The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
Great Vespers: Blessed is the man.
Lord I
have Cried, Tone 6: Feast 8 (Today God, Who resteth
on the noetic thrones);
G/N: Feast (Today God, Who resteth on the
noetic thrones).
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 (Today is the beginning of our salvation);
G/N Feast (On the right excellent day of
our feast).
Aposticha: Feast (The joy of the whole world); G/N: Feast
(Come, all ye faithful).
Troparia: Feast (Thy nativity, O Theotokos Virgin) 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, and we honor thy holy parents and
we glorify thine all-glorious nativity. Verse: Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness.
Sessional hymn of the Feast: Let heaven rejoice, and let the earth be
glad; G/N: Be thou renewed, O Adam.
Hymns of Ascents, First
Antiphon, Tone 4: From my youth.
Prokimenon of the Feast, Tone
4: I shall commemorate thy name.
Matins Gospel: Luke
1:39-49,56 (§4).
Psalm 50; G: Through the prayers of the Theotokos; N:
Repeat; Have mercy on me, O God; This is
the day of the Lord. Save, O God,
Thy people.
Canon: Feast (both
canons) 12 Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Irmoi of the feast (twice): Come, O ye people. & To Him who crushed battles.
Katavasia: Inscribing the invincible weapon of the
Cross.
After Ode 3, Sessional hymn of the Feast (Like a cloud of light hath the Virgin Mary).
After Ode 6, Kontakion (Joachim and Anna were freed) and Ikos of the Feast.
At Ode 9, we do not
sing More Honorable. We instead sing
the refrains of the Feast: Magnify, O my soul, the all-glorious
nativity of the Mother of God, and the Irmos and Troparia of the first
canon of the feast, and the refrain of the second canon, and its Irmos and
troparia.
Exapostilarion: Feast (Today the Theotokos) x2 G/N: Feast (Be thou renewed, O Adam).
Praises, Tone 1: Feast 4 (O wondrous miracle); G/N: Feast (This is the day of the Lord). 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.
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: Phil. 2:5-11 (§240).
Alleluia,
Tone 8.
Gospel: Luke
10:38-42;11:27-28 (§54).
Instead of It is truly meet, we sing the refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the most glorious
nativity of the Mother of God, with the Irmos of the Ninth Ode, second
canon (Foreign to mothers is virginity).
Communion Hymn: I will take the cup of salvation.
Festal Dismissal.