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Hieratikon

Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Menaion - December 30

Memory of the Holy Martyr Anysia, and our Devout Mother Melanie

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LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

An optional alternative to the Antiphons are the Typika (Psalms 102 and 145), and the Beatitudes with the appointed troparia, which are provided here.

Psalm 102.

Psalm 145.

   

The Beatitudes.

Mode 1.

In Your kingdom. Remember us, O Lord, when You come in Your kingdom. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [RSV]

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. [RSV]

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. [RSV]

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. [RSV]

Iambic Canon.

From Menaion - - -

Ode iii. Mode 1. Incline Your ear.

Νεῦσον πρὸς ὕμνους.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. [RSV]

Even as they watched over their flock by night, * Shepherds were granted an unimaginable sight * Of angelic hosts praising Christ the King, * Novelly incarnate without seed, the all-holy Child * Of the all-pure Virgin; and they were mystified. [GOASD]

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. [RSV]

Even as they watched over their flock by night, * Shepherds were granted an unimaginable sight * Of angelic hosts praising Christ the King, * Novelly incarnate without seed, the all-holy Child * Of the all-pure Virgin; and they were mystified. [GOASD]

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. [RSV]

From the heights of heaven, which He rules as King, * God the Logos, hitherto immaterial, now in the womb * Of the yet unwed Virgin assumes material flesh, * Determined to draw fallen first-formed Adam to himself, * Becoming like us in His profound compassion. [GOASD]

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [RSV]

From the heights of heaven, which He rules as King, * God the Logos, hitherto immaterial, now in the womb * Of the yet unwed Virgin assumes material flesh, * Determined to draw fallen first-formed Adam to himself, * Becoming like us in His profound compassion. [GOASD]

Iambic Canon.

From Menaion - - -

Ode vi. Mode 1. Gripped in the gorges.

Ναίων Ἰωνᾶς.

Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely [for my sake]. [RSV]

Our nature was unable to preserve its original * Regal image. Seeing this from heaven the divine * Logos and God, who was with God in the beginning, * Demeaning himself now strengthens it and renders it * Free again from passions, by a second communion. [GOASD]

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. [RSV]

Our nature was unable to preserve its original * Regal image. Seeing this from heaven the divine * Logos and God, who was with God in the beginning, * Demeaning himself now strengthens it and renders it * Free again from passions, by a second communion. [GOASD]

Glory.

Raising us up as sons, He who descended from the loins * Of Abraham came for us, prone to decline and fallen * Miserably into the darkness of sins, dwelling as He does * Properly in light and now beneath Him in a manger, * As He was well pleased to do, for humanity’s salvation. [GOASD]

Both now.

Raising us up as sons, He who descended from the loins * Of Abraham came for us, prone to decline and fallen * Miserably into the darkness of sins, dwelling as He does * Properly in light and now beneath Him in a manger, * As He was well pleased to do, for humanity’s salvation. [GOASD]

   

Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.

Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, who were born of a Virgin. We sing to You, Alleluia.

   

Hymns after the Entrance.

Apolytikion of the Feast.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 4.

Your nativity, O Christ our God, has caused the light of knowledge to rise upon the world. For therein the worshippers of the stars were by a star instructed to worship You, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know You as Orient from on high. Glory to You, O Lord. [SD]

The Apolytikion of the parish church is sung. Then:

   

Kontakion.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 3. Automelon.

Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον.

On this day the Virgin gives * birth to the Super-essential. * To the Unapproachable, * earth is providing the grotto. * Angels sing and with the shepherds offer up glory. * Following a star the Magi are still proceeding. * He was born for our salvation, a newborn Child, the pre-eternal God. [SD]

   

Trisagios Hymn

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

   

THE READINGS

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 63.

The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him. [SAAS]

Verse: Hear my voice, O God, in my supplication. [SAAS]

The Epistle

Tuesday of the 30th Week

The reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews.

Heb. 9:8 – 23

Brethren, the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary is not yet opened as long as the outer tent is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various ablutions, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the Holy Place, through not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Hence even the first covenant was not ratified without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. [RSV]

   

Alleluia. Mode 2. Psalm 91.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 1: The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; he shall be multiplied like the cedar in Lebanon. [SAAS]

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 2: Those planted in the house of the Lord shall blossom forth in the courts of our God.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

The Gospel

Tuesday of the 15th Week of Luke

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Mk. 11:11 – 23

At that time, Jesus entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he over turned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; and he would not allow any one to carry anything through the temple. And he taught, and said to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and sought a way to destroy him; for they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came he went out of the city. As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” [RSV]

   

Hymn to the Theotokos.

It is truly right to bless you, Theotokos, ever blessed, most pure, and Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Logos. We magnify you, the true Theotokos.

   

Communion Hymn. Psalm 111/112.

The righteous will be remembered for ever. Alleluia. [RSV]

   

Hymn after Holy Communion.

Mode 2.

We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the true faith, worshiping the undivided Trinity, for the Trinity has saved us.

   

DISMISSAL

Glory to You, our God, glory to You.

May He who was born in a cave and lay in a manger for our salvation, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, the protection of the honorable, bodiless powers of heaven, the supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist, of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy apostles, of the holy, glorious, and triumphant martyrs, of our righteous and God-bearing fathers, (local patron saint); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.

   

Fasting Rule

Fast Free: All foods allowed.

It is the Twelve Days of Christmas