LITURGY – THE SUNDAY OF HOLY PENTECOST
In place of the usual antiphons, use the festal antiphons:
The First Antiphon (Second Tone)
Stichos 1: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of His hands.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
Stichos 2: Day unto day poureth forth speech and night unto night proclaimeth knowledge.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
Stichos 3: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
The Second Antiphon (Second Tone)
Stichos 1: The Lord hear thee in the day of affliction; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.
Refrain: O Good Comforter, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia.
Stichos 2: Let Him send forth unto thee help from His sanctuary, and out of Zion let Him help thee.
Refrain. O Good Comforter, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia.
Stichos 3: The Lord grant thee according to thy heart, and fulfill all thy purposes. .
Refrain: O Good Comforter, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O only-begotten Son and Word of God, Who art immortal, yet didst deign for our
salvation to be incarnate of the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and without
change didst become man, and was crucified, O Christ God, trampling down death by
death. Thou Who art one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, save us.
The Third Antiphon
Reader: Stichos 1: O Lord, in Thy strength the king shall be glad, and in Thy salvation shall he rejoice exceedingly.
Choir: (Troparion, Tone 8): Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, /
Who hast shown forth the fishermen as supremely wise, /
by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, /
and through them didst draw the world into Thy net. //
O Lover of mankind, glory be to Thee.
Stichos 2: The desire of his heart hast Thou granted unto him, and hast not denied him the requests of his lips.
Choir: Repeat Troparion
Stichos 3: Thou wentest before him with the blessings of goodness, Thou hast set upon his head a crown of precious stone.
Choir: Repeat Troparion
The entry verse
Be Thou exalted, O Lord, in Thy strength; we will sing and chant of Thy mighty acts.
And immediately after that, the choir sings the Troparion and Kontakion of the feast:
Tone 8: Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, /
Who hast shown forth the fishermen as supremely wise, /
by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, /
and through them didst draw the world into Thy net. //
O Lover of mankind, glory be to Thee.
Glory… Both now… Tone 8:
Once, when He descended and confounded the tongues, /
the Most High divided the nations; /
and when He divided the tongues of fire, /
He called all men into unity; //
and with one accord we glorify the All-Holy Spirit.
Instead of the Trisagion: As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Alleluia. Thrice.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen. Have put on Christ. Alleluia.
As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia.
The Epistle
Reader: The Prokimenon in the 8th Tone: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth,
and their words unto the ends of the world.
Choir: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of
the world.
Reader: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaimeth the work
of His hands.
Choir: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of
the world.
Reader: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth.
Choir: And their words unto the ends of the world.
Reader: The Reading is from the Acts of the Holy Apostles:
[Acts 2:1-11]
Reader: Alleluia in the 1st Tone.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: By the Word of the Lord were the heavens established, and all the might of
them by the Spirit of His mouth.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: The Lord looked down from heaven, He beheld all the sons of men.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [John 7:37-52; 8:12]
Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Second Canon
of the feast, Fourth Tone:
Irmos: Rejoice, Thou, O Queen, the glory of both mothers and virgins! For no
mouth, however fluent and well-spoken, can be so eloquent as to hymn thee worthily;
and every mind faileth to understand thy childbirth. Wherefore, with one accord thee do
we magnify.
Communion Verse: Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the land of uprightness. Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!