Moleben in honor of Blessed
Bishop and Martyr Vasyl Velychkovsky, C.Ss.R.
Priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and for ever and ever.
People: Amen.
Priest: Glory be to You our God, glory be to You!
People: Heavenly King, Advocate, Spirit of Truth, Who are everywhere present and fill all things. Treasury of Blessings, Bestower of Life, come and dwell within us, cleanse us of all that defiles us and, O Good One, save our souls.
Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 X)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Trinity most holy, have mercy on us. Cleanse us of our sins, O Lord; pardon our transgressions, O Master; look upon our weaknesses and heal them, O Holy One; for the sake of Your name.
Lord, have mercy. (3 X)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Priest: For the kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.
People: Amen.
Tropar: (Tone 4)
O holy Bishop And Martyr Vasyl,
you lent yourself to the apostles’ way of life
and succeeded them on their thrones.
Inspired by God, you found the way to contemplation through the practice of virtue.
Therefore, you became a perfect teacher of truth,
fighting for the faith unto the shedding of your blood.
Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Bohorodytsi (Tone 4)
O Virgin, all-immaculate Mother of Christ God,
a sword pierced your all-holy soul
when you saw your Son and God willingly crucified.
Therefore, O blessed One,
never cease to pray to Him
that He may grant us forgiveness of sins.
EXALTATION
We extol you, O holy Bishop and Martyr Vasyl,
and we venerate your precious sufferings,
which you bore for the sake of Christ.
verse: God is for us a refuge and strength, a helper close at hand in time of distress.
verse: They shed their blood, as if water.
verse: The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance; of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Priest: Let us be attentive. Peace be with all. Wisdom! Let us be attentive.
People: (Prokimen tone 4) The just cried for help and the Lord heard them, he rescued them from all troubles.
verse: Many are the trials of the just, but from them all the Lord will rescue them.
Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy.
Priest: For You, our God, are holy and You dwell among the saints, and we glorify You, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.
People: Amen. Let everything that breathes give praise to the Lord.
verse: Praise God in the holy places, praise Him in the establishment of His power.
Priest: That we may become worthy of hearing the Holy Gospel, in peace let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy. (3X)
Priest: Wisdom! Stand aright! Let us listen to the holy Gospel. Peace be with all.
People: And with your spirit.
Priest: A reading of the holy Gospel according to Luke.
People: Glory be to You, O Lord, glory be to You.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
The Lord said to His disciples: “Men will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of My name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
People: Glory be to You, O Lord, glory be to You.
Priest: O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you suffered and died for the sake of Christ, intercede or us sinners.
People: Blessed Hieromartyr Vasyl, pray to God for us.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you preached the Gospel with your life, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you gave witness to us of the pearl of great price, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you stood firm in your faith against the atheistic regime, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you proclaimed the Word of God to prisoners, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you were condemned to be executed by a firing squad, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you remained faithful to Christ before the torturers, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you suffered immeasurable tortures in prison, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you went without fear into the danger of war, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you did not abandon your flock in the face of persecution, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you received all this as God’s will for you, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you humbled yourself and embraced the Cross with joy, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you were a champion for Church Union, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, you enflamed others to love the Mother of God, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, your love for Christ caused you to pay the ultimate price, intercede for us sinners.
O Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl, your death is now crowned with glory, intercede for us sinners.
Priest: Humbly bowing our heads and bending our knees, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy. (3X)
Priest: O Lord, our God, You have so loved us, that You sent your Son Jesus who showed us the way of perfection through the way of the Cross. He was obedient to You, His Father, and took the form of a servant, even unto death, Therefore, You have exalted Him and given Him the name Lord.
You call all to believe in You and to follow Your way. We thank You for the grace You gave to Vasyl Velychkovsky such that he was able to pay the ultimate price of faithfulness to You in giving his life. His love for You, caused him to die, so as not to betray You and Your Truth.
We thank You for glorifying him in Your heavenly kingdom, that he may be for all of us a shining example of Your powerful presence in our lives. That which is impossible for us is possible through You, our Lord and Master. We pray that You give us the grace of faithfulness and generousity as we seek to respond to Your love. Through his intercession, help us always to stand firm in the Truth and be faithful to You and Your commandments.
O Holy Mother of God and our Mother of Perpetual Help, whom Blessed Martyr Vasyl loved so dearly, lead us to Your Son Jesus. Give us the courage always to follow Him in all the circumstances of our life. We place ourselves under your protection.
For all the glory and honour belongs to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.
People: Amen.
Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, according to your great mercy, we pray to you, hear us and have mercy.
People: Lord, have mercy (3X).
Priest: Let us pray that the Lord God may raise His Blessed Martyr Vasyl to the ranks of the Saints, O Lord, hear us and have mercy.
People: Lord, have mercy (3X).
Priest: Again, let us pray that He may preserve this city and this holy church and every city, town, and countryside from famine, plague, earthquake, flood, fire, civil war, riot, and foreign invasion; and that our God who is kindly and loves us all, may forgive us our sins and hold back His just wrath, and that He may have mercy on us.
People: Lord, have mercy (3X).
Priest: Hear us, O God our Saviour, Hope of all those who live at the far ends of the earth, and of those traveling by sea, air, and land; be kind to us, O Master, forgive us our sins and have mercy on us, for You are a gracious Lord who loves mankind, and we give glory to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.
People: Amen.
Priest: Wisdom!
People: More honourable than the Cherubim and by far more glorious than the Seraphim; ever a virgin, you gave birth to God the Word, O true Mother of God, we magnify you.
Priest: Glory be to You, Christ God, our hope, glory be to You.
People: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen . Lord, have mercy (3X). Give the blessing.
Priest: May Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His most pure Mother, of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers, and of Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl and all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and loves us all.
People: Amen.