AT VESPERS

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 of the afterfeast, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast given a sign…”—

If this day fall within the Great Fast, then: Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion. Or if it be Wednesday or Friday, this stavrotheotokion, in the same tone & melody—

Troparion of the saint, in Tone VIII—

He Who loveth mankind, fulfilling the law of the Scriptures, is now borne into the temple; and the elder Symeon receiveth Him in his arms, crying: “Now Thou lettest me depart to Thy blessedness, for today I have seen clad in mortal flesh Him Who hath dominion over life and mastery over death!”

Glory…, Now & ever…: Troparion of the feast, in Tone I—

Thou didst show Thyself to be the Light of revelation, the Sun of righteousness seated upon a light cloud, fulfilling the shadow of the law, and revealing the beginning of the new grace. Wherefore, Symeon, seeing Thee, cried out: “Set me free from corruption, for I have seen Thee today!”

Without being separated from the bosom of the Father in Thy divinity, incarnate, as Thou didst so will, Thou wast held in the embrace of the Ever-virgin, and wast given into the arms of Symeon the God-receiver, O Thou Who holdest all things in Thy hands. Wherefore, he cried aloud with joy: “Now Thou lettest me, Thy servant, depart in peace, for I have seen Thee, O Master!”

And 3 stichera of the venerable one, in the same tone, Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—

Elevating thyself to God by thy vision and activity, thou didst perfect thy life, O most wise one; and, setting the ascent of vision as thine activity, thou didst love the ultimate Desire, O wise one. And harboring desire for Him within thyself, thou hast now been counted worthy of a blessed end and the radiance of the threefold Sun.

With the flood of grace and the outpouring of thy words thou dost water all the divinely wise; and, setting thy mouth to the cup of the uttermost wisdom, thou didst draw forth in abundance, as from a wellspring, and hast shed beams of doctrines in every direction, sending forth epistles and teaching and instructing, O right wondrous one.

By abstinence thou didst mortify the wisdom of the flesh, arraying thyself in life-bearing mortality; and, manifestly enlarging the state of thy soul, O venerable one, thou didst make thyself a receptacle of the gifts of the Spirit and becamest the habitation of divinely inspired doctrines and dwelling-place of wisdom which passeth understanding.

Glory…, Now & ever…, of the feast, the composition of Germanus, in Tone II—

Today Symeon receiveth in his arms the Lord of glory, Whom Moses beheld before in the darkness, and Who gave him the tablets on Mount Sinai. He is the Creator of the law, Who speaketh in the prophets. He it is Who filleth all with awe, Whom David proclaimeth, and hath great and rich mercy.

When the ewe-lamb who gave birth to Thee saw Thee, the Lamb and Shepherd, upon the Tree, she lamented and cried out to Thee maternally: “O my Son most desired, How is it that Thou art suspended upon the Tree of the Cross, O Long-suffering One? How have Thy hands and feet been pierced with nails by the iniquitous, O Word! And how hast Thou shed Thy blood, O Master?

At the aposticha, these stichera, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “O house of Ephratha…”—

Receive, O Symeon, the Lord of glory, as thou wast told by the Holy Spirit. For, lo! He is come!

Stichos: Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master, according to Thy word.

Bearing the Creator and Master as a Babe in her arms, the pure and all-pure Virgin entereth the temple.

Stichos: A Light of revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.

Great and awesome and strange is the mystery of God’s dispensation: He Who embraceth all things and createth infants is borne in arms as a Babe.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Idiomelon, in the same tone—

The sacred Virgin brought the Sacred One to the high priest in the temple, and Symeon, stretching forth his hands, received Him, rejoicing, and cried out: “Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Lord, according to Thy word!”

In thee, O father, that which was created in God’s image was manifestly saved; for, taking up thy cross, thou didst follow after Christ; and, laboring, thou didst teach us to disdain the flesh, in that it is transitory, but to care for the soul as a thing immortal. Wherefore, thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels, O venerable Isidore.

Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, full of grace, for from thee hath shone forth Christ our God, the Sun of righteousness, Who doth illumine those in darkness. Be glad, thou also, O righteous elder who receivest in thine arms the Deliverer of our souls, Who granteth us resurrection.