Fourth Sunday of Great Lent / Annunciation, Tone 4

Beatitudes on 10: Octoechos 6; Feast 4, from Ode 3.

 

1. By the tree was Adam forced to depart from paradise; but by the Tree of the Cross was 
the thief made to dwell in paradise.  For the one by tasting, broke the commandment of 
the creator; while the other, crucified with Him, confessed the hidden God, crying out: 
Remember me in Thy kingdom!
 
2. O Lord Who wast lifted up upon the Cross, Who hast destroyed the power of death and 
as God hast destroyed the record of our sins, grant also the repentance of the thief unto us 
who faithfully serve Thee and cry out to thee, O Christ God Who alone lovest mankind: 
Remember us also in Thy kingdom!
 
3. On the Cross Thou didst tear asunder with the spear the record of our sins; and, 
numbered among the dead, Thou didst bind the tyrant of hades, O Lord Who lovest 
mankind, Who by Thy resurrection hast delivered all from the bonds of hades.  Thereby 
have we been illumined, and we cry to Thee: Remember us also in Thy kingdom!
 
4. O Thou Who alone art immortal, Who wast crucified and as almighty didst arise from 
the tomb on the third day, and hast raised up Adam, the first created: Vouchsafe that I 
also may turn to repentance with my whole heart, and may ever cry out to Thee with 
fervent faith: Remember me, O Savior, in Thy kingdom!
 
5. For our sake He Who is without passion became a man subject to the passions; and, 
nailed of His own will to the Cross, He hath raised us up with Himself.  Wherefore, we 
glorify His Cross, passion, and resurrection, whereby we have been refashioned and 
whereby we also are saved, who cry out: Remember us also in Thy kingdom!
 
6. O ye faithful, let us entreat Him who hath risen from the dead, hath made captive the 
dominion of hades, and wast seen by the myrrh-bearing women and said to them: 
“Rejoice!”, that He deliver from corruption the souls of us who ever cry out to Him with 
the voice of the noble thief: Remember us also in Thy kingdom!
 
7. “A ruler hath failed from Judah!  The following time hath come, wherein Christ, the 
hope of the nations, shall appear!  But tell me: how shall I, who am a virgin, give birth to 
Him?”
 
8. “O Virgin, thou seekest to learn from me the manner of thy conceiving; yet it is 
indescribable.  The Holy Spirit, overshadowing thee, shall accomplish it with His creative 
power.”
 
9. “My first mother, accepting the serpent’s knowledge was driven away from divine 
sustenance; wherefore, I fear thy strange salutation, wary lest I stumble.”
 
10. “I am sent as a divine intercessor to convey to thee the divine counsel.  Wherefore 
fearest thou me who am even more in fear of thee, O most immaculate one?  Why dost 
thou render homage to me who render homage to thee with honor, O Mistress?”
 
Troparia 
 
Tone 4:  Having learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the angel, /
and having cast off the ancestral condemnation, /
the women disciples of the Lord spake to the apostles exultantly: /
Death is despoiled and Christ God is risen, //
granting to the world great mercy.
 

Glory… Both now… 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.

 

The Epistle

 

Reader: The Prokimenon in the 4th Tone: How magnified are Thy works O Lord! In

wisdom hast Thou made them all.

Choir:  How magnified are Thy works O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.

Reader: Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, Thou hast been magnified

exceedingly.

Choir:  How magnified are Thy works O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.

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

[Heb. 6:13-20 (§314); Heb. 2:11-18 (§306)]

 

Reader: Alleluia in the 4th Tone: Bend Thy bow, and proceed prosperously, and be king,

because of truth and meekness and righteousness.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader:  Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader: In the 1st Tone: He shall come down like rain upon a fleece, and like raindrops

that fall upon the earth.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

Gospel [Mark 9:17-31 (§40); Luke 1:24-38 (§3)]

 

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 “All creation rejoiceth…” 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.

 

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