Event Information:
-
Sun22Dec2024
Sunday before the Nativity of Christ. Sunday of the Holy Fathers. Octoechos Tone 6. Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ; The Holy Great-Martyr Anastasia.
Nativity Fast.
GREAT VESPERS ON SATURDAY NIGHT
Kathisma Reading
Blessed is the man… is sung.
At Psalm 140
Tone 6
Lead my soul forth from prison* that I may give thanks to Your name.
O Christ, You won the victory over Hades,* You ascended the cross so that You might raise up with Yourself* all those who dwelt in the darkness of death.* Almighty Saviour, You are free from death* and bestow life by Your divine light.* We, therefore, beseech You to have mercy on us.
The just shall gather around me* when You have been good to me.
Today Christ has conquered Death.* He has risen from the grave as He had foretold,* bestowing great joy upon the world.* Therefore, let us all lift up our voices and sing:* O Fount of Life, O Light whom no one can approach,* Almighty Saviour, have mercy on us.
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!
O Lord, where can we sinners flee from You,* for You are present in all creation?* You are present in heaven, for it is Your dwelling place.* Your power prevails in Hades where You conquered Death.* O Master, Your sustaining hand touches even the depths of the sea.* Where, then, can we take refuge except in You?* We, therefore, prostrate ourselves before You and pray:* O Lord, risen from the dead, have mercy on us.
Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.
We exult in Your cross, O Christ,* and we sing the glory of Your resurrection.* For You are our God, and we have no other Lord but You.
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.
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 splendour,* 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.
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?
Prokeimenon, Tone 6
The Lord reigns,* He is clothed in majesty.
verse: Robed is the Lord and girt about with strength.
verse: For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.
verse: Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.
Readings
(1) Genesis 14:14-20; (2) Deuteronomy 1:8-11, 15-17; (3) Deuteronomy 10:14-21
Aposticha
Tone 6
O Christ our Saviour,* the angels in heaven sing the praises of Your resurrection;* make us on earth also worthy* to extol and glorify You with a pure heart.
The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty. Robed is the Lord, and girt about with strength.
Almighty God, You destroyed the brazen gates and bars of Hades,* and raised up fallen mankind.* Therefore, with one accord, we cry out:* O Lord, risen from the dead, glory to You!
For He has made the world firm, which shall not be moved.
Christ willed to renew us from our corruption of old* by being nailed to a cross and placed in a tomb.* When the women came to anoint His body they tearfully cried out:* O, what sorrow afflicts us!* O Saviour of All, how could You consent to occupy a grave?* If you truly willed this, then why did You allow Your body to be stolen?* How were You removed?* What place now conceals Your life-bearing body?* O Lord, appear to us as You promised* and put an end to our tears.* As they were lamenting, an angel appeared and cried out to them:* Do not weep, but tell the apostles that the Lord is risen,* granting sanctification and great mercy to the world.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for length of days.
O Christ, You were crucified of Your own free will,* and by Your burial You imprisoned Death.* As God, You rose in glory on the third day,* granting life and great mercy to the world.
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
Tone 6
Angelic powers were upon Your tomb* and the guards became like dead men;* Mary stood before Your tomb* seeking Your most pure body.* You captured Hades without being overcome by it.* You met the Virgin and granted life.* O Lord, risen from the dead,* glory be to You!
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.
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.
GREAT MATINS ON SUNDAY MORNING
Usual Beginning
Hexapsalm
Great Litany
God the Lord, Tone 6
Troparia, Tone 6
Angelic powers were upon Your tomb* and the guards became like dead men;* Mary stood before Your tomb* seeking Your most pure body.* You captured Hades without being overcome by it.* You met the Virgin and granted life.* O Lord, risen from the dead,* glory be to You! (2)
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.
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.
Psalter Reading
Stasis I: Psalms 9, 10
Stasis II: Psalms 11, 12, 13
Stasis III: Psalms 14, 15, 16Small Litany
Sessional Hymn I, Tone 6
While the tomb lay open and Hades lamented,* Mary, cried to the Apostles who were in hiding saying:* “Come forth, you workers of the vineyard,* proclaim to the world the word of the Resurrection,* for the Lord is risen,* granting the world His great mercy!”
Arise, O Lord my God, let Your hands be lifted on high;* forget not Your poor to the end.
Mary Magdalene stood by Your tomb O Lord,* and mistaking You for the gardener,* weeping she cried aloud to You:* “Where have You hidden the Life eternal?* Where have You placed He who sits on the Cherubic Throne?* For those who were guarding Him have become as dead-men through fear.* Either give me my Lord or cry out with me:* O You who were numbered among the dead and have raised the dead,* glory be to You!”
