15th Sunday After Pentecost / The Nativity of the Theotokos
Beatitude
Verses: Octoechos: 6; Feast, from Ode 3: 4
1. Remember me
when Thou comest in Thy kingdom, O God my Savior, and save me,
for Thou alone lovest mankind.
2. By a tree was Adam deceived; yet again by the Tree of the
Cross was the thief saved,
who cried out: Remember me in
Thy kingdom, O Lord!
3. O Bestower of
life, Who hadst broken down the gates and portals of
hades, Thou hast
saved all who cry out to Thee, O
Savior: Glory to Thine arising!
4. O Thou Who by
Thy burial hast made death captive, and by Thy resurrection hast
filled all with joy: remember
me, in that Thou art compassionate.
5. The
myrrh-bearing women who came to the tomb heard an angel cry out: Christ, Who
hath enlightened all things is
risen!
6. Together let us
all hymn Christ, Who was nailed to the Cross and hath delivered the
world from beguilement.
7 & 8. Having lived blamelessly for God, ye gave
birth unto the salvation of all, O
divinely wise parents of her who
gave birth to our Creator and God.
9. From a barren
woman did the Lord, Who poureth forth life upon all, cause the Virgin
to come forth, in whom He was
pleased to make His abode, preserving her incorrupt even
after giving birth.
10. Let us hymn
Mary today as the Theotokos, the fruit of Anna, the intercessor and
helper of all, who gave birth to
the life-bearing Cluster.
Troparia
Tone
6. Angelic hosts were above Thy tomb, /
and they that guarded Thee
became as dead. /
And Mary stood by the grave seeking Thine immaculate
body. /
Thou didst despoil hades and
wast not tempted by it. /
Thou didst meet the Virgin and
didst grant us life. //
O Thou Who didst rise from the
dead, O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Glory… Both now… Tone 4: Thy nativity, O Theotokos Virgin, /
hath proclaimed joy to all the world; /
for from thee hath dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, /
annulling the curse, and bestowing the blessing, //
abolishing death and granting us life eternal.
The Epistle
Reader: The Prokimenon in the 6th
Tone: O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine
inheritance.
Choir: O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine
inheritance.
Reader: Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry; O my God, be not silent unto me.
Choir: O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine
inheritance.
Reader: 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: The Reading is
from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians:
[Gal. 6:11-18 (§215); II Cor. 4:6-15 (§176);Phil. 2:5-11 (§240)]
Reader: Alleluia in the 1st Tone: I have raised up one chosen out of my people; with My
holy oil have I anointed him.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: For my hand
shall be unto Him an ally, and Mine arm shall
strengthen him.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: In the 8th
Tone: Hearken, O
daughter, and see, and incline thine ear.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [John 3:13-17
(§9); Matt. 22:35-46 (§92); Luke 10:38-42,11:27-28
(§54)]
Kontakia
Tone 6:
Having by His life bestowing hand raised up all the dead
out of the dark abysses, /
Christ God, the Giver of life, hath bestowed the
Resurrection upon the fallen human race; /
for He is the Savior of all, //
the Resurrection, and the Life,
and the God of all.
Glory… Both now…
Tone 4: Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness /
and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death, by thy holy nativity, O immaculate one, /
which thy people, redeemed from the guilt of offenses, /
celebrate, by crying to thee: //
The barren woman giveth birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our life.
Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th
Ode of the Second Canon
of the feast, Eighth Tone:
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul,
/ the most glorious nativity of the Mother of God.
Irmos: Foreign to mothers is virginity, /
and strange is childbirth for virgins, /
yet both were accomplished in thee, O Theotokos. /
Wherefore, we and all
generations of the earth //
without ceasing do magnify thee.