The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple

 

Great Vespers: Blessed is the man.

Lord I have Cried, Tone 1 (Let us join chorus today); Feast 8; G/N: Feast (After thy nativity, O Mistress).

Entry; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 6: My help cometh from the Lord.

3 Readings for the Feast.

Litia of the Feast (Let heaven rejoice today from on high); G/N Feast (The day of joy and the most honored feast).

Aposticha: Feast (Rejoice, O heaven and earth); G/N: Feast (Assembling today).

Troparia: Feast (Today is the prelude of God’s good will) x3.

 

Matins: God is the Lord, Tone 4; Troparia: Feast x2; G/N: Feast.

After each Kathisma: Sessional hymns of the Feast.

Polyeleos and Magnification of the Feast: We magnify thee, O most holy Virgin, God-chosen Maiden, and we honor thine entry into the temple of the Lord. Verse: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in His holy mountain.

Sessional hymn of the Feast (Let David the psalmist rejoice).

Hymns of Ascents, First Antiphon, Tone 4: From my youth.

Prokimenon of the Feast, Tone 4: Hearken, O daughter, and see.

Matins Gospel: Luke 1:39-49, 56 (§4).

Psalm 50; G: Today the animate temple; N: Repeat; Have mercy on me, O God; Sticheron of the Feast: (Today the Theotokos). Save, O God, Thy people.

 

Canon: Feast (both canons)              12           Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Irmoi of the Feast (twice): I shall open my mouth.     

Katavasia: Christ is born.*

 

After Ode 3, Sessional hymn of the Feast (Tell us, O David); G/N: Feast (With gladness Mary, the Theotokos).

After Ode 6, Kontakion (The most pure temple of the Savior) and Ikos of the Feast.

At Ode 9, we do not sing More Honorable; instead we sing the refrains of the Feast: The angels beholding the entry of the most pure one were struck with wonder, seeing how the Virgin entered into the Holy of Holies and the Irmos and Troparia of both canons of the feast, with the refrains indicated in the Menaion.

Exapostilarion: Feast (With faith let us praise) x2 G/N: Repeat.

Praises, Tone 1: Feast 4 (The lamp-bearing virgins); G/N: Feast (Today the most immaculate Virgin). After the Great Doxology: Troparion of the Feast; the two remaining Litanies and Festal Dismissal: May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; and of all the saints; First Hour.

 

* The Katavasia, Christ is born, is sung from this day forward, on all Sundays, feasts, and commemorations of great saints through December 31st, the Apodosis of the Nativity of Christ.

 

Hours: Troparion: Feast; Kontakion: Feast.

 

Liturgy: Beatitudes on 8: Feast: 4, from Ode 3, first canon; and 4, from Ode 6, second canon.

At the entrance: O come let us worship and fall down before Christ. O Son of God, through the prayers of the Theotokos, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia; Troparion of the Feast; G/N: Kontakion of the Feast.

Prokimenon, Tone 3: My soul doth magnify the Lord.

Epistle: Heb. 9:1-7 (§320).

Alleluia, Tone 8.

Gospel: Luke 10:38-42;11:27-28 (§54).

Instead of It is truly meet, we sing the refrain: The angels beholding the entry, with the Irmos of the ninth Ode, first canon (Let no profane hand touch the living Ark of God).

Communion Hymn: I will take the cup of salvation.

Festal Dismissal.