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Event Information:
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Sun08Sep2024
Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross. Octoechos Tone 7. 🕀 The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary.
Feast of the Mother of God. Holy Day of Obilgation.
GREAT VESPERS ON SATURDAY EVENING
Kathisma Reading
Blessed is the man... is sung.
At Psalm 140
Tone 7
Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
Come, let us rejoice in the Lord,* who destroyed the power of death* and enlightened the human race;* and let us cry out with the angels:* Glory to You, our Creator and Saviour!
The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
O Saviour, for our sake You suffered crucifixion and burial;* and, as God, You destroyed death by Your death.* Therefore, we adore Your resurrection on the third day* and we sing: Glory to You, O Lord!
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
On seeing the resurrection of the Creator,* the apostles were amazed,* and they sang an angelic hymn of praise:* This is the glory of the Church,* this is the richness of the Kingdom!* O Lord, who suffered for our sake, glory to You!
Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
O Christ, although You were taken captive by Your enemies,* I still acknowledge You as my God,* and I am not ashamed of You;* I will not hide the fact that You were nailed to the Cross.* Your death is my life, almighty Lord,* and I extol Your resurrection.* O Lover of mankind, glory to You!
Tone 6
If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Today God who dominates the spiritual thrones of heaven* welcomes on earth the holy throne which He had prepared for Himself.* In His love for mankind,* He who established the heavens in wisdom has fashioned a living heaven.* From a barren stem He has brought forth for us His Mother* as a branch full of life.* O God of miracles and hope of those who have no hope;* O Lord, glory to You!
I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
This is the day of the Lord:* Rejoice, therefore, O nations!* Behold, the chamber of Light and the scroll of the living Word* has come forth from the womb.* The gate that opens to the Rising Sun* and is ready for the entrance of the High Priest, is here today.* She is the only one who introduced Christ, and Christ alone, into the world* for the salvation of souls.
From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
Indeed some famous barren women have given birth by the will of God;* but the nativity of Mary surpasses all nativities* in honour and splendour* as it is worthy of the majesty of God.* For she was born in a miraculous way of a barren mother,* and she herself gave birth in the flesh to the God of all,* incarnate in her womb without human seed* against the laws of nature.* She alone is the door through which the only-begotten Son of God* has passed while leaving it sealed* as He had planned in His eternal wisdom.* Thus did He bring salvation to all.
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Today the barren gates are opened,* and the Virgin, the Gate of God, comes forth.* Today grace begins to bear fruit,* showing forth to the world the Mother of God* through whom earth is united to heaven* for the salvation of our souls.
Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.
Today glad tidings go forth to the whole world.* Today sweet fragrance is sent forth* by the proclamation of salvation.* Today is the end of the barrenness of our nature;* for the barren one becomes a mother,* the mother of the one who will not cease to be a virgin,* even after giving birth to the One who by nature is Creator and God.* He it is who took flesh by which He brought salvation to the lost;* He is Christ, the Lover of Mankind,* and the Saviour of our souls.
Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.
Today Anne, the barren one, gives birth to the maiden of God* who had been chosen from all the human generations* to become the dwelling place of the Creator,* Christ our God and King of all.* In her He fulfilled His divine plan* through which our human nature was renewed,* and by which we were to be transferred from corruption to eternal life.
Glory… Now…
Today God who dominates the spiritual thrones of heaven* welcomes on earth the holy throne which He had prepared for Himself.* In His love for mankind,* He who established the heavens in wisdom has fashioned a living heaven.* From a barren stem He has brought forth for us His Mother* as a branch full of life.* O God of miracles and hope of those who have no hope;* O Lord, glory to You!
Readings
(1) Genesis 28:10-17; (2) Ezekiel 43:27-44:4; (3) Proverbs 9:1-11
Lytia
Tone 1
Today is the beginning of our salvation, O people;* for behold, the Mother and Virgin who was chosen from all generations* to be the habitation of God* is born and comes forth from the barren one.* She is the flower from Jesse and possesses the rod from his root.* May our forefather Adam rejoice and be full of joy;* for behold, she who was created from the rib of Adam* declares that her daughter and descendant is blessed.* She says: “My deliverance has been born to me.* Through her, I will be freed from the bonds of Hades.”* May David rejoice, play on his harp, and bless God;* for behold, the Virgin comes forth* from the womb of the barren woman* for the salvation of our souls.
