The
Meeting of the Lord
Beatitudes:
4 from Ode 3, and 4 from Ode 6 of the Feast
1
& 2. The firstborn of the Father before
all ages has appeared from an undefiled Maiden as a firstborn child and He
stretches out His hands to Adam.
3. That He might restore the first-formed man,
who through beguilement had become childish in his mind, God the word has
appeared as a child.
4. The Creator, having become a young child
without undergoing change, has reshaped according to the form of His divinity
our nature, taken from the earth and destined to return to earth once more.
5
& 6. Thou hast been set up in Zion
as a stumbling stone and rock of offense for the disobedient, but unto the
faithful Thou art salvation which cannot be broken.
7. Bearing faithfully the image of Him who begat
Thee before all ages, Thou hast now from pity put on the weakness of mortal
man.
8. Now lettest Thou depart in peace him who
worships Thee as Son of the Most High and Son of the Virgin, God become a
child.
The
entry verse:
The
Lord hath made known His salvation, in the sight of the nations
hath He revealed His righteousness.
Troparion and Kontakion:
Tone
1: Rejoice, thou who art full of
grace, O Virgin Theotokos, /
for from thee hath risen the Sun of Righteousness,
Christ our God, /
enlightening those in darkness. /
Rejoice, thou also, O righteous Elder, /
as thou receivest in thine arms the Redeemer of our
souls, //
Who also granteth unto us the Resurrection.
Glory… Both now… Tone 1:
Thou Who didst sanctify the Virgin’s womb
by Thy birth, /
and didst bless Symeon’s
hands as was meet, /
by anticipation didst even now save us, O
Christ God. /
But grant peace in the midst of wars unto
Thy commonwealth, /
and strengthen Orthodox Christians //
whom Thou hast loved, O only Lover of
mankind.
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
[Heb. 7:7-17
(§316)]
Reader: Alleluia in the 8th Tone.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in
peace, O Master, according to Thy word.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: A light of revelation for the Gentiles,
and the glory of Thy people
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Luke 2:22-40 (§7)]
Refrain: O Virgin Theotokos, thou hope of Christians: //
Do thou protect,
preserve, and save those that hope in thee.
Irmos: In the shadow and the letter of the Law, /
let us, the faithful,
discern a figure: /
every male child that opens
the womb /
shall be sanctified to
God. /
Therefore do we magnify the
firstborn Word and Son of the Father without beginning, /
the firstborn Child of a
Mother //
who hath not known a man.
Communion Verse: I Will take the
cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!