32^nd Sunday After Pentecost / Eve of Theophany / MM Theopemptus and Theonas / Tone 7

Note: The service for St. Syncletica is chanted at Compline.

Great Vespers: Blessed is the man.

Lord I have Cried, Tone 7, on 10: Octoechos 4; Forefeast: 3 (O earth, and ye that are above the earth – from the Vespers Aposticha); Martyrs 3 (Let us hymn the wise Theonas and Theopemptus); G: Forefeast (Make ready, O River Jordan); N: Sunday Dogmatic in the tone of the week.

Entry; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 6: The Lord is King.

Aposticha: Octoechos; G/N: Forefeast (Let the wilderness of the Jordan rejoice).

Troparia: O Theotokos and Virgin x2; Forefeast (The River Jordan was once turned back).

Matins: God is the Lord, Tone 7; Troparia: Resurrection x2; G/N: Forefeast (The River Jordan was once turned back).

After each Kathisma: Sessional hymns from the Octoechos.

Blessed are the blameless; Evlogitaria (The assembly of angels was amazed).

Hypakoe, Hymns of Ascents, and Prokimenon, Tone 7.

Matins Gospel 10, John 21:1-14 (§66).

Having beheld the resurrection; Psalm 50; G: Through the prayers of the apostles; N: Through the prayers of the Theotokos; Have mercy on me, O God; Jesus having risen. Save, O God, Thy people.

Canon: Resurrection 4 Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.

Theotokos 2 O Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Forefeast 4 Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Martyrs 4 Holy Martyrs Theopemptus and Theonas, pray to God for us.

Irmos of the canon of the Resurrection, Tone 7.

Katavasia: The Lord mighty in battle.

After Ode 3, Kontakion and Ikos of the Forefeast (In the streams of the Jordan); Sessional hymns of the Martyrs (Theopemptus, who hath been shown to be); G/N: Forefeast (The great Rain cometh).

After Ode 6, Kontakion and Ikos of the Resurrection.

At Ode 9, More Honorable.

Holy is the Lord, our God.

Exapostilaria: Resurrection; G: Forefeast (When the Jordan beheld Thee); N: Forefeast (He Who in the flesh shone forth).

Praises, Tone 7, on 8: Octoechos 4; Forefeast 4 (Behold! the King, the Hope of Israel – from the Matins Aposticha, with the doxasticon (O John the Baptist) and the Psalm verses); G: Gospel Sticheron; N: Most blessed art thou. After the Great Doxology, the troparion: Today is salvation; the two remaining Litanies and Resurrectional Dismissal; First Hour.

The Hours: Troparia: Resurrection; G: Forefeast; Kontakion: Forefeast & Resurrection, alternating.

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: Beatitudes on 10: Octoechos: 6; Forefeast: 4, from Ode 3.

After entrance: Troparion of the Resurrection, and Forefeast; G: Kontakion of the Resurrection; N: Forefeast.

In a temple of the Theotokos, Troparion of the Resurrection, Forefeast, and Temple; Kontakion of the Resurrection; G: Forefeast; N: Temple.

In a temple of a saint, Troparion of the Resurrection; Forefeast; Temple; Kontakion of the Resurrection; G: Temple; N: Forefeast.

Prokimenon (Sunday before Theophany) Tone 6: Save, O Lord, Thy people.

Epistle: II Tim. 4:5-8 (§298); I Tim 1:15-17 (§280 (mid)).

Alleluia, Tone 8.

Gospel: Mark 1:1-8 (§1); Luke 18:35-43 (§93).

It is truly meet.

Communion Hymn: Praise the Lord in the heavens.

Resurrectional Dismissal.

Note: The Eve of the Theophany of Christ is always a strict fast day; food with oil, but without fish, is allowed after Vespers. But if the Eve falls on a Saturday or Sunday, as it does this year, then after the Liturgy (which is celebrated not with Vespers but in the morning at its usual time), we are allowed to eat bread and some wine prior to Vespers, simply in order to observe the fact that it is Saturday or Sunday – days on which the fast is always relaxed.

Vespers: At 1:00 o’clock (the seventh hour of the day according to the ecclesiastical time): Priest: Blessed is our God. Choir: Amen. Reader: Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee; O Heavenly King; Trisagion, etc.; O come let us worship; Psalm 103; Great Litany; Blessed is the man.

Lord, I have cried, Tone 2: Feast 8 (The forerunner, beholding our Enlightener); G/N: Feast (Thou didst bow Thy head).

Entrance with the Gospel; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 8: Behold now, bless ye the Lord. 13 readings for the Feast.

After the 3^rd reading the Royal Doors are opened, and the reader intones the Troparion: O Thou Who hast created, with its verses, and the choir sings a refrain after each verse; at the conclusion, the reader sings the same refrain. The Royal Doors are closed.

After the 6^th reading the Royal Doors are opened, and the reader intones the Troparion: To sinners and publicans, with its verses, and the choir sings a refrain after each verse; at the conclusion, the reader sings the same refrain. The Royal Doors are closed. After the 13^th reading, the Royal Doors are opened. Small Litany with the exclamation: For holy art Thou.

Prokimenon, Tone 3: The Lord is my light. Epistle: I Cor. 10:1-4 (§143 mid.). Alleluia, Tone 6. Gospel: Luke 3:1-18 (§9).

Litany: Let us all say. Vouchsafe, O Lord. Litany: Let us complete our evening prayer. The prayer at the bowing of the heads, and the exclamation (Blessed and most glorified be the dominion of Thy kingdom). Then, immediately after the exclamation: The voice of the Lord, which is upon the waters, there is a procession, with lighted candles, to the Narthex, or to the place where the Great Blessing of the Waters is to be done, as set forth in the Menaion (See also Festal Menaion: pp. 348ff; Hapgood: pp. 189ff.). And after the blessing is completed, returning, we sing: G/N and the sticheron in Tone 6: O ye faithful, let us hymn. Deacon: Wisdom! Choir: (Father) Bless! And the rest as at the end of daily vespers. Festal Dismissal: May Christ our true God, Who for our salvation deigned to be baptized by John in the Jordan.

After the dismissal a candle is placed in the center of the Church, and the chanters come to the center of the Church and sing the Troparion of the Feast, G/N and the Kontakion of the Feast. We partake of the holy water and the priest goes forth with the water to bless the homes of the faithful.