Tone 2
Come all you lovers of virginity and chastity,* lovingly hold aloft the boast of virginity,* the fountain of life springing up from the solid stone.* She is the bush which grows from the barren land,* the bush of the non-material fire,* who cleanses and illumines our souls.
What is the festive hymn that is heard today?* Joachim and Anne are mystically observing this day with honour, saying:* “Adam and Eve, rejoice with us today!* Through their transgression of old, Paradise was closed.* Now, Mary the maiden of God is being given to us as a blessed fruit.* She opens up the entrance of Paradise to all of us.”
The chosen one of the King of All,* the abode of God and divine dwelling of the ever-existing One,* comes forth today from the barren and glorious Anne.* It is through her that the shameless Hades is crushed,* and the first Eve is lead into a faithful life.* Let us worthily cry out to her:* “Blessed are you among women,* and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
Tone 8, Glory… Now…
Let us play the spiritual flute on this noteworthy feast,* because from the seed of David* is born the Mother of the Life who dispels the darkness.* She is the renewal of Adam and the answer to Eve,* the source of incorruption and the transformation of corruption.* Because of her, we have been divinized and delivered from death.* We cry out to her with Gabriel:* “Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you.* Because of you, He has granted us great mercy.”
Aposticha
Tone 7
O Saviour of the world, You arose from the grave,* and together with Your own flesh You raised up mankind.* O Lord, glory to You!
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
Come, let us worship Christ who arose from the dead* and enlightened all creation.* For by His resurrection on the third day,* He set us free from the oppression of Hades,* granting us life and His great mercy.
For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.
O Christ, Lover of mankind,* You descended into Hades and destroyed death.* Then You arose on the third day;* and, together with Yourself You lifted up all of us* who glorify Your mighty resurrection.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.
O Lord, what a fearful sight it was to see You lying in the tomb as if asleep.* Yet on the third day You arose in great power,* and at the same time You raised up Adam who joyfully cried out:* Glory to Your resurrection, O Lover of mankind!
Tone 8, Glory… Now…
Come all you faithful, and let us hasten to the Virgin;* for long before her conception in the womb,* the one who was to be born of the root of Jesse* was destined to be the Mother of God.* The one who is the treasury of virginity,* the flowering rod of Aaron, the object of prophecies,* the child of Joachim and Anne is born today,* and the world is renewed in her.* Through her birth, the Church is clothed with splendour* O holy Temple, vessel of the Godhead,* model of virgins and strength of kings,* in you the wondrous union of the two natures of Christ was realized.* We worship Him and glorify your most pure birth,* and the whole world extols you.
Troparion
Tone 4
Your nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,* has made joy known to all the world,* for from you dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God.* He abolished the curse and gave the blessing;* and by making death of no effect He bestowed on us eternal life. (3)
GREAT MATINS ON SUNDAY MORNING
Usual Beginning
Hexapsalm
Great Litany
God the Lord, Tone 4
Troparia, Tone 4
Your nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,* has made joy known to all the world,* for from you dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God.* He abolished the curse and gave the blessing;* and by making death of no effect He bestowed on us eternal life. (2)
Glory... Now...
Your nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,* has made joy known to all the world,* for from you dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God.* He abolished the curse and gave the blessing;* and by making death of no effect He bestowed on us eternal life.
Psalter Reading
Stasis I: Psalms 9, 10
Stasis II: Psalms 11, 12, 13
Stasis III: Psalms 14, 15, 16Small Litany
Sessional Hymn I, Tone 7
When Life was laying in the tomb* and a seal laid upon the stone,* the soldiers guarded Christ as a sleeping King* and the Angels glorified Him as immortal God;* while the women cried aloud:* The Lord is risen, granting the world great mercy.
Arise, O Lord my God, let Your hands be lifted on high;* forget not Your poor to the end.
By Your burial for three days You despoiled death,* and by Your life-bearing Arising* You raised corrupted mankind, O Christ Lord,* as the Lover of mankind. Glory be to You!
Glory… Now…
O Virgin Theotokos unceasingly entreat Christ our God,* who was crucified for us* and arose again destroying the dominion of death,* that He save our souls.
Psalter Reading
Stasis I: Psalm 17
Stasis II: Psalms 18, 19, 20
Stasis III: Psalms 21, 22, 23Small Litany
Sessional Hymn II, Tone 7
While the grave was sealed, O Christ God,* You, the Life, shone forth from the tomb;* and while the doors were shut, You, the Resurrection of all,* appeared to Your Disciples,* and through them renewed a right Spirit within us,* according to Your great mercy.
