Eve of Theophany & Hieromartyr
Theopemptus and Theonas; St. Syncletica
Vespers: Lord, I have cried, Tone 4, on 6: Martyrs 3 (Let us hymn the wise Theonas and Theopemptus); Saint 3 (Having truly desired the glory of the
fathers); G/N: Forefeast (Make ready,
O River Jordan).
No Entrance; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 8: Behold now, bless ye the Lord.
Aposticha:
Forefeast (O earth, and ye that are above
the earth).
Troparia:
Troparion of the Forefeast (The River
Jordan was once turned back). Litany: Have mercy on us. Usual ending for daily vespers; Daily Dismissal.
Small Compline: Canon of the Forefeast (He Who of old). After the Trisagion to Our Father, the Kontakion of the Forefeast (In the streams of the Jordan).
Daily Matins: God is the Lord, Tone 4: Troparia: Forefeast
x2 (The River Jordan was once turned back); G/N: Forefeast.
After
each Kathisma: Small Litany, Sessional hymns of the Forefeast. Psalm 50.
Canon: Forefeast 6, Glory
to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Martyrs 4,
Holy Martyrs Theopemptus and Theonas, pray to God for us.
Saint 4,
Venerable Mother Syncletica, pray to God for us.
Irmos: Delivered
from bitter bondage. Katavasia: The Irmos of the Canon of St. Syncletica,
after Odes 3, 6, 8, and 9.
After Ode 3, Kontakion (O Christ,
Who in thy Compassion), Sessional hymns of the Martyrs (Theopemptus, who hath been shown to be);
G: Saint (Thou hast transcended); N:
Forefeast (The great Rain cometh). After Ode 6, Kontakion and Ikos of the Forefeast (In the streams of the Jordan). At Ode 9, More Honorable.
Exapostilaria: Forefeast (When the Jordan beheld Thee); G/N:
Forefeast (He Who in the flesh shone
forth).
Praises,
Tone 6: Forefeast 4 (Wherefore dost thou not comprehend); G: Forefeast (Serving the Master
with trembling); N: Forefeast (O ye people, let us chant). The Small Doxology
is read. Litany: Let us complete.
Aposticha:
Forefeast. It is good.
Trisagion. Troparion: Forefeast. Litany:
Have mercy on us. Usual Dismissal. The First Hour is not
joined to Matins, but is read with the other hours the following morning.
Royal Hours: At about 8 a.m. (the second hour of the day according to the ecclesiastical time), the priest, vested in a phelonion, brings out the Gospel through the Royal Doors and sets it upon an analogion in the middle of the Church. Blessed is our God. Reader: Amen. O Heavenly King; Trisagion to Our Father; O come let us worship.
Psalms of each hour (At each hour there are two special psalms and one that is usually read). During the reading of the Psalms there is a censing, beginning at the analogion on which the Gospel was placed. At the First Hour, there is a full censing, which is done by the priest with the deacon (i.e. The Altar and all the temple). At the Third Hour and the Sixth Hour there is a lesser censing, done by the deacon; at the Ninth Hour there is a full censing done by the priest with the deacon. After the psalms, Troparion of the Forefeast, the usual Theotokion, and then the special stichera (troparia with refrains). Let us attend; Prokimenon and the Old Testament Reading; Epistle reading. After the reading of the Epistle: Priest: Peace be unto thee. Reader: And to thy spirit. Deacon: Wisdom! Aright! Let us hear the Holy Gospel. Priest: Peace be unto all. Choir: And to thy spirit. Priest: The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to ____. Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee. Deacon: Let us attend. And the Gospel is read by the priest; then we continue with the reading of the hour (i.e., at the First Hour we read: My steps do Thou direct; at the Third Hour: Blessed is the Lord God; etc.).
At all the hours, we chant the Kontakion of the Forefeast.
At the Ninth Hour, the last sticheron When thy hand touched the all-pure head of the Master is first chanted solemnly, and during its last words the priest, reader and people make three bows from the waist.
Then,
in cathedrals and monasteries, the many years is sung (as found in the
Menaion). Then, regardless of whether the many years is sung, G/N and the same
sticheron again: When thy hand touched
the all-pure head of the Master.
After the completion of the reading of the Gospel at the Ninth Hour, it is taken into the Altar. Then the Royal Doors are closed, and the priest removes his phelonion.
After the prayer of the Ninth Hour (O Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God) we begin Typika with Psalm 102 (Bless the Lord, o my soul) and Psalm 145 (Praise the Lord, O my soul), and the rest according to the usual order.
After The choir of Holy angels and archangels at Both now… we read: Remit, pardon, forgive.[1] Our Father; Kontakion: Forefeast; Lord, have mercy x40; O All-Holy Trinity. Priest: Wisdom! Choir: It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos, ever blessed and most blameless, and Mother of our God (making a bow from the waist). Priest: O Most holy Theotokos, save us. Choir: More honorable than the Cherubim. Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ God, our Hope, glory to Thee. Choir: G/N: Lord, have mercy x3. Father (Master), Bless. And the priest gives the Lesser Dismissal.
Vespers with Liturgy of St. Basil the Great: At 11:00 a.m. (the fifth hour of the day according to the ecclesiastical time): Priest: Blessed is the Kingdom. 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 is not sung.
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 4: The Lord will hearken unto me; and 13 readings for
the Feast.
After
the 3rd 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 6th 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 13th
reading, the Royal Doors are opened. Small Litany with the exclamation: For
holy art Thou. Trisagion.
Prokimenon,
Tone 3: The Lord is my light. Epistle: I Cor..
9:19-27 (§143). Alleluia, Tone 6. Gospel: Luke 3:1-18 (§9).
And then we continue
with the Liturgy of St. Basil, as usual.
At the
Supplicatory Litanies (i.e. “Let us complete our prayer…” and
“Having called to remembrance…”) and the Litany of Thanksgiving (i.e. “Aright! Having
partaken…”) instead of “the whole day” we say “the whole evening.”
Instead of It is truly meet, we sing: All creation
rejoiceth in thee. Communion hymn: Praise the Lord from the heavens.
After the
Prayer behind the Ambo: 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 (Menaion,
vol. 5: pp. 115ff; 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. Blessed
be the name of the Lord x3. Psalm 33: I will bless the Lord
at all times. 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.
Note: There is always a strict fast on the eve of the Theophany; food with oil, but without fish, may eaten after Vespers, which is served in the afternoon.
[1] Since on this day a Liturgy is served, we do not read I believe, Blessed be the name of the Lord or Psalm 33 (I will bless the Lord at all times), as would otherwise be the usual order for Typika.