Ode 1. Tone 4. Irmos.

Exapostilarion of the Martyr.

Of the Mother of God. Ode 3. Irmos.

Kontakion of the Forefeast. Tone 3.

Glory. Both now

I will open my mouth and it will be filled with the Spirit, and I will utter a word for the Queen and Mother, and I will be seen keeping glad festival, and rejoicing I will sing her Nativity.

In gladness let us today with joy sing the praise of the nativity of God’s Mother; for she also gave birth to joy for the inhabited world, abolishing the grief of our Foremother.

Of the Mother of God. Ode 4. Irmos.

From a barren mother she who makes sin barren comes forth, whom the law foretold and the preaching of those inspired by God prophesied, the all-pure and all-blameless Lady.

Of the Mother of God. Ode 5. Irmos.

You have become the temple and palace of the King, in which he who is beyond being made his dwelling and will make believers a habitation of the holy Trinity.

Of the Mother of God. Ode 6. Irmos.

You have been declared loveliest of bridal chambers, highest throne of God, O Bride of God, in whom he dwelt in the flesh and rouses those who sit in the darkness of destruction to the light of knowledge by his goodness.

Of the Mother of God. Ode 7. Irmos.

Because the barren has given birth, the Church from the nations, and she of many children, the Synagogue, has grown weak, to our wondrous God let us cry aloud: Holy are you, O Lord!

Of the Mother of God. Ode 8. Irmos.

From the fruitless earth the fruitful earth is being born, whose fruit will be the husbandman of blessings and the life-bearing ear of corn which nourishes all by divine command.

Of the Mother of God. Ode 9. Irmos.

Today the rod of virginity has sprouted, from which a flower will blossom, God our planter, who cuts away rotten shoots in his supreme goodness.

See, the unhewn mountain from a childless rock bears as its fruit the spiritual stone born from it, which will bring about the crushing of the all the wooden idols of the Boaster.

The outline sketches of the Law foreshadowed you, O Maiden; for outside nature’s laws you bore in your womb the Lawgiver who kept you, beyond reason, incorrupt and undefiled.

Your Church, O Christ, rejoices in you and cries: You, Lord, are my strength, my refuge and my firmament.

Kathisma of the Saint. Tone 4.

Saved through faith you have become, courageous Sozon, a saving haven for the storm-tossed by the providence of Christ God; for you pour forth rivers of healings for those who yearn, you end each day the burning heat of fevers. And so with faith we honour your godlike memory.

**. Of the Forefeast. Tone 8.**

Let heaven rejoice and earth be glad; for the heaven of God, the bride of God has been born on earth from promise. The barren suckles an infant, Mary; and Joachim rejoices at his offspring, saying: A Rod has been born to me from which the flower, Christ, has blossomed from the root of David. Truly an amazing wonder!

He who is seated in glory on the throne of the Godhead, Jesus, higher than all godhead, came on a light cloud with unsullied palm and saved those who cry: Glory to your power, O Christ!

A Maiden higher than the Angels is being brought to birth on earth, beyond compare in holiness and purity, who will give birth to Christ, the purity, holiness and complete redemption of all.

Blessed has Anne’s womb become, for she has brought to birth her who will contain in her womb the blessed Word, who cannot be contained, and who grants rebirth to all believers.

Now the fog of wickedness begins to grow less; for the living cloud of the sun has dawned from barren loins, the All-blameless one. Her radiant birth let us now celebrate.

As a fruitful olive which blossomed from the root of Jesse, O Virgin, Anne made you blossom, whose blossom is the merciful Word, whose mercy and truth advance at all times.

The universe was amazed at your divine glory, for you, O Virgin, who did not know wedlock, have passed over from earth to eternal mansions and to life without end, giving salvation as the prize to all who sing your praise.

Now the sealed volume is being brought to birth, which by nature’s law no mortal will read, kept as a dwelling for the Word, as the books of those inspired in spirit foretold.

The saving vine has been brought to birth today, which will flower with the pure cluster that pours out divine sweetness, from which all who mystically drink will gather divine and saving joy.

Angels, leap for joy, forming a choir with mankind. Today the Virgin, born from a barren womb, has made an to grief and is the harbinger of joy for those who keep the festival of her divine nativity.

The godly Prophet wrote of you, O Maiden, most clearly in prophecy as the new volume in which by the Father’s finger will be written the Word, who with loving-kindness inscribes in the book of life all those who obey his authority.

As we celebrate this divine and honoured feast of the Mother of God, come, godly-minded people, let us clap our hands as we glorify God who was born of her.

Today has been brought to birth the bridge which leads humanity to light, heavenly ladder, most manifest mountain of God, the Maiden Mother of God, who we call blessed.

Anne, the shell-fish, brings forth the purple which dyed the fleece of the embodying of the King to come. As is fitting let us sing her praise.

The source has now come forth from a tiny drop, the All-blameless who bore the abyss of salvation and will bring to an end the limitless streams of the cult of many gods.

You sprouted from a barren root and by your divine shoot beyond nature you cut off thorn of evil root and branch, O ever-blessed Maiden, Mother of God.

