Feast
of the Dormition of the Theotokos
It should go
without saying that if one has any possible means of traveling to a Church to
attend the liturgy for the feast, 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.
Beatitude Verses: Feast 4 from Ode 3, Canon 1; 4 from Ode 6, Canon 2
[Those following Byzantine practice can replace
the usual antiphons, with the festal antiphons given in the Festal Menaion,
p526ff.]
1 & 2.
The glorious apostles, seeing thee to be a mortal woman, yet, in manner transcending
nature, the Mother of God, O all-immaculate one, with awe touched with their
hands thee who art resplendent in glory, perceiving thee to be a habitation acceptable
to God.
3 & 4.
When God preserved with the glory of His divinity the honor of the
animate ark wherein the Word became flesh, the judgment of retribution overtook
the insolent one through the severing of his audacious hands.
5 & 6.
For thee did Life shine forth, leaving intact the seal of thy
virginity. How, therefore, hast thine
all-pure and life-giving body been permitted to be tempted by death?
7 & 8. As
the temple of Life, thou didst attain life everlasting; for, having given birth
to the hypostatic Life, thou didst pass through death on to life.
Troparion
Tone 1: In
giving birth thou didst preserve thy virginity; /
in thy dormition thou didst not
forsake the world, O Theotokos. /
Thou wast translated unto
life, /
since thou art the Mother of
Life; //
and by thine intercessions
dost thou deliver our souls from death.
The Epistle
Reader: The Prokimenon in the 3rd Tone: My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Savior.
Choir: My soul doth
magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
Reader: For He hath looked upon the lowliness of
His handmaiden; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me
blessed.
Choir: My
soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
Reader: My soul doth magnify the Lord.
Choir: And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior
Reader: The Reading is
from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Philippians:
[Philippians
2:5-11]
Reader: Alleluia in the 2nd Tone.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy
holiness.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David,
and He will not annul it.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Luke 10:38-42;11:27-28]
Kontakion
Tone 2: The grave and death could not hold the
Theotokos, /
who is sleepless in her
intercessions and an unfailing hope in her mediations. /
For as the Mother of Life she
was translated unto life //
by Him Who dwelt in her
ever-virgin womb.
Instead of “It is truly
meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the First Canon of the
feast, First Tone:
Refrain: The angels, having beheld the Dormition of
the Most pure One, /
were struck with
wonder, //
at how the Virgin
went up from earth to heaven.
Irmos: In thee, O
Virgin without spot, /
the bounds of nature are
overcome: /
for childbirth remains virgin
/
and death is betrothed to
life. /
O Theotokos, Virgin after
bearing child and alive after death, //
do thou ever save thine
inheritance.