The Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos

Tone 4 / Fourth Sunday of Lent

Great Vespers: Blessed is the man.

Lord I have Cried, Tone 4, on 10: Octoechos 4; Feast 6 (Gabriel stood before thee, O Maiden); G/N: Feast (The Archangel Gabriel was sent from heaven).

Entry; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 6: The Lord is King. 5 Readings for the Feast

Litia: Feast 3 (In the sixth month); G: Feast (Let the heavens be glad); N: Feast (Today Gabriel announceth);

Aposticha: Octoechos; G/N: Feast (Today is the joy).

Troparia: Feast (Today is the fountainhead of our salvation) x3.

Matins: God is the Lord, Tone 4; Troparia: Resurrection x2; G/N: Feast (Today is the fountainhead of our salvation).

After each Kathisma: Sessional hymns from the Octoechos.

Polyeleos and Magnification of the Feast: With the Archangel’s voice we cry to thee, O most-pure one: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Evlogitaria (The assembly of angels was amazed).

Hypakoe, Tone 4; all the Sessional hymns of the Feast; Hymns of Ascents, Tone 4.

Prokimenon of the Feast, Tone 4: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God.

Matins Gospel: Luke 1:39-49,56 (§4).

Having beheld the Resurrection; Psalm 50; G: Through the prayers of the Theotokos; N: Repeat; Have mercy on me, O God; Sticheron of the Feast (Today Gabriel). Save, O God, Thy people.

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

Triodion 4 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Feast 6 O Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Irmos of the Canon of the Resurrection, Tone 4.

Katavasia: The Irmoi of the Feast.

After Ode 3, Sessional hymn of the Feast (The Word of God); G/N: Feast (Gabriel, the supreme commander).

After Ode 6, Kontakion (To thee the champion leader) and Ikos of the Feast.

At Ode 9, More Honorable. The Festal verses are not sung.

Holy is the Lord, our God.

Exapostilaria: Resurrection; G: Feast (The supreme commander of the angelic hosts); N: Feast (The mystery of God).

Praises, Tone 4, on 9: Octoechos 4; Feast 4 (Flying down to Nazareth – with the Doxasticon (Today the mystery is revealed) and Psalm verses: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God. & O sing unto the Lord a new song, sing unto the Lord all the earth); and then the verse Arise, O Lord my God, followed by the sticheron in the Triodion: Come, let us work; G: Triodion (Come, let us work); N: Most blessed art thou. After the Great Doxology, the Troparion: Having risen; the two remaining Litanies and Resurrectional Dismissal; after the Dismissal: G/N: Gospel Sticheron; followed by First Hour.

Hours: Troparia: Resurrection; G: Feast; Kontakion: Feast.

Liturgy of St. Basil the Great: Beatitudes on 10: Octoechos 6; Feast 4, from Ode 3.

After the entrance: Troparion of the Resurrection; Feast; G/N: Kontakion of the Feast.

Prokimenon, Tone 4: How magnified are Thy works O Lord. & Tone 4: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings.

Epistle: Heb. 6:13-20 (§314); Heb. 2:11-18 (§306).

Alleluia, Tone 4 & Tone 1 (Octoechos & Feast).

Gospel: Mark 9:17-31 (§40); Luke 1:24-38 (§3).

Instead of All creation rejoiceth, we sing the refrain Proclaim, O earth; with the Irmos of the Ninth Ode of Annunciation (Let no profane hand).

Communion Hymn: Praise the Lord in the heavens. & The Lord hath elected Zion, He hath chosen her to be a habitation for Himself. Resurrectional Dismissal.

Sunday Evening Vespers: As on Cheesefare Sunday.

Lord I have Cried, Tone 3, on 10: Triodion 3 (O ye faithful, let us taken upon ourselves); Feast 4 (During the sixth month); Archangel Gabriel 3 (The great Gabriel); G/N: Feast (The Archangel Gabriel was sent from heaven).

Entry; O Gladsome Light; Great Prokimenon, Tone 8: Turn not Thy countenance away from Thy servant, for I am afflicted; quickly hearken unto me. Attend unto my soul and deliver it.

During the final repetition of the prokimenon, the priest closes the royal doors, removes his phelonion and puts on a dark epitrachilion, and goes out to the Ambon. All the other liturgical covers are likewise changed. Vouchsafe, O Lord.

Then the Litany, Let us complete our evening prayer unto the Lord, with the choir singing the responses according to the penitential Lenten melody.

Aposticha: Triodion (Stichera and verses, beginning with Having planted His vineyard), G/N: Feast (Today is the joy – same as at Vespers on the previous evening).

Now lettest Thou Thy servant. Troparia: O Theotokos and Virgin (with a great prostration); G: O Baptizer of Christ (with a great prostration): N: Plead in our behalf (great prostration); Beneath thy compassion (without a prostration). Lord, have mercy x40; G/N: More Honorable. In the name of the Lord, father bless. Priest: He that is is blessed. Reader: O Heavenly King, strengthen Orthodox Christians. Then the priest says the prayer of St. Ephrem with 3 prostrations, then the Dismissal.