Sunday of the Blind Man
Opening Acclamation: “Blessed is the kingdom…”
Troparion of Pascha. “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!” (3x — 1st time Priest sings alone)
Great Litany. “Lord, have mercy.” “Most holy Theotokos…” “To Thee, O Lord.”
First Antiphon. Verses (Choir) & Refrain: “Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.”
Little Litany. “Lord, have mercy.” “Most holy Theotokos…” “To Thee, O Lord.”
Second Antiphon. Verses (Choir) & Refrain: “Save us, O Son of God Who art risen from the dead, who sing unto Thee: Alleluia.”
“Only-begotten Son and Word of God Who art immortal, yet didst condescend for our salvation to be incarnate of the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and without change wast made man; and wast crucified, O Christ our God; and by Thy death didst Death subdue; Who art One of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit: O save us.”
Little Litany. “Lord, have mercy.” “Most holy Theotokos…” “To Thee, O Lord.”
Third Antiphon, during the Little Entrance (Choir). The Troparion of Pascha.
“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!” (3x)
Greek: “Christos anesti ek nekron, thanato thanaton patisas kai tis en tis mnemasi, zoin kharisamenos!”
Entrance Hymn. “In the gathering places, bless ye God the Lord, from the springs of Israel. O Son of God, Who didst rise from the dead, save us who sing unto Thee: Alleluia!”
Hymns of the Day.
Troparion of the Resurrection, Tone 5 (All).
“Let us believers praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation; for he took pleasure in ascending the Cross in the flesh, to suffer death, and to raise the dead by his glorious Resurrection.”
Troparion of St. Joseph, Tone 2 (All).
“Proclaim, O Joseph, to David, the ancestor of God, the amazing wonders, for by the angel they were revealed unto thee. For thou hast seen a Virgin great with child, and thou gave glory with the shepherds and didst worship with the Magi. Wherefore plead with Christ God to save our souls.”
Kontakion of Pascha , Tone 8 (All).
“Thou descended into the tomb, O Immortal. Thou destroyed the power of death. In victory Thou arose, O Christ God, proclaiming, Rejoice! to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles, and bestowing resurrection on the fallen.”
Trisagion Prayer and Hymn. “Lord, have mercy.”
“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Alleluia.” (3x)
The Readings. Priest: “Let us attend! Wisdom!”
Prokeimenon, Tone 5 (Chanter).
“You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us. Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed!”
Brethren, as we disciples 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 marketplace 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 everyone’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.
Alleluia and Verses with Censing (Apostolos 58-59, Chanter).
Priest: “Wisdom! Let us attend. Let us hear the Holy Gospel. Peace be to all.”
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 Siloam 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, whom 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 anyone 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 anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone 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 God?” 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.
Sermon.
Prayers of the Catechumens and the Faithful . “Lord, have mercy.”
Great Entrance: Cherubimic Prayer & Hymn.
“All we that in myst’ry holy cherubim portray, as the Life-creating Trinity, with thrice holy song we adore and praise. Come, let us cast off all earthly care, and forget, and forget ev’ry vain employ...” (Repeat.)
“… For the King of All comes in triumph, by unseen hosts of angels brought to us that bid Him welcome. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”
Litany of the Prothesis and the Peace. “Lord, have mercy.” “Grant this…” “Most holy Theotokos…” “To Thee, O Lord.”
Priest: “Peace be to all. Let us love one another, that with one accord we may confess:”
“Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: the Trinity, one in Essence and undivided.”
The Nicene Creed . Priest: “The Doors! The Doors! In wisdom let us attend.”
“I believe in one God…”
Eucharistic Prayer of St. John Chrysostom.
Anaphora. “A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise.”
Priest: “Let us lift up our hearts.”
“We lift them up unto the Lord.”
Priest: “Let us give thanks to the Lord.”
“It is meet and right to worship Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: the Trinity, one in Essence, and undivided.”
“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Sabaoth: heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!”
The Prayers of Consecration.
Priest: “Take, eat: this is My Body which is broken for you, for the forgiveness of sins. Drink ye this: this is My Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins. Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee, in behalf of all, and for all.”
“We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, and we pray unto Thee, O our God, our God.”
Priest: “Make this bread the precious Body of thy Christ; and that which is in this cup, the precious Blood of thy Christ; changing them by thy Holy Spirit.”
“Amen, amen, amen.”
Megalynarion for Sunday of the Blind Man, Tone 1 (Choir).
“The angel spake to her that is full of grace, saying, O pure Virgin, rejoice; and I say also, Rejoice; for thy Son is risen from the tomb on the third day.”
“Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem; for the glory of the Lord hath risen upon thee. Rejoice and exult now, O Zion, and thou, O pure, one, Theotokos, rejoice at the Resurrection of thy Son.”
The Litany before the Lord’s Prayer. “Lord, have mercy.” “Grant this...” “To Thee, O Lord.”
The Lord’s Prayer. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name…”
Priest: “Peace be to all. Let us bow our heads unto the Lord.”
The Elevation. Priest: “Let us attend! The Holy things are for the Holy.”
“One is Holy, One is Lord: Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.”
Communion Prayers.
“I believe, O Lord, and I confess that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, Who didst come into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. And I believe that this is truly Thine own immaculate Body, and that this is truly Thine own precious Blood. Wherefore
I pray Thee, have mercy upon me and forgive my transgressions both voluntary and involuntary, of word and of deed, of knowledge and of ignorance; and make me worthy to partake without condemnation of Thine immaculate Mysteries, unto remission of my sins and unto life everlasting. Amen.”
“Of Thy Mystic Supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant, for I will not speak of Thy Mystery to Thine enemies, neither will I give Thee a kiss as did Judas; but like the thief will I confess Thee: Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom. Not unto judgment nor unto condemnation be my partaking of Thy Holy Mysteries, O Lord, but unto the healing of soul and body.”
Communion Hymns.
“Receive the body of Christ; taste the fountain of immortality! Alleluia.”
“Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord; the Lord is God and hath revealed himself unto us.”
Communion.
Receiving Holy Communion unites us with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our Bishop, and with all the Orthodox in heaven and earth. Only baptized and/or chrismated Orthodox Christians who are not under penance and have prepared by fasting and frequent confession are invited and encouraged to receive communion as spiritual food, for the healing of soul and body and as a sign of forgiveness of sins.
Post-Communion Hymns.
Troparion of Pascha, in Greek: “Christos anesti ek nekron, thanato thanaton patisas kai tis en tis mnemasi, zoin kharisamenos!” (1x only)
“Let our mouths be filled with Thy praise, O Lord, that we may sing of Thy glory; for Thou hast permitted us to partake of Thy holy, divine, immortal, and life-giving Mysteries. Establish us in Thy Sanctification, that all the day we may meditate upon Thy righteousness. Alleluia.”
Litany of Thanksgiving and the Prayer behind the Ambon. “Lord, have mercy.”
“Blessed be the Name of the Lord, henceforth and forever.” (3x)
Dismissal and Final Blessing.
“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!” (3x)
Parish Announcements.