Ode 1. Tone 4. Irmos.

Exapostilarion of the Saint.

Forefeast. Ode 3. Irmos.

Kontakion of the Forefeast.

Then on the twenty first day the fair Juliana they slaughtered.

‘The ancient Israel, after crossing the expanse of the Red Sea on foot dryshod, through Moses’ hands outstretched in the figure of the Cross, destroyed the might of Amalek in the wilderness’.

Forefeast. Ode 4. Irmos.

Rejoice heaven, and earth be glad; for God is with us in flesh, he is being brought to birth from a Virgin girl and wrapped in swaddling clothes; while he looses the bonds of our offences as he is compassionate.

Forefeast. Ode 5. Irmos.

A pure Queen gives birth beyond understanding to the King of all things, who opens the kingdom above to believers and takes away completely the sin which ever reigned wretchedly in us.

Forefeast. Ode 6. Irmos.

Prophetic writings are now proved; for see, Christ whom they foretold appears incarnate in the city of Bethlehem; let us now hasten to celebrate to-day his Nativity beforehand with uprightness of mind.

Forefeast. Ode 7. Irmos.

Of the Saint.

Forefeast. Ode 8. Irmos.

The Virgin hastens to give birth in the Cave to the Fashioner of nature, who beyond nature bears flesh from her according to an ineffable hypostasis, that he may make humanity divine.

Forefeast. Ode 9. Irmos.

‘Because the barren, the Church from the Nations, has given birth, and she who had many children, the synagogue, has grown weak; to our wondrous God let us cry: Holy are you, O Lord’.

Daniel sees you, O Word, as a stone cut from a virgin mountain, levelling the altars of idols by your might; and so in fear we glorify you.

Magi from the East, having journeyed with a star to the King of all, offer you gifts, O Christ, myrrh, gold and incense, amazed at your condescension.

Mary, an unploughed land, carries a lifebearing ear to give birth in the city of Bethlehem to the one who nourishes the souls of all who cry: Holy are you, O Lord.

Of the Saint

Delivering mortals the Compassionate is brought to birth from the pure Virgin in Bethlehem, accepting swaddling clothes as an infant.

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

Kathisma of the Forefeast. Tone 3. Awed by the beauty.

All you ends of the earth be filled with joy; for the Mother of God has to give birth to the King of the universe, O inexpressible wonder! He who is without beginning begins; he who is without flesh takes flesh. A Cave receives the one who possesses all things. Bethlehem rejoice, and creation dance on this prefestal day.

**Of the Saint. Tone 4.

Lifted up on the Cross.**

Adorned with divers virtues given by God, decked with the flowers of your honoured martyrdom, wholly fair and blameless you appeared, pure Saint. Therefore your Lord loved your beauty and has now brought you into a most shining bridal chamber, in which you dance, Juliana, with the Martyrs as you magnify Christ.

**Forefeast.

Tone 4. Come swiftly to help.**

Virgins take the lead at the joy of the Virgin; Mothers give praise to the procession of the Mother of Christ our God; Magi with Angels; the Shepherds with us; for she comes to the city of Bethlehem for the birth of a son, God before the ages, who saves the world from corruption.

‘He who sits in glory upon the throne of the Godhead, Jesus, supremely divine, has come on a light cloud, and with his undefiled hand saved those who cry: Glory, O Christ, to your power!’

The holy box of the fragrant myrrh of revered sanctification is coming forth to the city of Bethlehem to empty him out who grants sanctification to all of us who cry: Glory, O Christ, to your power.

Inspired Isaias, as you see that your revered proclamations have become realities, rejoice and dance; for the Virgin without seed has borne the uncontainable in flesh in the Cave of Bethlehem.

Jesus is born in the flesh, and in time the Timeless appears as a babe, abolishing my perennial faults, and by his ineffable poverty he enriches me, who have been impoverished by destructive transgressions.

Of the Saint.

Seeing her virginity sealed after childbirth the Mother of God and moved by wonder she cried out: My Child, how is that I now wrap you in swaddling clothes, who wrap the sea in sand.

‘The godless will not see your glory, O Christ; but we, rising in the night before dawn, will hymn you, O Only-begotten, radiance of the glory of the Father’s Godhead, only lover of mankind’.

God Emmanuel is born of a Maiden and laid in a manger he works our restoration as he wills; let us devoutly celebrate beforehand his Nativity.

You, the Word without beginning and one in nature with the Father, were laid in a manger of irrational beasts and freed from unreason us who celebrate devoutly the Forefeast of your Nativity.

The blest root of Jesse has sprung up, blossoming the pure Virgin who bears a divine flower, Christ the Lord; whose Nativity we gladly celebrate beforehand.

Of the Saint.

A new wonder! The immaculate Virgin hastens to bear God made man in the Cave of Bethlehem.

‘I have come to the depths of the sea, and a storm of many sins has drowned me; but as God lead my life back from corruption, as You love mankind.’

A little Child is born for us on earth, he who shone ineffably from the Father before the ages; he has freed us all from the ancient transgression as he is compassionate.

Strange and marvellous things were heard in the city of Bethlehem when you were born, O Word without beginning; for Shepherds with Angels brought you a hymn as their Master.

The Star reveals to Magi the Sun of justice who is brought to birth ineffably; rejoicing let us now celebrate the Forefeast of his Nativity.

Of the Saint.

The Creator who wrapped the sea in mist by his will is born from a Virgin Maiden, and like a babe accepts swaddling clothes as he redeems the world.

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

Tone 2.

As we see him who holds the whole earth in his hand wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem, let us bring prefestal songs to the one who gave him birth; for as a mother she rejoices as she holds in her bosom the Son of God.

