AT VESPERS

After the Opening Psalm and the reading of the 1st Kathisma of the Psalter, we insert 10 Stichera and sing those prescribed of the Resurrection, then those of the Forefeast and those of the Holy Fathers.

Entrance, the Prokeimenon of the day and the Readings.

The Reading is from Genesis.

Prosomia of the Forefeast. Tone 1.

The Reading is from Deuteronomy.

All-praised Martyrs.

The Reading is from Deuteronomy.

All-blameless Virgin, living Palace of God, you contained within yourself him whom the heavens cannot contain; beyond understanding you gave birth to him in the Cave, a beggar and incarnate, that he might make me divine and enrich me, made a beggar by the incontinence of bitter eating.

Through compassion enrolled with slaves, long-suffering Christ, by Caesar’s decree, you came to give freedom, life and deliverance to ungrateful servants, who worship your saving Nativity, for you have come to save our souls.

The All-holy and blameless Virgin, realising that her child-bearing was beyond explanation and had made new the laws of nature, cried to her Son: My Child, so much desired, I am amazed at the great mystery: I have born a child and yet remain a virgin by your power, who do all things by your will!

And of the Holy Fathers. Tone 8. The Paradise in Eden.

As we believers celebrate today the memorials of the Fathers, let us sing in praise to Christ the Redeemer; the Lord, who as mighty and powerful magnified them among all the nations and faithfully performed extraordinary wonders; and has revealed from among them a rod of power, Mary the only pure Child of God, who has not known man; from her Christ has come forth, the flower that blossoms with life for all, the inexhaustible delight and the salvation of our souls.

Rejoicing in the dew of the Spirit as in raindrops, the Children of God walked in the midst of the flame, thus prefiguring the Trinity and the incarnation of Christ; and wise through Faith they quenched the power of fire; while Daniel the just appeared as a tamer of lions. Entreated by their prayers, O Saviour who loves mankind, deliver us also from the unquenchable and everlasting fire, and grant that we may reach your heavenly Kingdom.

The faithful and holy Children, when in the furnace of the flame of fire as in a dew, mystically prefigured your coming from the Virgin, which blazed for us yet did not burn. While Daniel the just, and wonderful among the Prophets, clearly foreshadowed for all your divine second coming. In his vision he cried and said that thrones were set, the judge had taken his seat and the river of fire appeared; from which, O Christ, may we be delivered by their prayers.

Daniel, the man of desires, when he saw a stone hewn without human hand, foretold that you, Lord, would be born as a babe without seed, you the Word incarnate of the Virgin, God unchanging and the Saviour of our souls.

**Of the Forefeast. Tone 6.**

Cave prepare, for the Ewe Lamb comes bearing Christ in her womb; Manger receive him who with a word has loosed us born of earth from irrational action. Shepherds abiding in the fields, bear witness to a fearful wonder; Magi from Persia, offer the King gold, frankincense and myrrh; for the Lord has appeared from a Virgin mother. Bending over him like a slave, his Mother worshipped him and addressed him as he lay in her arms: How were you sown in me? How have you grown in me, my Redeemer and my God?

(**14,14-20**)

Now when Abram heard that Lot his nephew had been taken captive, he numbered his own home-born servants three hundred and eighteen, and pursued the enemy as far as Dan. And he fell upon them by night, he and his servants, and smote them and pursued them as far as Chobal, which is on the left of Damascus. And he brought back all the cavalry of Sodom, and he brought back Lot his nephew and all his goods and the women and the people. And the king of Sodom came out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chodologomor and the kings with him, to the valley of Sabi; this was the plain of Kings. And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was Priest of the Most High God. And he blessed Abram and said: Blessed is Abram by the most high God, who created the heaven and the earth. And blessed is the most high God, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.

(**1,8-11 & 15-17b**)

Moses said to the sons of Israel: See, I have delivered the land before you; go in and inherit the land which I swore to your fathers, to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob, to give it to them and to their seed after them. And I spoke to you at that time saying: I alone shall not be able to bear you. the Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are to-day as the stars of heaven in multitude. May the Lord the God of our fathers multiply you a thousand times more than you are, and bless you as he has spoken to you. And I took from you wise and understanding and prudent men, and I set them to rule over you, captains of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens and recorders for your judges. And I commanded your judges at that time, saying: Hear cases between your brethren, and judge rightly between a man and his brother and the stranger who is with him. You shall not have respect to persons in judging. You shall hear the small as well as the great. You shall not shrink before any man’s person; for the judgement is God’s.

(**10,14-18 & 20-21**)

Moses said to the sons of Israel: Behold the heaven and the highest heaven belong to the Lord your God, the earth and all that is in it. the Lord preferred your fathers, to love them: and he chose their seed after them, you above all nations, as it is at this day. So circumcise the hardness of your heart and stiffen your neck no longer. For the Lord your God is God of Gods and the Lord of Lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality, who takes no bribe. He executes judgement for the stranger, the orphan and the widow; and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. You shall fear the Lord your God and serve him, and to him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in his name. He is your boast, he your God, who has done for you the great and wonderful things which your eyes have seen.

At the Liti the Idiomel of the Monastery as usual.

The famous Prophets, dazzling thunderbolts of inspiration, are for ever blest. Plucking the words of the Spirit, they proclaimed to all the inexplicable birth of Christ God; rightly they reached the goal, having lived lives beyond wonder.

**Of the Forefeast. Same Tone.**

Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth; for see, the Son and Word of God the Father comes forth to be born of a maiden who has not known man, by the good pleasure of him who begat him impassibly and by the co-operation of the Holy Spirit. Bethlehem, prepare; Eden, open your gate, for he who is becomes what he was not, and the Fashioner of all creation is fashioned, he who grants the world his great mercy.