I will confess You, O Lord, with my whole heart,* I will tell of all Your wonders.
Bringing sweet spices with their tears, the women ran to the tomb,* and while the soldiers guarded You, the King of all,* they spoke one to another:* Who will roll away the stone for us?* The Angel of great Counsel has risen, trampling down death.* O All-powerful Lord, glory be to You!
Glory… Now…
Rejoice Virgin Theotokos, full of grace,* haven and protection of the race of mankind,* for from you the Redeemer of the world has taken flesh,* for you alone are a Mother and Virgin,* ever blessed and exceedingly glorified;* intercede with Christ God to grant peace to all the world.
Polyeleos
Magnification
We extol you,* O most holy Virgin,* and we venerate the holy ancestors of God,* and we celebrate your glorious Nativity.
verses:
O Lord, remember David and all the many hardships he endured.
Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest, You and the ark of your strength.
The Lord swore an oath to David; He will not go back on his word.
May the peoples praise You from age to age.
For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for his dwelling.
Glory… Now..
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Glory be to You, O God! thriceEvlogitaria
Small Litany
Hypakoe, Tone 7
O Christ God, who took upon Yourself our form* and endured the Cross in the body,* save me by Your Resurrection,* as You alone love mankind.
Sessional Hymns
Tone 4
O David, proclaim the oath that the Lord our God has sworn to you.* What He swore to me, I now see fulfilled, he said;* for the Virgin who has come forth as the fruit of my loins,* now gives birth to the Creator, Christ the New Adam.* He is the King who sits upon my throne.* Behold, He now reigns and his kingdom shall have no end.* The barren one bears the Mother of God* and the sustainer of our life.
From the root of Jesse and the loins of David,* Mary, the servant of God, is born for us today.* The entire universe is renewed and now exalts;* heaven and earth rejoice together.* Praise her, O families of nations.* Joachim rejoices and Anne cries out on this feast:* The barren one bears the Mother of God* and the sustainer of our life.
Tone 8, Glory… Now…
Let heaven rejoice and earth exalt,* for the firmament of our God comes into the world;* according to the promise, the Divine Bride is now born.* The barren one now nurses Mary, her child;* and Joachim rejoices in this birth and says:* Behold, the rod is now born to me,* from which Christ shall blossom from the root of David.* Indeed, this is a wondrous marvel!
Hymn of Ascent, Tone 7
Antiphon 1
Having turned back the captivity of Sion from error,* quicken me also O Saviour,* and deliver me from slavery to the passions.
He who sows tribulations in the south with tears of fasting,* will reap with joy the sheaves of nourishment* of eternal life.
Glory… Now…
In the Holy Spirit is the source of divine treasures,* from Him comes wisdom, intelligence, and fear;* and to Him belongs* praise, glory, honour and worship.
Antiphon 2
Unless the Lord builds the house of the soul,* in vain do we labour;* for without Him no deed or word can be perfected.
Of the fruit of the womb the Saints,* moved by the Spirit,* sprout forth the Father’s teachings of filial adoption.
Glory… Now…
By the Holy Spirit all things have their being;* in the presence of all He is God,* the sovereign of the universe,* Light unapproachable, Life of all.
Antiphon 3
Those who fear the Lord and find the ways of life,* now and always are blessed* with immortal glory.
As you behold your offspring like shoots around your table,* rejoice, and be glad, bringing them to Christ* the Chief Shepherd of all.
Glory… Now…
In the Holy Spirit there be an abundance of grace,* riches of glory and a great depth of judgments;* for He is to be served as identical in glory and honour* with the Father and Prokeimenon, Tone 4
I will make your name remembered from generation to generation.
verse: My heart overflows with noble words. To the king I must speak the song I have made.
Let everything that lives, Tone 4
Gospel
Luke 1:39-49, 56
Psalm 50
Verses at Psalm 50
Glory…
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O merciful Lord, cleanse me* from the multitude of my transgressions.
Now…
Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O merciful Lord, cleanse me* from the multitude of my transgressions.
Have mercy on me, O God, in the greatness of Your compassion; according to the multitude of Your mercies blot out my offence.
This is the day of the Lord:* Rejoice, therefore, O nations!* Behold, the chamber of Light and the scroll of the living Word* has come forth from the womb.* The gate that opens to the Rising Sun* and is ready for the entrance of the High Priest, is here today.* She is the only one who introduced Christ, and Christ alone, into the world* for the salvation of our souls.
