of re.

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O

God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness
is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righ
teousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even
thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness
above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning
hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens
are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but
thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a
garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up,
and they shall be changed: but thou art the same,
and thy years shall not fail.
Luke 2:1-20 And it came to pass in those days,
that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing
was rst made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own
city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of
the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of
David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of
the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with
Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And
so it was, that, while they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered. And she
brought forth her rstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because
32

Advent Sunday Readings

Preface

Strictly speaking, the Orthodox Church lacks an Advent sea

son. There are plenty of spiritual preparations for Christmas
St. Philips Fast, the use of katavasias from the Nativity canon,
liturgical additions to the feasts of St. Andrew and St. Nicholas,
and the two pre-Christmas Sundays of Forefathers and Geneal
ogy. But there is no coherent four- or six-Sunday prepartory sea
son like Advent. Unlike in Western tradition, the liturgical year
does not start at this time, and it is not preceded by an empha
sis on the Second Advent, which gives the season its prophetic
character. But the family practice of the Advent wreath, still
common in the West, is a beautiful opportunity to set the proper
tone of spiritual preparation; and many Orthodox Christians
nd it a very familiar element in their holiday celebration.
We should be clear that Advent is not equivalent to the Na
tivity fast. The mostly defunct St. Martins fast in the West
was also 40 days, and our own Orthodox calendar shows that
the preparation for Christmas can come in stages. Probably the
closest liturgical equivalent to Advent is the shorter period of
two pre-Christmas Sundays, since they are the only Sundays in
this period that are designated specically by their relationship

KONTAKION (Tone 3) Today the Virgin cometh

to the cave where she will give birth in an inea
ble manner to the Word Who is before all the ages.
Rejoice, therefore, O universe, when thou hearest it
heralded: Glorify Him, with the angels and the shep
herds, Who chose to be seen as a new-born babe, the
God Who is before all the ages.

to Christmas. Indeed, one very easy adaptation would be to

reduce the traditional Advent wreath from ve candles to three
and use the abundant liturgical material from these two Sun
days and the pre-feast. This booklet could be used for such an
endeavor, simply by skipping the rst two Sundays. But three
candles would not make a very satisfying wreath. On the other
hand, there is no obvious need to stretch the traditional Western
wreath to encompass all six weeks of the fast, so the approach
here conforms with the Western practice of four Sundays. This
allows Advent to start at a suitable time after the Entrance of
the Theotokos, the last Great Feast preceding Christmas, and
incorporates the pre-Christmas liturgical elements of St. An
drew and St. Nicholas days. (In our household, we also use the
Western purple, even though Orthodox vestments during the
Nativity fast are dark red. It is a stylistic choice, but we prefer
the distinctive Advent color to red, which can get lost in the
secular red-and-green theme of the season. We do not use the
rose candle, because there is no corresponding liturgical break
in Orthdoox practice.)
The main problem with adapting a Western Advent wreath
for Orthodox use is that we dont have well-dened services for
the rst two Sundays. Again, there are liturgical elements that
can be drawn from the feasts of St. Andrew and St. Nicholas.
But this still leaves the problem of selecting Scripture passages.
Given the character of the season, it makes sense to emphasize
Old Testament prophecies related to the rst Advent of Christ.
There are plenty to choose from, and the Orthodox service books
oer several options in the readings from Christmas Eve (royal
hours and vespers). A few are included here, but a more exible
approach could rotate through some favorites each year.
One distinctively Western element that we incorporate in
our observance is singing the well-known hymn O Come, O
Come, Emmanuel. It is based on the O Antiphons, which

Heb 1:1-12 God, who at sundry times and in divers

manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by
his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the
brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things by the word of his
power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Be
ing made so much better than the angels, as he hath
by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than
they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time,
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And
again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me
a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the rstbegot
ten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of
God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who
maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a ame

31

Scripture Selections (Christmas Eve)

Him, the righteous God-bearing Fathers all rejoice,

and with the shepherds sing hymns of praise of the
Virgin that nursed a child.
OIKOS Beholding the splendor of thy conception
shining out, O Virgin, Abraham the friend of God,
the celebrated Isaac, Jacob and all the divinely gath
ered choir of the Saints rejoice, and they have brought
creation to meet thee with words of jubilation. For
thou art the cause of joy for all, who didst conceive
in thy womb Him that was seen of old in Babylon
and past all understanding preserved the Children un
burnt, when they were unjustly cast into the furnace.
Wherefore, they sing unto Him Who was seen in the
hands of the young Maiden, and they praise the Vir
gin that nursed a child.
EXAPOSTEILARION (Tone 2) Rejoice, O Beth
lehem, and thou, Ephratha, make ready; for the Theotokos
shall come to the cave and the manger to give birth in
an ineable manner to God. O what a terrible mys
tery, the mystery of Him Who cometh before Abra
ham, Issac and Jacob, the Patriarchs, and all the
Prophets; and mankind with the angels shall cele
brate His Nativity with divine rejoicing.

