The First and Second Finding of the Head of the Forerunner

Vespers: Priest: Blessed is our God. Reader: O come let us worship.* Psalm 103. Great Litany. Kathisma 6.

Lord I have Cried, Tone 5, on 6: Forerunner 6 (Rejoice, O sacred and light-bearing head); G: Forerunner (The divinely preserved head); N: Dogmatic Theotokion, Tone 6 (Who doth not call thee blessed).

Entry; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 4: The Lord will hearken unto me.

3 Readings for the Forerunner.

Vouchsafe, O Lord. Litany: Let us complete our evening prayer.

Aposticha: Triodion (Let us make haste to wash away); G: Forerunner (Like a most precious shrine); N: Theotokion, Tone 2 (O new wonder).

Now lettest Thou Thy servant. Trisagion to Our Father.

Troparia: Forerunner (The head of the Forerunner); G/N: Resurrectional Theotokion, Tone 4 (The mystery hidden). Litany: Have mercy on us, O God. Deacon: Wisdom! Choir: Father bless! Priest: He who is, is blessed. Choir: Amen. Establish, O 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! Usual Dismissal.

* If the 9th Hour is not read, then the full beginning of Vespers is read.

Matins: The Priest stands in front of the Holy Table with the censer: Blessed is our God. Reader: Amen. [If there was no Midnight Office, the Reader continues with O Heavenly King, then:] Trisagion to Our Father. Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom. Reader: Amen. Psalms 19 and 20, during which the Priest censes the temple. Litany and the exclamation Glory to the Holy. The Six Psalms.

God is the Lord, Tone 4; Troparia: Forerunner (The head of the Forerunner) x2; G/N: Resurrectional Theotokion, Tone 4 (The mystery hidden).

After the first Kathisma: Sessional hymns from the Triodion.

After the second Kathisma: Sessional hymns of the Forerunner.

Polyeleos and Magnification of the Forerunner: We magnify thee, O John, baptizer of the Savior, and we all honor the severing of thy venerable head. Psalm verse: Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, in His commandments shall he greatly delight.

Sessional hymn of the Forerunner (Like a pearl); G/N: Theotokion (We ever give thee thanks). Hymns of Ascents, First Antiphon, Tone 4: From my youth. Prokimenon of the Forerunner, Tone 4: There will I make to spring forth a horn for David, I have prepared a lamp for my Christ.

Matins Gospel: Luke 7:17-30 (§31).

Psalm 50; G: Through the prayers of the Forerunner; N: Through the prayers of the Theotokos; Have mercy on me, O God; Sticheron of the Forerunner (The precious head of the Baptist of Christ). Save, O God, Thy people.

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

Theotokos 6 Most holy Theotokos, save us.*

Forerunner 8 Holy Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.

Irmos: Having passed through the water as on dry land.

Katavasia: I shall open my mouth.

Canon, Ode 2:

Triodion 10 Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Irmos: The Irmos of the first canon of the Triodion.

Katavasia: The Irmos of the second canon of the Triodion.

Canon, Odes 8, 9:

Forerunner 6 Holy Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.

Triodion 8 Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Irmos of the canon of the Forerunner.

Katavasia: The Irmos of the second canon of the Triodion.

After Ode 3, Sessional hymn of the Forerunner (Like a treasure laid up in a hiding place); G/N: Theotokion (Mystically receiving in his mind).

After Ode 6, Kontakion (O prophet of God and Forerunner of grace) and Ikos of the Forerunner.

At Ode 9, More Honorable.

Exapostilaria: Forerunner (Thy precious and luminous head) x2; G/N: Theotokion (The divinely wise assembly of the faithful).

The Praises (all the verses are read, down to Praise Him for His mighty acts), with 4 stichera of the Forerunner (They most precious head), G: Forerunner (Faithfully receiving); N: Theotokion (O right loving God and Savior). Small Doxology is read; Litany: Let us complete our morning prayer.

Aposticha of the Triodion (O peoples, let us greet the Fast) with the usual refrains; G: Forerunner (The precious head of the Baptist of Christ – written after the Matins Gospel); N: Theotokion (Great gifts wast thou vouchsafed – See The Common Theotokia: Theotokia in the Eight Tones in the Appendix of the Menaion). It is good to give praise x1; Trisagion prayers; Troparia: Forerunner (The head of the Forerunner); G/N: Resurrectional Theotokion, Tone 4 (The mystery hidden).

Litany: Have mercy on us, O God. Deacon: Wisdom! Choir: Father bless! Priest: Establish, O God. Then immediately the First Hour, with the Daily Dismissal at the end.

*From the Supplicatory canon of the Theotokos: Distressed by many temptations.

Hours: Troparion: Forerunner; Kontakion: Forerunner.

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: Beatitudes on 8: Forerunner: 4 from Ode 3; 4 from Ode 6.

After the entrance: In a Temple of the Lord, or of the Theotokos: Troparion of the Temple; Forerunner; G: Kontakion of the Forerunner; N: Kontakion of the Temple.

In a Temple of a Saint: Troparion of the Forerunner; Temple; Kontakion of the Forerunner; G: Kontakion of the Temple; N: O Protection of Christians.

Prokimenon, Tone 7: The righteous man shall rejoice in the Lord.

Epistle: Jude 1:1-10 (§77); II Cor. 4:6-15 (§176).

Alleluia, Tone 4.

Gospel: Luke 22:39-42,22:45-23:1 (§109); Matt. 11:2-15 (§40).

Communion Hymn: In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be.

Usual Dismissal.