Variable Portions of the Divine Liturgy
27 December 2009
29th Sunday After Pentecost
Sunday After Nativity
The Holy Righteous Ones:
Joseph the Betrothed, David the King & James the Brother of the Lord
Protomartyr & Archdeacon Stephen
Festal Antiphons
1st Antiphon Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
2nd Antiphon O Son of God, born of the Virgin,
save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!
3rd Antiphon Thy nativity, O Christ our God,
Troparion Has shone to the world the light of wisdom.
Feast For by it, those who worshipped the stars
(Tone 4) Were taught by a star to adore Thee,
The Sun of Righteousness,
And to know Thee, the Orient from on high.
O Lord, glory to Thee!
After the Little Entrance
Troparion When the women disciples of the Lord
Resurrection learned from the angel the joyous message
(Tone 4) of Thy Resurrection;
they cast away the ancestral curse
and elatedly told the apostles:
Death is overthrown!
Christ God is risen,
granting the world great mercy!
Troparion Proclaim the wonder, O Joseph,
Saints to David, the ancestor of God:
(Tome 2) for you saw the Virgin great with Child.
You received the news from the angel.
You gave glory with the shepherds,
and worshipped with the Magi.
Pray to Christ our God to save our souls!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion Today godly David is filled with joy,
Saints as Joseph and James offer praise,
(Tone 3) for the glorious crown of their kinship with Christ!
They cry out to the One ineffably born on earth:
O Compassionate One, save those who honor Thee!
Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion Today the virgin gives birth to the
transcendent One,
Feast And the earth offers a cave to the unapproachable One.
(Tone 3) Angels and shepherds glorify Him!
The wise men journey with the star,
since for our sake the eternal God was born as a little child!
Instead of the Trisagion
As many as have been baptized into Christ,
have put on Christ. Alleluia...
Prokeimena
(Tone 4) O Lord, how manifold are Thy works!
In wisdom hast Thou made them all!
(Tone 4) God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.
Scripture Readings
Galatians 1:11-19 Matthew 2:13-23
Instead of the Hymn to the Theotokos
(Tone 6) Magnify, O my soul,
the most pure Virgin Theotokos, more honorable
and more glorious than the heavenly hosts!
I behold a strange, most glorious mystery!
Heaven - the cave! The cherubimic throne - the virgin!
The manger - the place where Christ lay,
The uncontainable God, whom we magnify in song!
Communion Hymn verse
The Lord has sent redemption to His people!
Instead of "We have seen the True Light..."
Troparion Thy Nativity, O Christ our God...
Epistle - Sunday After Nativity
Priest: Let us attend! Peace be unto all!
Reader: And to your spirit.
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: The Prokeimenon in the 4th Tone: O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all!
People: O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all!
Reader: Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, Thou art very great!
People: O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all!
Reader: And in the same Tone: God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.
People: God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: The Reading is from the Epistle of holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians.
Priest: Let us attend!
(Galatians 1:11-19)
Reader: Brethren, I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother.
Priest: Peace be unto you, Reader!
Reader: And to your spirit. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Reader: Go forth and prosper and reign, because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness.
People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Reader: You love righteousness and hate iniquity.
People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Reader: Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness.
People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel - Sunday After Nativity
Priest: The Reading is from the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.
People: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee!
(Matthew 2:13-23)
Priest: Let us attend!
After the Magi departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."
Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more."
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead." Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."
People: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee!
This content has been generously provided by Fr. Jerome Cwiklinski, CAPT, CHC, USN