The Sunday of the Holy Fathers / Forefeast of the Nativity of the Lord

28th Sunday after Pentecost / Tone 3

Great Vespers: Blessed is the man.

Lord I have Cried, Tone 3, on 10: Resurrection 4; Forefeast 3 (The never-setting Sun); Fathers 3 (Unto the ends of the earth); G: Fathers (Daniel, the man of divine desires); N: Forefeast (Splendidly adorn thyself, O cave).

Entry; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 6: The Lord is King. 3 Readings for the Fathers.

Aposticha: Octoechos; G: Fathers (Rejoice, ye honorable prophets); N: Forefeast (Behold, the hour of our salvation draweth nigh).

Troparia: O Theotokos and Virgin x2; Fathers (Great are the achievements of faith) x1.

Matins: God is the Lord, Tone 3; Troparia: Resurrection x2; G: Fathers; N: Forefeast (Make ready, O Bethlehem).

After each Kathisma: Sessional hymns from the Octoechos.

Blessed are the blameless; Evlogitaria (The assembly of angels was amazed).

Hypakoe; Hymns of Ascents, and Prokimenon, Tone 3.

Matins Gospel 6, Luke 24:36-53 (§114).

Having beheld the resurrection; Psalm 50; G: Through the prayers of the apostles; N: Through the prayers of the Theotokos; Have mercy on me, O God; Jesus having risen. Save, O God, Thy people.

Canon: Resurrection 4 Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.

Forefeast 4 Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Fathers 6 Holy Fathers, pray to God for us.

Irmos of the Canon of the Resurrection, Tone 3.

Katavasia: Christ is born.

After Ode 3, Hypakoe of the Fathers (An Angel bedewed the children in the furnace).

After Ode 6, Kontakion (Rejoice, O Bethlehem) and Ikos of the Fathers.

At Ode 9, More Honorable.

Holy is the Lord, our God.

Exapostilaria: Resurrection; G: Fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob); N: Theotokion in the Menaion (Wondrous hath this been).

Praises, Tone 3, on 8: Resurrection 4; Fathers 4 (Lift up thy voice, O Zion – with the Psalm verses in the Menaion); G: Fathers (The compilation of the teachings of the Law); N: Most blessed art thou. After the Great Doxology, the Troparion: Today is salvation; the two remaining Litanies and Sunday Dismissal. After the dismissal: G/N: Gospel Sticheron; followed by First Hour.

Hours: Troparia: Resurrection, G: Fathers & Forefeast, alternating; Kontakion: Fathers & Forefeast, alternating.

Liturgy: Beatitudes on 12, Octoechos: 4; Fathers: 4, Ode 3; Forefeast: 4, Ode 6.

After the entrance: Troparia Resurrection; Fathers; Forefeast; G: Kontakion of the Fathers; N: Kontakion of the Forefeast.

Prokimenon, Tone 4: Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers.

Epistle: Heb. 11:9-10,17-23,32-40 (§328).

Alleluia, Tone 4.

Gospel: Matt. 1:1-25 (§1).

Communion Hymn: Praise the Lord in the heavens, & Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.

Resurrectional Dismissal.