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 8: Behold now, bless ye 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 (2 canons) 12 Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Irmoi of the Feast (twice): I shall open my mouth.
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.