The Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos

Vespers: No Kathisma.

Lord I have Cried, Tone 2 (Come, let us rejoice in the Lord): Feast 6; G/N: Feast (Glory to God in the highest).

Entry, Great Prokimenon, Tone 7: What god is as great as our God.

Aposticha: Feast (An all-glorious mystery); G/N Feast (The shepherds hastened to Bethlehem).

Troparia: Feast (Thy nativity, O Christ our God) x1

Festal Dismissal: May Christ our true God, Who was born in a cave, and lay in a manger for our salvation.

Small Compline: The canon of the Theotokos is omitted. The canon and stichera of Hieromartyr Euthymius. After the Trisagion: Kontakion of the Synaxis of the Theotokos (He that was born before the morning star).

Midnight Office: After the first Trisagion following the Kathisma, Troparion of the Feast (Thy Nativity, O Christ our God). After the second Trisagion, the Kontakion of the Synaxis.

The prayer, Remember, O Lord…, is omitted.

Matins: God is the Lord, Tone 4; Troparia: Feast x2; G/N: Feast

After each Kathisma: Sessional hymns of the Feast.

Psalm 50.

Canon: Feast (both 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, Kontakion (Today the Virgin) and Ikos of the Feast; Hypakoe of the Feast (The sky hath brought the firstfruits).

After Ode 6, Kontakion (He that was born before the morning star) 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 (Today invisible nature is joined to men); N: Feast (Today Christ is born of the Virgin in Bethlehem). After the Great Doxology: Troparion of the Feast; The two remaining Litanies, and the Festal Dismissal: May Christ our true God, Who was born in a cave, and lay in a manger for our salvation; First Hour.

Hours: Troparion: Nativity; Kontakion: Synaxis.

Liturgy: Beatitudes on 8: Feast: 4, from Ode 3, first canon; Feast: 4, from Ode 6, second canon.

At the entrance: O come let us worship and fall down before Christ. O Son of God, who wast born of the Virgin, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia; Troparion of the Nativity; G/N: Kontakion of the Synaxis.

Prokimenon, Tone 3: My soul doth magnify the Lord.

Epistle: Heb. 2:11-18 (§306).

Alleluia, Tone 8.

Gospel: Matt. 2:13-23 (§4).

Instead of It is truly meet, we sing the refrain Magnify, O my soul, with the Irmos of the ninth Ode, second canon (Better would it be for us to keep silence in fear).

Communion Hymn: The Lord hath sent redemption unto His people. Festal Dismissal: May Christ our true God, Who was born in a cave, and lay in a manger for our salvation.