JULY 15
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, Enlightener of the Russian Lands
"Lord I Call..." Tone 4
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.
v. (6) If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You.
Tone 4 (Valiant among martyrs)
You were a second Constantine in word and deed,
for he was born in a Christian age, yet lived for many years among the pagans,
while you were born of heathen, but loved Christ, Who loved you.
You have gone to Him, rejoicing.//
Pray ceaselessly to Him for those who honor your memory!
v. (5) For Your name's sake I have waited for You, O Lord, my soul has waited for Your word; my soul has hoped on the Lord.
(Repeat: “You were a second Constantine …”)
v. (4) From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope on the Lord!
Brightly shining, Mount Sinai rejoices eternally,
for it is sanctified by the Law of Moses and has seen the Invisible One;
and your great city, O Vladimir, also shines brightly and celebrates with
joy,
beholding in the Spirit the Son, glorified in you with the Father.//
Pray to Him to save and enlighten our souls!
v. (3) For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.
(Repeat: “Brightly shining Mount Sinai …”)
v. (2) Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise Him, all peoples!
For the Russian people, O Vladimir,
you were a father in spirit, a king and true preacher;
an apostle of Christ, announcing the baptism of salvation.
And having thereby brightly illumined your people,//
you sanctified them throughout all the lands of your kingdom, O blessed
one.
v. (1) For His mercy is abundant towards us; and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
You were a root of the true Faith, O Vladimir,
watered by the Holy Spirit.
You put forth for us divinely planted branches with fragrant flowers:
the wondrous Boris, and Gleb, the zealot of godliness;
abundant sources of miracles for all the faithful.
Standing with them before Christ,//
pray to Him to save and enlighten our souls!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
Tone 8
Come, let us all hasten to celebrate the memory of Vladimir,
our Russian father and guide.
He was born of heathens and came to love Christ, Who loved him,
He has gone to Christ, rejoicing with his grandmother Olga.
He taught all his people to believe and worship One God in Trinity;
he destroyed the idols and trampled them underfoot.
He nurtured for us Boris and Gleb, his precious posterity.
We now honor their memory with joy and faith and keep the feast with
love.
May they pray to the Lord to grant victory to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries,
to grant peace to the whole world, and to save our souls!
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Tone 8 (Theotokion – Dogmatikon)
The King of heaven,
because of His love for man,
appeared on earth and dwelt with men.
He took flesh from the pure Virgin
and after assuming it, He came forth from her.
The Son is one: in two natures, yet one Person.
Proclaiming Him as perfect God and perfect Man,
we confess Christ our God!//
Entreat him, O unwedded Mother, to have mercy on our souls!
Old Testament Readings
3 [1} Kings 8:22-23, 27-30
Isaiah 61:10-62:5
Isaiah 60:1-16
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, Enlightener of the Russian Lands
Litya (If the rector desires the Litya, following the sticheron to the Temple, these stichera are sung:)
Tone 2 (for Holy Prince Vladimir)
Today the memory of the pious Prince Vladimir
has sprung up like a fountain of myrrh;
for having come to love Christ, he shamed the idols,
and raised up churches to Him Who endured much reproach for our
sake,//
and he has received a kingdom and a crown in the heavens.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
Tone 6
Come, let us all hasten with faith to the honorable commemoration of our
Russian father,
our teacher and leader, Basil;*
for since the time of his birth he loved Christ, Who also loved him;
and to Him he ascended,
rejoicing with the first mother, Helen.**
With him we also keep festival with love,
asking that he pray to the Lord for us,//
that He grant peace to the world and save our souls.
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Tone 6 (Theotokion)
My Maker and Redeemer, Christ the Lord,
was born of you, O most pure Virgin.
By accepting my nature, He freed Adam from his ancient curse.
Unceasingly we magnify you as the Mother of God!
Rejoice, O celestial Joy!
Rejoice, O Lady://
the Protection, Intercession and Salvation of our souls!
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, Enlightener of the Russian Lands
Aposticha
Tone 8 (Most glorious wonder)
Most glorious wonder!
Today the wisdom of the proud perishes,
and all the forces of evil lament at beholding Vladimir the Great, our
faithful ruler:
the wild branch that was divinely planted by the strength of God,//
glorified and radiantly crowned by Him.
v. I have exalted one chosen out of the people! (Ps 115/116:15)
Marvelous depth of wonders!
Those who were hard-hearted in understanding and wandering in vain,
rejoice now in the holy Church, for this is the day of Vladimir.
