The Feast of the Nativity of the Lord
The Vigil
Great Compline (with Litia): The Priest in Phelonion exclaims: Blessed is our God, and censes the
entire church. Reader: Amen. And the
order of Great Compline continues with the singing of God is with us (The Royal Doors are opened during the singing of God is with us, and at the troparion,
and at the Kontakion).
After the first Trisagion:
Troparion of the Feast (Thy Nativity, O
Christ our God).
After the second Trisagion:
Kontakion of the Feast (Today the Virgin
giveth birth).
After the Doxology: Litia:
Feast (Heaven and earth are glad today); G: Feast (The magi, kings of
Aposticha: Feast (A great and most glorious wonder is wrought
today); G: Feast (Rejoice, O
Jerusalem); N: Feast (Thou madest
Thine abode within a cave).
Now lettest Thou Thy servant, Trisagion to Our
Father. Troparia: Feast x3. Blessing of the Bread.
Blessed be the name of the Lord x3. Psalm 33: to …but
they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good thing. Priest: The blessing of the Lord. And the reader
begins the Six Psalms.
Matins: God
is the Lord, Tone 4; Troparia: Feast x2 G/N: Feast.
After each Kathisma:
Sessional hymns of the Feast.
Polyeleos and Magnification
of the Feast: We magnify Thee, O Christ, the Giver of life, Who
for our sake now art born in the flesh of the unwedded and most pure Virgin
Mary. Psalm verse: Shout with
jubilation unto the Lord all the earth; chant ye unto
His name, give glory in praise of Him.
Sessional hymns of the Feast
(Come, ye faithful, let us behold where
Christ was born).
Hymns of Ascents, First
Antiphon, Tone 4:
From my youth.
Prokimenon of the Feast, Tone
4: From the womb before the morning-star.
Matins Gospel: Matt. 1:18-25 (§2).
Psalm 50; G: All things are filled; N: All things have been filled; Have mercy on me, O God; Sticheron of
the Feast (Glory to God in the highest).
Save, O God, Thy people.
Canon: Feast (2
Canons) 12 Glory to Thee, our God, glory to
Thee.
Irmoi: Christ
is born & Of old the Master (Each Irmos is repeated
twice).
Katavasia: The Irmoi of both canons.
After Ode 3, Hypakoe of the Feast (The sky hath brought the firstfruits).
After
Ode 6, Kontakion (Today the Virgin) and Ikos of the Feast.
At Ode 9, we do not sing More Honorable. We instead sing the refrains of the Feast, with the
canon of the feast: Magnify, O my soul, her who is more honorable and more glorious than
the hosts on high, the most pure Virgin Theotokos; and the others.
Exapostilarion: Feast (From on high our Savior, the Dayspring of
the East) x3.
Praises, Tone 4: Feast 4 (Be glad, O ye righteous); G: Feast (When the time arrived); N: Feast (Today Christ is born of the Virgin in
Hours:
Troparion: Feast; Kontakion: Feast.
Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, which is served early due to the labor of the vigil.
The Festal Antiphons are sung
in place of the usual Typical Psalms and Beatitudes.
At the entrance, the deacon (or priest if there is no deacon) says
the Festal Introit in place of the usual O
come let us worship: From the womb before the morning star have I
begotten Thee. The Lord hath sworn and will not repent: Thou art a priest
forever, after the order of Melchizedek. And immediately the Troparion
of the Feast; G/N: Kontakion of the Feast.
Instead of the Trisagion: As many as have been baptized into Christ.
Prokimenon, Tone 8: Let all the earth worship Thee and chant
unto Thee.
Epistle: Gal. 4:4-7 (§209).
Alleluia,
Tone 1.
Gospel: Matt. 2:1-12 (§3).
Instead of It is truly meet, we sing the refrain Magnify, O my soul, with the Irmos of the second canon of the ninth
Ode (Better would it be for us to keep
silence in fear).
Communion Hymn: The Lord hath sent redemption unto His
people.
And the Festal Dismissal: May
Christ our true God, Who was born in a cave, and lay in a manger for our
salvation.