Daily Devotional for April 13 – 19 Holy Week
Sunday
**This week we will do the Troparia/Kontakia (anthems) for Holy Week
Troparion — Tone 1
By raising Lazarus from the dead before Your passion, / You did confirm the universal Resurrection, O Christ God! / Like the children with the palms of victory, / we cry out to You, O Vanquisher of death: / Hosanna in the Highest! / Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!
Troparion — Tone 4
When we were buried with You in Baptism, O Christ God, / we were made worthy of eternal life by Your Resurrection! / Now we praise You and sing: / Hosanna in the highest! / Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!
Kontakion — Tone 6
Sitting on Your throne in heaven, / carried on a foal on earth, O Christ God! / Accept the praise of angels and the songs of children who sing: / Blessed is He that comes to recall Adam!
Prayer: We adore Thee O Christ and we bless Thee, for by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Monday
Troparion — Tone 8
Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight, / and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching, / and again unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless. / Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep, / lest you be given up to death and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom. / But rouse yourself crying: Holy, Holy, Holy, are You, O our God! / Through the Theotokos have mercy on us!
Kontakion — Tone 8
Jacob lamented the loss of Joseph, / but his noble son was seated on a chariot / and honored as a king. / For when he refused to be enslaved / by the pleasures of the Egyptian woman, / he was glorified by the Lord who beholds the hearts of men, / and bestows upon them an incorruptible crown.
Prayer:
O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition, and idle talking give me not.
Tuesday
Kontakion — Tone 2
You know that this is the last hour, O wretched soul, / and fear the cutting of the fig tree. / Work diligently therefore at the talent given to you / keep watch and pray: / Let us not remain outside the bridal chamber of Christ.
Prayer:
But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love bestow upon me Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Wednesday
Kontakion — Tone 4
Though I have transgressed more than the harlot, O Good One, / I have not offered You a flood of tears, but in silence I fall down before You. / With love I embrace Your most Pure feet. / As Master, grant me remission of sins, when I cry to You, O Savior: / “Deliver me from the filth of my evil deeds.”
Prayer:
Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thursday
Troparion — Tone 8
When the glorious disciples were enlightened / at the washing of their feet before the supper, / then the impious Judas was darkened, ailing with avarice / and to the lawless judges he betrays You, the righteous Judge. / Behold, O lover of money, this man who because of money hanged himself. / Flee from the greedy soul which dared such things against the Master. / O Lord, who is good towards all men, glory to You!
Kontakion — Tone 2
With his hands the betrayer receives the Bread. / With his hands he secretly receives the silver, / the price of Him who fashioned man with His hands; / so the servant and deceiver Judas remains depraved.
Prayer: O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.
Friday
Troparion — Tone 4
By Your precious blood, / You have redeemed us from the curse of the law. / By being nailed to the cross and pierced by a spear, / You have poured forth immortality upon men. / O our Savior, glory to You!
Kontakion — Tone 8
Come, let us all sing the praises of Him who was crucified for us, / for Mary said when she beheld Him upon the tree: / Though You endure the cross, You are my Son and my God!
Prayer: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3X)
Saturday
Troparion — Tone 2
The Noble Joseph, / when he had taken down Your most pure Body from the tree, / wrapped it in fine linen, / and anointed it with spices, / and placed it in a new tomb.
Troparion — Tone 2
When You descended to death, O Life Immortal, / You slayed hell with the splendor of Your Godhead, / and when from the depths You raised the dead, / all the Powers of Heaven cried out, / O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!
Kontakion — Tone 6
He who shut in the depths is beheld dead, / wrapped in fine linen and spices. / The Immortal One is laid in a tomb as a mortal man. / The women have come to anoint Him with myrrh, / weeping bitterly and crying: / “This is the most blessed Sabbath / on which Christ has fallen asleep to rise on the third day!”
Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have Mercy on me a sinner.