The Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos

Vespers with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts: No Kathisma (the transfer of the Gifts takes place during the singing of Lord, I have cried, and all the Lamp Lighting prayers should be said by the priest during the reading of Psalm 103 as at a usual Vespers).

Lord I have Cried, Tone 1, on 10: Triodion 5 (As the Lord went to His voluntary passion – from the Praises and Aposticha of the Matins of Holy Monday, Triodion, p. 514ff); Feast: 5 (Gabriel stood before thee); G: Triodion (The serpent found a second Eve – Triodion, p. 516); N: Feast (The Archangel Gabriel).

Entrance with the Gospel; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon, Tone 6: The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion, and mayest thou see the good things of Jerusalem. Reading: Exodus 1:1-20. Prokimenon, Tone 6: We have blessed you in the name of the Lord. Reading: Job 1:1-12; then the 3 readings for the Feast.

Let my prayer arise; Prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian with 3 prostrations. No litany. Gospel: Matthew 24:3-35 (§98 - §101). And the rest of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Dismissal: May Christ our true God, the Lord Who for our salvation went to His voluntary Passion. Wine is allowed at Trapeza.

The Vigil

Great Compline: The priest, vested in a phelonion, proclaims Blessed is our God, and censes the whole church. Reader: Amen. And then we read Great Compline according to its order, singing God is with us. (The Royal Doors are opened for God is with us and for the singing of the Troparion and the Kontakion.)

After the first Trisagion: Troparion of the Feast (Today is the fountainhead of our salvation)

After the second Trisagion: Kontakion of the Feast (To thee the champion leader)

After the Doxology: Litia of the Feast (In the sixth month); G/N: Today Gabriel announceth.

Aposticha: Feast (During the sixth month); G/N: Today is the joy.

Now lettest Thou. Trisagion.

Troparia: Feast (Today is the fountainhead of our salvation) x3.

The Blessing of the Loaves before Blessed be the name, and the rest as at Vespers when a Litia is appointed.

Matins: God is the Lord, Tone 4; Troparia: Feast (Today is the fountainhead of our salvation) x3.

Kathismas 9, 10, and 11.

1st and 2nd Kathismas, without small litanies, followed by the Sessional hymns of the Triodion after each Kathisma.

After the 3rd Kathisma: Small litany, and Sessional hymns of the Feast: The great commander; G/N: Today all creation rejoiceth.

Polyeleos and Magnification of the Feast: With the Archangel’s voice we cry to thee, O most-pure one: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Psalm Verse: O God, give Thy judgment to the king, and Thy righteousness to the son of the king.

Small litany and Sessional hymns of the Feast: Gabriel from heaven; G/N: Gabriel was sent.

Hymns of Ascents, First Antiphon, Tone 4: From my youth.

Prokimenon of the Feast, Tone 4: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God.

Matins Gospel: Luke 1:39-49,56 (§4). *

Psalm 50; G: Through the prayers of the Theotokos; N: Repeat; Have mercy on me, O God; Sticheron of the Feast (Today Gabriel); Save, O God, Thy people.

Canon: Odes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7:

Feast 14 Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Katavasia: Irmos of the Feast.

Odes 8, and 9:

Feast 6 Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Triodion (2 canons) 8 Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Katavasia: After Odes 8, the Irmos from the second canon of the Triodion; but at Ode 9, the Irmos of the Canon of the Triodion, and the refrain and Irmos of the Feast.

After Ode 3, Kontakion of the Triodion (Think, wretched soul), and Ikos; Sessional hymns of the Feast (The Word of God; G/N: Gabriel, the supreme commander).

After Ode 6, Kontakion (To thee the champion leader) and Ikos of the Feast.

At Ode 9, We do not sing More Honorable. We instead sing the refrain of the Feast: O earth, announce glad tidings of great joy! Ye heavens, praise the glory of God; with the canon of the feast, but the usual refrain (Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee) for the troparia from the Triodion.

Exapostilaria: Feast (The supreme commander) x2; G: Triodion (I see Thy bridal chamber); N: Feast (The mystery of God).

Praises, Tone 1: Feast 4 (Flying down to Nazareth); G: Triodion (I slumber in slothfulness of soul – second stichera at the Praises at Matins in the Triodion); N: Feast (Today the mystery is revealed).

After the doxasticon, the priest does not say To Thee glory is due, O Lord our God…, but instead immediately announces Glory to Thee Who hast shown us the light!

The Small Doxology is read.

Litany: Let us complete our morning prayer.

Aposticha of the Triodion: (Into the splendor – first sticheron appointed at the Praises); Psalm verse: We were filled in the morning with Thy mercy, O Lord, and we rejoiced and were glad; Triodion (O my soul, thou hast heard – third sticheron appointed at the Praises); Psalm verse: In all our days, let us be glad for the days wherein Thou didst humble us, for the years wherein we saw evils; Triodion (Come, ye faithful – first sticheron appointed at the Matins Aposticha); Psalm verse: And look upon Thy servants and upon Thy works, and do Thou guide their sons; Triodion (O Bridegroom surpassing all in beauty – third sticheron appointed at the Matins Aposticha); Psalm verse: And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, and the works of our hands do Thou guide aright upon us, yea, the works of our hands do Thou guide aright; Triodion (Behold, my soul the Master entrusts thee – fourth sticheron appointed at the Matins Aposticha); G: Feast (Let the heavens be glad); N: Triodion (When Thou shalt come, O Jesus – second sticheron appointed at the Matins Aposticha).

