At Great Vespers

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

A Reading from Exodus

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera, 4 in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “O wondrous marvel…”—

At the Blessing of the Loaves, the troparion, in Tone IV—

A Reading from the Third Book of Kings

Let us join chorus today, O ye faithful, chanting to the Lord in psalms and hymns, and honoring His sacred tabernacle, the animate ark, who contained the uncontainable Word; for she is brought to the Lord, having become a babe in manner transcending nature. And Zachariah, the great high priest, receiveth her with gladness as the dwelling-place of God. Twice

A Reading from the Prophecy of Ezekiel

Today the animate temple of the holy glory of Christ our God, the pure one who alone among women is blessed, is led into the temple of the law, to dwell in the Holy of holies; with her Joachim and Anna rejoice in spirit, and choirs of virgins sing to the Lord, chanting in psalms and honoring His Mother.

Thou art the proclamation of the prophets, the glory of the apostles, the boast of the martyrs, the restoration of all mortals, O Virgin Mother of God; for through thee have we been reconciled with God. Wherefore, we honor thine entrance into the temple of the Lord, and with the angel all of us who find salvation through thy supplications cry out to thee in hymns: Rejoice, O all-pure one!

And 4 stichera in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—

Into the Holy of holies is the holy and immaculate one led by the Holy Spirit; and she is fed by a holy angel, in that she is the most holy temple of our holy God, Who hath sanctified all things by her entry and hath deified the nature of mortal men which had fallen. Twice

Rejoicing today and bearing candles, the maidens precede the noetic lamp and escort her with sanctity to the Holy of holies, revealing beforehand the Effulgence which would ineffably shine forth from her to illumine with the Spirit those who sit in darkness of ignorance.

The most lauded Anna cried out: “O Zachariah, in gladness receive her whom the prophets of God proclaimed in the Spirit, and escort her to the holy temple, there to be raised in sanctity, that she may become the divine throne, the palace and bower, and the radiant abode of the Master of all!”

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone VIII—

After thy nativity, O Mistress, Bride of God, thou didst go to the Temple of the Lord to be raised in the Holy of Holies as a consecrated maiden. Then was Gabriel sent to thee, the all-immaculate one, bringing food unto thee. All of the heavenly powers marvelled, beholding the Holy Spirit abiding within thee. Wherefore, O all-pure and undefiled Mother of God, who art glorified in heaven and on earth, save thou thy race.

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. 3 Readings:

The Lord spake to Moses, saying: “On the first day of the first month, at the new moon, thou shalt set up the tabernacle of the witness, and thou shalt place therein the ark of the testimony, and shalt cover the ark with the veil. And thou shalt bring in the table and the candlestick; and thou shalt place the golden censer, to burn incense before the ark of the testimony; and thou shalt put a covering of a veil on the doors of the tabernacle of witness. And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and shalt anoint the tabernacle, and all things therein; and shalt sanctify it, and all its furniture, and it shall be holy. And thou shalt hallow the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. And Moses did all things soever the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, commanded him. And a cloud covered the tabernacle of witness, and the tabernacle was filled with the glory of the Lord. And Moses was not able to enter into the tabernacle of testimony, because the cloud overshadowed it, and the tabernacle was filled with the glory of the Lord.

It came to pass that Solomon finished building the house of the Lord. And he assembled all the elders of Israel in Sion, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Sion. And the priests took up the ark, and the tabernacle of testimony, and all the holy vessels which were in the tabernacle of testimony. And the king and all Israel stood before the ark. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord into its place, into the oracle of the house, even into the Holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark; and the cherubim covered the ark and its holy things above. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which Moses put there in Horeb, which the Lord made. And it came to pass when the priests departed out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house. And the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord God Almighty filled the house.

Thus saith the Lord: “It shall come to pass from the eighth day and onward, that the priests shall offer your wholeburnt-offerings on the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord.” Then He brought me back by way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that looketh eastward; and it was shut. And the Lord said to me: “This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it, and it shall be shut. For the Prince, he shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord; He shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go forth by the way of the same.” And He brought me in by way of the gate that looketh northward, in front of the house: and I looked, and, behold, the house was full of the glory of the Lord.

