day 25

March 25: Feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 4 stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Called from on high…”—

Troparion, in Tone IV—

The 25th Day of the MONTH OF MARCH

Taking pity on His creation, and bowing down in his loving-kindness, the Creator hasteneth to make His abode in the womb of the divine Virgin Maiden. And the great archangel came to her, exclaiming: “Rejoice, O divinely joyous one! Our God is now with thee! Be not afraid of me, the supreme commander of the King, for thou hast found the grace which Eve, thy first mother, lost of old. Thou shalt conceive and give birth to Him Who is consubstantial with the Father.” Twice

Feast of the Annunciation of Our All-holy Mistress,

“Thy speech and the sight of thee are strange, and strange are thy words and thine announcement,” Mary said to the angel. “Deceive me not, for I am a virgin who hath not known wedlock. Thou sayest that I shall conceive the Uncontainable One. But how can my womb hold Him Whom the vast spaces of heaven cannot contain?” “Let the tent of Abraham teach thee now, O Virgin, for it contained God, prefiguring from afar thy God-receiving womb.”

the Theotokos & Ever-virgin Mary

Arriving now in the city of Nazareth, Gabriel saluteth thee, the animate city of Christ the King, crying out to thee: “Rejoice, O blessed and divinely joyous one, for thou shalt receive in thy womb the incarnate God, Who in His compassion calleth mankind to its ancient blessedness through thee! Blessed is the divine and immortal Fruit of thy womb, Who granteth to the world cleansing and great mercy!”

This feast may fall between Thursday of the third week of the Holy Fast and Wednesday of Bright Week.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone I—

If the feast fall on a fast day, we begin vespers without a kathisma and without prostrations.

In the sixth month the supreme commander was sent to thee, the pure Virgin, to announce to thee tidings of salvation, and to cry out to thee: “Rejoice, O joyous one! The Lord is with thee! Thou shalt give birth to the preëternal Son of the Father, and He shall save His people from their sins!”

If the eve of the feast fall on a Saturday or Sunday, we chant

At the aposticha, these stichera, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…”—

AT LITTLE VESPERS

The leader of the hosts on high, flying down from the heavens to Nazareth, saluteth the Virgin, saying: “Rejoice, O pure chariot of the Godhead! God hath loved thee from ages past, and hath chosen thee for his dwelling-place! I am the servant of the Master, who am come to thee to cry out: Thou shalt give birth to the Lord, yet shalt remain incorrupt!”

Stichos: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God.

“Wherefore is thy visage fiery?” the pure one said to Gabriel in amazement; “What is thy dignity, and what the power of thy words? Thou declarest that I shall conceive a Son, yet have I not experienced man. Get thee far away, and deceive me not, O man, as once the false serpent did to my first mother Eve!”

Stichos: O sing unto the Lord a new song, sing unto the Lord all the earth.

“The all-holy Spirit of God will come upon thee, O all-pure one, O Mistress who shalt contain God, and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee, and thou shalt bear a Son Who shall preserve thy virginity intact. He is the Son without lineage! And having appeared, He will save His people, as is His good pleasure!”

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone IV—

During the sixth month the archangel was sent to the pure Virgin, and having pronounced a salutation to her, he announced that the Deliverer would come forth from her. Wherefore, having accepted the salutation, she conceived Thee, the preëternal God, Who hast been well pleased to become ineffably incarnate for the salvation of our souls.

Today is the crown of our salvation and the revelation of the mystery which is from before the ages! The Son of God becometh the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel announceth the glad tidings of grace. Wherefore, with him let us cry out to the Theotokos: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!