The First Hour

At the beginning of the second hour [i.e., 8 o’clock in the morning], the bells are rung. When we have assembled in church, the priest vesteth in epitrachelion and phelonion, and the deacon in stikharion. The paraecclesiarch setteth forth an analogion, suitably adorned, facing the royal doors, and he lighteth a candle on a candle-stand. The priest entereth the nave of the church, or the refectory, through the royal doors, the deacon preceding him bearing a censer. The priest setteth the Holy Gospel on the analogion and, standing before the analogion, intoneth the usual beginning: “Blessed is our God…” The reader respondeth: “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!”, “O heavenly King…”, and the rest. And after the exclamation [following the Lord’s Prayer], the priest censeth around the analogion on which the Holy Gospel resteth, and then censeth the rest of the icons, the whole temple, the superior and the brethren. And the reader readeth:

Then, Trisagion through Our Father… Kontakion of the forefeast, in Tone III—

Then these stichera, the composition of Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, are each chanted twice—

In Tone VIII: Prepare thyself, O Bethlehem! Adorn thyself well, O manger! The Truth hath come! Receive Him, O cave! The shadow hath passed away, and God hath appeared to men through the Virgin, assuming our form and deifying our flesh. Wherefore, Adam is restored, and crieth with Eve: Blessing hath appeared on earth to save our race!

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Glory…: Troparion of the forefeast, in Tone IV—

Psalm 5

A Reading from the Prophecy of Micah

And the second choir also chanteth the foregoing sticheron, without any stichos.

Unto my words give ear, O Lord; hear my cry. Attend unto the voice of my supplication, O my King and my God; for unto Thee will I pray, O Lord. In the morning Thou shalt hear my voice. In the morning shall I stand before Thee, and Thou shalt look upon me; for not a God that willest iniquity art Thou. He that worketh evil shall not dwell near Thee, nor shall transgressors abide before Thine eyes. Thou hast hated all those who work iniquity; Thou shalt destroy all those who speak a lie. A man that is bloody and deceitful shall the Lord abhor. But as for me, in the multitude of Thy mercy shall I go into Thy house; I shall worship toward Thy holy temple in fear of Thee. O Lord, guide me in the way of Thy righteousness; because of mine enemies, make straight my way before Thee, for in their mouth there is no truth; their heart is vain. Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues have they spoken deceitfully; judge them, O God. Let them fall down on account of their own devisings; according to the multitude of their ungodliness, cast them out, for they have embittered Thee, O Lord. And let all them be glad that hope in Thee; they shall ever rejoice, and Thou shalt dwell among them. And all shall glory in Thee that love Thy name, for Thou shalt bless the righteous. O Lord, as with a shield of Thy good pleasure hast Thou crowned us.

Deacon: Wisdom, stand aright! Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.

Stichos: God shall come forth out of Thæman, and the Holy One out of a mountain overshadowed and densely wooded.

Psalm 44

Priest: Peace be unto all.

In Tone III: Now is that which was spoken by the prophet come to fulfillment, which said: “And thou, O Bethlehem, land of Judah, shalt not be called least among princes, preparing the cave beforehand; for from thee shall Christ God, the Leader of the nations, come forth in the flesh from the Virgin Maiden, Who shall shepherd His people of the New Israel!” Let us all render Him magnification!

My heart hath poured forth a good word; I speak of my works to the king; my tongue is the pen of a swiftly writing scribe. Comely art Thou in beauty more than the sons of men; grace hath been poured forth on Thy lips, wherefore God hath blessed Thee for ever. Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Mighty One, in Thy comeliness and Thy beauty. And bend Thy bow, and proceed prosperously, and be king, because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall guide Thee wondrously. Thine arrows are sharp, O Mighty One, (under Thee shall peoples fall) sharp in the heart of the enemies of the king. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Wherefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness more than Thy fellows. Myrrh and stacte and cassia exhale from Thy garments, from the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad, they the daughters of kings in Thine honor. At Thy right hand stood the queen, arrayed in a vesture of inwoven gold, adorned in varied colors. Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear; and forget thine own people and thy father’s house. And the King shall greatly desire thy beauty, for He Himself is thy Lord, and thou shalt worship Him. And Him shall the daughters of Tyre worship with gifts; the rich among the people shall entreat thy countenance. All the glory of the daughter of the King is within, with gold-fringed garments is she arrayed, adorned in varied colors. The virgins that follow after her shall be brought unto the King, those near her shall be brought unto Thee. They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing, they shall be brought into the temple of the King. In the stead of thy fathers, sons are born to thee; thou shalt make them princes over all the earth. I shall commemorate thy name in every generation and generation. Therefore shall peoples give praise unto thee for ever, and unto the ages of ages.

