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Hieratikon

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Menaion - January 2

Forefeast of Epiphany, and Memory of our Father among the Saints Silvester, Pope of Rome.

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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. Joseph marveled.

Κατεπλάγη Ἰωσήφ.

O Zabulon, prepare, and be ready, Nephthalim. * Jordan River, hold your course, and exultantly receive * the Master who is coming to be baptized. * Adam leap for joy with Eve the Foremother. * No longer hide yourselves, as once in Paradise; * for having seen you naked He has appeared * to clothe you in your former vesture. * The Christ has appeared, wishing to renew * the entire creation. [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. Joseph marveled.

Κατεπλάγη Ἰωσήφ.

O Zabulon, prepare, and be ready, Nephthalim. * Jordan River, hold your course, and exultantly receive * the Master who is coming to be baptized. * Adam leap for joy with Eve the Foremother. * No longer hide yourselves, as once in Paradise; * for having seen you naked He has appeared * to clothe you in your former vesture. * The Christ has appeared, wishing to renew * the entire creation. [SD]

The Apolytikion of the parish church is sung. Then:

   

From Menaion - - -

Kontakion.

Mode 4. You appeared today.

Ἐπεφάνης σήμερον.

To the flowing streams today * of River Jordan * comes the Lord and cries aloud * to John the Baptist, and He says, * “Be not afraid to baptize me now; * for I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man.” [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 Epistle

For the Saint.

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 115.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His holy one. [SAAS]

Verse: What shall I give back to the Lord for all He rendered to me? [SAAS]

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

Heb. 5:4-10

Brethren, one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee”; as he says also in another place, “Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. [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

For the Forefeast.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jn. 3:1-15

At that time, there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nikodemos, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nikodemos said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The Spirit blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, and you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nikodemos said to him, “How can this be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” [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, O Christ 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

Fast Free: All foods allowed.

It is the ru.Twelve Days of Christmas