30

are songs used during the last week of preparation in the Roman
Catholic liturgy. It is one of the few widely used Advent songs
and expresses quite well the themes of the season. Although
it is most directly tied to the last week, we spread it across
the four weeks by singing two verses at a time. (You might
notice that we sneak in one repetition, since theyre an odd
number.) If the song is not familiar to you, you may choose to
skip it, or replace it with a well-known troparion or kontakion
of the season. These are included in the liturgical readings for
Sundays Three and Four and Christmas Eve. In fact, those
readings are probably too much for most family observances, so
you might pick your favorites or set up some kind of rotation to
cover dierent readings each year.

First Sunday

Liturgical Selections (from the Feast

of St. Andrew)
THEOTOKION (Tone 4) Dance, O Isaiah, re
ceive the Word of God; prophesy to the Maiden Mary
that the bush will burn with the re of the splendor of
the Godhead yet will not be consumed. Make ready,
O Bethlehem; open thy gate, O Eden; proceed on
your journey, ye Magi, so that we may behold our
Salvation swaddled in a manger. Above the cave, the
star proclaimeth Him Who is the Lifebestowing Lord,
3

Who saveth our race.

THEOTOKION (Tone 3) Tell us, O Joseph, how
is it thou bringest to Bethlehem, great with child,
her whom thou hast received from the temple as a
virgin? I have searched the Prophets, saith he, and
have been instructed by an Angel, and I am persuaded
that Mary shall give birth to God in a manner past
interpretation. In homage unto Him, Magi shall come
from the East, worshipping Him with precious gifts.
O Thou Who wast incarnate for our sakes, Lord, glory
to Thee.
THEOTOKION (Tone 8) Receive, O Bethlehem,
her that is the City of God; for she is come unto thee
to give birth to the unwaning Light. Ye angels, be
astonished in Heaven; ye men, give glory on earth;
ye Magi, bring from Persia your thrice-glorious gift;
ye shepherds abiding in the eld sing the thrice-holy
hymn. Let every breath praise the Creator of all.

Scripture Selections (Old Testament

Prophecies)

hath not known man. Wherefore, by the pleasure of

Him Who gave Him birth without passion, and by
the assistance of the Holy Spirit, O Bethlehem, make
ready, and O Eden, open thou thy gates; for He Who
is shall be that which hath not been; and the Maker of
the entire creation shall become the Granter of Great
Mercy to the world.
KATHISMATA The sayings of the Prophets have
now been fullled. For on the morrow, our God is
born of the Virgin Mary in a manner surpassing speech,
and remaineth as He was before His birth. The Magi
gather, bearing gifts; the shepherds abide in the eld,
and we also sing: O Thou Who wast born of a Virgin,
O Lord, glory to Thee.
The song the shepherds played on their reed-pipes
was stayed by a great angelic host, which called out
to them, saying: Tarry not in the eld now, O ye that
shepherd the nurslings of the ocks; cry aloud singing
praises, that Christ the Lord hath been born in Beth
lehem, He that in truth hath been well pleased, as
God, to save the race of mankind.

Isa 7:10-16; 8:1-4, 9-10 Moreover the Lord spake

again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the Lord
thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height

KONTAKION O Bethlehem, rejoice; Ephratha,

make thou ready; for in her womb the Ewe-lamb doth
bear the Great Shepherd, and lo, she now urgently
maketh haste to give birth to Him. On beholding