Glory… Now…
Gideon foretold of your conception,* and David revealed your ineffable child-bearing, O Theotokos;* for the Word descended like a dew upon the fleece of your womb,* and you O Virgin full of grace,* like unto a holy and fertile earth,* budded forth without seed our salvation, Christ God.
Psalter Reading
Stasis I: Psalm 17
Stasis II: Psalms 18, 19, 20
Stasis III: Psalms 21, 22, 23Small Litany
Sessional Hymn II, Tone 6
Life was laid in the tomb* and a seal was set upon the stone;* the soldiers stood guarding Christ like a sleeping King;* and having invisibly struck His foes the Lord arose.
I will confess You, O Lord, with my whole heart,* I will tell of all Your wonders.
Jonah foretold of Your tomb,* and Symeon revealed Your divine Arising, O immortal Lord;* for You descended as One dead into the tomb,* and having smashed the gates of Hades,* You arose without corruption as Master, for the salvation of all the world,* O Christ our God,* enlightening those lying in darkness.
Glory… Now…
O Virgin Theotokos, entreat your Son Christ our God,* who was willingly nailed upon the Cross,* and freed the world from deception,* that He have mercy upon our souls!
Polyeleos
Evoglitaria
Small Litany
Sessional Hymn, Tone 8
With hymns let us all praise Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,* the meek David, Joshua, and the twelve patriarchs,* together with the three youths that quenched the fiery flame with the power of the Spirit.* And let us cry out to them:* Rejoice, you that bravely denounced the deception of the mad king!* Pray to Christ that He grant remission of offenses* to them that celebrate your holy memory with love.
Glory… Now…
From the bosom of the Father You came down,* and in Your ineffable condescension You took upon Yourself poverty like to ours,* in a manner surpassing nature, O Lover of mankind.* It was Your good pleasure to make Your abode in a cave, O Lord,* and like as a babe You are suckled at Your Mother’s breast, who are Creator and Lord.* The Magi, guided by the star, bring gifts to You and cry out:* Glory in the highest to God who comes to earth to be born as a man!
N.B. But if this Sunday falls on either the 18th or the 19th of December, this Theotokion:
Like the widow who gave two mites as an offering,* I offer you the praise of thanksgiving which is your due, O Mistress, for all your gifts;* for you are shown to be a shelter and aid,* ever rescuing me from temptations and tribulations.* Delivered from that which causes me grief,* as from the midst of a burning furnace, I cry out to you with all my heart:* O Theotokos, help me by entreating Christ God to grant me remission of transgressions,* for I, your servant, have you as my hope.
Hypakoe, Tone 6
By Your voluntary and life-giving death, O Christ,* You shattered the gates of Hades,* and as God You opened to us the Paradise of old;* and by arising from the dead,* You delivered our lives from corruption.
Gradual Hymns, Tone 6
Antiphon 1
Unto heaven I raise my eyes, even unto You, O Word;* have pity on me,* that I may live for You.
Have mercy upon us who are filled with contempt O Word,* repairing Your broken vessels* that we may be found useful.
Glory… Now…
In the Holy Spirit is the cause of all salvation,* if He sees fit to breathe on one of His creatures,* He swiftly raises him from the things of this earth, and having given him wings,* makes him to flourish and raises him on high.
Antiphon 2
If the Lord had not dwelt among us,* none could have withstood the attacks of the enemy,* for those who are victorious* are exalted by Him.
Let not my soul be taken like a sparrow by their teeth, O Word;* Woe unto me!* How shall I, the lover of sin, be delivered from the power of the enemy?
Glory… Now…
In the Holy Spirit all find divine inspiration,* goodness, understanding, peace, and blessing;* for He is equal in activity* to the Father and the Word.
Antiphon 3
They that put their trust in the Lord look upon high* and are thus fearful to their foes* and wondrous to all mankind.
Unto the pursuit of iniquities* the righteous stretch not the hands,* having You, O Saviour, as their helper.
Glory… Now…
In the Holy Spirit is sovereignty over all creation;* Him the armies of hosts above worship* and by everything that has breath below* is He worshiped.
Prokeimenon, Tone 6
O Lord, stir up Your might* and come to save us.
verse: O Shepherd of Israel, attend, You that lead Joseph like a sheep.
Let everything that lives, Tone 6
Gospel
John 20:19-31
Hymn of Resurrection
Psalm 50
Verses at Psalm 50
Canon, Tone 6
Ode 1
Irmos: Israel, marching on foot in the sea as on the dry land,* saw Pharaoh the pursuer overthrown in the deep,* and raised a triumphant shout:* Let us sing to God a hymn of victory.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
O Good Jesus, with your arms stretched wide upon the cross, you have fulfilled in all things the Father’s good pleasure; therefore let us all sing to you a hymn of victory.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Death, the end of life, as a slave under orders, in fear approaches you, the Lord of life, whereby you award to us life without end and resurrection.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
Pure one, who beyond understanding received your Creator, of his own will made flesh in your seedless womb, you are declared to be in truth creation’s sovereign Lady.
