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Hieratikon

Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Menaion - December 23

Memory of the Holy Ten Martyrs in Crete

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LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Antiphon 1. Mode 2.

Verse 1: It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing to Your name, O Most High. [SAAS]

Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.

Verse 2: To proclaim Your mercy in the morning and Your truth at night.

Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.

Verse 3: The Lord my God is upright, and there is no wrongdoing in Him.

Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.

Antiphon 2. Mode 2.

Verse 1: The Lord reigns; He clothed Himself with majesty; the Lord clothed and girded Himself with power. [SAAS]

or:

Verse 1: Come, let us greatly rejoice in the Lord; let us shout aloud to God our savior. [SAAS]

Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.

Verse 2: And He established the world, which shall not be moved.

or:

Verse 2: Let us come before His face with thanksgiving, and let us shout aloud to Him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, a great King over all the earth.

Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.

Verse 3: Holiness is proper to Your house, O Lord, unto length of days.

or:

Verse 3: For in His hand are the ends of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are His. For the sea is His, and He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.

Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Only-begotten Son and Logos of God, being immortal, You condescended for our salvation to take flesh from the holy Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary and, without change, became man. Christ, our God, You were crucified and conquered death by death. Being one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit: Save us.

Antiphon 3.

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]

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 Martyrs.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 3. N/M (You were so beautiful.)

Let us show forth our great praise of Crete ⁄ which brought forth these precious Christians: the pearls of Christ! ⁄ And these blessed ten, the offspring of martyrs, ⁄ who few in number, yet overcame all the deceits of powerful demons. ⁄⁄ Therefore these martyrs of Christ have been crowned with victory! [OCA]

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. Mode 3. Ode ix.

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. [RSV]

Verse: For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. [RSV]

The Epistle

Wednesday of the 30th Week

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

Heb. 10:1 – 18

Brethren, since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? If the worshipers had once been cleansed, they would no longer have any consciousness of sin. But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Consequently, when he came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Lo, I have come to do your will, O God,’ as it is written of me in the roll of the book.” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Lo, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this one had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. [RSV]

Alleluia. Mode pl. 4. Psalm 131.

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 1: Arise, O Lord, into Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness. [SAAS]

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 2: The Lord swore to David this truth, and He shall not reject it, “I shall set upon your throne one from the fruit of your loins.”

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

The Gospel

Wednesday of the 14th Week of Luke

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Mk. 10:11 – 16

The Lord said, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them. [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 115.

I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Alleluia. [SAAS]

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.