Canon, Tone 7
Ode 1
Irmos: At a sign from you, O Lord, the nature of water was changed,* once free and flowing now it became as a wall, hard as the earth;* thus Israel walked dryshod* and sang you a song of victory.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
When you were condemned to an unjust death, O Lord, then the tyranny of death was judged by a tree; the prince of darkness could not prevail against you and was justly cast out.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Hell approached you with teeth which lacked the strength to crush your body and broke his jaws. Thus, O Saviour, you loosed the pains of death and on the third day rose again.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
The pains of Eve, first mother, are undone, for your child-bearing was without pain, without knowledge of man. Therefore, All-pure, clearly seeing you to be the Mother of God, we give you glory.
Irmos: Let us sing praises to our Deliverer and our God* who has routed the enemy with his powerful arm,* and made Israel pass through the Red Sea.* Glory to You, O God!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Let all creation dance for joy, and let David also rejoice. From his seed has come forth the One who gave birth to a flower, the Lord and Deliverer of all.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
The Holy of Holies was brought as an infant to the holy temple where she was cared for by the hands of an angel. Let us all joyfully celebrate her nativity today.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
The barren and sterile Anne did not appear so before God, for she was predestined from the ages to become the mother of the pure Virgin who would give birth to the Creator in the form of a servant.
Glory…
I glorify and sing praises to the Holy Trinity, coeternal yet one in essence, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Now…
Who has ever seen a child born without a father nourished by his mother’s milk? Or who has ever seen a virgin mother? O most pure Mother of God, you have truly fulfilled both these mysteries in an incomprehensible manner.
Katavasia: Let us sing praises to our Deliverer and our God* who has routed the enemy with his powerful arm,* and made Israel pass through the Red Sea.* Glory to You, O God!
Ode 3
Irmos: Lord and Saviour, who in the beginning* established the heavens and every power of them,* by your almighty Word and the divine and all-effecting Spirit:* establish me firmly on the immovable rock of confession of you.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Of your own will for our sake ascending the cross to suffer the pain, O Saviour compassionate, you bear the stripes which are the cause of salvation and peace for all believers. Through it, O Merciful, we are all reconciled to your Father.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
You cleansed me, wounded in soul by the serpent’s bite, O Christ, and showed me light when long ago I lay in darkness and corruption. For, by your cross, you came down into Hell and raised me up with yourself.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
By the prayers of your Mother who knew no man, O Saviour, grant peace to your world, give victory over his enemies to the king; and make those who praise you worthy of your ineffable glory.
Irmos: My heart is firm in the Lord;* my strength lies in my God;* my mouth is opened against my enemies.* I rejoice in your salvation.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
The fruit of virginity came forth from your blessed womb, O holy Anne. She is the one who, without seed, gave birth to Jesus, the Nourishment and Deliverer of all creation.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
All creation calls you blessed, O ever-Virgin. We celebrate your birth today from Anne; you are the spotless branch of the root of Jesse who gave birth to the flower, Christ.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
All people are filled with joy on this day, O undefiled Theotokos, for your Son has placed you above all creation. We extol your birth from Anne.
Glory…
We worship the unbegotten Father, we sing hymns to the begotten Son, and we venerate the coeternal Spirit; for the Trinity is one and undivided.
Now…
O undefiled Theotokos, you have borne the Light-giver and the Source of Life for all. You are manifested as the Treasure of our life and Gateway of the Light which no one can approach.
Katavasia: My heart is firm in the Lord;* my strength lies in my God;* my mouth is opened against my enemies.* I rejoice in your salvation.
Kontakion, Tone 7
No longer shall the dominion of death be able to hold humanity,* for Christ went down shattering and destroying it s powers.* Hades is bound.* The prophets exult with one voice.* The Saviour has come for those with faith, saying:* “Come forth, O faithful, to the resurrection!”
Ikos
Today, death and Hell and the lowest depths shake with terror at the presence of one of the Trinity. Earth is thrown into confusion, at the sight of you Hell’s doorkeepers cower in fear. But all creation, rejoicing with the prophets, sings to you, sings a song of victory to our Redeemer and God, destroying now the power of death. Come, let us raise a shout of joy to A dam and all his children: The tree has brought him back. Come out, you faithful, into the resurrection.
