Books - Sources
Hieratikon
Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Menaion - September 23
The Conception of the Honorable and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John.
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LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Antiphon 1. Mode 2.
Verse 1: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and everything within me, bless His holy name. [SAAS]
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Verse 2: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His rewards.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Verse 3: The Lord prepared His throne in heaven, and His Kingdom rules over all.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Antiphon 2. Mode 2.
Verse 1: Praise the Lord, O my soul! I shall praise the Lord while I live; I shall sing to my God as long as I exist. [SAAS]
Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Verse 2: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob; his hope is in the Lord his God.
Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Verse 3: The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Only-begotten Son and Logos of God, being immortal, You condescended for our salvation to take flesh from the holy Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary and, without change, became man. Christ, our God, You were crucified and conquered death by death. Being one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit: Save us.
Antiphon 3.
Mode 4.
Verse 1: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. [RSV]
Verse 2: And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.
Apolytikion.
From Menaion - - -
Mode 4. Come quickly.
Ταχὺ προκατάλαβε.
Sing now, O barren one who did not bear before, * for you have indeed conceived the burning lamp of the Sun; * and he will illuminate * all the world afflicted * with spiritual blindness. * Dance, O Zacharias, and now openly cry out: * “The one who is to be born is a Prophet of the Most High God.” [SD]
Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Hymns after the Entrance.
Apolytikion.
From Menaion - - -
Mode 4. Come quickly.
Ταχὺ προκατάλαβε.
Sing now, O barren one who did not bear before, * for you have indeed conceived the burning lamp of the Sun; * and he will illuminate * all the world afflicted * with spiritual blindness. * Dance, O Zacharias, and now openly cry out: * “The one who is to be born is a Prophet of the Most High God.” [SD]
The Apolytikion of the parish church is sung. Then:
Kontakion. Mode 2.
O Protection of Christians that never falls, intercession with the Creator that never fails, we sinners beg you, do not ignore the voices of our prayers. O good Lady, we implore you, quickly come unto our aid, when we cry out to you with faith. Hurry to intercession, and hasten to supplication, O Theotokos who protect now and ever those who honor you. [SD]
Trisagios Hymn
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
The Epistle
For the Forerunner.
Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 63.
The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord. [SAAS]
Verse: Hear my voice, O God. [SAAS]
The reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.
Gal. 4:22 – 27
Brethren, Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in travail; for the children of the desolate one are many more than the children of her that is married.” [RSV]
Alleluia. Mode 4. Psalm 91.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 1: The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. [SAAS]
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 2: Those planted in the house of the Lord.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The Gospel
For the Forerunner.
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.
Lk. 1:5 – 25
At that time, in the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they wondered at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.” [RSV]
Hymn to the Theotokos.
It is truly right to bless you, Theotokos, ever blessed, most pure, and Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Logos. We magnify you, the true Theotokos.
Communion Hymn. Psalm 111/112.
The righteous will be remembered for ever. [RSV] Alleluia.
Hymn after Holy Communion.
Mode 2.
We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the true faith, worshiping the undivided Trinity, for the Trinity has saved us.
DISMISSAL
Glory to You, O Christ our God. Glory to You.
May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, the protection of the honorable, bodiless powers of heaven, the supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist, whose Conception we celebrate; of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy apostles, of the holy, glorious, and triumphant martyrs, of our righteous and God-bearing fathers, (local patron saint); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
Fasting Rule
Fast Free: All foods allowed.