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: Christ is born; let us glorify Him.* Christ comes down from heaven; let us go out to meet Him.* Christ lives on earth; let us exalt in joy.* All you faithful, sing to the Lord, for He has been glorified.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
The Virgin now comes to Bethlehem to give birth to Christ, who becomes a babe in the flesh; to Christ, who of His own will has beggared Himself; to Christ, who becomes visible. Let heaven and earth rejoice!
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
Leap up, you mountains and hills! Join chorus, you divinely eloquent prophets! You people and nations, clap your hands! Our salvation and Enlightenment, who is born in the city of Bethlehem, has nearly come.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
God is known as man through the Virgin who has not known wedlock; He that is rich becomes poor, enriching them that, through malice, have been reduced to poverty. Let us all hymn Him with praises for He has been glorified.
Canon to the Fathers
Irmos: The children of them that were saved have hidden beneath the earth* Him that of old covered the pursuing tyrant with the waves of the sea;* but let us chant to the Lord like the maidens:* Gloriously has He been glorified!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Today the assembly of the divine fathers radiantly celebrates the forefeast of the nativity of Christ, and most glorious grace prefigures it, for Abraham and the children of the Law are an image thereof.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Of old the sacred Abraham received One of the tri-hypostatic Godhead, and now the Word of the Father, who is equally enthroned with Him, comes through the divine Spirit to the children, He that is gloriously praised.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
The children that cast down godlessness in the furnace are in number and faith images of the divine Trinity, and they have revealed to the world the hidden mysteries of God.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Abraham was delivered from the hands of the unrighteous, and the divine youths and Daniel the prophet were once saved from the flame of the furnace and from the den of wild beasts. We now celebrate the forefeast of the nativity of Christ.
Glory… Now…
O joyous and unwedded Mother, incorrupt Virgin, we bless you, for you blossomed forth from the generation of Abraham and the tribe of David, and gave birth to Christ, who of old was foretold by the prophets.
Katavasia: Christ is born; let us glorify Him.* Christ comes down from heaven; let us go out to meet Him.* Christ lives on earth; let us exalt in joy.* All you faithful, sing to the Lord, for He has been glorified.
Ode 3
Irmos: None is holy but you, O Lord my God,* the one who is the Good;* you have exalted the horn of your faithful people,* and founded them on the rock of their confession of you.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Creation, seeing God crucified in the flesh, was dissolving in fear, but by the strong hand of the Crucified it was firmly held together.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Sorry death, destroyed by death, lies lifeless; unable to withstand the God-filled assault of Life, the strong one dies. And so to all is given resurrection.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
O pure one, the wonder of your divine child-bearing surpasses the laws of nature: marvellous was your conceiving of God in your womb, and marvellous the birth and your abiding virginity.
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: To Christ our God,* who is the only-begotten Son of the Father from before all ages,* and in these latter times* has become flesh of the Virgin without seed,* let us cry aloud:* You are our strength; glory to You, O Lord!
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
In a manner beyond understanding, He that was born of the Father before the ages has become incarnate of the Virgin in latter times, as He Himself knew, wishing to renew humanity which had become corrupt through the counsel of the evil serpent.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
The unoriginate Son of God, who is enthroned with the Father and the Spirit in the highest, beholding human nature which had been humbled, accepts a beginning and wishes to be born in the flesh as man.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
She that is more holy than the angels and all creation now gives birth without seed to the Angel of Great Counsel in the flesh, for the restoration of all that unceasingly chant to Him: Holy are You, O Lord!
Canon to the Fathers
Irmos: Beholding You who suspended the whole earth without support upon the waters,* Yourself hanging upon Golgotha,* creation was seized with great awe, crying out:* None is holy save You, O Lord!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Faithfully preserving the glory of the image and likeness of God, with the fire of the Spirit the children, as champions, extinguished the fire of the golden image, chanting: We know but one Lord!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
The captive children, clothed with the wisdom and power of the Spirit, put to shame the wise men of Babylon and boldly cried out: None is holy save You, O Lord, Lover of mankind!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
The Law rejoices and joins chorus with the children and the prophets and exults today before the divine advent of the Lord. And Abraham rejoices for from his seed has the incarnate Lord appeared.
Glory… Now…
A conception without pain, an acceptance of your birthgiving has transpired in manner beyond recounting, O Theotokos, for the Word of God, who is God and was proclaimed by the prophets, has shown Himself to be a mystery beyond nature.