29

the orders of nature, shouted unto the Son, saying,

My greatly beloved Son, I am dazzled by this great
mystery: that by Thy might I shall still be a Virgin
after Thy Birth, O Thou Who doest all things by Thy
will.
THEOTOKION (Tone 2) Behold, the time of
our salvation approacheth; make thou ready, O cave,
for it is time for the Virgin to give birth. And thou,
Bethlehem of Judah, rejoice and be glad; for from
thee shall shine forth our Lord. Hearken, O moun
tains and hills and the regions about Judah: for Christ
cometh to save man whom He did create, since He is
the Lover of mankind.
APOLYTIKION (Tone 4) Be thou ready, O Beth
lehem; for Eden hath been opened for all. Prepare, O
Ephratha; for the Tree of life hath blossomed forth in
the cave from the Virgin; for her belly did appear as a
noetic paradise in which is planted the divine Plant,
whereof eating we shall live and not die as Adam.
Verily, Christ shall be born, raising the likeness that
fell of old.
DOXASTICON (Tone 1) Hearken, O Heaven,
and give ear, O earth: for behold, the Son, the Word
of the Father, cometh to be born of a Maiden that
28

above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I

tempt the Lord. And he said, Hear ye now, O house
of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men,
but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord
himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Im
manuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may
know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For be
fore the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose
the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be for
saken of both her kings. Moreover the Lord said unto
me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a mans
pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz. And I took unto
me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and
Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. And I went unto
the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son.
Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Mahersha
lalhashbaz. For before the child shall have knowledge
to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Dam
ascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away
before the king of Assyria. Associate yourselves, O ye
people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear,
all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be
broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be bro
ken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come
to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for
God is with us.
5

Isa 9:6-7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son

is given: and the government shall be upon his shoul
der: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Coun
sellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government
and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of
David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to es
tablish it with judgment and with justice from hence
forth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will
perform this.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Come, Thou Wisdom, from on high,
and order all things far and nigh;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come
to thee, O Israel!
O Come, O Come, Thou Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinais height
in ancient times didst give the law,
in cloud, and majesty, and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come
to thee, O Israel!

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,

and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come
to thee, O Israel!

Christmas Eve

Liturgical Selections (Forefeast of the

Nativity)
STICHERA (Tone 1) O Virgin free of all blame,
the living palace of God, thou hast held Him Whom
the heavens hold not, to Whom thou shalt give birth
in a manner exceeding understanding; Who humbled
Himself, becoming esh, that He might make me wor
thy and enrich me; Who became poor by the excess
of the most bitter food.
O long-suering Christ, verily, because of Thy
compassion Thou wast enrolled with the servants by
order of Caesar, that Thou mightest come and grant
liberty, life, and safety to Thy thankless servants, who
adore Thy saving Nativity, O Thou Who comest to
save our souls.
The all-holy and blameless one, when she appre
hended the incomprehensible Nativity which reneweth
27

gether, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not
willing to make her a public example, was minded to
put her away privily. But while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto
him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David,
fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And
she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his
name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their
sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fullled
which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,
which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph
being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord
had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And
knew her not till she had brought forth her rstborn
son: and he called his name Jesus.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Come, Thou Rod of Jesses stem,
from evry foe deliver them
that trust Thy mighty power to save,
and give them victry oer the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come
to thee, O Israel!
26

Second Sunday

Liturgical Selections (from the Feast

of St. Nicholas)
THEOTOKION (Tone 6) O cavern, make ready,
for the Ewe doth come bearing Christ in embryo. O
manger, receive Him Who by His word undid the bes
tial works of us earthly men. O shepherds, watch and
bear witness to the awesome wonder. And, O Magi
who come from Persia, bring forth to the King gold,
frankincense and myrrh; for the Lord hath appeared
from a virgin Mother, whose Mother didst bow to
Him as a servant, addressing Him in her bosom, say
ing, How wast Thou seeded in me, my God and my
Deliverer?
THEOTOKION (Tone 6) O groomless Virgin,
whence comest thou? Who gave thee birth, and who
is thy mother? How was thy womb unspoiled? Where
fore, O all-pure one, we behold thee in great wonders,
dread mysteries which were fullled on earth. And we
shall proceed to prepare for thee that which is meet
from the cave of earth. And the heavens we ask to
give the star. And the Magi come from the ends of the
east to the west to behold the Salvation of mankind,
a suckling Babe.
7

