Adorned with the robe of truth, woven from heavenly theology, // it defines and glorifies the great mystery of Orthodoxy.

Now and ever...

Kontakion, Ascension, Tone 6: When Thou didst fulfill the dispensation for our sake, / and unite earth to heaven: / Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God, / not being parted from those who love Thee, / but remaining with them and crying: // I am with you and no one will be against you!


EPISTLE

Reader: The Prokeimenon in the 4th Tone, the Song of the Fathers: Blessed art Thou O Lord God of our Fathers and praised and glorified is Thy name forever!
Choir: Blessed art Thou O Lord God of our Fathers and praised and glorified is Thy name forever!
Reader: For Thou art just in all that Thou hast done for us!
Choir: Blessed art Thou O Lord God of our Fathers and praised and glorified is Thy name forever!
Reader: Blessed art Thou O Lord God of our Fathers
Choir: and praised and glorified is Thy name forever!


Reader: The Reading from the Acts of the Holy Apostles.

[Acts 20:16-18, 28-36] In those days, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. * And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. * And when they came to him, he said to them: * "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which He obtained with the blood of His own Son. * I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; * and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. * Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. * And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. * I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. * You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. * In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" * And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.


Priest: Peace be unto you, reader.
Reader: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom!


THE ALLELUIA
(PAUSE before first verse)

Reader: In the 1st Tone, Alleluia.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: The Lord, the God of gods, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Gather to Me, My venerable ones, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!


GOSPEL

[John 17:1-13] At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee, * since Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom Thou hast given Him. * And this is eternal life, that they know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent. * I glorified Thee on earth, having accomplished the work which Thou gavest me to do; * and now, Father, glorify Thou Me in Thine own presence with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was made. * "I have manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word. * Now they know that everything that Thou hast given Me is from Thee; * for I have given them the words which Thou gavest Me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from Thee; and they have believed that Thou didst send me. * I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine; * all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine, and I am glorified in them. * And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are One. * While I was with them, I kept them in Thy name, which Thou hast given Me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. * But now I am coming to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves."


INSTEAD OF "IT IS TRULY MEET...", Tone 5:

Magnify, O my soul, / Christ the Giver of Life, // Who has ascended from earth to heaven!

We magnify the Mother of God, / who beyond reason and understanding gave birth in time // to the Timeless One!


COMMUNION HYMN

Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise Him in the highest!
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the just!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!


INSTEAD OF "WE HAVE SEEN THE TRUE LIGHT...", Tone 4

O Christ God, Thou hast ascended in Glory, / granting joy to Thy disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. / Through the blessing they were assured / that Thou art the Son of God, // the Redeemer of the world!

Choir Cues for 6th Sunday of Pascha, May 24, 2009

The Troparia on the Beatitudes are from the translations of Mother Mary (The Sunday Octoechos, Sundays and Feasts from the Pentecostarion). Scriptures are according to the approved Revised Standard Version. Everything else is from standard OCA texts as published by St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, the Soroka family, St. Tikhon's Seminary Press, the Department of Religious Education, and the Department of Liturgical Music and Translations. Rubrics follow the 2009 Liturgical Calendar and Rubrics published by St. Tikhon's Seminary Press.


SUNDAY, MAY 24
6th SUNDAY OF PASCHA -- Tone 5. Blind Man.

Sunday Readings:
Epistle: (38) Acts 16:16-34
Gospel: (34) John 9:1-38

Ven. Simeon the Stylite (the Younger) of the Wonderful Mountain (596). Ven. Nikita the Stylite, Wonderworker of Pereyaslavl'--Zalesski (786). Martyrs Meletius Stratelates, Stephen, John, and 1,218 soldiers, with women and children, including Serapion the Egyptian, Callinicus the Magician, Theodore, Faustus, the women: Marciana, Susanna, and Palladia, two children: Cyriacus and Christian, and twelve Tribunes--Faustus, Festus, Marcellus, Theodore, Meletius, Sergius, Marcellinus, Felix, Photinus, Theodoriscus, Mercurius, and Didymus, all of whom suffered in Galatia (138-161). St. Vincent of Lerins.


READER AND CHOIR CUES


HOURS

At the 3rd Hour, we begin with "Blessed is our God..." and then "Christ is risen..." is read thrice, then "Holy God..." and the rest as usual, including "Come, let us worship...". At the 6th Hour, we read "Christ is risen..." thrice, instead of "Come let us worship...".

At all Hours:

Glory...
Troparion, Resurrection
Now and ever...
Theotokion from the Horologion
Kontakion, Feast


DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Priest: "Blessed is the Kingdom.... Christ is risen..." (2 1/2 times). Choir: "...and upon those in the tombs...."