Katavasia: To Christ our God,* who is the only-begotten Son of the Father from before all ages,* and in these latter times* has become flesh of the Virgin without seed,* let us cry aloud:* You are our strength; glory to You, O Lord!
Hypacoe, Tone 4
An Angel bedewed the children in the furnace,* and has now put an end to the lamentation of the myrrh-bearing women, saying:* Why bring myrrh? Whom do you seek in the tomb?* Christ God is arisen, for He is the life and salvation of the human race!
Kontakion, Tone 1
Rejoice, O Bethlehem, and be ready, O Ephrathah. * Behold, the virgin is on her way to give birth * to the great Shepherd whom she carried in her womb. * The God-bearing ancestors will rejoice at his sight, * and together with the shepherds * they will glorify the virgin nursing Him.
Ikos
Beholding the splendid radiance of thy birthgiving, O Virgin, the God-loving Abraham, the ever-memorable Isaac, Jacob, and all the divinely assembled choir of saints rejoice, and, with joyous utterances, they lead creation forth to meet you; for you are shown to be the mediatress of joy for all, having conceived in your womb Him that once was seen in Babylon, who preserved unconsumed the youths that had been cast unjustly into the furnace, and who showed you forth in manner past all comprehension. The young maidens chant to Him that is borne in your arms, hymning you as the nursing Virgin.
Ode 4
Irmos: Christ, my strength, my God, my Lord,* most fittingly your holy Church keeps festival,* singing, dancing, crying out with pure minds,* feasting in the Lord.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Truly, O Christ, the tree of life has blossomed for the cross, planted in the earth, fed with blood and water from your pure side, has put forth life for us.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
No more the serpent’s lying whisper: You shall be like God; for Christ, divine Creator of man’s nature, now has opened out before me, with none to hinder, the pathway of life.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
Ever-virgin Mother of God, truly beyond speech and incomprehensible to heaven and to earth are the mysteries of your God-befitting child bearing.
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: O Christ, You have come forth from the Virgin* as the rod of the root of Jesse and the flower that blossomed from his stem.* You became flesh from her that knew not wedlock,* from the Mountain overshadowed by the forest;* O God, You are not formed from created substance.* Glory to Your power, O Lord!
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
You have given rise to a staff from the root of Jesse, O Virgin, putting forth the unfading Blossom of the Creator of all, who as God adorns with flowers all the earth, which cries aloud to Him: Glory to Your power, O Lord!
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
O Word of God, You have come to edify me, who have been despoiled through evil food and dragged down in mind and made like to dumb beasts; and, becoming a Babe, You lay down in a manger of dumb beasts. Glory to Your power, O Lord!
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
O Jesus, Habakkuk foresaw You incarnate of the Virgin, the mountain overshadowed, breaking down the mountains and hills of evil, and giving over to utter destruction the arrogance of the evil one and the uprisings of the demons.
Canon to the Fathers
Irmos: Foreseeing Your divine condescension upon the Cross, Habakkuk cried out in awe: You have cut down the dominion of the mighty, O Good One, entering into fellowship with them that are in Hades, as You are Almighty.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Let us honour Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the first-fruits of the fathers, for from their seed has Christ shown forth incarnate of the Virgin, in that He is almighty.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Indicating the coming events of the descent of Christ to all, Daniel clearly showed forth lions as sheep, for, as a prophet of God, he foresaw the future.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Not attracted by the poison of sin, O children, you were delivered from the flame; for, being of wisdom more pure than gold, you were not melted in the furnace of deception.
Glory… Now…
O honoured and all-pure one, your Offspring, who surpasses nature, is proclaimed aloud to be the expectation of the nations and the salvation of the world. And today the multitude of the fathers hymn Him.
Katavasia: O Christ, You have come forth from the Virgin* as the rod of the root of Jesse and the flower that blossomed from his stem.* You became flesh from her that knew not wedlock,* from the Mountain overshadowed by the forest;* O God, You are not formed from created substance.* Glory to Your power, O Lord!
Ode 5
Irmos: Shine with your divine splendour, I pray you, O you who are good,* on the souls of those who rise early to you* and long to know you, O Word of God,* as in truth the God who calls them back from sin’s deep darkness.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Now the Cherubim withdraw from me, and the flaming sword is turned back at sight of you, O Word of God, in truth the God who makes for the Thief the path to Paradise.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
I fear no longer the return to the dust, Lord Christ, for in your great mercy through your resurrection you have led me, forgotten, from the dust to the heights of incorruption.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
O good Lady of the world, keep safe those who from the heart confess you God-bearer, for we have gained you, true Mother of God, for our invincible protection.
