Saturday Evening Cleansing of the Leper

SUNDAY OF THE LEPER Second Sunday of Lent
Ramsho

INTRODUCTION

DOXOLOGY

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as we begin and until we conclude.
May mercy and compassion be poured forth upon us
in this world and the next.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.

Amen.

OPENING PRAYER
O Lord our God,
may we praise you this evening with pure lips
and chaste hearts.
As you purified and healed the leper,
purify us of our sins and heal our selfishness.
Then we shall praise and glorify you, with the sick
you have healed and the sinners you have justified,
now and for ever.

Amen.

GREETING
Peace be with the Church and her children.

PRAISE OF THE ANGELS

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth and good will to all.

Praise the Lord all you nations,
glorify him all you peoples!

For steadfast is his mercy towards us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
and peace on earth and good will to all.

PSALMODY
FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O Christ,
all-merciful and compassionate Physician,
by your word you have cleansed the leper and opened
the eyes of the blind.
Cleanse us of our sins and open our eyes to your wonderful light,
that we may know, love and praise you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit,
for ever.

Amen.

PSALM OF THE DAY
Antiphon:
The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his searching glance is in on mankind.

Psalm 11
In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to me,
“Flee to the mountain like a bird!

For, see, the wicked bend the bow;
they place the arrow on the string
to shoot in the dark at the upright of heart.

When the pillars are overthrown,
what can the just man do?”

The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD’S throne is in heaven.

His eyes behold,
his searching glance is on mankind.

The LORD searches the just and the wicked;
the lover of violence he hates.

He rains upon the wicked fiery coals and brimstone;
a burning blast is their allotted cup.

For the LORD is just, he loves just deeds;
the upright shall see his face.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Antiphon:
The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his searching glance is in on mankind.

SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O Word of God,
you humbled yourself to heal us of our pride,
create in us a pure and faithful heart.
We shall then strip ourselves of the old man and live for you alone, dressed in the new man.
We shall praise you in purity and sing to you in holiness, now and for ever.

Amen.

EVENING PSALMS
Psalm 141: 1-4
O LORD, to you I call; hasten to me;
hearken to my voice when I call upon you;

Let my prayer come like incense before you;
the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice.

O LORD, set a watch before my mouth,
a guard at the door of my lips.

Let not my heart incline to the evil
of engaging in deeds of wickedness

With men who are evildoers;
and let me not partake of their dainties.

Psalm 142
With a loud voice I cry out to the LORD;
with a loud voice I beseech the LORD.

My complaint I pour out before him;
before him I lay bare my distress.

When my spirit is faint within me,
you know my path.

In the way along which I walk
they have hid a trap for me.

I look to the right to see,
but there is no one who pays me heed.

I have lost all means of escape;
there is no one who cares for my life.

I cry out to you, O LORD:
I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

Attend to my cry,
for I am brought low indeed.

Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.

Lead me forth from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.

The just shall gather around me
when you have been good to me.

Psalm 119: 105-112
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.

I resolve and swear
to keep your just ordinances.

I am very much afflicted;
O LORD, give me life according to your word.

Accept, O LORD, the free homage of my mouth,
and teach me your decrees.

Though constantly I take my life in my hands,
yet I forget not your law.

The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but from your precepts I have not strayed.

Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.

I intend in my heart to fulfill your statutes
always to the letter.

Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!

For steadfast is his mercy towards us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

Alleluia.

[SOOGHITO/HYMN]
In expectation and trials, our souls praise you.
Like the five virgins, behold our lamps.
Our faith, our hope and our love are wounded;
the wind lashes at our burning lamps.
O desire of my soul, it is to you that I cry:
When will the bridal party come?
Already my spirit is weakening.

HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the merciful Father;
in his love he created us
and in his goodness he sent his only Son as our Savior.
He is the only Son who renewed our nature
and gave us new life through his own life.
To the Good One is due glory an honor this evening,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever.

Amen.

SEDRO
Christ our God
Son of the Father, his Word and his Wisdom,
you turned towards our wounded race to nurse and heal it.
In your mercy you visited us to put an end to our sorrow and give us back our lost beauty.

