The Circumcision of the Lord / St Basil the Great

Beatitude Verses: Ode 3 of the Feast: 4; Ode 6 of the Saint: 4

 

1&2. The transcendent Word Who became incarnate hath been circumcised, that the law

might cease; and He hath given us the beginning of divine grace and life incorruptible.

 

3&4.  As the fulfiller of the law, and not as One opposed to God, Christ showed Himself

to be incarnate, and hath deigned of His own will to be circumcised on the eighth day.

 

5.  Thou didst abundantly feed the souls of the poor tormented by starvation, O Basil, and

didst fill the hearts of the hungry with all divine gladness.

 

6.  Thou didst richly feed the hungry with heavenly food; for thy discourse is angelic

bread, O Basil, and thou becamest an excellent issuer of the grain thereof.

 

7.  Like a bee thou didst industriously gather honey from the flowers of all the virtues, O

Basil, and as a wise man thou art blessed therein.

 

8.  Save thy servants from misfortunes, O Theotokos, for after God it is to thee that we

flee as to an impregnable rampart and intercession.

 

At the entrance: “O come let us worship and fall down before Christ, Who art wondrous

in the saints, O Son of God, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”

 

Troparia & Kontakia

 

Tone 1:  Thou Who sittest with the Eternal Father /

on a fiery throne in the heights, /

wast pleased through the Divine Spirit to be born on earth /

of a Virgin Maiden, Thy Mother, O Jesus. /

Wherefore, Thou wast circumcised as a man on the eighth day. /

Glory to Thine all-gracious will.  /

Glory to Thy providence.  //

Glory to Thy condescension, O only Lover of mankind.

 

Tone 1:  Thy fame hath gone forth into all the earth, /

which hath received thy word.  /

Thereby thou hast divinely taught the Faith; /

thou hast made manifest the nature of created things; /

thou hast made the moral life of men a royal priesthood.  //

O Basil, our righteous father, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

 

Glory… Tone 4:  Thou didst prove to be an unshakable foundation of the church, /

giving to all mortals an inviolate lordship, /

and sealing it with thy doctrines, /

O righteous Basil, //

revealer of heavenly things.

 

Both now... Tone 3:  The Lord of all undergoeth circumcision, /

and in His goodness hath circumcised the sins of mortals. /

On this day, He giveth the world salvation.  /

And Basil, the hierarch, the Creator’s light-bearer /

and Christ’s divine mystic, //

rejoiceth in the highest.

 

The Epistle

 

Reader: The Prokimenon in the 6th Tone:  Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine

inheritance.

Choir: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.

Reader: Unto Thee, O Lord, Will I cry; O my God, be not silent unto me.

Choir: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.

Reader:  In the 1st Tone:  My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart

shall be of understanding.

Choir:  My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of

understanding.

 

Reader: The Reading is from the Second Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to Timothy: 

[II Tim 4:5-8 (§ 298); Col. 2:8-12 (§254); Heb. 7:26-8:2 (§318)]

 

Reader: Alleluia in the 8th Tone: God be gracious unto us and bless us.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader: Cause His face to shine upon us and have mercy on us..

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader:  O Shepherd of Israel attend, Thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

Gospel [Mk 1:1-8 (§ 1); Luke 2:20-21, 40-52 (§6); Luke 6:17-23 (§24)].

 

Instead of “It is truly meet…”[Tone 8 in the Octoechos, but usually sung to one of

many special melodies]:

All creation – the assembly of angels and the race of man – rejoiceth in thee, O thou who

art full of grace, O sacred temple and noetical paradise, boast of virgins, from whom 

God, Who existeth from before time, was incarnate and became a child; for He made thy

body a throne, and thy womb He made more spacious than the heavens.  All creation

rejoiceth in thee, O thou who art full of grace.  Glory to thee!

 

Communion Verse:

Praise the Lord in the heavens, praise Him in the highest!  In everlasting remembrance

shall the righteous be; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings.  Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

 

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