AT VESPERS

After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon.

On “Lord, I have cried…”: If this day fall within the period of the Pentecostarion, we appoint 8 stichera: 3 from the Pentecostarion, and 5 for the forerunner. But if it fall within the Apostles’ Fast, we appoint 6 stichera for the forerunner, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious ­wonder…”—

A Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah

At the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Joy of the ranks of heaven…”—

Troparion of the saint, in Tone IV—

O blessed forerunner John, shedding rays brighter than those of the sun thy head hath shone forth from the ground and illumined the faithful. Possessing it as a divine treasure, we draw forth rich grace therefrom, hallowing our souls, bodies and thoughts; and, celebrating, we call thee blessed.

A Reading from the Prophecy of Malachi

Come ye, and with splendor let us celebrate the divine feast; for the baptizer of the Lord, the lampstand of the Light, the voice of the Word, the friend of the Bridegroom, the great beacon of the Truth, hath appeared, showing us his holy head.

Pouring forth abundant grace, O blessed forerunner, thy sacred head was shown to the divinely wise priest all unaware; and he, hastening with faith and grace, manifestly accomplished its arrival, sanctified with the emperor and the divinely wise people, who fervently maintain the Orthodox Faith.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

Stichos: There will I make to spring forth a horn for David, I have prepared a lamp for My Christ.

We celebrate the third revelation of thy precious head, which, when it was severed, O glorious one, the Trinity crowned because of thy godly zeal. The ranks of the angels, the company of martyrs, the divine apostles and all the prophets rejoice in its discovery. With them be thou ever mindful of us, O forerunner of the Lord!

Because of Herod’s commission of the abomination of incest and his adulterous impurity, thou didst denounce the iniquitous one, in that thou art a preacher of purity, O forerunner, and thy head was cut off, which, through the grace of thy miraculous deeds hath now been revealed to the faithful.

Glory…, in Tone VI—

Stichos: Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness.

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.

O ye who love the feasts of the Church, let us joyfully utter praise, receiving the head of the forerunner which hath been revealed by God, as a treasury of gifts pouring forth miracles like a divinely-flowing wellspring of grace arising from the bosom of the earth.

Now & ever…: If this day fall within the period of Pentecost, we chant the doxasticon from the Pentecostarion; but if it fall within the Apostles’ Fast, we chant the Resurrectional dogmaticon In Tone VI: “Who doth not call thee blessed, O all-holy Virgin?…”

Glory…, in Tone II—

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. Three readings:

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, for it clearly foresaw the mystery of the ineffable Being; and it hath rendered the whole earth fragrant, emitting the myrrh of sanctification, noetically proclaiming the way of repentance and entreating the Savior of all in behalf of our souls.

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 Zion, go up on the high mountain; lift up thy voice with strength, thou that 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.

Now & ever…: If this day fall within the period of Pentecost, the doxasticon from the Pentecostarion; but if it fall within the Apostles’ Fast, the Resurrectional theotokion, in the same tone: “O new wonder greater than all the wonders of the past!…”

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 sent 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.

Like a divine treasure hidden in the earth hath Christ revealed thy head to us, O prophet and forerunner; wherefore, assembling for the feast of its discovery, let us all chant divinely sounding hymns to the Savior Who saveth us from corruption by his supplications.

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.”

Glory…, Now & ever…: If this day fall within the period of Pentecost, we chant the troparion from the Pentecostarion; but if it fall within the Apostles’ Fast, we chant the theotokion, in the same tone: “The mystery hidden from before the ages…”