BEATITUDES TROPARIA on 8, Tone 5: Resurrection--4; Feast--4.

8. The thief on the cross believing Thee to be God / confessed Thee earnestly from his heart, / crying aloud: O Lord, remember me // in Thy Kingdom.

7. Let us with one accord praise as Savior and Creator / Him Who made life flower for our kind by the wood of the Cross / and Who withered // the curse coming from the tree.

6. Thou hast been crucified, O Christ, between two condemned thieves / and one of them blaspheming Thee was rightly sentenced / while the other, confessing Thee, // went to dwell in Paradise.

5. The holy women coming to the choir of the apostles lifted their voices crying: / Christ is risen. / Worship ye Him // as Master and Creator.

4. Crucified with thieves, O Master, O Lord who lovest mankind, Thou hast plucked from evil robbers and soul-corrupting passions, those who praise with one accord Thy Crucifixion and Thy Resurrection.

3. They laid Thee in the tomb as dead without breath, O Christ Who hast breathed life into all the dead: and Thou art Risen, O Lord, having emptied all the sepulchres by Thy divine might, O Word.

2. After Thy Resurrection, O Christ, Thou hast said to Thy friends: 'Sit ye in Jerusalem until ye be clothed with unconquerable strength and confirmed succor from on high.'

1. Making clay Thou hast anointed the eyes of the man blind from birth and vouchsafed him sight, while he praised Thine incorruptible power through which Thou hast saved the world, O Word.



TROPARIA & KONTAKIA

Troparion, Resurrection, Tone 5: Let us, the faithful, praise and worship the Word, / Co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, / born for our salvation from the Virgin; / for He willed to be lifted up on the Cross in the flesh, / to endure death, / and to raise the dead // by His Glorious Resurrection.

Glory...

Kontakion, Feast, Tone 4: I come to Thee, O Christ, / blind from birth in my spiritual eyes / and I call to Thee in repentance: / Thou art the most radiant light // of those in darkness!

Now and ever...

Kontakion, Pascha, Tone 8: Thou didst descend into the tomb, O Immortal. / Thou didst destroy the power of death. / In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, / proclaiming "Rejoice" to the myrrhbearing women, // granting peace to Thine apostles, and bestowing Resurrection on the fallen.


EPISTLE

Reader: The Prokeimenon in the 8th Tone: Pray and make your vows before the Lord our God.
Choir: Pray and make your vows before the Lord our God.
Reader: In Judah God is known; His Name is great in Israel!
Choir: Pray and make your vows before the Lord our God.
Reader: Pray and make your vows
Choir: before the Lord our God.


Reader: The Reading from the Acts of the Holy Apostles.

[(38) Acts 16:16-34] In those days, as we apostles were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. * She followed Paul and us, crying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." * And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. * But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers; * and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, "These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city. * They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice." * The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. * And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. * Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. * But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, * and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one's fetters were unfastened. * When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. * But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." * And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, * and brought them out and said, "Men, what must I do to be saved?" * And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." * And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. * And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family. * Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.


Priest: Peace be unto you, reader.
Reader: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom!


THE ALLELUIA
(PAUSE before first verse)

Reader: In the 8th Tone, Alleluia.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Look upon me and have mercy on me.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Direct my steps according to Thy word.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!


GOSPEL

[(34) John 9:1-38] At that time, as Jesus passed by, He saw a man blind from his birth. * And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" * Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. * We must work the works of Him Who sent Me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. * As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." * As He said this, He spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man's eyes with the clay, * saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. * The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?" * Some said, "It is he"; others said, "No, but he is like him." He said, "I am the man." * They said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" * He answered, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, `Go to Silo'am and wash'; so I went and washed and received my sight." * They said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know." * They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. * Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. * The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." * Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for He does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them. * So they again said to the blind man, "What do you say about Him, since He has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." * The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, * and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" * His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; * but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know Who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." * His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. * Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him." * So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner." * He answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." * They said to him, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" * He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become His disciples?" * And they reviled him, saying, "You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. * We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He comes from." * The man answered, "Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. * We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him. * Never since the world began has it been heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. * If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." * They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out. * Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, "Do you believe in the Son of man?" * He answered, "And Who is He, sir, that I may believe in Him?" * Jesus said to him, "You have seen Him, and it is He Who speaks to you." * He said, "Lord, I believe"; and he worshiped Him.


INSTEAD OF "IT IS TRULY MEET...", Tone 1:

The angel cried to the Lady full of grace: / Rejoice, rejoice, O pure Virgin. / Again I say: Rejoice. / Your Son is risen from His three days in the tomb. / With Himself He has raised all the dead. // Rejoice, rejoice, O ye people.

