The Circumcision of the Lord / St
Basil the Great
Beatitude
Verses: Ode 3 of the Feast: 4; Ode 6 of the Saint: 4
1&2. The
transcendent Word Who became incarnate hath been circumcised, that the law might
cease; and He hath given us the beginning of divine grace and life
incorruptible.
3&4. As the fulfiller of the law, and not as One
opposed to God, Christ showed Himself to be incarnate, and hath deigned of His
own will to be circumcised on the eighth day.
5. Thou didst abundantly feed the souls of the
poor tormented by starvation, O Basil, and didst fill the hearts of the hungry
with all divine gladness.
6. Thou didst richly feed the hungry with
heavenly food; for thy discourse is angelic bread, O Basil, and thou becamest
an excellent issuer of the grain thereof.
7. Like a bee thou didst industriously gather
honey from the flowers of all the virtues, O Basil, and as a wise man thou art
blessed therein.
8. Save thy servants from misfortunes, O Theotokos,
for after God it is to thee that we flee as to an impregnable rampart and
intercession.
Troparia
Tone 1: Thou
Who sittest with the Eternal Father /
on a fiery throne in the heights, /
wast pleased through the Divine Spirit to be born on earth /
of a Virgin Maiden, Thy Mother, O Jesus. /
Wherefore, Thou wast circumcised as a man on the eighth day.
/
Glory to Thine all-gracious will. /
Glory to Thy providence.
//
Glory to Thy condescension, O only Lover of mankind.
Glory… Tone 1:
Thy fame hath gone forth into all the earth, /
which hath received thy word. /
Thereby thou hast divinely taught the Faith; /
thou hast made manifest the nature of created things; /
thou hast made the moral life of men a royal
priesthood. //
O Basil, our righteous father, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.
Both now… Tone 1: Thou
Who sittest with the Eternal Father /
on a fiery throne in the heights, /
wast pleased through the Divine Spirit to be born on earth /
of a Virgin Maiden, Thy Mother, O Jesus. /
Wherefore, Thou wast circumcised as a man on the eighth day.
/
Glory to Thine all-gracious will. /
Glory to Thy providence.
//
Glory to Thy condescension, O only Lover of mankind.
The Epistle
Reader: The
Prokimenon in the 6th Tone: Save,
O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Choir:
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Reader: Unto
Thee, O Lord, Will I cry; O my God, be not silent unto me.
Choir:
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Reader: In the 1st Tone: My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the
meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
Choir: My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the
meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
Reader: The
[Colossians 2:8-12; Hebrews 7:26-8:2]
Reader: Alleluia in the 8th Tone.
Choir:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: O Shepherd of
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: The
mouth of the righteous shall meditate wisdom and his tongue shall speak of judgment.
Choir:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Luke 2:20-21,40-52; Luke 6:17-23]
Kontakia
Tone 4: Thou
didst prove to be an unshakable foundation of the church, /
giving to all mortals an inviolate lordship, /
and sealing it with thy doctrines, /
O righteous Basil, //
revealer of heavenly things.
Glory… Both now... Tone 3: The Lord
of all undergoeth circumcision, /
and in His goodness hath
circumcised the sins of mortals. /
On this day, He giveth the world
salvation. /
And Basil, the hierarch, the
Creator’s light-bearer /
and Christ’s divine mystic, //
rejoiceth in the highest.
Instead of “It
is truly meet…”[Tone 8 in the Octoechos, but usually sung to one of many
special melodies]:
All creation – the assembly of angels and the race
of man – rejoiceth in thee, O thou who art full of grace, O sacred temple and noetical paradise, boast of virgins, from whom God, Who existeth
from before time, was incarnate and became a child; for He made thy body a
throne, and thy womb He made more spacious than the heavens. All creation rejoiceth in thee, O thou who
art full of grace. Glory to thee!