The Feast of the Annunciation of the Most
Holy Theotokos /The Sunday of the Holy Cross
Beatitudes: 4 from the Octoechos; 4 from Ode 3 of the Feast; 4 from Ode 6 of the Triodion:
1. From paradise didst Thou drive our forefather Adam, who had broken Thy commandment, O Christ; but, O Compassionate One, Thou didst cause to dwell therein the thief who confessed Thee on the cross, crying out: “Remember me, O Savior, in Thy kingdom!” 2. With the curse of death didst Thou condemn us who had sinned, O Lord, Bestower of life; yet having suffered in Thy flesh, O sinless Master, Thou hast granted life unto mortals who cry out: “Remember us also in Thy kingdom!” 3. In rising from the dead, Thou hast raised us up from the passions with Thyself through Thy resurrection, O Lord; and all the power of death hast Thou destroyed, O Savior. Wherefore, with faith we cry out to Thee: “Remember us also in Thy kingdom!” 4. O Thou who as God grantest life, by Thy three days in the tomb Thou didst raise up with Thyself the dead in hell, and as One Who is good Thou hast poured forth incorruption upon all of us who with faith ever cry out: “Remember us also in Thy kingdom!”
5.
“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?”
6.
“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.”
7.
“My first mother, accepting the serpent’s knowledge was driven away from divine
sustenance;
wherefore, I fear thy strange salutation, wary lest I stumble.”
8.
“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?”
9. Thou hast crushed death, O Christ, and risen as a mighty King; Thou hast recalled us from the depths of hell and brought us to the land of immortality, granting us the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven. 10. O ye faithful, let us cry aloud with joy and sing triumphantly to God, as we greet the Cross of the Lord; for it is a fountain of holiness to all those in the world. 11. The words of the Psalmist are fulfilled: for see, we bow before the footstool of Thy most pure feet, O Lord all-powerful, at Thy Precious Cross, the thrice-blessed Wood. 12. O Ewe free from blemish, the greatest wonder of all wonders was revealed in thee: for thou hast borne the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. Entreat Him fervently for those who sing thy praises.
Troparia
Tone 3: Let the heavens be glad; let earthly things rejoice; * for the Lord hath wrought
might with His arm. * He hath trampled down death by death; * the first-born of the dead hath He become. * From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us * and Hath granted to the world great mercy.
Glory… Tone 1: O Lord, save Thy people
and bless Thine inheritance. Grant Thou
victory
unto Orthodox Christians over their enemies, and by the power of Thy Cross do
Thou
preserve Thy commonwealth.
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.
Instead of the Trisagion:
Before Thy Cross we bow down, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify. Thrice Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. And Thy holy Resurrection we glorify. Before Thy Cross we bow down, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify.
The
Epistle
Reader: The Prokimenon 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: O sing unto the Lord a new song, sing unto the Lord all the earth.
Choir: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God.
Reader: In the 6th
Tone: Save, O Lord, Thy people and
bless Thine inheritance.
Choir: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine
inheritance.
Reader: The Reading is from
the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews:
[Hebrews
2:11-18; 4:14-5:6]
Reader: Alleluia 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!
Reader: His name shall be blessed unto the ages,
before the sun doth his name continue.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: In the Same Tone: Remember Thy
congregation which Thou hast purchased
from the beginning.
Choir: Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Luke 1:24-38; Mark 8:34-9:1]
Kontakia
Tone
7: No longer doth the flaming sword guard the gate of Eden, for a strange
extinction hath come
upon it, even the Tree of the Cross.
The sting hath been taken from
death, and the victory
from hades. And Thou, my Savior, didst
appear unto those in
hades, saying: Enter
ye again into Paradise.
Glory…Both now… 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.