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: Since You are a God of peace and a Father of mercies,* You have sent your angel of great counsel to us to bring us peace.* Thus, we are directed towards the light of the knowledge of God,* and at the night vigil we glorify You, O Lover of mankind.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
The most perfect Son of God, the Master by nature, in His lovingkindness was well pleased to be called the Son of man and reckoned among slaves, O most Compassionate One. Willingly beggaring Yourself, You come to be born in a cave, O All-good One.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
O Christ our King, who are uncontainable by nature, how can a little cave receive You? How can a manger contain You, who comes in the flesh to Your own for our sake, from a Mother that knew not wedlock, that You might save them that have been estranged from You, O Lord?
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
The Shepherd’s ewe-lamb has come to give birth. Make ready, O holy cave! Make haste, you shepherds, to see the newborn Shepherd and Lamb! O Magi, prepare yourselves with gifts to worship Him as King in the flesh.
Canon to the Fathers
Irmos: Isaiah, rising at dawn out of the night* and beholding the unwaning Light of Your Theophany, O Christ,* which has mercifully come to pass for us, cried out:* The dead shall rise up* and they that are in the tombs shall arise,* and all born on earth shall rejoice!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Let us honour today the divine Daniel, of the race of Abraham, the first-fruit of the fathers, as a leader of the Law and of grace; for, as a prophet of God, he foretold the advent of Christ from the Virgin and goes forth to meet His divine nativity.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Clearly prefiguring through the Angel’s descent the coming of the Lord to us, the children of Abraham extinguished the furnace; and, rendering the flame dewy with their faith, they consumed the splendour of the golden image therein.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Through the Spirit, Daniel closed the mouths of the wild beasts in the pit; and, through grace, the children of Abraham quenched the strength of the fire. And, saved from corruption, they proclaim Christ who is born of the Virgin, entreating Him as the Deliverer of our salvation.
Glory… Now…
Revealing through the divine Spirit Your painless assumption of our nature, and keeping vigil in the Law of grace, O Lord, Isaiah cried out: From the race of Abraham and the tribe of Judah comes a Virgin, giving birth in the flesh without seed.
Katavasia: Since You are a God of peace and a Father of mercies,* You have sent your angel of great counsel to us to bring us peace.* Thus, we are directed towards the light of the knowledge of God,* and at the night vigil we glorify You, O Lover of mankind.
Ode 6
Irmos: Watching life’s sea rising in the surging waves of temptations,* fast making for your calm harbour, I cry out to you:* Lead my life up from corruption,* O you of many mercies .
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Crucified, O Lord, by the nails which fastened you, you annulled the curse upon us; pierced in the side by the spear, you tore up the written scroll against Adam, and set the whole world free.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Deception tripped up Adam and brought him to the depth of Hell. But you, God and compassion by nature, came down to seek him and, lifting him up on your shoulders, raised him up with yourself.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
All-holy Lady, who bore to mortal man his Lord and pilot, quieten the fearful and unresting tumult of my passions, and grant to my heart tranquillity.
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: Jonah had dwelt like a babe in the womb before the sea monster spew him forth;* the Word dwelt in the womb of the Virgin, taking flesh from her.* Although born from her, He kept her all-pure.* Since Christ Himself was not subject to incorruptibility, He kept His Mother free from the same.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
O Mistress, as you are a new heaven you come, that Christ, the Sun of glory, might shine forth in the flesh from your womb, as through a cloud, in the cave; for, in His boundless lovingkindness, He wishes splendidly to illumine all that are of this earth with rays of His own light.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
You perceived our infirmity and misery, O compassionate Christ, and did not disdain us; but, without leaving the Father, you emptied Yourself and make Your abode in the womb of her that knew not wedlock, who now comes forth to give birth to You, without pain, in the cave.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
You mountains and hills, fields and vales, people and generations, nations and every creature: exult, filled with divine gladness, for the deliverance of all, the Word of God, the Timeless One, who, in His lovingkindness, has come under time, comes with haste.
Canon to the Fathers
Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the storm of temptations,* fleeing to Your calm haven I cry to You:* Lead up my life from corruption,* O most Merciful One!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Hospitable was the nature and exalted was the faith of Abraham the forefather. Receiving in image the divine mystery, he rejoiced, and, running before Christ, he now makes merry.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
The faith of the youths now holds creation subject by the gift of the Creator, for the all-devouring and shameless fire stood in awe of them that honour Jesus Christ, the Creator of fire.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Daniel the prophet, once closing the mouths of the lions in the pit, showed in godly manner that through the coming of Christ the savagery of the world is in harmony with divine peace.
Glory… Now…
O Mary, Mother who knew not man, from a virgin womb you gave birth to Christ, whom the prophets beheld in the Spirit; and the fathers who begot Him now join chorus before His nativity.
