The directions for Vespers on Wednesdays and Fridays of Great Lent when the Presanctified Liturgy is not served (and also when a reader's service is conducted) are as follows:

1. Wednesdays of Great Lent

• a. 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th Weeks
• At "Lord, I have cried...":
• 3 prosoimia (podobny) from the Triodion (these are the 3rd, 4th and 5th
• stichera appointed in the Triodion for "Lord, I have cried...")
• 3 prosoimia (podobny) from the Menaion
• "Glory...Both now..." and the theotokion from the Menaion
• At the Aposticha:
• Idiomelon, twice (this is the first sticheron appointed in the Triodion
• for "Lord, I have cried...")
• Martyricon (this is the second sticheron appointed in the Triodion for
• "Lord, I have cried...")
• "Glory...Both now..." and the theotokion (this is taken from the
• Aposticha for Wednesday Vespers in the Octoechos in the tone of the
• preceding stichera)
• The usual verses, as provided in the Horologion, are used for the
• Aposticha.

Vespers ends as is usual for the Lenten service (as on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings).

• 4th Week

  At "Lord, I have cried...":

  • 3 prosoimia (podobny) for the Cross, Tone 1: "Let us all wash our souls
  • clean...," "O Cross, glory of the apostles..."; and Tone 7: "As we
  • venerate today..." (these are the 4th, 5th and 6th stichera appointed in
  • the Triodion for "Lord, I have cried...")
  • 3 prosoimia (podobny) from the Menaion
  • "Glory...Both now..." and the sticheron from the Triodion in Tone 8:
  • "Today He who is in essence unapproachable..." (this is the sticheron
  • appointed on "Glory..." during the veneration of the Cross at Matins on
  • the Third Sunday of Lent")

  At the Aposticha:

  • First idiomelon, Tone 4: "The Fast that brings us blessings..." (this
  • is the first sticheron in the Triodion appointed for "Lord, I have cried...")
  • Second Idiomelon, Tone 5: "If we look for a spiritual recompense..."
  • (this is the second sticheron in the Triodion appointed for "Lord, I have
  • cried..."
  • Martyricon, Tone 5: "Your souls, O holy martyrs..." (this is the third
  • sticheron in the Triodion appointed for "Lord, I have cried...")
  • "Glory...Both now..." and the theotokion, Tone 5: "We the faithful
  • bless,
  • thee, O Virgin Theotokos..." (this is found in the Aposticha of Wednesday
  • Vespers in the Octoechos in Tone 5)
  • The usual verses, as provided in the Horologion, are used for the
  • Aposticha.

  Vespers ends as is usual for the Lenten service (as on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings).

• 5th Week

  At "Lord, I have cried...":

  • 3 prosoimia (podobny) for the Apostles, Tone 8: "O Lord,Thou hast made
  • Thy holy disciples...," and "The season of the Fast..."; and also in Tone
  • 8: "O ye apostles, worthy of all praise..." (these are the 3rd, 4th and
  • 5th stichera appointed in the Triodion for "Lord, I have cried..."
  • 23 stichera for the Great Canon (as given in the Triodion)
  • "Glory..." and the 24th sticheron for the Great Canon
  • "Both now..." and the theotokion for the Great Canon
  • The two psalm verses, "Unto Thee have I lifted up mine eyes..." and
  • "Have
  • mercy on us, O Lord..." are not used after the psalm verses of "Lord, I
  • have cried..." as given in the Triodion. Instead, these two verses are
  • used at the Aposticha. In place of these two verses, the refrain "Glory
  • to Thee, our God, glory to Thee" is used.

  At the Aposticha:

  • Idiomelon, twice, Tone 8: "In my wretchedness, I have fallen..." (this
  • is
  • the first sticheron appointed in the Triodion for "Lord, I have cried...")
  • Martyricon, Tone 8: "If there be any virtue..." (this is the second
  • sticheron appointed in the Triodion for "Lord, I have cried...")
  • "Glory...Both now..." and the theotokion, Tone 8: "I flee to thy
  • protection, O holy Virgin Theotokos..." (this is found in the Aposticha
  • for Wednesday Vespers in the Octoechos in Tone 8)
  • The usual verses, as provided in the Horologion, are used for the
  • Aposticha.

  Vespers ends as is usual for the Lenten service (as on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings).

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2. Fridays of Great Lent

• a. 1st Week
• At the Typica, after the repetition of the Prayer of St. Ephraim:
• the Trisagion prayers are read,
• followed by "Lord, have mercy," 12 times,
• and the prayer, "All-Holy Trinity, the consubstantial Dominion..."
• Then Vespers begins with "O come, let us worship..." and Psalm 103 as usual.

At "Lord, I have cried...":

• 3 martyrica in the tone of the week from the Octoechos (in the
• Octoechos,
• these are usually the 4th, 5th and 6th stichera appointed for "Lord, I
• have cried..."; however, in Tone 8, the martyrica are the first three
• stichera)
• 3 stichera for St. Theodore, Tone 2: "Come, all ye who love the
• martyrs...," "The God-given grace of thy miracles..." and "O martyr
• Theodore, thou art a matchless gift..." (these are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th
• stichera appointed in the Triodion for "Lord, I have cried...")
• "Glory..." and the sticheron in the Triodion appointed for St.
• Theodore,
• Tone 6: "Using as his tool the Apostate Emperor..."
• "Both now..." and the dogmatic theotokion in the tone of the week from
• the Octoechos

At the Aposticha:

• Idiomelon, twice, Tone 5: "Come, ye faithful, and in the light..."
• (this
• is the first sticheron appointed in the Triodion for "Lord, I have
• cried...")
• Martyricon, Tone 5: "Blessed is the army of the King of heaven..."
• (this
• is the first sticheron in the Praises for Saturday Matins in the Octoechos
• for Tone 5)
• "Glory..." and the sticheron for St. Theodore, Tone 2: "O
• thrice-blessed
• Theodore, I honour thee..." (this is the 5th sticheron appointed in the
• Triodion for "Lord, I have cried...")
• "Both now..." and the theotokion, Tone 2: "All of my hope do I set on
• thee, O Mother of God; keep me under thy protection."
• The usual verses, as provided in the Horologion, are used for the
• Aposticha.

End of Vespers:

After the Trisagion prayers:

• the troparion to St. Theodore is sung once:
• "Great are the accomplishments of faith...,"
• followed by "Glory...Both
• now..." and the resurrectional theotokion in Tone 2: "Most glorious and
• beyond our understanding..."
• Then the Augmented Litany is said (if it is a reader's service, "Lord,
• have mercy" may be said 40 times).
• Then the Prayer of St. Ephraim is said
• once with three prostrations.
• Then immediately the reader says: "O come, let us worship..."
and Psalm 142,
and then the rest of the service of the Supplicatory Canon to St.
Theodore, is served as given in the Triodion.