VIII. Stichera, troparia, prokeimenon, irmoi and canons from the services of Great Lent.

On the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee.

Stanza on "Lord I Have Cried," ch. 4: "Brethren, let us not pray like the Pharisee, for he who exalts himself will be humbled. Let us humble ourselves before God; like the publican in fasting, let us cry out: 'God, cleanse us sinners.'" On the praise: "My soul, knowing the difference between the publican and the Pharisee, hate the proud prayer of the Pharisee; pray to the tender prayer of the publican and exclaim: "God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me." Kontakion, ch. 4: "Let us avoid the pharisaic arrogance and learn the humility of the publican, crying out in repentant sighs: 'Saviour of the world, cleanse Thy servants.'

On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son.

Stanzas on "Lord, I have cried", ch. 1: 1. "Let us know, brethren, the power of the sacrament. The Most Gracious Father, going out to meet the prodigal son, who was returning from a sinful life to his father's house, kisses him and again returns him to his former honor and, slaughtering the fatted calf, arranges joy depicting joy in heaven, where we too may be vouchsafed communion with the humane Father, Who sacrificed His Son, the Savior of our souls, Who gloriously gave Himself to the slaughter." 2. Ch. 2: "I offer the prayer of the prodigal to Thee, O Lord: 'I am a sinner in Thy sight, O Good One; I have squandered the riches of Thy gifts, but receive me, O Saviour, who repent, and save me.

Troparion Sedalen, ch. 1: "Hasten to reveal to me the embraces of your father: I have wasted my life in fornication, looking indifferently at the inexhaustible richness of Thy mercies, O Saviour. Do not now despise my impoverished heart, for to Thee, O Lord, I cry out in tenderness: I have sinned, Father, against heaven and before Thee." Kontakion, ch. 3. "Having madly fled from Thy Fatherly glory, I have squandered in vices the riches which Thou hast given me. Therefore, with the words of the prodigal son, I call upon Thee; "I have sinned against Thee, O Merciful Father, receive me, repentant, and set me up as one of Thy hired servants." Stanza on Praise, ch. 4: "As a prodigal son I came to Thee, O Generous Father, having spent all my life on a foreign side; I have squandered the riches which Thou hast given me; O God, accept and have mercy on me, who repent."

On the "meatfare week".

Stanzas on "Lord, I have cried", ch. 6: 1. When You, the Just Judge, come to execute righteous judgment, sitting on the throne of Your glory, and when the terrible river of fire draws all to Your judgment seat, the heavenly powers will stand before you, and people will be judged in fear for all that each has done, then have mercy on us, O Christ, and vouchsafe the fate of the righteous, as the Merciful, with faith we beseech You." 2 — "I weep and weep, remembering the eternal fire, utter darkness, hell, the fierce worm, and also the constant: gnashing of teeth, and sufferings awaiting those who have sinned beyond measure, and Thee, the Most Merciful, who have angered with an evil life, of whom the first and only sinner is I, the accursed. But, Judge, as the All-Bountiful, save me by Thy mercy."

Stanza on the Litiya, ch. 7: "Having come to know the commandments of the Lord, let us live thus: we will feed the hungry, we will give water to the thirsty, we will clothe the naked, we will bring the strangers into the house, we will visit the sick and those in prison, so that He who is to judge the whole earth may say to us: "Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you."

Stanza on the verse, ch. 8: "Woe is me, gloomy soul! How long will you not leave evil? How long will you live carelessly? Why don't you think about the terrible hour of death? Why do you not tremble at the dreadful judgment of the Saviour? What will you answer or will you refuse ^him? Your deeds convict you; Your actions are not in your favor. However, soul, the time has come; Make haste, go, and cry out in faith: I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned against Thee. But I know, O Lover of mankind, Thy mercy. Good Shepherd, do not deprive me of standing on Thy right hand by Thy great mercy."

Troparion Sedalen, ch. 6: "I think of the terrible day and weep over my sinful deeds: how shall I justify myself before the immortal King, how shall I, the prodigal, dare to raise my eyes to the Judge? Merciful Father, Only-begotten Son, Holy Spirit, have mercy on me." Kontakion, ch. 1: "When You, O God, come to earth with glory, the whole world will tremble: behold, a fiery river flows before Your judgment throne, books are revealed, and mysteries are revealed. Then deliver me from the unquenchable fire and vouchsafe me to stand on Thy right hand, O Most Righteous Judge."

Stanza on Praise, ch. 1: "Brethren, let us first purify ourselves with the queen of virtues, for behold, she has come, giving us a wealth of blessings; it tames the outbursts of passions and reconciles those who have sinned with the Lord. Therefore, let us receive it with joy, calling out to Christ God: "Risen from the dead, keep us uncondemned, who glorify Thee, the Only Sinless One."

In the week of "cheese-fare week".

Stanza on "Lord, I have cried". Chapter 6: "The Creator, my Lord, having taken a portion of the earth and breathed into it the soul with a life-giving breath, made me alive and on earth honored me over all visible things and cohabitation with the Angels. And the flattering Satan, using the serpent as an instrument, deceived me with a meal, and deprived me of God's glory, and gave me over to the pit of death, bringing me back to the earth. But You, as the Merciful Lord, restore me again."