You wished to manifest your signs to your people,
that they might believe in you and
glorify the Father who sent you.
You had pity on the rejected leper
and extended your hand of mercy and friendship to him, saying:
“I desire it, be purified.”
We ask you this evening to extend your hand to us
and bless your people and your inheritance.
Like the leper, we call upon you:
Lord if you desire, you can purify us of our sins and faults.
If you wish, O Lord, you can make us living temples where you dwell,
and we shall be your witnesses and spread your word.
Cure us of passions of the soul and earthly inclination;
purify us of hidden vices which hold us;
and grant that our intentions may be pure for your glory and praise.
This evening may the blessing of your right hand rest upon those who adore you in all the lands of the universe,
and grant that pure praise may rise to you in every place.
Then all will understand that they are your brothers and sisters
and sons and daughters of one Father.
Place your mercy in our hearts
that we may come to the aid of each other.
May your love reign among us
and your peace and security hover over us.
Enlighten the eyes of those who are far away,
so that they may receive the teaching of your gospel,
know that you are the Good Shepherd, the Way, the Truth, and the Life,
and give glory to you, your Father and you Holy Spirit, for ever.

Amen.

QOLO
In the pleading voice, the leper said to the Savior of mankind:
“If you desire, Lord, you can make me clean.”

With mercy and kindness our Savior extended his hand and touched him:
“I desire it; be cleaned and be a witness to the truth.”

ETRO
O Physician,
you have cared for our wounds and healed them;;
you have turned to humanity, covered with injuries, and you have cared for us.
Accept our incense and our prayers,
that they may be for the healing of soul and body,
and the repose of those who died in the faith.
May we glorify and praise you,
your Father and your Holy Spirit,
for ever.

Amen.

READINGS
MAZMOORO
The one who asks of the Lord will find,
just as the leper asked to be cleansed an it was done.

Come to me, you who labor and bend under your burden
and I will give you rest.
Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.

SYNAXARION
The miracle of Jesus curing the leper took place when Jesus was visiting the cities of Galilee. At that time, many diseases of the skin were referred to as leprosy. It seems that in this case the man was suffering from a true case of leprosy. It tortures a person for many years, destroys any human appearance, and ultimately kills the individual. The sufferer becomes utterly repulsive to others an to himself. In the time of Jesus, the leper was declared to be “unclean” and was separated from the rest of the community.
The physical disease of leprosy can be compared to the spiritual disease of sin. A person who sins eventually loses the image of the divine imprinted upon his soul. He becomes hateful to others and even to himself. He becomes separated from the rest of the community, the Body of Christ, and forced to dwell alone.
In the Old Testament, a leper who was cured was treated similar to a repentant person.
A cured leper was required to offer two birds at the Temple. One bird was killed and the second live bird was dipped in the blood of the sacrificed bird and allowed to go free.
We are also cleansed by the blood of Christ.

We must consider the courage of the leper who approached Jesus for healing. According to the law, he was forbidden to go near anyone, but the leper does not consider the law.
He simply wants to be cured and he knows where the healing is to be found. Jesus does not reproach the man for breaking the law, but shows him mercy. Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the leper. (This act itself was forbidden by the law.) His only concern was the desperate need of this suffering man. After curing the man, he instructed him to perform the ritual imposed by the law.
Jesus was somewhat severe with the man after the cure and instructed him to tell no one of the miraculous healing. Nonetheless, the man went throughout the countryside and told everyone about Jesus. Jesus was thus obliged to avoid the populated areas and withdraw to the desert places.
The cure of the leper manifests what sin can do to us an what the miraculous healing power of the Lord can do for us. Just as the leper showed courage and sought the healing power of Jesus, let us seek the healing power of Jesus in confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness.

