At Vespers

We chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon; but if it be Saturday, we chant the full kathisma.

At “Lord, I have cried…”, 10 stichera: ­­3 stichera for the Indiction, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Joy of the ranks of heaven…”—

Troparion of the Indiction, in Tone II—

And these 3 stichera of the venerable one, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: “O venerable father…”—

Having prayerfully learned the right glorious and divine teaching of Christ, every day let us cry out to the Creator: Our Father, Who dwellest in the heavens, give us our daily bread, overlooking our transgressions.

And these other stichera of the saint, in Tone II—

O Christ God, Who once on Mount Sinai didst inscribe the tablets, now in the flesh in the city of Nazareth Thou hast Thyself received the book of the prophet to read of God, and unrolling it Thou hast taught the people so as to fulfill that which was written concerning Thee.

Now and ever…: of the Indiction, in the same tone: the composition of the Byzantine—

As once in the wilderness the bodies of the Jews who did not truly subject themselves to Thee, the Master of all, fell into the abyss as was fitting; so now with psalmody do Thou scatter the bones of the impious and unbelieving Hagarenes in hell, O Christ.

Now and ever…, in the same tone, by John the Monk—

O venerable father, were it possible for thy pillar to speak, it would not cease to hymn thy pangs, labors and lamentations. For, rather than bearing, it was borne, like a tree watered by thy tears. The angels were amazed, men marvelled, and the demons were in terror of thy patience, O venerable Symeon. Pray that our souls be saved!

Now and ever…: to the Theotokos, in the same tone—

O venerable father, emulating thy Master through the power of the divine Spirit, thou didst mount thy pillar as though it were a cross. He rent asunder the handwriting of the sins of all, and thou didst put down the uprisings of the passions. He was like a lamb, and thou wast like an immolation. He ascended the Cross; thou, the pillar. O venerable Symeon: pray that our souls be saved!

O venerable father, having drenched thy body with tears and cleansed thy soul, thou didst scale the heights of the virtues. Wherefore, making thy pillar a material habitation and heavenly Sion thy noetic and heavenly city, thou didst by thy virtues astound the angels and didst strike men with awe, and didst put the demons to shame. O venerable Symeon: pray that our souls be saved!

The sacred Symeon sprang forth as good fruit from goodly stock, nurtured from infancy more by grace than by milk. And, lifting up his body upon the pillar of stone, and elevating his mind up to God, he fashioned a heavenly dwelling-place with his virtues; and dancing in chorus with the divine powers, he became an abode of Christ God, the Savior of our souls.

Thy memory and the meekness of thy heart abide forever, O venerable father Symeon, blessed favorite of Christ, for though thou hast departed from us, O good pastor, yet in spirit thou dost not leave us, interceding in love before God, and joining chorus with the angels in the heavens. With them do thou pray that our souls be saved.

By Cyprian— O all-praised father, the shrine of thy relics poureth forth healings, and thy holy soul, united with the angels, doth rejoice as is meet. Wherefore, O venerable one, having boldness before the Lord, and holding chorus with the incorporeal ones in the heavens, with them do thou pray that our souls be saved.

By Germanus— O God-bearer, thou didst love the most exalted philosophy and wast beyond the world, dwelling above visible things, and didst show thyself to be a divine and undefiled mirror of God. Ever united to the light, thou didst receive the light and a most notable end, O blessed one. Pray thou in behalf of our souls, O wise Symeon.

Glory…: in Tone VI, by Germanus—

Grace divine doth overshadow the shrine of thy relics, O sanctified Symeon. Wherefore, having recourse to the fragrance of the myrrh of thy miracles, we draw forth healing for our infirmities. O venerable father, entreat Christ God in behalf of our souls.

O unoriginate Word and Son, Who art united with the Holy Spirit, Creator and Fashioner of all things visible and invisible: bless Thou the crown of the year, preserving the multitude of the Orthodox in peace, through the prayers of the Theotokos and of all Thy saints.