THEOTOKION (Tone 8) Make ready, O Beth

lehem; let the manger be prepared, let the cave show
its welcome. The Truth is come, the shadow is passed
away; God hath appeared from a Virgin unto men,
formed as we are, and deifying that which He hath
assumed. Wherefore, Adam is renewed with Eve, as
they cry out: Thy good will hath appeared on earth
to save our race.
THEOTOKION (Tone 5) Let us blow the trum
pets of praise; for the queen of all, the virgin Mother,
hath bent down from on high, whence looking, she
crowneth with blessings those who extol her. Let
kings and leaders hasten together with praises to the
queen who gave birth to the King, who, because of
His love to mankind, was pleased to release those who
had been condemned to death. O ye shepherds and
teachers, let us come together and praise the Mother
exceeding pure, the Mother of the Good Shepherd,
the lighthouse shining with gold, the cloud enwrapped
with light, who is more spacious than the heavens, the
living tabernacle, throne of the Master with the ery
likeness, the golden jar of manna, the sealed door
of the Word, the refuge of all Christians, eulogizing
her with God-inspired songs, saying, O palace of the
Word, make us worthy, us wretched ones, of the king
dom of heaven; for through thee nothing is impossible.
8

inadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson

begat Salmon; And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab;
and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king
begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia;
and Abia begat Asa; And Asa begat Josaphat; and
Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; And
Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and
Achaz begat Ezekias; And Ezekias begat Manasses;
and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about
the time they were carried away to Babylon: And
after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias be
gat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; And
Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim;
and Eliakim begat Azor; And Azor begat Sadoc; and
Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; And
Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and
Matthan begat Jacob; And Jacob begat Joseph the
husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is
called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to
David are fourteen generations; and from David until
the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen genera
tions; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto
Christ are fourteen generations. Now the birth of
Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother
Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came to
25

the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms,

wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped
the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of re,
escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were
made strong, waxed valiant in ght, turned to ight
the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead
raised to life again: and others were tortured, not ac
cepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better
resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings
and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and impris
onment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder,
were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wan
dered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being des
titute, aicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was
not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in moun
tains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these
all, having obtained a good report through faith, re
ceived not the promise: God having provided some
better thing for us, that they without us should not
be made perfect.
Matthew 1 The book of the generation of Jesus
Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abra
ham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Ja
cob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat
Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Es
rom; and Esrom begat Aram; And Aram begat Am
24

Scripture Selections (Old Testament

Prophecies)
Isa 11:1-10 And there shall come forth a rod out of
the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his
roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit
of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick
understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall
not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove
after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness
shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for
the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth:
with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his
lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall
be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle
of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the
calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a
little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear
shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together:
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the
sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and
the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice
den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge
of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that
9

day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand

for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles
seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Micah 4:6-7; 5:2-4 In that day, saith the Lord,
will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather
her that is driven out, and her that I have aicted;
And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her
that was cast far o a strong nation: and the Lord
shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth,
even for ever. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though
thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be
ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of
old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up,
until the time that she which travaileth hath brought
forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return
unto the children of Israel. And he shall stand and
feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the
name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for
now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Come, Thou Rod of Jesses stem,

from evry foe deliver them

that trust Thy mighty power to save,

10

Deut 10:14-21 Behold, the heaven and the heaven

of heavens is the Lords thy God, the earth also, with
all that therein is. Only the Lord had a delight in
thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed af
ter them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and
be no more stinecked. For the Lord your God is God
of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and
a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh re
ward: He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless
and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him
food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for
ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt
fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to
him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is
thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee
these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have
seen.
Heb 11:9-10, 32-40 By faith he sojourned in the
land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in
tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him
of the same promise: For he looked for a city which
hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
And what shall I more say? for the time would fail
me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson,
and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of
23

and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God,

possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the
most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies
into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Deut 1:8-11, 15-17b Behold, I have set the land
before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord
sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
to give unto them and to their seed after them. And I
spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to
bear you myself alone: The Lord your God hath mul
tiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of
heaven for multitude. (The Lord God of your fathers
make you a thousand times so many more as ye are,
and bless you, as he hath promised you!) So I took the
chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made
them heads over you, captains over thousands, and
captains over hundreds, and captains over fties, and
captains over tens, and ocers among your tribes.
And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear
the causes between your brethren, and judge righ
teously between every man and his brother, and the
stranger that is with him. Ye shall not respect per
sons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well
as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man;
for the judgment is Gods:

22

and give them victry oer the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come
to thee, O Israel!
O Come, Thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavnly home,
make safe the way that leads on high,
that we no more have cause to sigh.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come
to thee, O Israel!