Shine! Shine! / Shine! O new Jerusalem! / The glory of the Lord / has shone on you. / Exult now, exult / and be glad, O Zion. / Be radiant, O pure Theotokos, // in the Resurrection, the Resurrection of your Son.


COMMUNION HYMN

Receive the Body of Christ! Taste the Fountain of Immortality!
Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise Him in the highest!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!


INSTEAD OF "WE HAVE SEEN THE TRUE LIGHT..."

"Christ is risen..." (once)
"Let our mouths be filled..." is sung as usual.


AT THE DISMISSAL

The Priest says, "Glory to Thee, O Christ..."
Choir: "Christ is risen..." (thrice)
The Priest gives the Sunday dismissal.
Choir: "Christ is risen..." (thrice). Then, in Tone 8: "And unto us He has given eternal life. Let us worship His Resurrection on the third day."

Tolkien’s Great Tales

The Great Tales of Beleriand
by J.R.R. Tolkien

Core to Tolkien’s work are those stories he himself referred to as the Great Tales. Although The Lord of the Rings is rightly adjudged a masterpiece, the Great Tales were dearer and of central importance to him. They are his earliest writings on what came to be known as Middle-earth or the Legendarium, and he continued to work on them in one form or another until his death.

Just as he wrote an “Appendix” to serve as a historical overview of the Third Age to accompany The Lord of the Rings, so also Tolkien wrote a “Sketch” of the mythology and history of the First Age, to accompany the Great Tales. This became known as The Silmarillion. Unfortunately, soon after his death, The Silmarillion was published as if it were a stand-alone novel, that is, unaccompanied by the Great Tales to which it was meant to serve as Appendix! Well, no wonder so many readers are turned of by it! You wouldn’t read the Appendix of The Lord of the Rings without first reading The Lord of the Rings, would you?

Fortunately, at this time all of the Great Tales have been made available in print. I recommend them to any Tolkien fan, whether you liked The Silmarillion and are hungry for more, or whether you disliked The Silmarillion, finding it to be hasty, impersonal, lacking the point-of-view characters and depth that made The Lord of the Rings great. Here, then, are where you can find the Great Tales.


I. The Lay of Leithian

The First Tale is probably the most famous and important. It tells the story of the famous lovers Beren and Lúthien Tinúviel. The first version of this tale is called “The Tale of Tinúviel.” It is a complete version entirely in prose, and may be found in The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two. The second and third versions of this tale, called “The Lay of Leithian” and “The Lay of Leithian Recommenced,” are written in verse (rhyming couplets). Each version expands greatly on the last. “The Lay of Leithian” is nearly complete, and “The Lay of Leithian Recommenced” only has a few chapters. They may be found in The Lays of Beleriand.


II. Narn i Chîn Húrin

The Second Tale has lately gained some fame due to a new, much-trumpeted and illustrated edition being published between its own two covers. (Would that all the Tales would receive such treatment!) Longest of the tales, this is the epic of the doomed warrior Túrin and the Dragon. The first version, in prose, is entitled “Turambar and the Foalókë” and may be found in The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two. The second version, written in verse (alliterative poetry), is “The Lay of the Children of Húrin,” published in may be found in The Lays of Beleriand.

The third and fullest version, entitled “Narn i Chîn Húrin,” is written in prose and may be found in both Unfinished Tales and The Children of Húrin. Those who may be daunted by the annotations and notes of the other books mentioned here will have better luck by simply picking up the latter.


III. The Wanderings of Húrin

The Third Tale exists in a single, prose version. It was one of Tolkien’s later writings, and fortunately it is quite complete. Entitled “The Wanderings of Húrin,” it picks up right where the “Narn i Chîn Húrin” leaves off. It spins an astonishing and dramatic tale as Túrin’s father returns for vengeance. It is published in The War of the Jewels.


IV. The Nauglafring

The Fourth Tale exists in a single, early, complete prose version. Entitled “The Nauglafring,” it follows the cursed hoard of the dragon as it brings Elves and Dwarves to war (yes, against each other!). It may be found in The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two. In addition to wrapping up characters and ideas from all three of the previous Tales, “The Nauglafring” also in many ways sets up the situations of The Hobbit.


V. The Fall of Gondolin

The Fifth Tale is also the very first Middle-earth story Tolkien ever wrote. A prose masterpiece, Tolkien was proud of it enough to give public readings several times of it in his life. Entitled “The Fall of Gondolin,” it is printed in The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two. He returned to it later in life (“Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin”, printed in Unfinished Tales), producing a great fragment that unfortunately doesn’t get very far (the hero arrives at the fabled City of Gondolin) in the style of the Narn and The Wanderings.