Entrance, Prokimenon of the day, and three readings:

Two for the New Year:

The Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah (61:1-9)

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; He hath send me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto those who mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called Trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the wasted cities, the desolations of many generations. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and vinedressers. But ye shall be named The priests of the Lord; men shall call you The ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people; all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.

The Reading from the Book of Leviticus (26:3-12, 14-17, 19-24)

If ye walk in my statues, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgements, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. And I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass; and your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish ye yet seven times for your sins.

One for St. Symeon:

The Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon (4:7-15)

But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest. For honorable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years. But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age. He pleased God, and was loved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated. Yea, speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind. He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time: for his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked. This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he hath respect unto his chosen.

At the Aposticha, these stichera for the Indiction, in Tone I: the composition of John the Monk—

The New Year hath dawned, summoning all to honor those who enlighten it: Callista, Evodus and Hermogenes, the sibling sufferers; Symeon, the equal of the angels; and Joshua, son of Nun; the seven youths of Ephesus, and the choir of martyred women forty times radiant: sharing in whose memory, O ye that love the feasts of the Church, let us piously cry out: bless, O Lord, the works of Thy hands, and vouchsafe us safely to pass through the cycles of the year.

Stichos: To Thee is due praise, O God, in Sion; and unto Thee shall a vow be rendered in Jerusalem.

O Christ our God, Who hast made all things in wisdom and hast brought into existence things that were not: bless Thou the crown of the year and preserve our cities unharmed; gladden all right-believing Christians with Thy strength, granting them victory over their adversaries, and bestowing great mercy upon the world, for the sake of the Theotokos.

Stichos: We shall be filled with the good things of Thy house; holy is Thy temple, wonderful in righteousness.

By Cyprian— Wondrous art Thou, O Lord, and wondrous are Thy works, and Thy ways are inscrutable, for Thou art the Wisdom of God, the perfect Hypostasis and Power, equally unoriginate and equally ever-existent: and by Thy creative and omnipotent authority Thou didst ineffably enter the world through Thy Mother who kneweth not man, seeking to benefit Thy creation, not altering in Thy divinity, appointing the times and seasons for our salvation, O Immutable One. Wherefore, we cry unto Thee: O good Lord, glory to Thee!

Stichos: Thou shalt bless the crown of the year with Thy goodness, O Lord.

By the Damascene— O preëternal Word of the Father, Who created all things in wisdom and fashioned every creature by Thine almighty word: bless Thou the crown of the year with Thy goodness, and for the sake of the Theotokos, set heresies at nought, for Thou art good and lovest mankind.

Glory…: of the saint, in Tone V—

O venerable father, thou didst discover a good ladder, whereby thou didst ascend on High as on the fiery chariot which Elijah found. Though he did not leave the means of his ascent behind for others, yet even after death thou hast thy pillar. O heavenly man, earthly angel, inextinguishable beacon for the world, venerable Symeon: pray that our souls be saved!

O Thou that art ever King and abidest for endless ages: accept the supplication of sinners entreating salvation, O Thou Who lovest mankind, and grant fertility unto Thine earth, bestowing seasonable weather thereon; on behalf of Orthodox Christians contend Thou against the godless barbarians, as once Thou didst for David, when they came to Thine habitations and defiled the most holy place, O Savior. And through the prayers of the Theotokos, grant Thou victories to them, O Christ God, for Thou art the victory and boast of the Orthodox.

O Fashioner of all creation, Who in Thine authority hast appointed the times and seasons: bless Thou the crown of the year with Thy goodness, O Lord, preserving in peace Orthodox Christians and Thy city, and save us through the prayers of the Theotokos.

Glory…: of the venerable one, in Tone I—

Thou wast a pillar of patience, O venerable one, emulating the forefathers: Job, in afflictions; Joseph, in temptations, and the life of the incorporeal hosts while in the body. O Symeon our father, entreat Christ God that our souls be saved.

Rejoice, O highly-favored Virgin Mary, haven and intercession of the human race, for from thee was the Deliverer of the world incarnate, for thou alone art Mother and Virgin, ever-blessed and most glorified. Entreat Christ God that He grant peace unto the whole world.