Christ our God reigns, and has found another Paul,
setting him as faithful prince in his land,//
for by holy baptism he has enlightened his people.
v. I have anointed him with my holy oil! (Ps 111/112:1)
Rejoice, O praise of Russia!
Rejoice, O Vladimir, our ruler!
Rejoice, O guide for the faithful!
Rejoice, O bulwark of the faith!
Rejoice, O miracle of miracles,
the calm haven for those who flee to you!
Rejoice, all-holy root of the Faith,//
the intercessor for those who sing your praises and faithfully magnify you!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
Tone 8
Assemblies of the Orthodox faithful,
let us praise Vladimir the Great:
teacher of godliness, preacher of the faith, and first among Russian princes.
Let us crown him as equal-to-the-Apostles, with praises and spiritual
songs:
“Rejoice, most brave soldier of Christ,
for you wearied the Enemy and caused him to perish,
and having delivered us from his wiles, you led us to Christ, our King and
God!”
Now, most-blessed and praiseworthy prince,
pray that peace and health be granted to Orthodox Christians,
and victory over their adversaries,//
and for our souls great mercy!
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O sovereign Lady, accept the prayers of your servants,//
and deliver us from all necessity and sorrow!
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, Enlightener of the Russian Lands
(at Great Vespers)
Tone 4 Troparion (Holy Prince Vladimir)
Holy Prince Vladimir,
you were like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
By sending servants to Constantinople for the Orthodox Faith,
you found Christ, the priceless Pearl.
He appointed you to be another Paul,
washing away in baptism your physical and spiritual blindness.
We celebrate your memory,
asking you to pray for all Orthodox Christians of Russia//
and for us, your spiritual children.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Tone 4 Resurrectional Dismissal Theotokion
The mystery of all eternity,
unknown even by Angels,
through you, Theotokos, is revealed to those on earth:
God incarnate by union without confusion.
He voluntarily accepted the Cross for us,
by which He resurrected the first-created man,//
saving our souls from death.
(at Vigil)
Tone 4 Troparion (Holy Prince Vladimir)
Holy Prince Vladimir,
you were like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
By sending servants to Constantinople for the Orthodox Faith,
you found Christ, the priceless Pearl.
He appointed you to be another Paul,
washing away in baptism your physical and spiritual blindness.
We celebrate your memory,
asking you to pray for all Orthodox Christians of Russia//
and for us, your spiritual children. (twice)
Tone 4 Troparion to the Theotokos
Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos,
Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you!
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the Fruit of your womb,//
for you have borne the Savior of our souls.
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(at the Divine Liturgy)
Tone 4 Troparion (Holy Prince Vladimir)
Holy Prince Vladimir,
you were like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
By sending servants to Constantinople for the Orthodox Faith,
you found Christ, the priceless Pearl.
He appointed you to be another Paul,
washing away in baptism your physical and spiritual blindness.
We celebrate your memory,
asking you to pray for all Orthodox Christians of Russia//
and for us, your spiritual children.
Tone 8 Kontakion (Holy Prince Vladimir)
O most glorious Vladimir, in your old age you imitated the great Apostle
Paul:
he abandoned childish things, while you forsook the idolatry of your
youth.
Together with him you reached the fullness of divine wisdom:
you were adorned with the purity of holy baptism.//
Now as you stand before Christ our Savior, pray that all Orthodox
Christians may be saved!
Tone 3 Prokeimenon
Sing praises to our God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing
praises! (Ps 46/47:6)
v: Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
(Ps 46/47:1)
Epistle
1 Corinthians 2:9-3:8
Galatians 1:11-19 (St Vladimir)
Tone 6
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
v: I have exalted one chosen out of My people. (Ps 88/89:20)
v: For My hand shall defend him, and My arm shall strengthen him. (Ps 88/89:21)
Gospel
Matthew 13:31-36
John 10:1-9 (St Vladimir)
Communion Hymn
The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not fear evil
tidings. (Ps 111/112:6b-7a)
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
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* Basil was the baptismal name of Prince Vladimir.
** Helen was the baptismal name of St Olga, grandmother of Prince Vladimir, who, in a sense, was the first Christian mother of Rus’.
Liturgical texts for this service represent modified versions of translations provided by Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery, Otego, New York and St. Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, Pa. The Department of Liturgical Music and Translations of the Orthodox Church in America expresses its gratitude to Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery and St. Tikhon’s Monastery and to those translators whose work has been consulted at times in the course of reviewing and modifying these texts to their present form: Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware), Archimandrite Ephrem (Lash), Archimandrite Juvenaly, William Benedict Churchill, Isaac Lambertson, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and Holy Transfiguration Monastery, among others. | 