Katavasia: Jonah had dwelt like a babe in the womb before the sea monster spew him forth;* the Word dwelt in the womb of the Virgin, taking flesh from her.* Although born from her, He kept her all-pure.* Since Christ Himself was not subject to incorruptibility, He kept His Mother free from the same.
Kontakion, Tone 6
With His life-giving hand* Christ our God, the Giver of life,* raised all the dead from the murky abyss* and bestowed resurrection upon humanity.* He is for all the Saviour,* the resurrection and the life, and the God of all.
Ikos
O Giver of life, we sing and we worship your cross and your burial, for you entered Hell, O deathless one, as God of all power, and raising the dead with yourself and shattering the gates of Hell, as God you demolished the might of death. Therefore with love and with longing we who are born of the earth praise you as risen from the dead, overthrowing the might of the all-destroying foe, raising up all who believe in you, delivering the world from the stings of the serpent and us from the wiles of the enemy, as the one who alone possesses the power. Devoutly we sing, therefore, the praises of your resurrection, for by this, as God of all, you have saved us.
Ode 7
Irmos: As falling dew the angel made the furnace to the holy children,* and the command of God burned the Chaldeans;* and the tyrant was convinced, crying aloud:* Blessed are you, the God of our fathers.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
The sun lamenting your Passion, O Lord, drew darkness around him and the light of the day was darkened over the whole of the earth, which cried aloud: Blessed are you, the God of our fathers.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
At your descent, O Christ, the underworld was clothed in splendour; our first father, filled with gladness of heart, sprang up, dancing and crying out: Blessed are you, the God of our fathers.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
Through you, O Virgin Mother, light has risen and joy to all the inhabited earth, for you gave birth to God the Creator of all; ask him for us, All-pure, to send down to your faithful people great mercy.
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: The youths who had been raised to fear God were not threatened by the fiery torments.* They denounced the wicked decree of the tyrant,* and standing in the midst of the flames,* they sang: Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
The divine vine whereupon the incorrupt Cluster did ripen, draws nigh, coming to give birth to Him that pours forth the wine of gladness and waters us that cry out to Him: O God of our fathers, blessed are You!
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
The divine vial which bears within herself the fragrant Myrrh cometh to pour it out in the cave of Bethlehem, filling with mystic fragrance them that chant: O God of our fathers, blessed are You!
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
The tongs which Isaiah the prophet beheld of old coms, holding in her womb Christ, the divine Ember, which burns up all the fuel of sin and enlightens the souls of the faithful.
Canon to the Fathers
Irmos: O ineffable wonder!* He, that in the furnace delivered the venerable children from the flame,* is laid in the grave, dead and devoid of breath, for the salvation of us that chant:* O God, our Deliverer, blessed are You!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
O father Abraham, founder of your race, having begotten Christ in the flesh, you are clearly revealed by the Spirit as the father of nations, to the salvation of us that chant: O God, our Deliverer, blessed are You!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Your hymn of the inspired ones has put to shame them that utter soulless noises, for the youths, bodily trampling down unharmed the furnace which burned with fire, chant: O God, our Deliverer, blessed are You!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Of old, the prophet Daniel, gazing with spiritual vision, revealed the second coming of Christ, and he foretells the dreadful things which shall come to pass therein, crying out: O God, our Deliverer, blessed are You!
Glory… Now…
O strange wonder, known among the prophets and revealed of old to the fathers: a pure Virgin is come, wishing to give birth to the salvation of us that chant: O God, our Deliverer, blessed are You!
Katavasia: The youths who had been raised to fear God were not threatened by the fiery torments.* They denounced the wicked decree of the tyrant,* and standing in the midst of the flames,* they sang: Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers.
Ode 8
Irmos: Dew from the flames you shed on the holy ones,* burning thus with water the sacrifice of the righteous.* All things, O Christ, you bring about according to your holy will;* we highly exalt you throughout the ages.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Envy has finished its work on the people of the Jews: of old the slayers of the prophets now they are slayers of God; they set you upon the cross, O Word of God, you whom we highly exalt throughout the ages.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
O Christ, without leaving the courts of Heaven you came to Hell. Together with yourself you awakened the whole man, lying m corruption, and he highly exalts you now throughout the ages.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
From light you conceived the light-giving Word, ineffably you gave him birth, and are glorified. For the Holy Spirit dwelt in you, O Maid, and therefore we praise you throughout the ages.
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: The dew-moistened furnace was the image of an incomprehensible wonder.* It did not burn the youths entrapped there,* just as the fire of the Godhead did not consume the Virgin’s womb in which He dwelt.* Therefore, let us praise God, saying: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him above all forever.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
In gladness let us cry out with the angels: Glory to God in the highest! The Saviour is born! The Master comes, whom the star indicates! The Magi hasten to behold Him, a Babe in a manger! Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
Amongst slaves were You enrolled of Your own will, O Master, subjecting Yourself to the law of Caesar, that You might free mankind from slavery to the evil one, O most merciful God. Rejoicing, we chant: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Most holy Theotokos, saves us!
