Prokimenon, in Tone IV: I shall commemorate thy name in every generation and generation.
At Great Vespers, after the kathisma, on “Lord, I have cried…”, 10 stichera: 3 of the resurrection, 4 of the feast, and 3 of the saints; Glory…, of the saints; Now & ever…, the dogmaticon of the current tone. Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. At Litia, the stichera of the feast (those chanted on the feast itself); Glory…, Now & ever…, of the feast. Aposticha stichera of the resurrection; Glory…, of the saints; Now & ever…, of the feast. At the Blessing of the Loaves, the troparion of the feast, twice; and that of the saints, once. If vigil is not served: at Compline, after “It is meet…” and the Trisagion prayers, the kontakion of the saints; Glory…, Now & ever…, that of the feast.
At Matins, on “God is the Lord…”, the troparion of the resurrection, twice; Glory…, that of the saints; Now & ever…, that of the feast. After the usual kathismata, the resurrectional session hymns with their theotokia. The Evlogitaria. Hypacoi of the tone. Songs of ascent, and prokimenon of the tone. “Let every breath…” Resurrectional Gospel. “Having beheld the resurrection of Christ…” After Psalm 50, the resurrectional sticheron. Canon of the resurrection, with 4 troparia, including the irmos; that of the Theotokos, with 2 troparia; that of the feast, with 4 troparia; and that of the saints, with 4 troparia. (But if this Sunday fall on the 26th, we chant the canon of the resurrection, with 4 troparia, including the irmos; both canons of the feast, with 6 troparia; and that of the saints, with 4 troparia.) Katavasia of the feast: “Christ is born…” After Ode III, the kontakion and ikos of the feast; 3 sessional hymns from the service of the saints. After Ode VI, the kontakion and ikos of the saints. At Ode IX, we chant the Hymn of the Theotokos [Magnificat]. Exapostilarion of the resurrection; Glory…, that of the saints; Now & ever…, that of the feast. On the Praises, 8 stichera: 4 of the resurrection, and 4 of the feast; Glory…, of the saints; Now & ever…, All-blessed art thou… Great Doxology. After the Trisagion prayers, the resurrectional troparion. Litanies, dismissal, and the evangelical sticheron corresponding to the matins resurrectional Gospel. First Hour, and final dismissal. On the Hours, the troparion of the resurrection; Glory…, that of the feast; Now & ever…, the theotokion of the Hour. We alternate the festal troparion with that of the saints. After Our Father, we alternate the kontakia of the feast and of the saints.
Stichos: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear.
On the Beatitudes, twelve troparia: four from the Octoechos, four from the canon of the feast, and four from Ode VI of the canon of the saints.
Epistle to Timothy, § 288 ( I Tim. 6: 12-16).
After the Entrance, the troparia of the Resurrection, that of the feast and that of the saints; Glory..., the kontakion of the saints; Now and ever..., that of the feast.
Alleluia, in Tone VIII:
Prokimenon of the tone, and that for the saints, in Tone IV—
Stichos: Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy holiness.
Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel.
Stichos: The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, and He will not annul it.
Stichos: In congregations bless ye God, the Lord from the wellsprings of Israel.
Gospel according to Matthew, §46 (Mt. 12: 15-21)
Reading from the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians (1:11-19).
The Sunday on or after the 26th of December
Brethren: I certify you, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: and profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.
Sunday after the Nativity of Christ
Alleluia, in Tone IV—
Commemoration of the Holy Righteous Ones: Joseph the Betrothed, David the King, and James the Brother of the Lord
Stichos: Remember, O Lord, David in all His meekness.
Be it known: If the Sunday after the Nativity of Christ fall on the 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th or 30th of the month, we chant the service as follows:
Stichos: How he made an oath unto the Lord, and vowed unto the God of Jacob.
On Saturday, Little Vespers as usual.
Reading from the Gospel according to St. Matthew (2:13-23).
At Liturgy: On the Beatitudes, 14 troparia: 4 of the tone; 4 from the appointed ode of the festal canon; and 6 from Ode VI of the saints’ canon. After the Entrance, the troparion of the resurrection, that of the feast, and that of the saints; Glory…, the kontakion of the saints; Now & ever…, the kontakion of the feast. Prokimenon of the tone, and this prokimenon of the saints, in Tone IV: Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel. Epistle to the Galatians, § 200 (Gal. 1: 11-19). Alleluia, in Tone IV: Stichos: Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness. Gospel according to Matthew, §4 (Mt. 2: 13-23). Communion Verses: Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright.
When the wise men departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take up the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Communion Verse—
Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest.
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright.
An Akathist Hymn in honor of St. Joseph is available from the Press as #S036
On the Beatitudes, 8 troparia: 4 from Ode III of Canon I, and 4 from Ode VI of Canon II.
After the entrance:
O Son of God Who wast born of the Virgin, save us who chant unto Thee: Alleluia! And thus do we sing up to and including the apodosis of the feast.
Troparion of the feast; Glory…, Now & ever…: Kontakion of the synaxis.
Prokimenon, in Tone III: The Song of the Theotokos—
My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
Stichos: For He hath looked upon the lowliness of His handmaiden; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Epistle to the Hebrews, § 306 [Heb 2:11-18]
Brethren: He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor those who are tempted.
Alleluia, in Tone VIII—
Stichos: Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy holiness.
Stichos: The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, and He will not annul it.
Gospel according to Matthew, §4 [Mt 2:13-23]
When the wise men departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take up the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Communion Verse—
The Lord hath sent redemption unto His people.
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.