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Portions of Typika for the Annunciation
One way of celebrating
the feast for those who cannot attend the appointed Liturgy
It should go
without saying that if one has any possible means of traveling to a Church to
attend the liturgy for the Annunciation, they should do so. However, if it is not possible for one to do
so, the following is provided so that at least they can participate in the
feast to the extent possible, under such circumstances. The most correct way of doing reader services
for Annunciation would be to do the portions appointed for the Vesperal
Liturgy, but to do them as Vespers only.
However, for those who lack the service books, and/or the knowledge
needed to put that service together; and also for those who follow Byzantine
practice, I present the following texts that can be done in conjunction with
Reader’s Typika.
In place of the
usual antiphons, use the festal antiphons:
The First Antiphon
Stichos 1: O God, give Thy judgment to the
king, and Thy righteousness to the son of the king.
Refrain: Through
the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
Stichos 2: Let the mountains receive peace for the
people, and let the hills receive righteousness.
Refrain: Through
the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
Stichos 3: Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; proclaim
from day to day the good tidings of His salvation.
Refrain: Through
the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
Stichos 4: The Lord hath sworn in truth unto
David, and He will not annul it: of the fruit of thy loins will I set upon thy
throne.
Refrain: Through
the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and
ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Refrain: Through
the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
The Second Antiphon
Stichos 1: He shall come down like rain upon a fleece,
and like rain-drops that fall upon the earth.
Refrain: O Son
of God, incarnate of the Virgin, save us who sing to
Thee: Alleluia.
Stichos 2: The
Most High hath hallowed His tabernacle.
Refrain: O Son
of God, incarnate of the Virgin, save us who sing to
Thee: Alleluia.
Stichos 3: God shall come visibly, yea, our God, and
shall not keep silence.
Refrain: O Son
of God, incarnate of the Virgin, save us who sing to
Thee: Alleluia.
Stichos 4: In His days shall righteousness dawn forth an
abundance of peace, until the moon be taken away.
Refrain: O Son
of God, incarnate of the Virgin, save us who sing to
Thee: Alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and
ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
O only-begotten Son and Word of God, Who art
immortal, yet didst deign for our salvation to be incarnate of the Holy
Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and without change didst become man, and was
crucified, O Christ God, trampling down death by death. Thou Who art one of
the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us.
The Third Antiphon
Reader: Stichos
1: His name shall be blessed unto
the ages, before the sun doth His name continue.
Choir: (Troparion, Tone 4):
Today
is the fountainhead of our salvation * and the manifestation of the mystery
which was from eternity. *
The Son of God becometh the Virgin’s Son, * and Gabriel
proclaimeth the good tidings of grace; * wherefore, we also cry to the
Theotokos with him: * Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, * the Lord is with
thee.
Stichos
2: Blessed is the Lord, the God of
Israel, Who alone doeth wonders.
Choir: Repeat Troparion
Stichos 3: And
blessed is the name of His glory forever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Repeat Troparion
Instead
of “O come let us worship…” the Choir signs the entry
verse:
Proclaim
from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God.
And
immediately after that, the choir sings the Troparion of the feast again.
The Epistle
Reader: The
Prokimenon in the 4th Tone: Proclaim
from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God.
Choir: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God.
Reader: O sing unto the Lord a new song, sing unto the Lord all the earth.
Choir: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God.
Reader. Proclaim from day to day
Choir: the good
tidings of the salvation of our God.
Reader: The Reading is from the Epistle of the
Holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews: [Hebrews 2:11-18]
Reader: Alleluia in the 1st Tone.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader:
He shall come down like rain upon a fleece, and like raindrops that fall
upon the earth.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader:
His name shall be blessed unto the ages, before the sun doth his name
continue.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Luke 1:24-38]
Kontakion
Tone
8: To Thee, the Champion Leader, we Thy servants
dedicate a feast of victory and of thanksgiving as ones rescued out of
sufferings, O Theotokos: but as Thou art one with might which is invincible,
from all dangers that can be do Thou deliver us, that we may cry to Thee:
Rejoice, Thou Bride Unwedded!
Instead of “It is truly
meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of
the Canon of the feast, Fourth Tone:
Refrain: Proclaim,
O earth, good tidings of great joy; ye heavens, praise
the glory of God.
Irmos: Let no profane hand touch the
living Ark of God, but let the lips of the faithful, chanting unceasingly the
words of the angel to the Theotokos, with joy cry out: Rejoice, thou who art
full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
But according to other texts (such
as the Festal Menaion), after the above refrain, we chant instead (also in the
fourth tone):
Let every mortal born on earth, radiant with light,
in spirit leap for joy; and let the host of the angelic powers celebrate and
honor the holy feast of the Mother of God, and let them cry: Rejoice! Pure and blessed
Ever-Virgin, who gavest birth to God.