33rd Sunday after Pentecost / Apodosis of the Nativity & Sunday After Nativity

Beatitudes on 12, Octoechos: 4; Feast: 4, from the first canon of Ode 9; Saints: 4, Ode 6.

 

1.  Remember us, O Christ, Thou Savior of the world, as Thou didst remember the thief

upon the Cross; and account us all worthy of Thy heavenly kingdom, O Thou Who alone

art compassionate.

 

2.  Hearken, O Adam, and rejoice with Eve; for he who of old stripped you both naked,

and by deception hath taken all of us captive, hath been set at nought by the Cross of

Christ.

 

3.  Nailed of Thine own will to the Tree, O our Savior, Thou didst deliver Adam from the

curse which came through the tree, and hast rewarded that which is in Thine image with a

dwelling in paradise, in that Thou art compassionate.

 

4.  Today is Christ risen from the tomb, granting incorruption unto all the faithful; and He

reneweth the joy of the myrrh-bearing women after His suffering and resurrection.

 

5.  A strange and most wonderful mystery do I see: the cave is heaven; the Virgin the

throne of the cherubim; the manger a room, in which Christ, the God whom nothing can

contain, is laid.  Him do we praise and magnify.

 

6. The magi beheld the excellent course of the strange star which was newly appeared,

illumining the heavens and marking the birth of Christ the King in Bethlehem, for our

salvation.

 

7. The star revealed the newborn infant King to the magi who said: “Where is He, for we

have come to worship Him?” But Herod who fought against God, enraged, was troubled,

seeking to slay the Christ.

 

8. Herod inquired concerning the time of the star, following whose course the magi

worshipped Christ with gifts in Bethlehem; but guided thereby to their homeland, they

left the cruel murderer of the infants behind in mockery.

 

9.  Awe-struck, the heavenly hosts stood before the cave, and unable to keep silent,

hymned Thy most pure nativity, chanting: Glory in the highest to the newborn God!

 

10.  Upon Thy throne hast Thou sat, as Thou didst swear unto the prophet David, O

Master, Who camest forth from the fruit of his loins; and unto James didst Thou commit

the throne of the Church, O Christ.

 

11.  David the king is shown to be a wondrous prophet and forefather of the incarnation

of God; and James, the disciple of Jesus, is shown forth as the first bishop.

 

12.  We beseech thee, O Virgin Theotokos: in behalf of thy servants entreat thou Him

Who was incarnate of thee, for we know thee to be our sole intercessor.

 

Troparia

 

Tone 8:  From on high didst Thou descend, O compassionate One; /

to burial of three days hast Thou submitted /

that Thou mightest free us from our passions. //

O our Life and Resurrection, O Lord, glory be to Thee.

 

Glory… Tone 2:  

O Joseph, proclaim the wonders to David the father of our Divine Lord. /

Thou hast seen a Virgin conceive; /

thou hast given glory with the shepherds; /

thou hast worshipped with the Magi; /

and thou hast been warned by an angel.  //

Implore Christ our God to save our souls.

 

Both now… Tone 4:  Thy Nativity, O Christ our God,  /

hath shined upon the world the light of knowledge; /

for thereby, they that worshipped the stars /

were taught by a star /

to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, /

and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on high. //

O Lord, glory be to Thee.

 

The Epistle

 

Reader: The Prokimenon in the 8th Tone:  Let all the earth worship Thee and chant unto

Thee; let them chant unto Thy name, O Most High.

Choir:  Let all the earth worship Thee and chant unto Thee; let them chant unto Thy 
name, O Most High.

Reader:  Shout with jubilation unto the Lord all the earth; chant ye unto His name, give

glory in praise of Him.

Choir: Let all the earth worship Thee and chant unto Thee; let them chant unto Thy 
name, O Most High.

Reader:  The Prokimenon in the 4th Tone: Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of

Israel.

Choir:  Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel.

 

Reader: The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians:

[Galatians 1:11-19 (§200)]

 

Reader: Alleluia in the 1st Tone: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the

firmament proclaimeth the works of His hands.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader: Day unto day poureth forth speech, and night unto night proclaimeth

knowledge.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader: In the 4th tone: Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

Gospel [Matthew 2:13-23 (§4)]

 

Kontakia

 

Glory… Tone 3:  Today divine David is filled with gladness, /

and together with James, Joseph doth offer praise; /

for they rejoice at receiving a crown as kinsmen of Christ, /

and they praise Him who is ineffably born on earth and they cry: //

O Compassionate One, save them that honor Thee.

 

Both now… Tone 3: 

Today the Virgin giveth birth to Him Who is transcendent in essence; /

and the earth offereth a cave to Him Who is unapproachable. /

Angels with shepherds give glory; /

with a star the Magi do journey; //

for our sake a young Child is born, Who is pre-eternal God.

 

Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the

Second Canon of the feast, First Tone:

               Refrain:  Magnify, O my soul, her who is more honorable and more glorious

than the hosts on high, the most pure Virgin Theotokos.

               Irmos:  Better would it be for us to keep silence in fear, for it is without peril;

and it is difficult, O Virgin, to weave complex hymns harmoniously with love.  But grant

us, O Mother, the strength to fulfill our intent.

 

Or according to the current practice of some, the following Irmos is used (with the same

refrain, and in the same tone):

 

A strange and most wonderful mystery do I see: the cave is heaven; the Virgin the throne

of the cherubim; the manger a room, in which Christ, the God whom nothing can contain,

is laid.  Him do we praise and magnify.

 

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