Sunday of the Entrance into Great Lent
The Miracle at Cana in Galilee








♰الْمَجْدُ للهِ! ♰Praise be to God always!♰ܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܳܐ ܠܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ! ♰



Entrance Hymn

Tell Us of the Wedding Feast

Syriacfyosto

Alleluia!
Tell us of the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee
and our Lord’s great miracle
that he performed on this day.
Mary whispered in his ear and he obeyed her request.
In six stone jars that were full,
he turned water into wine.
Alleluia!
Earth and heaven honor you, O Cana in Galilee.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
has blessed the bride and the groom.
Turning water into wine, he has revealed his great might.
With this first sign of his love,
sorrow fled and joy filled all.
Alleluia!
You have chosen and betrothed
the blessèd Church here on earth
and esteemed her as your bride,
so beautiful in your eyes.
Give to her, instead of wine, the cup of pure holy love,
in heaven, sweet paradise,
far beyond the joys of time.

Opening Prayers

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

Jesus Christ our Lord, you blessed the wedding at Cana by your presence and there you turned water into the finest wine. Throughout this blessed Lent, fill our hearts with joy and make us worthy to reflect upon your miracles and your teachings, to clothe ourselves with penance, and to strengthen ourselves with prayer and good works. We glorify and thank you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Prayer of Forgiveness (Husoyo)

Proemion

Let us raise glory, honor, and praise to God the Father, who in his love invited all people to the wedding banquet of his only-begotten Son; and to the Son, the heavenly Bridegroom, who in his love accepted the invitation to the wedding banquet at Cana, where he changed water into wine; and to the Holy Spirit, who by his descent invites us to share in the banquet of the Father and the Son. To the Good One be glory and honor, on this blessed Sunday, and all the days of our lives, and forever. Amen.

Sedro

O Christ, the only-begotten Son, on this day you chose to among the invited guests, enriching them with the abundance of your divine gifts. As your disciples believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, we also believe in you. In place of the old Law, you have given us your new Gospel, and instead of the fruit of the vine, you have quenched our thirst with the chalice of your redeeming blood.
Now, O Lord, we ask you, with the fragrance of this incense, and through the intercession of your Virgin Mother, whose request you granted, that we may always drink of your holy wine, quenching our thirst with your heavenly love. May your light shine in the world, and may we know that you are the spring of living water from which we may drink.
O Lord, bless our families and our Lenten journey, that we may reach the harbor of salvation, which is the glorious feast of your Resurrection. We glorify and thank you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.

Hymn (Qolo)

Behold the Fast!

Syriac: toobaik ‘eedto

Behold the fast!
On this day it calls to us.
Come, O Christians, welcome it.
Let us open wide our hearts;
let us purify our thoughts.
May this fast be on our minds,
for through fasting we are cleansed
and are pardoned of our sins.
Through it we inherit life
and rejoice with all the saints.
Behold the fast!
Through it Christians win a crown.
Now prepare your heart and soul.
Fasting gives the spirit strength,
and it is a hidden sword
to ward off the Evil One.
Go to meet this fast with joy.
Welcome it into your lives,
that your spirit may have wings,
by which you will soar on high.

Etro

Glory to you, O Christ our God, you are the true vine and, in your great and indescribable love, you were pressed upon the cross, producing new wine which quenches the thirst of the Church and all people. Now accept the fragrance of our incense, and strengthen us, that we may fast with pure hearts and sincere penance and become worthy to share in your holy banquet. To you be glory and thanks, to your Father, and to your Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.

Qadishat Aloho (Trisagion)

ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ. ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܚܰܝܶܠܬܳܢܳܐ. ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܠܳܐ ܡܳܝܽܘܬܳܐ. ܐܶܬܪܰܚܰܡ ܥܠܰܝܢ.
Qadishat Aloho. Qadishat Hayeltono. Qadishat lo moyuto. EtraHam 3alayn.
You are holy, O God. You are holy, O Strong One. You are holy, O Imortal One. Have mercy on us.
قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا الله، قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا قَوِي، قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا مَنْ لا يَموتْ، إِرْحَمْنا

Holy and immortal Lord, sanctify our minds and purify our consciences, that we may praise you with purity and listen to your Holy Scriptures. To you be glory forever. Amen.

Psalm of the Readings

Syriac: ramremain

You brought joy to the guests, Lord,
when you made the water wine.
Make us glad at your banquet
when your majesty will shine.
Let your servants, Lord, thank you,
for you made the water wine.
Let your saints glorify you
when your majesty will shine.
Lord our God, you accepted
what the just had offered you;
now accept, in your mercy,
our pure sacrifice and prayers.

Epistle

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans. Your blessing, Father.

Glory to the Lord of Paul and the apostles! May the mercy of God descend upon the reader and the listeners and upon this parish and her children forever. Amen.

Brothers and Sisters:
I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; still, it is unclean for someone who thinks it unclean. If your brother is being hurt by what you eat, your conduct is no longer in accord with love. Do not because of your food destroy him for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be reviled. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit; whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others. Let us then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another. For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to become a stumbling block by eating; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. Keep the faith (that) you have to yourself in the presence of God; blessed is the one who does not condemn himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because this is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
(Romans 14:14-23)

Praise be to God always!

Gospel

Alleluia! Alleluia!
“Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb."
(Revelation 19:9)
Alleluia!

Before the proclamation of the Gospel of our Savior, announcing life for our souls, we offer this incense and ask for your mercy, O Lord.

Peace be with you.

And with your spirit.

From the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John, who proclaimed life to the world.
Let us listen to the proclalation of life and salvation for our souls.

Remain silent, O listeners, for the Holy Gospel is about to be proclaimed to you.
Listen and give glory and thanks to the Word of the living God.

The Apostle wrote:
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." (And) Jesus said to her, "Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you." Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.
(John 2:1-11)

This is the truth! Peace be with you!

Praise and blessings to Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, for giving us his words of life.