Liturgy Propers: Sunday of the Man Born Blind, May 6, 2018

Christ is risen from the dead, conquering Death by death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life. (3x)

Troparion and Kontakion:

Troparion (5): Let us the faithful acclaim and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, and born of the Virgin for our salvation. For He willed to be lifted up on the cross in the flesh, to suffer death and to raise the dead by His glorious resurrection. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion (5): With eyes that are spiritually blind, I come to You, O Christ; and like the man who was blind since birth, I cry out to You with repentance: You are a shining Light to those who are in darkness. Now and for ever and ever: Amen.

Kontakion (8): Although You descended into the grave, O Immortal One, You destroyed the power of Death. You arose again as a victor, O Christ God. You announced to the women bearing ointment: Rejoice! You gave peace to Your apostles and resurrection to the fallen. Prokimenon: Prokimenon (8): Make vows to the Lord your God, and fulfill them. Verse: God is made known in Judah; in Israel His name is great.

Prokimenon (8): Make vows to the Lord your God, and fulfill them.

Verse: God is made known in Judah; in Israel His name is great.

Prokimenon: Make vows to the Lord your God, and fulfill them.

Epistle

Reading of the Acts of the Holy Apostles. (Acts 16,16-34)

In those days, as the apostles were going to the place of prayer, they met a slave girl with an oracular spirit, who used to bring a large profit to her owners through her fortune-telling. She began to follow Paul and us, shouting, “These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” She did this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” Then it came out at that moment. When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square before the local authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These people are Jews and are disturbing our city and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.” The crowd joined in the attack on them, and the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and instructed the jailer to guard them securely. When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake.

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all pulled loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew [his] sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.” He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.” So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once. He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.

Alleluia Verses

Verse: Turn to me in pity as You turn to those who love Your name.

Verse: Guide my footsteps according to Your promise, and let no iniquity rule over me.

Gospel 

(Jn 9,1-38) At that time, as Jesus was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light if the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see. His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is,” but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” So they said to him, “[So] how were your eyes opened?” He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don't know.”

They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” [But] others said. “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Messiah, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; question him.”

So a 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 replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man's disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.” The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.” They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out. When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.

It is truly right… (Or the Hirmos of the Feast): 

The angel exclaimed to her, full of grace: Rejoice, O pure virgin, again I say: Rejoice! Your Son is risen from the grave on the third day and has raised the dead. Let all nations rejoice. Shine in splendor, O new Jerusalem! For the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Sing with joy and rejoice, O Zion sing. And you, pure Mother of God, rejoice in the resurrection of your Son.

Communion Verse: 

Receive the Body of Christ! Drink the Source of immortality.
Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Blessed is He Who Comes: Christ is risen from the dead, conquering Death by death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life.

We have seen the true light: Christ is risen from the dead, conquering Death by death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life.

May our mouths be filled: Christ is risen from the dead, conquering Death by death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life. (3x)

Blessed be the name of the Lord: Christ is risen from the dead, conquering Death by death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life. (3x)

Glory and Now: Christ is risen from the dead, conquering Death by death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Give the blessing.