O unoriginate Word, I bear You as a newborn Babe, although I have in no wise known man, said the Virgin, marvelling. Whom on earth can I name Your father? I know not. With all I chant to You: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Canon to the Fathers
Irmos: Fall back in awe and fear, O heaven;* and let the foundations of the earth be shaken!* For, lo! He that dwells in the highest is numbered among the dead* and lodges as a stranger in a small tomb.* O children, bless; O priests, hymn;* O people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Prefiguring Your sacrifice, O Christ, Abraham, obedient to You, O Master, went forth with faith, wishing to sacrifice on the mountain the son whom he had begotten; but he returned with him, rejoicing and glorifying and exalting above all You, the Deliverer of the world.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
When You robed Yourself in ever-blazing flame as in a divine robe, O Christ, You utterly extinguished the fire for the three holy children, and by Your descent the dew has cried out to them that chant: O priests, hymn and exalt Him supremely forever!
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
The prophet Daniel is given to the lions as an unjust trial, but, through the precept of abstinence, in his piety he had the wild beasts as fellow fasters in the depths of the pit. Through his prayers and those of Abraham and the children, save them that hymn You in the world, O Christ!
Glory… Now…
The voices of the prophets faithfully proclaimed Him as Jesus Emmanuel, who comes in human form, God and man; and the Virgin Mary, without having known man, gives birth in the city of Bethlehem to a Son, the co-unoriginate Word, through the Holy Spirit.
We praise, we bless, we worship the Lord. We extol and exalt Him above all for ever.
Katavasia: The dew-moistened furnace was the image of an incomprehensible wonder.* It did not burn the youths entrapped there,* just as the fire of the Godhead did not consume the Virgin’s womb in which He dwelt.* Therefore, let us praise God, saying: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him above all forever.
Magnificat
Ode 9
Irmos: No man can see God, on whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze;* but, through you, All-holy One, the Word made flesh is seen of mortal men.* Magnifying him with all the heavenly hosts,* we call you blessed.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Free from passions you remained, O Word of God, when you held converse with passions in the flesh. But having dealt to passion a Passion, you loosed man from his passions. For you alone are impassible and almighty, our Saviour.
Glory to your holy Resurrection, O Lord.
Accepting the corruption of death, O Lord, you kept your body from tasting corruption, and your soul, life-giving, divine, was not left in Hell. But, as from sleep arising, you raised us up with yourself.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
With pure lips we mortal men give glory to God the Father, to the Son with him without beginning, and we worship the inexpressible power, most glorious, of the All-holy Spirit; for you alone subsist almighty, undivided Trinity.
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: A strange and glorious mystery do I behold:* the cave is heaven;* the Virgin, the throne of the cherubim;* the manger, a dwelling place* in which is laid Christ, the God Whom nothing can contain.* Singing His praises, we magnify Him.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
O mysteries strange, awesome and most glorious: the Lord of glory has come to earth and, having beggared Himself, He has entered a cave in the flesh, seeking to restore Adam and to deliver Eve from her pangs.
Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You!
By Your swaddling clothes You loose the bonds of our sinful falls; by Your great poverty You enrich us all, O Compassionate One; and having been laid in a manger of dumb beasts You release men from irrational malice, O all-unoriginate Word of God.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
The preaching of the prophets has reached the ends of the earth, for they foretold Him that was to come in the fullness of time; and He came and appeared incarnate of the pure Virgin; Him let us receive with a pure mind!
Canon to the Fathers
Irmos: Lament Me not, O Mother,* beholding in the tomb the Son whom you conceived in your womb without seed;* for I shall arise and be glorified,* and as God everlasting shall I exalt with glory them that magnify you with faith and love.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
Celebrating the feast of the fathers that were before the Law, let us honour Christ, who, in godly manner, is begotten of them in the flesh; for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who, through faith, are proclaimers of the Spirit and grace, are shown to be the foundation of the prophets and the Law.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
God, who by the fire in the bush showed to Moses the godly mystery in manner past understanding, having descended into the fire for the children, showed the flame of the furnace to be dew through the fire of the Essence of His divinity.
O holy Fathers, pray to God for us!
The all-holy children, assembling with Abraham, and Daniel, the wondrous prophet of God, Isaac and Jacob, with Moses and Aaron, faithfully join chorus before the nativity of Christ, praying unceasingly that we be saved.
Glory… Now…
All of creation rejoices in your birth-giving, O Virgin, for Bethlehem has opened Eden to us. And, lo! delighting in the Tree of Life, we all earnestly cry out in faith: you have fulfilled our prayers, O Mistress!