I will sacrifice to you with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church cries out to you, cleansed from the filth of demons by the blood which flows in pity from your side.

Today the Virgin and Mother of God, Mary, the untouched bridal chamber of the heavenly Bridegroom is being brought to birth from barren womb by God’s counsel, to be made ready as the chariot of the Word of God; for to this she was predestined, the gate of God and Mother of true life.

To a barren mother a fruit has been given Mary the child of God, whom the godly Prophets once foresaw in spirit. As we see her her today in the bosom of Anne, leaping for joy, with faithful Joachim let us gather for the feast in spirit, and let us address them from afar, saying: Now the restoration of the world has blossomed from a fruitless womb, the gate of God and Mother of true life.

On the 7th of the same month, Commemoration of the holy Martyr Sozon.

Torments of body Sozon once endured,

Fixed on the only Saviour of his soul.

Sozon, his radiant flesh fiercely pounded, died on the seventh.

On the same day, Commemoration of the holy Apostles Evodos and Onesiphoros.

On the same day, Saint Eupsychios met his end by the sword.

Eupsychios, courageous at the sword,

Offers his Fashioner his soul with joy.

On the same day is celebrated the dormition of the Venerable Loukás of the Eparchy of Lykaonia, third Superior of the Monastery of the Saviour, called ‘Of the Deep Torrent’.

At the intercessions of your Saints, O God, have mercy on us. Amen.

The godlike Youths did not worship creation instead of the Creator, but bravely trampling on the threat of fire, rejoicing they sang: O highly exalted Lord and God of our fathers, blessed are you!

Joachim and Anne are blessed, having brought to birth the truly blessed, pure Mother of God, who bore the blessed Word, who makes all the faithful blessed.

As a precious gift your parents have gained you, O all-pure, who conceived God who has enriched with greater gifts those who cry: God of our fathers, blessed are you!

Your breasts, Anne called by God, are far better than wine, because with your good breasts you gave suck to the one who gave suck the Word supremely good, the giver of milk and nourisher of everything that has breath.

Leap, strike your harp and dance, David inspired by God; for see, the ark, which you foretold of old, has come forth from a barren womb, kept for the king and God of creation.

The Offspring of the Mother of God saved the innocent Youths in the furnace. Then he was prefigured, but now in reality he gathers the whole world which sings: All you works, praise the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages.

Let us raise our voice in songs of praise as we honour the divine nativity of her who by the Spirit gave a body to the Word beyond praise and godhead, and let us cry: You his works, praise the Lord and highly exalt him to all the ages.

Mountains, break out in gladness, Apostles and Martyrs, dance, Ascetics and Righteous now rejoice at the nativity today of the Mother of the Lord, as you cry out: Praise the Lord and highly exalt him to all the ages.

The fragrant apple has blossomed and the divine rose has been appeared and has today spread its fragrance to the ends of the earth and brought to an end the foul stench of our sin, the All-pure and the Mother of the Word. We highly exalt her to all the ages.

Human nature, barren of the honoured graces of the divine Spirit, rejoice today as you behold the Child of God brought to birth from a barren mother, and cry aloud: You his works, praise the Lord and highly exalt him to all the ages.

Stretching out his hands Daniel closed the jaws of the lions in the den; while the Youths, lovers of true religion, girded with virtue, quenched the power of the fire as they cried: Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord!

Let all those born of earth, bearing torches, in spirit leap for joy; let the nature of the immaterial Minds keep festival as it honours the sacred festival of God’s Mother, and let it cry out: Hail, all-blessed Mother of God, pure and ever-virgin.

See, the holy place of God has been openly revealed; the glorious city of the King has been built high, the shining Paradise has radiantly flowered, the source of Paradise, and the dwelling of men with God.

The lamp has appeared today, and the golden lampstand, that displays the pre-eternal light which, having dwelt in her, will illumine all who are in the night of evils, bring to an end the gloom of the cult of many gods and truly through faith make all partakers in the day.

Today the earth dances, for it has seen brought to birth the fairest heaven of God. Having dwelt in it in the flesh he will make mortals mount beyond the heavens and in his goodness make them divine. As we sing his praise with faith we magnify him.

The beauteous pair, Anne and Joachim, have put forth the spotless heifer, from whom the fatted calf came forth and has been sacrificed for the world, taking away the faults of mankind, putting and end to sacrifices offered to the demons.

Pure Mother of God who bore the light, enlighten us, who in spirit keep the festival of your light-bearing nativity, and show us to be partakers of the light to come; and by your motherly entreaties grant us peace and rescue from dread troubles.

A cornerstone not cut by hand, O Virgin, was cut from you, an unhewn mountain: Christ who joined together separated natures; and so with gladness, Mother of God, we magnify you.

Armoured with the weapon of your precious Cross, O Word, your Champion stoutly overcame the hostile powers and put the tyrants to shame, and for your sake he struggled and, my Christ, Sovereign of all, he reigns unceasingly with you.

Of the Mother of God.

All creation rejoice, as you perceive the joy being born beyond hope from Anne and godly Joachim, which is called Grace, Mary the all-immaculate and pure Mother of God; whose fruit has become salvation for mankind, Christ, God who was ineffably incarnate from her.