At the Aposticha, Prosomia. Tone 2.

The choir of Disciples has been marvellously gathered from the ends of the world to bury your divine and most pure body.

Having come from the ends of the earth at an all-powerful command, the company of the Disciples is gathering to bury the Mother who gave birth to God.

Glory. Both now.

Arise, Lord, to your rest; you and the Ark of your sanctification.

Glory. Both now.

The Bride of God, the Queen and Virgin, the glory of the elect and pride of Virgins, is passing over to her Son.

The Lord has sworn truth to David and will not annul it: Of the fruit of your womb I will place on your throne.

**Same melody.**

Gracious Lady, raise your holy hands towards your Son, the Fashioner and Lover of souls, that he may take pity on your servants.

Apolytikion. Tone 1.

In giving birth you retained your virginity; in falling asleep, O Mother of God, you did not abandon the world. You passed over into life, you, the Mother of life; and by your prayers you deliver our souls from death.

And Dismissal.

Come, you peoples, let us sing the praises of the pure, all-holy Virgin, from whom the Word of the Father came forth ineffably incarnate, as we cry and say: Blessed are you among women. Blessed is the womb which contained Christ. As you deliver your soul into his holy hands, intercede, O Immaculate, that our souls may be saved.

Rise, Lord, to your rest; you and the Ark of your sanctification.

The multitudes of Angels in heaven and we the human race on earth call your all-revered Falling Asleep blessed, O pure and all-holy Virgin; because you became Mother of the Maker of all things, Christ God. Do not cease to intercede with him, we beg, for us who next to God place our hopes in you, O Mother of God, all-praised and who did not know wedlock.

The Lord has sworn truth to David, and will not annul it: Of the fruit of your womb I will place on your throne.

You peoples, let us sing David’s song today to Christ God: ‘Virgins, he says, will be brought after her to the King, they will be brought in joy and gladness’. For she, who is from the seed of David and through whom we have been made divine, passes over in glory and beyond reason into the hands of her own Son and Master. As we sing her praise as Mother of God we cry out and say: ‘Save us who confess you, O Mother of God, from every disaster, and from dangers rescue our souls’.

When you departed, Virgin Mother of God, to the One who was born ineffably from you, James, God’s brother and first Hierarch, was present with Peter, the most honoured high summit of the Theologians, and all the godly choir of the Apostles; in teachings that revealed the things of God they sang in praise of the divine and amazing mystery of Christ’s dispensation; and as they buried your body, source of life and which had received God, O all-praised, they rejoiced. From above the all-holy and most venerable of the Angelic Powers, amazed at the wonder, bowed and said to one another: ‘Lift up your gates and receive her who gave birth to the Maker of heaven and earth. And let us praise with hymns of glory the revered and holy body which contained the Lord on whom we may not look’. Therefore we too, as we celebrate your memory, cry out to you, all-praised: ‘Exalt the horn of Christians and save our souls’.

Apolytikion. Tone 1.

In giving birth you retained your virginity; in falling asleep, O Mother of God, you did not abandon the world. You passed over into life, you, the Mother of life; and by your prayers you deliver our souls from death.

And Dismissal.