se.m12.d22.li3

Books - Sources

Hieratikon

Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Menaion - December 22

Memory of the Holy Great-martyr Anastasia Pharmakolytria

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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 pl. 2.

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]

Canon for the Forefeast.

Ode iii. Mode pl. 2. N/M (Lord of all and Creator.)

Κύριος ὢν πάντων.

From Menaion - - -

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

Before the hour of darkness drew near, ⁄ Herod raged against Christ the Savior. ⁄ He seeks to kill Him Who pours out His blood for us, ⁄ rejected by the world whose divine Guest He was. ⁄ Anticipating the madness of Pilate, ⁄ the wanton king slays a multitude of children. [OCA]

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

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

O foolish man, lover of darkness, ⁄ crying out: There is no God! ⁄ Seeking to slay Him Who came in the fullness of time, ⁄ in madness you murdered the blameless infants. ⁄ The earth groaned in travail at your deed, ⁄ polluted with innocent blood. [OCA]

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

Canon for the Forefeast.

From Menaion - - -

Ode vi. Mode pl. 2. N/M (The lowest depth.)

Ἄβυσσος ἐσχάτη.

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

Knowing You to be their Lord, ⁄ the heavens declare Your glory, O Savior. ⁄ By a star they summon the Magi to know You, ⁄ who hasten with gifts to worship You. [OCA]

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

Knowing You to be their Lord, ⁄ the heavens declare Your glory, O Savior. ⁄ By a star they summon the Magi to know You, ⁄ who hasten with gifts to worship You. [OCA]

Glory.

Come, mortal men, weighed down with sin and grief; ⁄ come to the Child in the manger. ⁄ Touch Him, and you will be washed whiter than snow, ⁄ for He comes to cleanse the evil passions of the heart. [OCA]

Both now.

Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.

Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.

Hymns after the Entrance.

Apolytikion. For the Forefeast.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 4.

O Bethlehem, prepare, Eden is opened unto all. * And be ready, Ephrata, for the Tree of life * has in the grotto blossomed forth from the Virgin. * Indeed her womb is shown to be spiritually * a Paradise, in which is found the God-planted Tree. * And if we eat from it we shall live, and shall not die, as did Adam of old. * Christ is born, so that He might raise up * the formerly fallen image. [SD]

For the Holy Woman.

Mode 4.

Your maiden Martyr, like a lamb, cries out, “O Jesus, for You, * my pure Bridegroom, I long; and seeking You I compete; * and I am crucified and buried with You in Your baptism. * I suffer for Your sake, that I may reign with You. * I die for You that I may also live in You. * Accept me as an unblemished sacrifice * as I offer myself to You with love.” * At her entreaties and intercessions, * save our souls, O Merciful 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 Maid * goes to the grotto to give birth * to the pre-eternal Word * in an ineffable manner. * Dance for joy, all the inhabited earth, on hearing. * Glorify along with Angels and with the shepherds * Him who willed that He appear as * 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 14th Week of Luke

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Mk. 10:2 – 12

At that time, Pharisees came up to Jesus and in order to test him, asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.” But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” [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 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

Strict: Refrain from meat, fish, oil, dairy, and eggs.

It is the Christmas fast.