Ode 4
Irmos: Leaving not the deep recesses of the Father,* yet you came to earth, Christ God;* I have heard of the mystery of your dispensation* and I glorify you, Lover of man.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
He who was made flesh of the Virgin gave his own back to the scourging, the innocent Master was maltreated for the sinning servant and annulled the charges against me.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
The Maker of man, judging as God the whole earth in righteousness, stands before the seat of lawless judges as one called to account and convicted, and is struck by an earthly hand.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
All-blameless One, as truly Mother of God entreat your Son and Maker to guide me to the safe harbour of his glorious will.
Irmos: I have heard news of You, O Lord, and I was afraid.* You, the eternal God, in your incomprehensible manner,* have become man and were born from the Virgin.* Glory to You, O Christ, glory to your power!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
With psalms and hymns let all the faithful sing the praises of the all-holy birth of the Mother of God. In faith we worship the God of Truth, who promised to give David the fruit of his loins.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
O Lord, You opened the womb of Sarah and gave her Isaac as fruit in her old age. Today, O Savior, You have likewise blessed the God-fearing Anne with fruit from her womb; it is your own all-pure Mother.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
All peoples of the earth rejoice with you today, O holy Anne, for you have given birth to the Mother of our Redeemer. She is the one who gave birth to our Strength; she blossomed forth Christ as a flower from the root of Jesse.
Glory…
I glorify You, O eternal Trinity, one in essence, and with my earthly tongue I cry aloud as the Cherubim: Holy, holy, holy is He, who remains the one eternal God forever.
Now…
The prophecies of those inspired by God are now fulfilled in your birth, O immaculate One. In faith the prophets called you Tabernacle and Gate, spiritual Mountain, the unconsumed Bush, and the Rod of Aaron which blossomed from the root of David.
Katavasia: I have heard news of You, O Lord, and I was afraid.* You, the eternal God, in your incomprehensible manner,* have become man and were born from the Virgin.* Glory to You, O Christ, glory to your power!
Ode 5
Irmos: Night is without light to unbelievers, O Christ,* but to the faithful it is enlightenment in the delight of your divine words.* And so I rise early to you* and praise your Godhead.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
O Christ, you are sold on behalf of your servants, you endure the scourging, bringing freedom to those who sing to you; early I rise to you and sing the praises of your divinity.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
By your divine power, O Christ, by means of the weakness of the flesh, you have overthrown the strong one, and through your resurrection, O Saviour, you have revealed me as a conqueror of death.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
Pure Mother, all-praised, fittingly you brought forth God, made flesh of you, for without knowledge of man but by the Holy Spirit you conceived.
Irmos: Grant peace to our days, O Lord our God, and make us your own.* We call upon your name, for there is no other besides You.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
O ever-Virgin, your conception was ineffable; your birth was all-holy; O unwedded Bride, your child-bearing was beyond our understanding, for the God of all became flesh in you.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Let the angels in heaven rejoice today; let the children of Adam dance and sing; for this day is born the One who gave birth to Christ, the only deliverer of Adam.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
At your nativity today, O undefiled Maiden, Eve is loosed from her condemnation. Adam is also freed from the ancient curse, and he sings: Through you we have been delivered from corruption.
Glory…
O undivided Trinity, without beginning, uncreated, coeternal, one in nature, we worship You and proclaim to all that You are one essence in three Persons.
Now…
You have remained a virgin before and after childbirth, O Lady; your womb has become a holy table. Like a bridegroom coming forth from his chamber, Christ the Sun has come forth from you.
Katavasia: Grant peace to our days, O Lord our God, and make us your own.* We call upon your name, for there is no other besides You.
Ode 6
Irmos: Sick on the rolling swell of the cares of this life,* thrown overboard by the sins that sail with me* and hurled to the soul-destroying beast,* as Jonah I cry to you:* O Christ, lead me up* from these death-dealing deeps.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
The souls of the righteous imprisoned in Hell and forsaken had remembered you and were praying for your salvation; and you granted it, Christ, through your cross when you, the Compassionate, went down to the deepest parts of the earth.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
The band of the apostles despaired of seeing you again, the living temple not made with human hands and destroyed by all that befell it. But worshipping beyond all hope, they everywhere proclaimed you risen from the dead.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
Virgin Bride of God, who of mankind can explain the all-spotless manner of your ineffable child-bearing for our sakes? For the Word being united to you, the uncircumscribed God became flesh.
