31st Sunday after Pentecost / The Kinsmen of the Lord /
Sunday After Nativity
Beatitudes on 12, Octoechos: 4; Feast: 4,
Ode 5; Saints: 4, Ode 6.
1. Remember me
when Thou comest in Thy kingdom, O God my Savior, and save me, for Thou alone
lovest mankind.
2. By a tree was
Adam deceived; yet again by the Tree of the Cross was the thief saved, who
cried out: Remember me in Thy kingdom, O Lord!
3. O Bestower of
life, Who hadst broken down the gates and portals of hades, Thou hast saved all
who cry out to Thee, O Savior: Glory to Thine arising!
4. O Thou Who by
Thy burial hast made death captive, and by Thy resurrection hast filled all
with joy: remember me, in that Thou art compassionate.
5. Submitting to
be recorded among Thy servants at the command of Cæsar, Thou hast freed us
slaves from the enemy and sin, O Christ; and having abased Thyself for us, Thou
hast made our clay divine through Thy union and sharing therein.
6. Behold, the Virgin hath conceived in her womb, as was
foretold of old, and hath given birth to God made man, yet remaineth
virgin. O sinners who for her sake have
been reconciled with God, let us faithful hymn her as the true Theotokos.
7. By His coming in the flesh the Master hath again cut
down the cruel enmity directed against us, that He might destroy the
soul-destroying ruler, uniting the world with the immaterial beings, making the
Begetter accessible to creation.
8. The people who of old were benighted have finally seen
the light of the radiance of the Most High; and the Son bringeth the nations to
the Father as an inheritance, bestowing ineffable grace where sin once flourished
exceedingly.
9. Awe-struck, the
heavenly hosts stood before the cave, and unable to keep silent, hymned Thy
most pure nativity, chanting: Glory in the highest to the newborn God!
10. Upon Thy
throne hast Thou sat, as Thou didst swear unto the prophet David, O Master, Who
camest forth from the fruit of his loins; and unto James didst Thou commit the
throne of the Church, O Christ.
11. David the king
is shown to be a wondrous prophet and forefather of the incarnation of God; and
James, the disciple of Jesus, is shown forth as the first bishop.
12. We beseech
thee, O Virgin Theotokos: in behalf of thy servants entreat thou Him Who was
incarnate of thee, for we know thee to be our sole intercessor.
Troparia & Kontakia
Tone 6: Angelic hosts were above Thy tomb, /
and
they that guarded Thee became as dead. /
And
Mary stood by the grave seeking Thine immaculate body. /
Thou
didst despoil hades and wast not tempted by it. /
Thou
didst meet the Virgin and didst grant us life.
//
O
Thou Who didst rise from the dead, O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Tone 4: Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, /
hath shined upon the world the light of knowledge; /
for thereby, they that worshipped the stars /
were taught by a star /
to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, /
and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on high. //
O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Tone 2:
O Joseph, proclaim the wonders to David the father of our Divine Lord. /
Thou hast seen a Virgin conceive; /
thou hast given glory with the shepherds; /
thou hast worshipped with the Magi; /
and thou hast been warned by an angel. //
Implore Christ our God to save our souls.
Glory… Tone 3: Today divine David is filled with gladness, /
and together with James, Joseph doth offer praise; /
for they rejoice at receiving a crown as kinsmen of Christ, /
and they praise Him who is ineffably born on earth and they cry: //
O Compassionate One, save them that honor Thee.
Both now… Tone 3:
Today the Virgin giveth birth to Him Who is transcendent in essence; /
and the earth offereth a cave to Him Who is unapproachable. /
Angels with shepherds give glory; /
with a star the Magi do journey; //
for our sake a young Child is born, Who is pre-eternal God.
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 4th Tone: Wondrous is God in His
saints, the God of Israel.
Choir: Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of
Israel.
Reader: The
[Galatians 1:11-19 (§200)]
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: He shall say unto the Lord:
Thou art my helper and my refuge. He is
my God, and I will hope in Him.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: In the 4th
Tone: Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness.
Choir:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Matthew 2:13-23 (§4)]
Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant
the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Second Canon of the feast, First
Tone:
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, her who is more
honorable and more glorious than the hosts on high, the most pure Virgin
Theotokos.
Irmos: Better would it be for us to keep silence in fear, for it is without peril; and it is difficult, O Virgin, to weave complex hymns harmoniously with love. But grant us, O Mother, the strength to fulfill our intent.
Or
according to the current practice of some, the following Irmos is used (with
the same refrain, and in the same tone):
A
strange and most wonderful mystery do I see: the cave is heaven; the Virgin the
throne of the cherubim; the manger a room, in which Christ, the God whom
nothing can contain, is laid. Him do we
praise and magnify.
Communion Verse: Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!