Eve of Theophany / MM
Theopemptus and Theonas & St. Syncletica
Vespers: Priest: Blessed is our God. Reader: O come let us worship.* Psalm 103. Great Litany.
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)
There is no entrance; O Gladsome
Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 4:
The Lord will hearken unto me.
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;
Dismissal of the day.
* If the 9th Hour is not
read, then the full beginning of Vespers is read.
Small Compline: Canon of the Forefeast (He Who of
old). After the Trisagion prayers, the Kontakion of the Forefeast (In the streams of the Jordan).
Daily
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: Forefeast x2 (The River
After each Kathisma: Small
Litany, Sessional hymns 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: the 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.
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).
Entry 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.