Katavasia: A strange and glorious mystery do I behold:* the cave is heaven;* the Virgin, the throne of the cherubim;* the manger, a dwelling place* in which is laid Christ, the God Whom nothing can contain.* Singing His praises, we magnify Him.
Small Litany
Holy is the Lord
Hymn of Light
Though the doors were locked, O Lord,* You entered and filled Your apostles with the Holy Spirit,* and breathing over them, You gave them Your peace.* You said to them: Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven;* whose sins you bind, they are bound.* After eight days You showed Thomas Your hands and Your side.* With them, therefore, we cry to You: You are my Lord and my God!
Glory…
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the elect of the patriarchs, the fathers before the Law, have shone forth like beacons, for all the prophets and the righteous shone forth from them like radiant lamps. With rays of honourable prophecy have they illumined all creation; and they earnestly pray to God in behalf of the world.
Now…
Wondrous has this been! The unblemished ewe-lamb, the granddaughter of Adam and David, giveth birth to the Lamb, the all-unoriginate Word, in the latter days, as is meet. The forefeast of her ineffable birthgiving do the multitude of the fathers celebrate fittingly.
Praises
Stichera of the Praises, Tone 6
Your Cross, O Lord, is the life and resurrection of Your people,* and trusting in it we sing Your praises:* O our risen God, have mercy upon us.
Your burial, O Master, opened Paradise to mankind,* and thus delivered from corruption we sing Your praises:* O our risen God, have mercy upon us.
With the Father and the Spirit* let us hymn Christ risen from the dead,* and let us cry out to Him:* You are our life and resurrection, have mercy upon us.
On the third day You arose from the tomb, O Christ, as it was written,* raising together with Yourself our Forefather;* therefore the race of mankind glorifies You, and hymns Your Resurrection.
Tone 5
Lift up your voice, O Sion, truly divine city,* and proclaim the divine memory of the fathers,* honouring Abraham, Isaac, and the ever-memorable Jacob;* for, lo! we all magnify Judah and Levi,* the great Moses and the wondrous Aaron,* and we honour David, Joshua, and Samuel.* And weaving divine hymns into godly praise on the forefeast of Christ’s nativity,* we ask that we receive grace from Him,* and that He grant the world great mercy.
Lift up your voice, O Sion, truly divine city,* and proclaim the divine memory of the fathers,* honouring Abraham, Isaac, and the ever-memorable Jacob;* for, lo! we all magnify Judah and Levi,* the great Moses and the wondrous Aaron,* and we honour David, Joshua, and Samuel.* And weaving divine hymns into godly praise on the forefeast of Christ’s nativity,* we ask that we receive grace from Him,* and that He grant the world great mercy.
Blessed are You, O Lord, God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your name to the ages!
O Elijah, who once rode upon a divine chariot of fire,* come forth, and you, O divinely wise Elisha;* and joining with Ezekiel and Hosea, rejoice!* O honoured and divinely inspired twelve prophets, join chorus,* and all you righteous, chant in hymns to the nativity of Christ;* O most blessed youths that quenched the flame of the furnace with the dew of the Spirit,* entreat Christ in our behalf,* that He send down upon our souls great mercy.
For You are righteous in all which You have done for us.
The Virgin Theotokos,* she who through the ages has been preached on earth by the prophets in their utterances,* she whom the wise patriarchs and the assemblies of the righteous proclaim,* with whom the comeliness of women joins chorus:* Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Hannah, together with the glorious Miriam, the sister of Moses.* With them all the ends of the world rejoice and all creation renders honour,* for the Creator and God of all comes to be born in the flesh* and to grant us great mercy.
Tone 8, Glory…
The compilation of the teachings of the Law* reveals the divine birth of Christ in the flesh* as being from them that, before the Law, proclaimed the glad tidings of grace* to them that lived beyond the Law.* In that this birth is the means of deliverance from corruption,* for the sake of the resurrection they declared to the souls held fast in Hades:* O Lord, glory be to You!
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
You came forth from death, destroying the eternal bonds of Hades, O Lord.* You broke the curse of Death* and thus delivered us from the snares of the Evil One.* Then You appeared to your apostles and sent them forth to preach,* and through them You have bestowed your peace upon all the world,* for You alone are rich in mercy.
Insistent Litany
Litany of Supplication
Great Dismissal
DIVINE LITURGY ON SUNDAY MORNING
Troparia and Kontakia
Troparion, Tone 6: Angelic powers were upon Your tomb* and the guards became like dead men;* Mary stood before Your tomb* seeking Your most pure body.* You captured Hades without being overcome by it.* You met the Virgin and granted life.* O Lord, risen from the dead,* glory be to You!
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.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
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.
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.