At Litia, these stichera, he composition of George of Nicomedia,—

In Tone I: Let heaven rejoice today from on high, and let the clouds drop down gladness at the exceeding all-glorious mighty works of our God! For, lo! the portal which faceth east, who was born of a barren woman according to God’s promise, and became a dwelling-place sanctified for God, is brought forth as an unblemished offering. Let David rejoice, striking his harp! For he said: “The virgins that follow after her shall be brought before the King; those near her shall be brought unto the tabernacle of God, into His sanctuary, to be reared in the dwelling-place of Him Who, for the salvation of our souls, was incorruptibly begotten of the Father before time.”

In Tone IV: Today the Theotokos, the temple which held God, is escorted into the temple of the Lord; and Zachariah receiveth her. Today the Holy of holies rejoiceth and the choir of angels mystically keepeth festival. And we, celebrating with them today, cry aloud with Gabriel: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee, Who hath great mercy!

Come, all ye faithful, let us praise her who alone is immaculate, who was proclaimed beforehand by the prophets, and is brought into the temple, the Mother chosen before time began, the Theotokos who hath appeared in latter days. O Lord, through her supplications grant us Thy peace and great mercy.

Glory…, Now & ever…, the composition of Leo Magister, in Tone V—

The day of joy and the most honored feast hath shone forth! For today she who remained Virgin after giving birth, as she was before birthgiving, is led into the temple of the Lord, and the elder Zachariah, the father of the Forerunner, rejoiceth and crieth out in gladness: “The intercessor for the sorrowful draweth nigh unto the holy temple, in that she is holy, to be hallowed in the habitation of the King of all! Let Joachim, her forebear, be glad, and let Anna rejoice! For they have offered unto God the unblemished Mistress like a heifer three years of age. Rejoice, ye mothers! Leap up, O virgins! Ye barren women, join chorus! For the Queen of all, who hath been foretold, hath opened unto us the kingdom of heaven! Rejoice, ye people, and be glad!”

At the aposticha, these stichera, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: “Rejoice, O Life-bearing Tree…”—

Rejoice, O heaven and earth, beholding the only immaculate Virgin, the noetic heaven, coming forth to be raised in honor in the house of God! To her did Zachariah cry out, marvelling: “O portal of the Lord, I open unto thee the gates of the temple! Rejoice therein, joining chorus! For I have come to know and believe that the deliverance of Israel is manifestly coming, and that God the Word will be born of thee, granting the world great mercy!”

Stichos: The virgins that follow after her shall be brought unto the King, those near her shall be brought unto Thee.

O grace divinely manifest! With gladness Anna leadeth to the temple of God the pure Ever-virgin given her by grace, and she calleth maidens to go before her, bearing lamps and saying: “Go forth, my child! Be thou an offering and incense of sweet savor unto Him Who gave thee to us! Enter into the impassable precincts and learn the mysteries! And prepare thyself to be the gladsome and beauteous dwelling-place of Jesus, Who bestoweth upon the world great mercy!”

Stichos: They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing, they shall be brought into the temple of the King.

The most holy Virgin, the temple wherein God dwelleth, is borne into the temple of God, and maidens bearing lamps now precede her. Joachim and Anna, the excellent couple, her parents, leap for joy, dancing, for they gave birth to her who gave birth to the Creator, who, dancing in the divine tabernacles and fed by the hand of an angel, hath been shown to be the most immaculate Mother of Christ, Who bestoweth great mercy upon the world.

Glory…, Now & ever…, the composition of Sergius of Jerusalem, in Tone VI—

Assembling today, ye councils of the faithful, let us keep spiritual festival, and let us piously praise the divine Maiden, the Virgin Theotokos, who is led into the temple of the Lord, who was chosen before out of all generations to be the habitation of Christ God, the King of all. Bearing candles, O virgins, go ye in advance, doing homage to the honored entry of the Ever-virgin! Ye mothers, setting aside all grief, follow joyously her who is to become the Mother of God, the mediatress of joy for the world! And with the angel let us all joyfully cry out to the joyous one “Rejoice!”, for she ever prayeth for our souls.

Today is the prelude of God’s good will and the proclamation of the salvation of men. The Virgin hath manifestly appeared in the temple of God and proclaimeth Christ unto all. To her let us cry aloud: Rejoice, O thou fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation! Thrice