Irmos: The waves of life toss me about like the waters of the sea, O Lover of Mankind. I entreat You, O compassionate Lord, to bring me from a life of corruption as You once brought Jonah from the whale.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
The angelic powers and all the holy ones dance for joy as we sing the praises of your holy birth and venerate your conception without seed, O ever-Virgin and Bride of God.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
O undefiled One, your righteous parents brought you, the Holy of Holies, as an offering to the Lord in the temple where you were to be brought up in holiness and prepared to become his mother.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Of old, David sang to you: Virgins shall be brought after you; they shall be brought into the temple of the King. I join with him in singing your praises, O daughter of the King.
Glory…
The mystery of the Trinity is praised and glorified in you, O Mary ever-pure, for you so pleased the Father that He sent his Son to dwell in you by the overshadowing of the Spirit that made you Theotokos.
Now…
You are a golden censer, for by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Fire who is the Word made your womb his tabernacle, and He became man through you, O pure Mother of God.
Katavasia: The waves of life toss me about like the waters of the sea, O Lover of Mankind. I entreat You, O compassionate Lord, to bring me from a life of corruption as You once brought Jonah from the whale.
Kontakion, Tone 4
By your birth, O immaculate one,* Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness,* and Adam and Eve* from the corruption of death.* And your people, redeemed from the guilt of their sins,* celebrate as they cry out to you:* “The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God* and nourisher of our life.”
Ikos
Joachim and Anne beseeched the Lord to remove their childlessness. He heard their prayers, and the just couple gave birth to the one who brought Life to the world. Joachim offered his prayer in the mountain while Anne accepted her reproach in the garden. With joy, the barren Anne gave birth to the Theotokos who sustains our life.
Ode 7
Irmos: The young men of old have shown us a blazing furnace* cool with the gently falling dew,* and themselves singing the praise of the one God and saying:* The most highly exalted, God of our fathers, glorious above all is he.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
A dam of his own will worked disobedience and was slain by a tree; Christ’s obedience formed him anew; for the Son of God was crucified for me, glorious above all is he.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
The whole creation hymns you, Christ, rising from the tomb, for you have caused life to blossom for those in Hell, resurrection for the dead and light for those in darkness. Glorious above all is he.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
Hail, daughter of the corrupted Adam! Hail, sole bride of God! Hail, you who gave birth to God and through whom corruption has been banished! Pray to him, Pure One, to save us all.
Irmos: The youths, withstanding the fiery furnace of the Chaldeans, were filled with the presence of the Spirit of God. They sang in praise: Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
O most pure One, we celebrate and honour with faith your holy nativity according to the promise. By Christ’s appearance through you, we have been delivered from the ancient curse of Adam.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Today Anne rejoices and cries aloud in praise: Although I was barren, I have given birth to the Mother of God through whom Eve has been loosed from her condemnation.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Adam is set free and Eve dances for joy. Together they sing to you in spirit, O Theotokos: By Christ’s appearance through you, we have been delivered from the ancient curse of Adam.
Glory…
Let us praise the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in the unity of the Godhead, undivided, uncreated, coeternal, and one in essence.
Now…
O Mary, you have renewed our nature through your giving birth to God and still remaining a virgin. You have delivered Eve from the ancestral curse, O pure Mother of God.
Katavasia: The youths, withstanding the fiery furnace of the Chaldeans, were filled with the presence of the Spirit of God. They sang in praise: Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers.
Ode 8
Irmos: Burning yet unconsumed, the bush in Sinai made God known to Moses,* slow of tongue and hard of hearing.* And the burning zeal for God revealed the three young men unharmed in the fire and singing:* Praise the Lord, all his works,* and highly exalt him throughout all the ages.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
The undefiled and reasonable Lamb, in sacrifice slain for the world, brought to an end the offerings according to the law and as God, apart from transgressions, cleansed the law now crying out: Praise the Lord, all his works, and highly exalt him throughout all the ages.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
The flesh the Maker took from us before his Passion was not incorruptible; but after Passion and Rising, it was rendered inaccessible to corruption and re-makes mortal men, who cry: Praise the Lord, all his works, and highly exalt him throughout all the ages.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
Your purity, your total spotlessness, O Virgin, has cleansed the sordid and polluted things of our world, and you, All-pure, have become for us a cause of reconciliation with God. Therefore, O Virgin, we bless and highly exalt you throughout all the ages.