SCRIPTURE READINGS
A Reading from the Book of Leviticus
Leviticus 14: 1-8
The LORD said to Moses, “This is the law for the victim of leprosy at the time of his purification. He shall be brought to the priest, who is to go outside the camp to examine him. If the priest finds that the sore of leprosy has healed in the leper, he shall order the man who is to be purified, to get two live, clean birds, as well as some cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop. The priest shall then order him to slay one of the birds over an earthen vessel with spring water in it. Taking the living bird with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, the priest shall dip them all in the blood of the bird that was slain over the spring water, and then sprinkle seven times the man to be purified from his leprosy. When he has thus purified him, he shall let the living bird fly away over the countryside. The man being purified shall then wash his garments and shave off all his hair and bathe in water; only when he is thus made clean may he come inside the camp; but he shall still remain outside his tent for seven days.

A Reading from the Letter to the Romans
Romans 6: 3-23
Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,

so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to justice? But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted.
Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature. For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness for lawlessness, so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. But what profit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

SUPPLICATION
In your wonderful love, you desired to gather us together,
to pay our debts and teach us by your wonderful fast.
Jesus, my beloved, such is your goodness
and such is the pouring out of your love,
that you suffered death on a cross to pay our debts.

O Redeemer, with fasting you offered for us vigils and prayer,
during forty days and forty nights.
The angels of peace came to serve you;
all the while the prince of darkness was dumbfounded and confused as he looked upon you.

Who can describe your goodness, O Holy One,
you bore the ills of sinners and their weaknesses;
you endured shame, contempt and suffering in fulfilling the prophecies,
enduring affliction and drinking the cup of suffering to the full.

You cleansed the leper and healed the sick.
Through you the woman with the hemorrhage obtained healing from her malady;
through you the tongues of the mute were freed.
Purify then our souls and we shall give you thanks
for your mercy and justice at all times.

HOOTOMO
Let us confess, adore, and praise the holy and glorious Trinity:
Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit.

TRISAGION

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Holy are you, O God;
Holy are you, O Strong One;
Holy are you, O Immortal One;
have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, forgive us and have mercy on us.
Lord, hear us and have mercy on us.
Lord, accept our worship and our prayers.
Lord, come to our assistance and have mercy on us.

LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who are in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your 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.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.

O Lord
the night and the day are yours;
you uphold the light and the sun.
Through your power you direct the sequence of the seasons.
O Lord,
you have brought the day to its close and called forth the night.
Be for us that great Day that never ends.
In the evening let your light shine in our hearts,
and in the darkness of the night,
enlighten us with the knowledge of your truth.
And so, through all the days of our lives,
we shall praise you, Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

Amen.

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Let us thank God for all the graces he has bestowed on us this day
which has passed in calm and peace.

Let us recall our failings against the commandments of God an the Church
in thought, word, deed, or omission.

We ask for God’s pardon as we pray.

“Forgive us, Jesus!”

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.

God,
Father in heaven,
by your living and holy name,
keep us from evil and lead us not into temptation:
for we call upon you, O Lord, our God, our constant hope, glory to you for ever.

O Lord, our Lord,
may our humble worship be pleasing to you;
may our prayers come before you and our actions give
you honor.
Let your mercy, kindness, help, grace and divine love
be poured abundantly upon us poor sinners,
both in heaven and on the earth
which you have created in your goodness.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL
Peace be with you.
And with your spirit .

O God,
through the prayers of your Mother and the saints who have believed in you;
through the prayers of the prophets, apostles, martyrs and confessors;
through the prayers of the just, the priests, the holy fathers, the pastors and doctors of true faith;
through the prayers of N., Pope of Rome, N., our Patriarch, and N., our Bishop,
forgive your people and have mercy on your flock.
May God bless, forgive, sanctify, purify,
and keep each of the faithful united with us in this spiritual office.
May mercy and compassion be upon us and all the faithful who dwell here.
May peaceful rest be granted to those who have died in the faith.
May the faithful who live here experience the protection of his victorious cross.
May we and all his servants who adore him with bowed head,
receive the mercy of the holy and glorious Trinity:
Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit,
to whom be glory now and for ever.

Amen.

May God forgive your sins,
pardon your failings,
and deliver you from the power of the enemy.
May he grant you the remission of your offenses.
Go in peace, and pray to Christ for me.