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Event Information:
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Sun20Dec2020
Sunday before the Nativity of Christ - Sunday of the Holy Fathers, Tone 4; the Holy Priest-Martyr Ignatius the Godbearer (110)
GREAT VESPERS
Kathisma Reading
“Blessed is the man...” is sung.
At Psalm 140
In Tone 4
- Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
We never cease to adore Your life-giving Cross, O Christ our God,* And we glorify Your resurrection on the third day.* For You, Almighty One, have thereby restored the corrupted nature of all* and reopened the way to heaven,* since You alone are gracious and You love mankind.
- The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O Saviour, You have absolved the penalty of disobedience,* committed through the tree of Eden,* by willingly being nailed to the tree of the Cross.* As Almighty God, You descended into Hades* and broke asunder the bonds of death.* We, therefore, venerate Your resurrection from the dead,* and joyfully cry out to You:* Almighty Lord, glory to You!
- Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
O Lord, You have battered down the gates of Hades,* and by Your death You have dissolved the realm of death.* You have freed mankind from corruption,* bestowing life, incorruption, and Your great mercy upon the world.
- Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
Come, all you people,* let us sing the praises of our Saviour’s resurrection on the third day.* For we have, thereby, been delivered from the invincible bonds of Hades,* and we have received incorruption, together with eternal life.* Therefore, we cry out to You* after Your crucifixion, burial, and resurrection:* Save us by Your resurrection, for You love mankind.
In Tone 6
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
The Never-setting Sun is coming from the Virginal womb* to enlighten everyone under the sun.* Let us meet Him with pure hearts and with good works.* Let us prepare ourselves now through the Holy Spirit* to greet Him who is coming to His own people* as He Himself had willed.* He is being born in Bethlehem* so that through His compassion* He might bring back all of those* who were exiled from life in Paradise.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
He who is carried by the Cherubim* has taken human nature in the abode of the Immaculate womb.* He has come to earth to be born of the tribe of Judah.* The holy cave has been adorned* like a splendid palace for the King of all;* the manger, like a ruby throne.* The Virgin will place the Child into it* for the renewal of His boundless creation.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Having conceived in a manner beyond understanding,* the Virgin places You into the manger of the dumb animals,* O eternal Word of God,* because You come to pardon the ignorance* that I acquired through the envy of the serpent.* You come to be wrapped in swaddling clothes* in order to break the chains and the fetters of my sins.* Only-blessed One and Lover of mankind,* I most joyfully glorify, extol, and adore You* and Your coming in the flesh;* for through You have I been freed.
In Tone 8
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
The commemoration of the holy Fathers* is manifested to the ends of the world.* It is truly full of splendor,* and it glistens with the rays of grace;* for Christ the splendorous Sun has shone forth on high from afar.* He forms the assembly of stars which glisten with Him,* and the star reveals that the nativity of the God-man will be in Bethlehem.* Therefore, we piously and faithfully clap our hands* and leap for joy at this nativity,* and we give praise before the feast.
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
The Holy Fathers are adorned* by the glory of the divine sharing of our nature.* Adam rejoices today,* since he is the foundation and the strength of the wise Forefathers;* Abel leaps for joy as well.* Enoch is glad; Seth and Noah dance together.* The praiseworthy Abraham sings with the Patriarchs.* Melchizedek now sees from on high* the birth without a father.
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
The faithful and God-wise youths* are radiant with joy in the furnace.* They herald the nativity of Christ on earth.* As the precious dew which the Lord sent down,* He now preserves the Virgin without stain* and enriches her with sublime gifts.* Therefore, Daniel, inspired by God,* is also happy and full of joy* because he had a clear vision of the unhewn stone of the mountain.* He now zealously prays for our souls.
In Tone 6
Glory…
Daniel was a beloved man.* He saw You, O Lord, as the Rock* which was hewn without the use of a hand.* He foretold that You, the Incarnate Word,* the Unchangeable God, and Saviour of our souls,* would be born without seed* as a Child of the Virgin.
Now…
O Cave, prepare yourself to receive the Mother* who bears Christ within her womb.* O Manger, receive the Word Who destroyed the sins of all.* O Shepherds, keep watch and then bear witness to the awesome wonder.* O Magi, come from Persia,* and bring your gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the King.* For the Lord has appeared from a virgin Mother;* yet she bowed to Him as a servant* and spoke to Him within her bosom, saying:* How were You conceived in me?* How did You grow in me, my God and Saviour?