Irmos: Every creature offers a hymn to You, the Author and Creator; the sun sings your praises; the moon gives You glory. For You established your dwelling above the waters and set the sands as a boundary to the sea; your power is in all things.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
O holy God, You worked wonders in the barren womb of Anne by giving her a child. You are the Son of the Virgin from whom You have taken flesh, the ever-pure Virgin and Theotokos.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
O merciful Lord, You have loosed the unbreakable bonds of childlessness; You have given the barren woman a fertile offspring and a glorious fruit. You chose that offspring to be your Mother according to the flesh when You came to dwell among us.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Through your power, You have made the barren earth fertile. As gardener of our thoughts and of our souls, You turned the once parched land into a fruitful field, yielding much corn and fruit. You caused the holy Anne to give birth to the all-pure One, the Theotokos.
Glory…
We bless the undivided eternal Trinity while the hosts of angels sing your praises and bow down before You. The heavens, the earth, and the depths of the earth worship You in awe; fire serves You, and all creation obeys You in fear, O Holy Trinity.
Now…
What a glorious marvel! God has become the Son of a woman who knew not wedlock. She bore, without seed, the Child who is God. What a strange mystery, that the Virgin conceives! The birth is beyond expression. Indeed, all these things are incomprehensible.
Katavasia: Every creature offers a hymn to You, the Author and Creator; the sun sings your praises; the moon gives You glory. For You established your dwelling above the waters and set the sands as a boundary to the sea; your power is in all things.
Ode 9
Irmos: Conceiving without taint of corruption,* lending your flesh to the Word, the Deviser of all,* Mother knowing no man, Virgin, Godbearer,* vessel receiving the illimitable* and dwelling for your infinite Maker:* we magnify you.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Be silent, you minds estranged, who fit suffering to the divinity; for we magnify the Lord of glory, crucified in the flesh but not crucified in the divine nature: one person in two natures.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
All you who deny the body’s resurrection, go to the tomb of Christ and learn that the flesh of the giver of life was put to death and rose again in assurance of the final resurrection; for this we hope.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
As we worship not a trinity of Godheads but of persons, not oneness of persons but of Godhead, we part from those who divide and confound those who dare to confuse the Trinity whom we magnify.
O my soul, extol the Virgin Mary, born of a barren womb.
Irmos: Mothers cannot be virgins, nor virgins be mothers; but in you, O Mother of God, both virginity and motherhood were present. Therefore, all the people of the earth unceasingly extol you.
O my soul, extol the Virgin Mary, born of a barren womb.
We join all the nations of the earth to unceasingly praise you, O Mother of God; for you inherited, according to the promise, a birth worthy of your purity. You were given to the sterile one as a divine gift.
O my soul, extol the Virgin Mary, born of a barren womb.
Today the prophecy is fulfilled: I will raise up the fallen tabernacle of the holy David. These words prefigured you, O most pure One. Through you, human nature has been refashioned in the body of our God.
O my soul, extol the Virgin Mary, born of a barren womb.
O Theotokos, we glorify the Lord who gave you as a fruit to the barren Anne; we venerate your swaddling clothes. The almighty God, who can do whatever He pleases, miraculously opened the barren womb of Anne.
Glory…
It is unheard of that the unjust would glorify the eternal Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the uncreated and sovereign Power who created the world by a mighty act.
Now…
O Virgin Mother, you bore within your womb, Christ the King, one of the Trinity whom all creation praises and before whom all the heavenly hosts bow down. O all-holy Lady, beseech Him to save our souls.
Katavasia: Mothers cannot be virgins, nor virgins be mothers; but in you, O Mother of God, both virginity and motherhood were present. Therefore, all the people of the earth unceasingly extol you.
Small Litany
Holy is the Lord
Hymn of Light
Christ our Way and our Life,* after His resurrection from the dead,* accompanied Luke and Cleopas,* who had recognized Him at Emmaus in the breaking of the bread.* Their hearts and souls were inflamed as He spoke to them on the way,* explaining to them all the Scriptures that pertained to Him.* Let us, therefore, shout with them, saying:* Truly, the Lord is risen and has appeared to Peter.
Glory… Now…
Today the ends of the earth rejoice on the feast of your nativity,* O all-holy and spouseless Bride and Virgin Mary;* for you have taken away the shame and reproach of those who gave you birth.* You have overcome their sterility, the cause of their pains,* and you have removed the curse of our first mother.
Praises
Stichera of the Praises, Tone 7
Christ is risen from the dead,* loosing the bonds of death;* O earth! proclaim the good tidings of great joy; and you heavens praise the glory of God.
Having seen the Resurrection of Christ,* let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one.
We cease not to worship the Holy Resurrection of Christ,* for He has saved us from our iniquities,* Holy is the Lord Jesus* who has shown us the Resurrection.