It is good to give praise unto the Lord x1; Trisagion; Troparion of the Feast.

Litany: Have mercy on us, O God; followed by the Prayer of St. Ephrem, with 3 Great Prostrations.

No dismissal for Matins, but instead the First Hour is begun.

*Note: The Gospel reading appointed for Matins of Holy Tuesday is omitted.

First Hour: No Kathisma. Troparion: Feast; Kontakion: Feast. At the end, three Great Prostrations with the prayer of St. Ephrem. Then immediately (no concluding Trisagion) O Christ, the true Light. Festal Dismissal: May Christ our true God, the Lord Who for our salvation went to His voluntary Passion.

Third Hour: Kathisma 12. Troparion for the Feast; Reading from the Gospel. Kontakion for Holy Tuesday. 3 Great Prostrations, with the prayer of St. Ephrem.

Sixth Hour: Kathisma 13. Troparion for the Feast; the Troparion of the Prophecy; and the Prokimena and reading from the Triodion. Reading from the Gospel. Kontakion for the Feast. 3 Great Prostrations, with the prayer of St. Ephrem.

Ninth Hour: no Kathisma. Troparion for the Feast; Reading from the Gospel. Kontakion for Holy Tuesday. 3 Great Prostrations, with the prayer of St. Ephrem.

Typika: The Typical psalms are not said, but rather, at the conclusion of the 9th hour we read the Beatitudes, quickly, without prostrations. The Creed is not read, but after Both now skip to Remit, pardon, forgive, O God. Our Father. Kontakion of the Day from the Triodion (Think, wretched soul); G/N: Feast. Lord, have mercy. x40; G/N: More honorable. In the name of the Lord, father (master) bless. Priest: God be gracious unto us... Reader: Amen. 3 Great Prostrations, with the prayer of St. Ephrem. O All-Holy Trinity, the Consubstantial Dominion. Priest: Wisdom! Choir: It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos, ever-blessed and most blameless, and Mother of Our God. Priest: Most holy Theotokos, save us. Choir: More honorable. Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ God, our hope, glory to Thee. Choir: G/N; Lord, have mercy. x3; Father, bless. Priest: Dismissal.* Then, we begin Vespers immediately.

* The Typikon says, “Prayer: O All-Holy Trinity and immediately O come, let us worship.” This could be construed to mean that following the prayer, O all-holy Trinity, we immediately proceed with O come, let us worship. But this is implausible. Thus, in the opinion of Rozanov, this is to be understood that as soon as the prayer O All-Holy Trinity is concluded, the Priest gives the opening exclamation of Vespers. Still this is contrary to the way that a Vesperal Liturgy is usually served. The idea here is that the Liturgy is done together with the Hours and the Typika and not as a separate liturgical assembly. Thus, there is no recession after the Dismissal of the Typika and Vespers does not begin with the full beginning, but immediately with O come, let us worship. We find the correct sequence in the 1641 Typikon (f. 467): “Prayer, O All-Holy Trinity and Dismissal. And immediately: O come, let us worship.

Vesperal Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: Priest: Blessed is the kingdom. Choir: Amen. Then, immediately, the Reader says, O come, let us worship; then Psalm 103. No Kathisma.

Lord I have cried, Tone 1, 10 stichera: Triodion: 5 (Into the splendor of Thy saints – from the Praises and Aposticha of Matins, Triodion, p. 527f); Feast: 5 (During the sixth month – the stichera of the Archangel are omitted); G: Triodion (Behold, my soul); N: Feast (The Archangel Gabriel was sent).

Entry with the Gospel; O Gladsome Light.

Prokimenon, Tone 6: Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy holiness. Reading: Exodus 2:5-10. Prokimenon, Tone 4: Behold now, what is so good or so joyous as for brethren to dwell together in unity? Reading: Job 1:13-22.

2 Readings for the Feast, from Exodus and Proverbs.

Small Litany. Exclamation: For holy art Thou, O our God; Trisagion Hymn, as usually done at a Liturgy

Prokimenon of the Feast in Tone 4: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings.

Epistle: Heb. 2:11-18 (§306).

Alleluia, Tone 1.

Gospel: Luke 1:24-38 (§3); Matthew 24:36-26:2 (§102-107).

And the rest of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

Instead of It is truly meet, we sing the refrain Proclaim, O earth; with the Irmos of the 9th Ode of Annunciation (Let no profane hand).

Communion Hymn: The Lord hath elected Zion, He hath chosen her to be a habitation for Himself.

Wine and oil are allowed at trapeza.

Small Compline is chanted with the Three-Ode Canon of the Triodion (for Monday and Tuesday), and the prayer of St. Ephraim with 15 bows is said.