Third Sunday

Liturgical Selections (Sunday of the

Holy Forefathers)
STICHERA (Tone 8) As we celebrate today the
memory of the Forefathers, let us, O believers, praise
in faith Christ the Deliverer Who magnied them
among all nations; the Lord Who doeth strange won
ders; for He is precious and mighty, Who showeth us
through them a sta of strength. She is Mary the un
deled Maiden of God who alone knew no man, from
whom proceeded Christ the Blossom, budding life for
all, the everlasting Bliss and eternal Salvation.
O Master, Who didst rescue the holy youths from
re and Daniel from the mouths of the lions, and didst
11

bless Abraham, Isaac Thy servant, and Jacob his son,

O Thou Who wast willing to become, like us, of their
seed, that Thou mightest save our Forefathers who fell
of old, and to be crucied and buried in order to crush
the bonds of death and raise the dead from eternity,
we worship, O Christ, Thine eternal kingdom.
The youths of God walking forth amidst the ame,
rejoicing in the dew of the Spirit as though they were
in a garden, didst go before and foreshadow therein
the mystery of the Trinity and the Incarnation of
Christ. And in that they were wise men they quenched
by faith the power of re. And as for Daniel the righ
teous, he didst appear closing the mouths of the lions.
Wherefore, by their beseechings we plead with Thee,
O Savior and Lover of mankind, to deliver us from
the everlasting and unquenchable re, and to make
us worthy to receive Thy heavenly Kingdom.
Thy holy youths, O Christ, when they were in
the furnace of re, as though in dew, didst go before
and foreshadow mystically Thy coming from the Vir
gin, which hath illumined us without burning. And
righteous Daniel, wondrous among Prophets, when he
went before and explained plainly Thy divine Second
Coming, didst shout, saying, And I saw the thrones
placed, and the Judge sat, and the river of re came
before Him. Wherefore, by their beseechings, O Mas
ter, deliver us.

Gen 14:14-20 And when Abram heard that his

brother was taken captive, he armed his trained ser
vants, born in his own house, three hundred and eigh
teen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided
himself against them, he and his servants, by night,
and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which
is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back
all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot,
and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after
his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of
the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh,
which is the kings dale. And Melchizedek king of
Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the
priest of the most high God. And he blessed him,

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DOXASTICON (Tone 8) Verily, the collection

of Mosaic teachings maketh plain the divine Nativity
of Christ in the esh to those to whom was preached
the grace before the law, having transcended the law
by faith. Wherefore, since the Nativity was the cause
of salvation from corruption, they foretold Thy Res
urrection to the souls imprisoned in Hades. O Lord,
glory to Thee.

Scripture Selections (Sunday of the Ge

nealogy)

the fathers, honoring with Abraham, Isaac, and Ja

cob Him of everlasting memory. For lo! With Judah
and Levi we magnify Moses the great and Aaron the
wonderful; and with David we celebrate the memory
of Joshua and Samuel, inviting all with divine songs
and divine praise to the preparation of the Nativity
of Christ, praying to receive His goodness; for He it
is that granteth the world the Great Mercy.
Come, O Elijah, who didst ascend of old the di
vine ery chariot, and O Elisha of divine mind, and
rejoice together with Ezekiel and Josiah. Yea, ex
change glad tidings with them, O venerated rank of
the twelve Prophets inspired of God, on the Nativity
of the Savior. And all ye righteous ones, sing hymns.
And ye all beatied youths who quench the ames
of the furnace with the dew of the Spirit, pray for
us, pleading with Christ to grant our souls the Great
Mercy.
Verily, she hath appeared on earth, the Theotokos,
who was proclaimed from the ages by the words of
the Prophets, and whom the wise Patriarchs and the
rank of righteous ones did foretell, with whom the
comeliness of women, Sarah, Rebecca with glorious
Anna, and Mary, the sister of Moses, shall exchange
glad tidings; and with them shall rejoice the ends of
the earth, and all creation: for God shall come to
be born in the esh and grant the world the Great
Mercy.
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DOXASTICON (Tone 6) Let us, O believers, ex