The Virgin, holding in her embrace the Son of God, and as she kissed him with a mother’s greetings she exclaimed: In conceiving I knew no seed, and in giving birth I did not undergo corruption, but even after giving birth I am pure as before; and so I venerate, my Child, your great compassion and the ineffable miracle which you have shown me; therefore I too rejoice as i hold in my bosom the Son of God.

On the 21st of the same month, commemoration of the holy Martyr Juliana.

The sword was Juliana’s shining fame,

For it obtained for her a shining crown.

On the same day, the 500 holy Martyrs, who in Nikomedia came to the faith through Juliana, attained perfection by the sword.

Five hundred Martyrs Nicomedes’ town

Saw slain, but bearing off the victor’s crown.

On the same day, one hundred and thirty holy women in Nicomedia attained perfection by the sword.

A triple decade with a fivefold score

Of women Martyrs offered heads to sword.

On the same day, commemoration of the holy Martyr Themistocles.

The rasping of sharp nails of iron you bore,

As though yourself of iron, Themistocles.

At their holy intercessions, O God, have mercy and save us. Amen.

‘Three youths in Babylon held the tyrant’s command as idle chatter, and in the midst of the fire they cried aloud: Blessed are you, the God of our fathers.’

How will a Cave contain you, the Uncontainable, as you come to be born for us? How will a Virgin suckle you, compassionate Jesus, who are called the nourisher of all?

Following the words of the Seer Balaam, Magi hasten to worship Christ with gifts, recognising him as the one who reigns over everything that has breath.

Human nature, barren of every virtue, rejoice and dance; for Christ has come to be born from a Virgin in the flesh, that he may make you fertile by good deeds.

Of the Saint.

Hail, Virgin Mother, place which contained the Uncontainable, for you are about to give birth for us in a Cave, O Immaculate, to him who sets right the creation of his own hands.

‘All-powerful Redeemer of all, you came down and bedewed the devout in the midst of the flame, and taught them to sing: All you works, bless, praise the Lord’.

O Christ you have deigned to be born in the Cave of a pure Virgin through your ineffable compassion, to save me who by my many transgressions have been declared a robbers’ cave.

Signing my complete forgiveness, you, the Maker of creation, were enrolled by Caesar’s decree with your servants; I hymn the measureless mercy of your compassion, Master.

Palace of the King, filled with light, how have you entered a tiny Cave to bear the King, the Lord, incarnate for us, O All-holy Virgin, Bride of God?

Of the Saint.

The Lord, mounted upon a cloud, is coming to be brought to birth for us through a cloud, the Virgin, that he may banish the dark clouds of sin from the souls of us who cry to him: All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord.

‘Stretching out his hands Daniel closed the jaws of the lions in the den; while the Children, 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’.

‘By the sickness of disobedience Eve gave entrance to the curse; while you, Virgin Mother of God, by the offshoot of your child-bearing, made the blessing flower for the world; therefore we all magnify you’.

Believers, let us all dance, let us leap for joy and shout in harmony; the salvation of all, the Lord, draws near to be brought to birth and to save those who with devout mind celebrate his Nativity.

Holy David, take up psaltery and harp and sing: Be glad house of Ephratha; for he whom the Father begot from the womb is being clearly brought to birth in you, embodied from the Virgin.

Like a great shower of rain the Master has come down into your womb, watered the earth parched by the drought of godlessness and dried up the seas of error, O Virgin Mother, Mother of God.

Of the Saint.

Carrying him who carries all things you are coming to Bethlehem, O Virgin, to bear him and to lay as an infant in a manger him who above all works the restoration of mortals.

‘A stone not cut by hand from you, an unhewn mountain, O Virgin, has been cut as head of the corner: Christ who joined together separated natures; therefore with gladness, Mother of God, we magnify you’.

Your Bridal Chamber.

The Martyr, longing for your bridal chamber, O Word, bravely endured every trial of torments by your aid. At her intercessions I beg you, as God, to have compassion on my soul.

Of the Forefeast. Same melody.

Bethlehem, land of Juda, make ready your entrances; for in you the Virgin and Mother of God has now come, to give birth in a Cave as a mortal to my God and Lord.

At Lauds we insert 4 Stichera, and we sing Prosomia.

Tone 6.

The creative Wisdom now advances; the prophetic clouds part asunder; grace clears the sky; the truth has shone out; shadowy riddles cease; the gate of Eden has been opened; Adam dance; our God who fashioned us is himself willingly fashioned.

Fulfilling the oracles and visions of the Prophets, the Word is brought to birth in flesh and becomes corporeal, and after birth he is laid in a manger of irrational beasts. This is the supreme condescension! This the awesome dispensation! For this we sing: The King of Israel, Christ draws near.

That you may cleanse the poison of corruption and refashion for me the original image, you become incarnate and take suck, and you, who at your behest cause the universe to revolve, are wrapped around in swaddling clothes; O Word, who work wonders, I sing your praise, Angel of the Father’s counsel, through which I am made immortal.

Not leaving the bosom of the Father, you appeared as a mortal; and carried in a Virgin’s arms you summoned from Persia through a star the Magi who worshipped you as sovereign God; with the breath of your lips you destroy the godless rulers of the nations and shepherd your chosen people.

***.* Same melody.**

The Word, who is consubstantial with the Father, kneaded from pure virgin blood, is fashioned and will grow with the passing of time, and again is born in a Cave. Amazement! But Angels clap their hands, Shepherds sing: the King of Israel, Christ is at hand.

Both now. **Same melody.**

The oracles of the Seer Balaam are being fulfilled; for those who gaped at Persian prodigies, made radiant by the shining of an unaccustomed star, recognised by their gifts the unsetting Sun, Christ, embodied in Bethlehem, to be God, sovereign and willingly one dead.