AT VESPERS

Rejoice, O sacred and light-bearing head, venerated by the angels, which of old was severed by a sword and cut down the shame of impurity with sharp reproofs, wellspring of miracles which giveth drink unto the faithful, and which proclaimed the saving advent of the Savior and of old perceived the coming of the Spirit, which took up His abode in thee who didst stand between the grace of the Old and New Covenants. Entreat Christ God to grant our souls great mercy! Twice

If it be not the Fast, we chant “Blessed is the man....,” the first antiphon; and on “Lord, I have cried...,” 6 stichera. But if it be the Fast, we chant the usual kathisma, and sing the service to the Forerunner combined with that from the Triodion.

At the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone II: Spec. Mel: “When from the Tree....”—

Troparion, in Tone IV—

The head of the Forerunner, which once was concealed in an earthen vessel, hath appeared, manifestly given up from the bosom of the earth and pouring forth streams of healing; for in the waters did he wash the head of Him Who even now covereth the chambers of the firmament with waters and raineth down divine remission upon men. Wherefore, let us bless it as truly most glorious, and in its discovery let us joyously keep festival, entreating Christ to grant our souls great mercy.

Glory..., in Tone VI—

Come, ye faithful, and let us honor today the precious head of the Baptist which was severed, greeting it with hymns on the day of its uncovering, and honoring it with love, for it poureth forth the grace of healings upon us. Of old Herod the adulterer cut it off, and it was wreathed about by the savagery of Herodias.

The head which proclaimed the Lamb of God Who hath appeared in the flesh, which with divine commands hath declared to all the ways of saving repentance, which of old denounced the iniquity of Herod and was therefore severed from its body and endured concealment for a time, hath shone forth upon us like a radiant sun, crying out: Repent ye, and in compunction of soul submit now to Christ Who granteth the world great mercy!

Now and ever...: Theotokion:

Stichos: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

The divinely preserved head, a treasury of divine gifts, O Forerunner, hath shone forth from the bosom of the earth; and we, faithfully receiving and bowing down before it, O glorious one, are enriched by thee with most glorious miracles and the forgiveness of our offenses, O Baptist of Christ!

A Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah

Like gold from the mine, so from the earth hath the head of the Forerunner shone forth, which hath appeared in an earthen vessel and doth plainly emit radiance to illumine our thoughts. And venerating it, O ye faithful, let us honor it today with hymns, for it doth entreat God in our behalf.

Who doth not call thee blessed, O all-holy Virgin? Who will not hymn thine all-pure birthgiving? For the only-begotten Son Who shone forth timelessly from the Father, came forth, ineffably incarnate, from thee, the pure one; and, being God by nature, He became man for our sake, not divided into two Persons, but known in two natures without confusion. Him do thou beseech, O pure and most blessed one, that our souls find mercy!

A Reading from the Prophecy of Malachi

Stichos: The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied.

Thus saith the Lord: Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith the Lord. Speak, ye priests, to the heart of Jerusalem; comfort her, for her humiliation is accomplished, her sin is put away: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double the amount of her sins. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. O thou who bringest glad tidings to Sion, go up on the high mountain; lift up thy voice with strength, thou who bringest glad tidings to Jerusalem; lift it up, fear not. I, the Lord God, I will hear the poor of Israel and will not forsake them: but I will open rivers on the mountains, and fountains in the midst of plains: I will make the desert pools of water, and a thirsty land watercourses. Let the heaven rejoice from above, and let the clouds rain righteousness: let the earth bring forth, and blossom with mercy, and bring forth righteousness likewise. Utter aloud a voice of gladness, and let this be made known, proclaim it to the ends of the earth. Say ye: The Lord hath delivered His servant Jacob. And if they shall thirst, He shall lead them through the desert; He shall bring forth water to them out of the rock. Rejoice, thou barren woman who bearest not; break forth and cry, thou who dost not travail: for more are the children of the desolate than of her who hath a husband.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

The head of the Forerunner, which of old was hidden in a vessel in the ground like a divine treasure, is today disclosed to the ends of the earth, pouring forth an abundance of streams of healing, curing sicknesses and enlightening souls. Wherefore, receiving the grace of all consolation, let us hymn it reverently with songs.

Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Behold, I send forth My messenger, and he shall survey the way before Me: and the Lord, Whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into His temple, even the angel of the covenant, whom ye take pleasure in. Who will abide the day of his coming, or who will withstand at his appearing? For he is coming in as the fire of a furnace and as the herb of those who wash. He shall sit to melt and purify as it were silver, and as it were gold. And he will come to you as a Judge, and will be a swift witness against the wicked, and against the adulteresses, and against those who swear falsely by My name, and against those who keep back the hirelings’ wages, and those who oppress the widow, and afflict orphans, and wrest the judgment of the stranger, and fear not Me, saith the Lord Almighty. For I am the Lord your God, and I am not changed. But ye, the sons of Jacob, have perverted My statutes, and have not kept them. Wherefore, return to Me, and I will return to you, saith the Lord Almighty. And all nations shall call you blessed. Understand ye that I am the Lord Who discerneth between the righteous man and the iniquitous on the day whereon I shall preserve those who love Me. Be ye therefore aware and remember the law of Moses My servant, accordingly as I charged him with it in Horeb for all Israel, even the commandments and ordinances. And, behold, I will send to you Elijah the Tishbite, before the great and glorious day of the Lord cometh, who shall turn again the heart of the father to the son, and the heart of a man to his neighbor, lest I come and smite the earth grievously, saith the Lord Almighty, the holy God of Israel.

Glory..., in Tone II—

Like a most precious shrine of divine thoughts thy head, O all-praised John, hath shone forth today from the secret places of the earth, as from thy mother’s womb, clearly foreseeing the mystery of the ineffable Being; and it hath rendered the whole earth fragrant, emitting the myrrh of sanctification, noetically preaching the way of repentance and entreating the Savior of all in behalf of our souls.

Though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest. Thus the righteous who is dead shall condemn the ungodly who are living. For they shall see the end of the wise, and shall not understand what God in His counsel hath decreed of him. For the Lord shall cast the ungodly down headlong, that they shall be speechless, and He shall shake them from the foundation; and they shall be utterly laid waste, and be in sorrow; and their memorial shall perish. And when they cast up the account of their sins, they shall come with fear: and their own iniquities shall convict them to their face. Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labors. When they see it, they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation. And they, repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within themselves: “This was he whom we held betimes in derision, and as a proverb of reproach. We fools accounted his life madness, and his end to be without honor. How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot among the saints? Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of righteousness rose not upon us. We have been full of the ways of the iniquitous and destruction, and have trodden trackless paths, but the ways of the Lord have we not known.”

Now and ever...: Theotokion—

Christ the Lord, my Creator and Deliverer, Who came forth from thy womb, O all-pure one, and robed Himself in me, hath freed Adam from the curse. Wherefore, like the angel do we unceasingly cry out to thee, O most pure one, who art truly the Mother of God and Virgin: Rejoice! Rejoice, O Mistress, thou intercession, protection and salvation for our souls!

Glory..., Now and ever...: Theotokion—

The head of the Forerunner, which hath shone forth from the earth, doth shed rays of incorruption and healing upon the faithful. On high it assembleth a multitude of angels, and below it calleth upon the human race with one voice to send up glory to Christ God.

The mystery hidden from before the ages and unknown even to the angels, through thee, O Theotokos, hath been revealed to those on earth: God incarnate in unconfused union, Who willingly accepted the Cross for our sake and, thereby raising up the first-formed man, hath saved our souls from death.