Song of Ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV
After the first chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone IV —
With divine rays enlighten and make firm the minds of those who hymn thee, O most immaculate Virgin, thou mighty helper of the whole world, that with love we may all hold festival, praising thee and glorifying the all-glorious coming of thine image, and may pray: From every evil circumstance save thou thy servants by thy supplications, O thou who alone art blessed.
On “God is the Lord…”, the troparion of the icon, twice; Glory…, Now & ever…, the troparion again.
After the second chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone III —
Glory…, Now & ever…: the foregoing is repeated.
After the Polyeleos, this sessional hymn, in Tone VI —
By the omnipotent power of thy Son and God, O Bride of God, thine image hath come like a star of surpassing radiance and hath all-gloriously arrived, travelling from the East to the West, illumining those held fast by the gloom of sorrows, delivering them from the threats of the enemy, loosing their bonds, and revealing thy mighty intercession to all the world as an invincible weapon; for the Master of all, Who took flesh of thee, glorifieth thine all-pure image, and as a Son He honoreth thee as His Mother.
Glory…, Now & ever…: the foregoing is repeated.
Polyeleos, and this magnification —
Meet it is to magnify thee, O Theotokos, who art more honorable than the cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim.
Selected Psalm verses —
A O God, give Thy judgment to the king [71: 1]
B And Thy righteousness to the son of the king. [71: 1]
A That he may judge Thy people with righteousness. [71: 2]
B And Thy poor with judgment. [71: 2]
A He shall judge the beggars among the people, and shall save the sons of the poor. [71: 4]
B Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God. [cf. 95: 2]
A The Lord shall give speech with great power to those who bring good tidings. [67: 12]
B The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, and He will not annul it. [131: 11]
A Of the fruit of thy loins will I set upon thy throne. [131: 11]
B He shall come down like rain upon a fleece. [71: 6]
A And like rain-drops that fall upon the earth. [71: 6]
B And He bowed the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under His feet. [17: 10]
A For the Lord hath elected Sion, He hath chosen her to be a habitation for Himself. [131: 13]
B The Most High hath hallowed His tabernacle. [45: 5]
A God is in the midst of her, she shall not be shaken. [45: 6]
B He shall spare the poor man and the pauper, and the souls of the poor shall He save. [71: 13]
A All the nations shall serve Him. [71: 11]
B All the day long shall they bless Him [71: 15]
A He shall be a support in the earth on the summits of the mountains. [71: 16]
B His name shall be blessed unto the ages. [71: 17]
A And in Him shall be blessed all the tribes of the earth. [71: 17]
B Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Who alone doeth wonders. [71: 18]
A And blessed is the name of His glory forever, and unto the ages of ages. [71: 19]
B And all the earth shall be filled with His glory. So be it. So be it. [71: 19]
Glory…, Now & ever…
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. Thrice
Thou art truly the help of the helpless, O all-pure Mother of God; wherefore, we, the lowly, are exalted by thee and caught up in thee to the heights. Thou art a refuge for all and a most merciful mediatress before God.
Glory…, Now & ever…, the foregoing is repeated.
Prokimenon, in Tone IV —
I shall commemorate thy name in every generation and generation.
Stichos: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear.
Let every breath praise the Lord.
Gospel according to Luke, § 4
[Lk. 1: 39-49, 56]
In those days, Mary arose, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; and entered into the house of Zechariah, and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit: and she spake out with a loud voice, and said: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” And Mary said: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He Who is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name.” And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI —
Today the multitude of the faithful rejoiceth; for thy divine icon hath appeared on the air, O Mistress, like a sun of surpassing radiance, shining with great light, and, emitting rays of mercy in all directions, it illumineth all the faithful. Joining chorus, the angels minister unto thee today, and honoring thee, they have invisibly transported thine icon from place to place, O Mother of God; and when they had borne it to the place chosen by God, they reverently set it down with due glorification. But what shall we, who are clay, offer thee? And what fitting laudation can we make for thine arrival? We are at a loss and can but marvel, magnifying the loving-kindness which thou hast shown us. But earnestly entreat thy Son and our God, O all-holy one, that He grant victory over all heresies to our Orthodox bishops, peace to the world, and great mercy to our souls.
Two canons of the Theotokos —
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.