tol today all the Forefathers before the law, Abraham
the friend of God, Isaac born after the promise, Ja
cob with the twelve heads of the tribes, David the
most meek, and Daniel the Prophet of desires, hon
oring with them the three youths who changed the
furnace to a dewy place, asking forgiveness of Christ
God, gloried in His saints.
DOXASTICON (Tone 3) Come ye feast-lovers,
let us extol with hymns the assembly of the Forefa
thers, Adam the rst father, Enoch, Noah and Melchizedek;
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and those after the lawMoses, Aaron, Joshua and Samuel; and with them
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and the twelve prophets,
with Elijah and Elisha, and all the rest; and Zachariah,
the Baptist, and those who preached Christ, the Life
and Resurrection of our race.
APOLYTIKION (Tone 2) Thou hast justied
by faith the ancient Forefathers, and through them
Thou hast gone before and betrothed unto Thyself
the Church of the Gentiles. Let the saints, therefore,
take pride in glory; for from their seed sprouted forth
a noble fruit, and she it was who gave birth to Thee
without seed. Wherefore, by their pleadings, O Christ
God, save our souls.
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KONTAKION A hand-wrought image ye would

not worship, O thrice-blessed ones; but armed by the
Undepictable Essence, ye were gloried in your ordeal
by re. Standing in the midst of the irresistible ame,
ye called upon God: Speed Thou, O Compassionate
One, and hasten, since Thou are merciful, to come
unto our aid; for Thou art able, if it be Thy will.
OIKOS Stretch forth Thy hand, which in ancient
times both the Egyptians experienced when they waged
war, and the Hebrews when warred against. Do not
abandon us, lest Satan, who hateth us, and Death,
which thirsteth for us, swallow us up; but draw nigh
unto us, and spare our souls, as once Thou didst spare
Thy Children in Babylon, who unceasingly praised
Thee, and for Thy sake were cast into the furnace,
and cried out therefrom unto Thee: Speed Thou, O
Compassionate One, and hasten, since Thou are mer
ciful, to come unto our aid; for Thou art able, if it be
Thy will.
EXAPOSTEILARIA (Tone 2) Let us come to
gether, O lovers of the Fathers, rejoicing in the mem
ory of the Fathers, praising as is meet Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob from whom Christ was seen to come in the
esh for the abundance of His compassion.
Let us laud Adam and Abel, Seth and Enos, Enoch,
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to save our souls.

APOLYTIKION (Tone 2) Great are the accom
plishments of faith; for the three holy youths rejoiced
in the fountain of ames as though at waters of rest.
And the Prophet Daniel appeared a shepherd to the
lions as though they were sheep. Wherefore, by their
pleadings, O Christ God, save our souls.
DOXASTICON (Tone 1) Shining with the di
vine lightning-ashes of the divine oracles, the Prophets
of great name are blessed forever; laden with the fruit
of the Spirits sayings, they proclaimed unto all men
the unfathomable birth of Christ God. And passing
their life in an exceedingly wondrous conversation,
they lawfully attained to the end of their course.
EXAPOSTEILARION (Tone 2) Verily, the chiefs
of the Patriarchs and the Fathers before the law did
go before, gleaming with faith like the stars, namely
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for all the Prophets and
righteous ones were illuminated by them, since they
were shining lamps, and by the rays of their venerated
prophecy illuminated the whole of dark creation.
AINOI (Tone 5) In truth raise thy voice, O Zion,
divine city of God, and preach the divine memory of
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Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come

to thee, O Israel!

O Come, Desire of nations, bind

in one the hearts of all mankind;

bid every strife and quarrel cease

and ll the world with heavens peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come

to thee, O Israel!

Fourth Sunday

Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; Moses, Job and

Aaron; Eliezar, Joshua, Barak, Samson, Jephtae, David
and Solomon.
THEOTOKION (Tone 2) O Virgin all-immaculate,
pure Mary, blameless Bride of God, come in that ter
rible hour and stand beside me to help me; then do
thou show thyself to be my mediatrix with thy Son,
and rescue me, the lowly one, out of that dread con
demnation and every suering and torment.

DOXASTICON (Tone 6) Verily, Daniel, the man

of desires, when he saw Thee, O Lord, a Stone cut out
without hands, did foretell Thee a Babe born without
seed, O Word incarnate of the Virgin, the untrans
formed God, Savior of our souls.

AINOI (Tone 2) Let us all celebrate the mem

ory of the revered Forefathers, extolling their lives by
which they were made great.
Verily, the youths did put down the re sitting
in the midst of the furnace and praising God the
Almighty.
And Daniel the Prophet, when he was locked in
the den, living with the beasts, did appear safe, not
harmed by their mischief.