What shall we render to the Lord for all that He has rendered unto us?* For our sake God dwelled among us;* for our corrupted nature the Word became flesh and dwelled within us;* to the ungrateful He is the Benefactor;* to prisoners He is the Liberator;* to those in darkness He is the Sun of justice;* the path to the Cross;* the Light to Hades; Life to death;* Resurrection for the fallen:* to Him we cry aloud: Our God, glory be to You!’
O marvellous wonder!* The source of life is born of the barren one,* and grace begins to bear its glorious fruit.* Rejoice, O Joachim, at the birth of the Mother of God.* No earthly father is indeed the same as you.* For through divine inspiration the Virgin is given to us;* she is the dwelling place of God,* the divine tabernacle, and holy mountain.
O marvellous wonder!* The source of life is born of the barren one,* and grace begins to bear its glorious fruit.* Rejoice, O Joachim, at the birth of the Mother of God.* No earthly father is indeed the same as you.* For through divine inspiration the Virgin is given to us;* she is the dwelling place of God,* the divine tabernacle, and holy mountain.
O marvellous wonder!* The fruit of the barren one has shone forth* at a sign from the almighty Creator of the universe.* She delivers the world from its sterility in good works.* All mothers, rejoice with the ancestors of God and say: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you,* and through you has granted great mercy to the world.
O living pillar of chastity and shining vessel of grace,* the wondrous and holy Anne has brought into the world* the height of virginity and its divine flourishing,* the one who gives beauty to every virgin,* as well as to all who love this gift,* and who grants great mercy to all the faithful.
Tone 6, Glory… Now…
This is the day of the Lord:* Rejoice, therefore, O nations!* Behold, the chamber of Light and the scroll of the living Word* has come forth from the womb.* The gate that opens to the Rising Sun* and is ready for the entrance of the High Priest is here today.* She is the only one who introduced Christ, and Christ alone, into the world* for the salvation of our souls.
Tone 2, Now…
You are truly most blessed, O virgin Mother of God.* Through the One who was incarnate of you,* Hades was chained, Adam revived, the curse wiped out,* Eve set free, Death put to death,* and we ourselves were brought back to life.* That is why we cry out in praise;* Blessed are You, O Christ our God,* who finds in this your good pleasure. Glory to You!
Great Doxology
Trisagion Prayers
Troparion, Tone 2
Today salvation has come to the world.* Let us sing to Him who is risen from the tomb,* the Author of Life who has crushed Death by his death* and bestowed on us victory and great mercy.
Insistent Litany
Litany of Supplication
Great Dismissal
DIVINE LITURGY ON SUNDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 7: By Your cross You destroyed death;* You opened Paradise to the thief;* You changed the lamentation of the myrrh-bearers to joy,* and charged the apostles to proclaim* that You are risen, O Christ our God,* offering great mercy to the world.
Troparion, Tone 4: Your nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,* has made joy known to all the world,* for from you dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God.* He abolished the curse and gave the blessing;* and by making death of no effect* He bestowed on us eternal life.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion, Tone 7: No longer shall the dominion of death be able to hold humanity,* for Christ went down shattering and destroying it s powers.* Hades is bound.* The prophets exult with one voice.* The Saviour has come for those with faith, saying:* “Come forth, O faithful, to the resurrection!”
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: By your birth, O immaculate one,* Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness,* and Adam and Eve* from the corruption of death.* And your people, redeemed from the guilt of their sins,* celebrate as they cry out to you:* “The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God* and nourisher of our life.”
Prokeimenon, Tone 6
Save Your people, O Lord, * and bless Your inheritance.
verse: Unto You I will cry, O Lord, my God, lest You turn from me in silence. (Psalm 27:9,1)
Prokeimenon, Tone 3
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. (Luke 1:46-47)
Epistle
Galatians 6:11-18; Philippians 2:5-11
Alleluia, Tone 1
verse: I have exalted one chosen from among My people; with My holy oil I have anointed him.
verse: My hand shall sustain him, and my arm shall make him strong. (Psalm 88:20-21,22)
verse: Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear. (Psalm 44:11)
Gospel
John 3:13-17; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28
Hymn to the Mother of God
O my soul, magnify the Virgin Mary, born from a barren womb.
And the Irmos, Tone 8: Virginity is alien to mothers* and childbearing is foreign to virgins;* yet in you, O Mother of God, both of them came together.* Therefore we and all the nations of the earth* without ceasing magnify you.
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest (Psalm 148:1).* I will take the cup of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord. (Psalm 115:13)