30th Sunday 1fter Pentecost / The Kinsmen of the Lord / Sunday After Nativity

Beatitudes on 12, Octoechos: 4; Feast: 4, Ode 8; Saints: 4, Ode 6.

 

1.  Believing Thee to be God, O Christ, the thief on the cross confessed Thee in a pure

manner, crying out from the depths of his heart:  Remember me in Thy kingdom, O Lord!

 

2.  Together let us hymn as Savior and Creator, Him Who on the Cross budded forth life

for our race and caused the curse which originated from the tree to wither up.

 

3.  By Thy death hast Thou destroyed the power of death, O Christ, and Thou didst raise

up with Thyself the dead of ages past, who now hymn Thee as our true God and Savior.

           

4.  Arriving at Thy tomb, O Christ, the honorable women sought to anoint Thee with

myrrh, O Bestower of life; but an angel appeared to them, crying out: The Lord is risen!

 

5.  The daughter of Babylon carrieth off the captive children of David from Zion to

herself; but now she sendeth her own children, the magi bearing gifts, to the God-

pleasing daughter of David, who prayeth.  Wherefore, chanting, let us sing: Let all

creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

 

6. The harps refused to play their sad songs, for the children of Zion would not sing in a

strange land; but Christ, shining forth in Bethlehem, destroyeth all the falsehood of

Babylon and her musical instruments.  Wherefore, chanting, let us sing: Let all creation

bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

 

7. Babylon received the plunder of the kingdom of Zion and its captive riches; but Christ

draweth its treasures to His Zion, guiding the star-watching kings by a star.  Wherefore,

chanting, let us sing: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

 

8. Having escaped the destruction resulting from man’s being deceived into becoming

divine, like the youths all creation with trembling unceasingly hymneth the Word Who

hath abased Himself, and with fear it offereth meager praise, in that it is corrupt, even

though it hath endured such with wisdom.

 

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 & Kontakia

 

Tone 5:  Let us, O faithful, praise and worship the Word /

Who is co-unoriginate with the Father and the Spirit, /

and Who was born of the Virgin for our salvation; /

for He was pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh /

and to endure death, //

and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

The Epistle

 

Reader: The Prokimenon in the 5th Tone: Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt

preserve us from this generation and for evermore.

Choir:  Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt preserve us from this generation and for

evermore.

Reader:  Save me, O Lord for a righteous man there is no more.

Choir:  Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt preserve us from this generation and for

evermore.

Reader:  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 5th Tone: Of Thy mercies, O Lord, will I sing for ever.  Unto generation and generation will I declare Thy truth with my mouth.

Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reader:  For Thou hast said: Mercy shall be built up for ever, in the heavens shall Thy truth be established.

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)]

 

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.

 

Communion Verse:  Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! 

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright.  Alleluia, Alleluia,

Alleluia!

 

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