DOXASTICON (Tone 2) Rejoice, O honored Prophets,

who didst organize well the law of the Lord, and ap
peared as stable, unshakeable pillars of faith; for ver
ily, they hath become mediators of the New Covenant
of Christ. Wherefore, having been translated to heaven,
plead ye with Him to grant safety to the world and

DOXASTICON (Tone 7) Come, let us all cele

brate the anniversary of their memory, the anniver
sary of the Fathers before the lawAbraham and those
with him. Let us honor meetly the tribe of Judah,
and praise the youths who were in Babylon, who put
down the ames of the furnace; for they foreshad

Liturgical Selections (Sunday of the

Genealogy)

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owed the Trinity, and with them Daniel. And hold

ing steadfastly the foresayings of the Prophet, let us
shout with a loud voice with Isaiah, saying, Behold
the Virgin shall conceive in the womb and give birth
to a Son, Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God
with us.

Scripture Selections (Sunday of the Holy

Forefathers)
Col 3:4-11 When Christ, who is our life, shall ap
pear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the
earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate aection,
evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idola
try: For which things sake the wrath of God cometh
on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also
walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now
ye also put o all these; anger, wrath, malice, blas
phemy, lthy communication out of your mouth. Lie
not one to another, seeing that ye have put o the
old man with his deeds; And have put on the new
man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image
of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek
nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian,
Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

16

Luke 14:16-24 Then said he unto him, A certain

man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent
his servant at supper time to say to them that were
bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they
all with one consent began to make excuse. The rst
said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I
must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
And another said, I have bought ve yoke of oxen, and
I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And
another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I
cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his
lord these things. Then the master of the house being
angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the
streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the
poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast
commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord
said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and
hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house
may be lled. For I say unto you, That none of those
men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night
and deaths dark shadow put to ight.
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Ode 9. Ode 9. Magnify, O my soul, her who is

more honorable and more exalted in glory than the
heavenly hosts.
I behold a strange and wonderful mystery: the cave a
heaven, the Virgin a cherubic throne, and the manger
a noble place in which hath laid Christ the uncon
tained God. Let us, therefore, praise and magnify
Him.

there was no room for them in the inn. And there

were in the same country shepherds abiding in the
eld, keeping watch over their ock by night. And,
lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the
glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they
were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear
not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great
joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is
born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall nd the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God,
and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass,
as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even
unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to
pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And
they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph,
and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had
seen it, they made known abroad the saying which
was told them concerning this child. And all they
that heard it wondered at those things which were
told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these
things, and pondered them in her heart. And the
shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for
all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was

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told unto them.

Appendix: Katavasias of the

First Canon of Christs

Nativity (Tone 1)

send to us the great Messenger of Thy mind, granting

us Thy peace. Therefore, have we been led aright to
the light of divine knowledge, glorifying Thee as we
come out of darkness.

Ode 1. Christ is born, glorify Him. Christ is come

from heaven, receive Him. Christ is on earth, be ye
elevated. Sing to the Lord, all the earth; and ye na
tions, praise Him with joy; for He hath been gloried.

Ode 6. The sea-monster did disgorge Jonah from

its belly, as it received him safely like a fetus. As for
the Word, when He dwelt in the Virgin, taking from
her a body, He was born, preserving her without cor
ruption, and without transubstantiation, preserving
His Mother without harm.

Ode 3. Let us cry unto the Son, born of the Father

before the ages without transubstantiation, Christ
God Who hath been incarnate in these last days of
the Virgin, without seed, shouting, O Thou Who hath
elevated our state, Thou art holy, O Lord.

Ode 7. The youths having grown together in true

worship, despising the command of the indel, were
not dismayed by the threat of re; but were singing
as they stood in the midst of the ames: Blessed art
Thou, God of our fathers.

Ode 4. O praised Christ, a stem hath come out of

Jesse, and from it hast sprouted a Flower from a dense
and shadowed mountain, O immaterial God, coming
incarnate from the Virgin that hath not known man.
Glory, therefore, to Thy might, O Lord.
Ode 5. Since Thou art the God of peace and the
Father of mercies, O Lover of mankind, Thou didst

Ode 8. Ode 8. We praise, we bless and we worship

the Lord.
Verily, the dewy furnace did shadow the sign of the
supernatural wonder; for it burned not the youths
whom it received, as the re of divinity also burned
not the womb of the Virgin in which it dwelt. Where
fore, let us oer praise with song, saying: Let all cre
ation praise the Lord, exalting Him evermore, to the
end of ages.

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