Books - Sources
Hieratikon
Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Octoechos - Mode pl. 4.
On Sunday Morning
Menaion - December 11-17
Sunday of the Holy Forefathers
Menaion - December 15
Memory of St. Eleftherios
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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, risen from the dead. 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, risen from the dead. 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, risen from the dead. 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 pl. 4.
Verse 1: This is the day the Lord made; let us greatly rejoice and be glad therein. [SAAS]
Resurrectional Apolytikion.
Mode pl. 4.
You descended from on high, O compassionate One, and consented to a three-day burial, to free us from the passions. O Lord, our life and resurrection, glory to You! [GOASD]
Verse 2: Let heaven and earth praise Him.
You descended from on high, O compassionate One, and consented to a three-day burial, to free us from the passions. O Lord, our life and resurrection, glory to You! [GOASD]
Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, risen from the dead. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Hymns after the Entrance.
From Octoechos - - -
Resurrectional Apolytikion.
Mode pl. 4.
You descended from on high, O compassionate One, and consented to a three-day burial, to free us from the passions. O Lord, our life and resurrection, glory to You! [GOASD]
For the Forefathers.
Mode 2.
By faith You justified the Forefathers, having through them betrothed to yourself the Church that came out of the nations. The saints are boasting in glory; for the glorious fruit, the Virgin who without seed gave birth to You, is from their progeny. At their entreaties, O Christ our God, save our souls. [SD]
For the Saint.
From Menaion - - -
Mode pl. 1. As the Father and Spirit.
Τὸν συνάναρχον Λόγον.
You were fully adorned with the sacred priestly robes. * You were dripping with streams of your own martyric blood. * In this state, you ran to Christ your Master, O blessed Saint * Eleftherius, destroyer of Satan; you are wise. * Therefore cease not interceding * for us who loyally honor * your blessed contest of martyrdom. [SD]
The Apolytikion of the parish church is sung. Then:
From Menaion - - -
Kontakion.
Mode 3. Automelon.
Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον.
On this day the Virgin Maid * goes to the grotto to give birth * to the pre-eternal Word * in an ineffable manner. * Dance for joy, all the inhabited earth, on hearing. * Glorify along with Angels and with the shepherds * Him who willed that He appear as * a newborn Child, * the pre-eternal God. [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 Saint.
Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 115.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His holy one. [SAAS]
Verse: What shall I give back to the Lord for all He rendered to me? [SAAS]
The reading is from Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy.
2 Tim. 1:8 – 18
Timothy, my son, do not be ashamed of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, and among them Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me eagerly and found me — may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day — and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus. [RSV]
Alleluia. Mode pl. 4.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 1: Moses and Aaron are among His priests. [SAAS]
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 2: The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The Gospel
Sunday For the Forefathers.
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.
Lk. 14:16 – 24
The Lord said this parable: “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.’” [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 148.
Praise the Lord from the heavens. [SAAS] Alleluia.
and the following:
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 He who rose from the dead, 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, 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, the holy and glorious hieromartyr Eleftherios, and the holy Forefathers, whose memory we observe; and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
Fasting Rule
Wine: Wine and oil are allowed. Refrain from meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.
It is the Christmas fast.