Priest: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. [§2]

Stichos: O Lord, I have heard Thy report, and I was afraid; O Lord, I considered Thy works, and I was amazed.

Psalm 45

Priest: God be gracious unto us and bless us, and cause Thy face to shine upon us and have mercy on us..

Then, the foregoing sticheron is repeated.

Our God is refuge and strength, a helper in afflictions which mightily befall us. Therefore shall we not fear when the earth be shaken, nor when the mountains be removed into the heart of the seas. Their waters roared and were troubled, the mountains were troubled by His might. The rushings of the river make glad the city of God; the Most High hath hallowed His tabernacle. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be shaken; God shall help her right early in the morning. The nations were troubled, kingdoms tottered, the Most High gave forth His voice, the earth was shaken. The Lord of hosts is with us, our helper is the God of Jacob. Come and behold the works of God, what marvels He hath wrought on the earth, making wars to cease unto the ends of the earth. He will crush the bow and will shatter the weapon, and shields will He utterly burn with fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us, our helper is the God of Jacob.

Then, the reader readeth this prayer—

Glory…, in Tone VIII—

Glory…, Now & ever…

These things spake Joseph to the Virgin: “O Mary, what is this thing which I see accomplished in thee? I am at a loss, I am amazed and am horrified in mind. Quickly depart from me in secret! O Mary, what is this thing which I see accomplished in thee? Instead of honor, shame; instead of gladness, sorrow; and instead of an occasion to boast, thou hast brought disgrace upon me! No longer will I endure the mockery of men. I received thee immaculate from the priests of the temple of the Lord; and what is this that I see?”

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Glory to Thee, O God! Thrice

Now & ever…: The foregoing is repeated.

Once Mary, bearing in her womb an Offspring conceived without seed, was registered in Bethlehem with the elder Joseph, as being of the seed of David. And while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. There was no room for them in the inn. But the cave showed itself to be a beauteous palace for the Queen, and Christ is born to raise up the image that fell of old!

Then, the prokimenon, in Tone IV—

What shall we call thee, O thou who art full of grace? Heaven: for thou hast dawned forth the Sun of Righteousness. Paradise: for thou hast blossomed forth the Flower of Immortality. Virgin: for thou hast remained incorrupt. Pure Mother: for thou hast held in thy holy embrace the Son, the God of all. Do thou entreat Him to save our souls..

The Lord said unto Me: Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee.

Stichos: Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.

Thus saith the Lord: And thou, Bethlehem, house of Ephratha, art few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Judah; yet out of thee shall One come forth to Me, to be a ruler of Israel; and His goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity. Therefore shall He appoint them to wait until the time of her that travaileth: she shall bring forth, and then the remnant of their brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And the Lord shall stand, and see, and feed His flock with power, and they shall dwell in the glory of the name of the Lord their God: for now shall they be magnified to the ends of the earth.

A Reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews, § 303

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, Whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him. And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: They shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.

People: And to thy spirit.

People: Glory to Thee, O God, glory to Thee!

The birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When, as His Mother, Mary, was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying: “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.” Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the Virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, (which, being interpreted, is) God with us.” Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, and knew her not until she had brought forth her first-born Son; and he called His name Jesus.

People: Glory to Thee, O God, glory to Thee!

My steps do Thou direct according to Thy saying, and let no iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver me from the false accusation of men, and teach me Thy commandments. Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant, and teach me Thy statutes.

Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise, O Lord, that I may hymn Thy glory and Thy majesty all the day long.

Today the Virgin cometh to give birth ineffably to the preëternal Word in the cave. Dance, O world! And having heard this, with the angels and shepherds glorify the preëternal God, Who is to appear as a little babe.

Then, Lord, have mercy! Forty times

Thou Who at all times and at every hour, in heaven and on earth, art worshipped and glorified, O Christ God, Who art long-suffering, plenteous in mercy, most compassionate, Who lovest the righteous and hast mercy on sinners, Who callest all to salvation through the promise of good things to come: Receive, O Lord, our prayers at this hour, and guide our life toward Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, make chaste our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our intentions, and deliver us from every sorrow, evil, and pain. Compass us about with Thy holy angels that, guarded and guided by their array, we may attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of Thine unapproachable glory; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, have mercy! Thrice Glory…, Now & ever…

More honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.

In the name of the Lord, father, bless!

O Christ the True Light, Who enlightenest and sanctifiest every man that cometh into the world: Let the light of Thy countenance be signed upon us, that in it we may see the Unapproachable Light, and guide our steps in the doing of Thy commandments, through the intercessions of Thy most pure Mother and of all Thy saints. Amen.