Readings
(1) Genesis 14:14-20; (2) Deuteronomy 1:8-11, 15-17; (3) Deuteronomy 10:14-21
Aposticha
In Tone 4
In being lifted upon the Cross, O Lord,* You abolished the curse which we had inherited from our fathers.* By going down into Hades,* You freed from eternal captivity those imprisoned there,* and granted incorruption to mankind.* We, therefore, praise Your life-giving and redeeming resurrection.
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
By hanging on the Cross, O Almighty One,* You shook the whole creation to its foundations.* When You Yourself were laid in the grave,* You raised to life those who had been lying in the graves,* and You granted life and incorruption to mankind.* We, therefore, praise and glorify Your resurrection on the third day.
For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.
O Christ, the lawless people showed their ingratitude to You, their Benefactor,* by delivering You to Pilate who condemned you to be crucified.* But You willingly suffered death and burial;* and, as God, You rose by Your own power on the third day,* granting us everlasting life and great mercy.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.
The women, shedding bitter tears, came to see You in Your tomb;* and not finding Your body, they lamented, saying:* O Saviour and King of All, how were You stolen?* What place holds Your life-bearing body?* An angel answered them, saying:* Do not weep, but go and proclaim that the Lord is risen,* filling our hearts with joy;* for He alone is most compassionate.
In Tone 2, Glory…
Rejoice, O illustrious Prophets!* You firmly established the Law of the Lord,* and you faithfully manifested yourselves* to be invincible and unshakeable pillars.* You have been taken to heaven* and have shown yourselves to be mediators of the new Law of Christ.* Implore Him to give peace to the world* and to save our souls.
Now…
Behold, the time of salvation is drawing near.* O Cave, prepare yourself,* for the Virgin is coming to give birth.* O Bethlehem, O land of Judah,* adorn yourself and be happy* since the Lord will shine forth from you.* O mountains and hills and lands around Judah,* hearken, for Christ is coming that He may save His creation* because He is the Lover of mankind.
Troparia
In Tone 4
When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,* granting to the world great mercy.”
In Tone 2
Glory...
Great are the achievements of faith!* In the fountain of flames, the three holy youths rejoiced as by the water of rest,* and the prophet Daniel was revealed shepherding lions like sheep.* Through their intercession, O Christ God, save our souls.
In Tone 4
Now…
Bethlehem, make ready, for Eden has been opened for all. * Ephrathah, be alert, for the Tree of Life has blossomed forth from the Virgin in the cave. * Her womb has become a spiritual paradise * wherein the divine Fruit was planted, * and if we eat of it we shall live and not die like Adam. * Christ is coming forth to bring back to life * the likeness that had been lost in the beginning.
DIVINE LITURGY
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 4: When the disciples of the Lord learned from the angel* the glorious news of the resurrection* and cast off the ancestral condemnation,* they proudly told the apostles:* “Death has been plundered!* Christ our God is risen,* granting to the world great mercy.”
Troparion, Tone 2: Great are the achievements of faith!* In the fountain of flames, the three holy youths rejoiced as by the water of rest,* and the prophet Daniel was revealed shepherding lions like sheep.* Through their intercession, O Christ God,* save our souls.
Troparion, Tone 4: Bethlehem, make ready, for Eden has been opened for all. * Ephrathah, be alert, for the Tree of Life has blossomed forth from the Virgin in the cave. * Her womb has become a spiritual paradise * wherein the divine Fruit was planted, * and if we eat of it we shall live and not die like Adam. * Christ is coming forth to bring back to life ** the likeness that had been lost in the beginning.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 6: Armed by the Being that defies description* You defied the man-made idol, O thrice blessed youth.* In the midst of the unbearable flames you stood and cried out to God:* “In Your mercy, O gracious One, hasten and come to our aid,”* for You can do whatever You will.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 3: Today the Virgin is on her way to the cave* where she will give birth in a manner beyond understanding* to the Word Who is in all eternity.* Rejoice, therefore, universe, when you hear it heralded.* With the angels and the shepherds, glorify Him Who chose to be seen as a newborn babe** while remaining God in all eternity.
Prokeimenon, Tone 4
Blessed are You, Lord God of our fathers,* and praised and glorified is Your Name forever.
verse: For You are righteous in everything that You have done to us. (Daniel 3:26,27)
Epistle
Hebrews 11:9-10,17-23,32-40
Alleluia, Tone 4
verse: O God, we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have told us the work You did in their days.
verse: You saved us from our oppressors and put to shame those who hate us. (Psalm 43:2,8)
Gospel
Matthew 1:1-25
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest (Psalm 148:1).* Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous (Psalm 32:1).* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.