14th Sunday After Pentecost /  The Nativity of the Theotokos

Beatitude Verses: Octoechos: 6;  Feast, from Ode 3: 4

 

1.  Believing Thee to be God, O Christ, the thief on the cross confessed Thee in a pure

manner, crying out from the depths of his heart:  Remember me in Thy kingdom, O Lord!

 

2.  Together let us hymn as Savior and Creator, Him Who on the Cross budded forth life

for our race and caused the curse which originated from the tree to wither up.

 

3.  By Thy death hast Thou destroyed the power of death, O Christ, and Thou didst raise

up with Thyself the dead of ages past, who now hymn Thee as our true God and Savior.

                

4.  Arriving at Thy tomb, O Christ, the honorable women sought to anoint Thee with

myrrh, O Bestower of life; but an angel appeared to them, crying out: The Lord is risen!

 

5.  When Thou wast crucified between two condemned thieves, O Christ, one of them

blasphemed Thee and was justly damned, while the other confessed Thee and dwelleth

now in paradise.

 

6.  When they had come to the choir of the apostles, the honorable women cried out:

Christ is risen!  Let us worship Him as Master and Creator.

 

7 & 8.  Having lived blamelessly for God, ye gave birth unto the salvation of all, O

divinely wise parents of her who gave birth to our Creator and God.

 

9.  From a barren woman did the Lord, Who poureth forth life upon all, cause the Virgin

to come forth, in whom He was pleased to make His abode, preserving her incorrupt even

after giving birth.

 

10.  Let us hymn Mary today as the Theotokos, the fruit of Anna, the intercessor and

helper of all, who gave birth to the life-bearing Cluster.

 

Troparia & Kontakia

 

Tone 5:  Let us, O faithful, praise and worship the Word /

Who is co-unoriginate with the Father and the Spirit, /

and Who was born of the Virgin for our salvation; /

for He was pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh /

and to endure death, //

and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.

 

Tone 4: Thy nativity, O Theotokos Virgin, /

hath proclaimed joy to all the world; /

for from thee hath dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, /

annulling the curse, and bestowing the blessing, //

abolishing death and granting us life eternal.

 

Glory… Tone 5:  Unto hades, O my Savior, didst Thou descend, /

and having broken its gates as one omnipotent, /

Thou, as Creator, didst raise up the dead together with Thyself. /

And Thou didst break the sting of death, /

and didst deliver Adam from the curse, O Lover of mankind. /

Wherefore, we all cry unto Thee: //

Save us, O Lord.

 

Both now…

Tone 4:  Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness /

and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death, by thy holy nativity, O immaculate one, /

which thy people, redeemed from the guilt of offenses, /

celebrate, by crying to thee: //

The barren woman giveth birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our life.

 

The Epistle

 

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

inheritance.

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

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

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

Reader: In the 3rd Tone:  My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in

God my Savior.

Choir:  My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

 

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

[Galatians 6:11-18; 2nd Corinthians 1:21-2:4; Philippians 2:5-11]

 

Reader: Alleluia in the 1st Tone: I have raised up one chosen out of my people; with My

holy oil have I anointed him.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader:  For my hand shall be unto Him an ally, and Mine arm shall strengthen him.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader: In the 8th Tone: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

Gospel [John 3:13-17; Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28]

 

Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Second Canon

of the feast, Eighth Tone:

 

Refrain:  Magnify, O my soul, / the most glorious nativity of the Mother of God.

 

Irmos:   Foreign to mothers is virginity, /

and strange is childbirth for virgins, /

yet both were accomplished in thee, O Theotokos. /

Wherefore, we and all generations of the earth //

without ceasing do magnify thee.

 

Communion Verse:

Praise the Lord in the heavens, praise Him in the highest!  I will take the cup of salvation,

and I will call upon the name of the Lord. Alleluia!   Alleluia!  Alleluia!