Canon of the Ancestors.

Of the Ancestors. Ode 3. The Irmos.

Tone 1. Christ is born.

Christ made a child in the flesh, Christ willingly become a beggar, Christ made visible, the Virgin now comes to Bethlehem to give birth to him. Let heaven and earth be glad.

You hills and mountains, leap for joy; Prophets inspired by God, dance. Peoples and nations, clap your hands. The salvation, the enlightenment of all is close at hand and comes to bei born in the city of Bethlehem.

The Rich becomes a beggar, and beggars those rich by wickedness. God is recognised as without change the mortal offspring of an unwedded Maiden. Let us all sing to him in praise, for he has been glorified.

Christ is born, give glory! Christ comes from heaven, go to meet him. Christ is upon earth, be exalted! Sing to the Lord all the earth, and all you peoples, raise the hymn with joy: for he has been glorified!

’When creation saw you hanging on Golgotha, who had hung the whole earth freely on the waters, it was seized with amazement and cried: None is Holy, but you, O Lord!’ (**Twice**)

After three days in the tomb, you raised by your Rising those dead since time began; they, loosed from condemnation, in harmony rejoiced and cried: See, you have come, Lord, our Redemption! (**Twice**)

Thinking on the glory in the image and likeness of God, the Youths, by the fire of the Spirit, valiantly quenched the flame of the image of gold, as they sang with faith: We know no Lord but you.

With superiority of wisdom and the power of the Spirit the Youths took prisoner and put to shame the wise men of Babylon, and resolutely they cried out: None is Holy but you, O Lord, lover of mankind!

The Law rejoices and dances with the Youths and the Prophets, and leaps with joy today in anticipation of the divine shining out of the Lord. Abraham is glad, because he has seen the Lord incarnate from his seed.

Your conceiving was without seed, the acquisition of your giving birth came forth beyond reason and beyond nature; for the Mystery so often spoken of supernaturally by Prophets has appeared to us, the Word of God, the Lord.

Of the Forefeast. To the Son begotten.

He who was begotten of the Father before the ages beyond understanding, in the last times became flesh from the Virgin, as he knows how, for he wished to renew humanity, corrupted by the plot of the evil serpent.

The Son of God without beginning, who is seated in the highest with the Father and the Spirit, seeing how human nature had been brought low, takes a beginning and is about to be born in the flesh as man.

She who is holier than the Angels and all creation now bears in the flesh the Angel of the great counsel of the Father for the recalling of all who sing to him unceasingly: Holy are you, O Lord.

To the Son begotten of the Father without change before the ages, and in the last times without seed made flesh from a Virgin, to Christ God let us cry aloud: You have raised up our horn. Holy are you, O Lord!

The Ypakoï. Tone 8.

An Angel turned the furnace of the Youths to dew, while now he halts the women’s lamentation, saying: Why do you bring sweet spices here? Whom do you seek in a tomb? Christ God has risen, for he is the life and salvation of the human race.

Of the Ancestors.