Midnight Office Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Books - Sources

Horologion - Midnight Office

Menaion - December 25

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

__________

MIDNIGHT OFFICE

PRIEST

Blessed is our God always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.

( Amen. )

Glory to You, O God, glory to You.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, present in all places and filling all things, treasury of good things and giver of life: come; take Your abode in us; cleanse us of every stain, and save our souls, O Good one. [GOA]

READER

Trisagion Prayers.

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.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [GOA]

PRIEST

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to ages of ages.

READER

Amen. Lord, have mercy. (12)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Come, let us worship and bow down before God our King.

Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ God our King.

Come, let us worship and bow down before Him, Christ our King and God.

Psalm 50 (51).

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the abundance of Your compassion, blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from my lawlessness and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my lawlessness, and my sin is always before me. Against You only have I sinned and done evil in Your sight; that You may be justified in Your words, and overcome when You are judged. For behold, I was conceived in transgressions, and in sins my mother bore me. Behold, You love truth; You showed me the unknown and secret things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; You shall wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow. You shall make me hear joy and gladness; my bones that were humbled shall greatly rejoice. Turn Your face from my sins, and blot out all my transgressions. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your guiding Spirit. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and the ungodly shall turn back to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall greatly rejoice in Your righteousness. O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For if You desired sacrifice, I would give it; You will not be pleased with whole burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken and humbled heart God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built; then You will be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with offerings and whole burnt offerings; then shall they offer young bulls on Your altar. [SAAS]

CHOIR

Idiomela of the Lity.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 1.

Let heaven and earth rejoice prophetically! ⁄ Let angels and mankind celebrate spiritually! ⁄ For God has appeared in the flesh from the Virgin ⁄ to those who sat in darkness and the shadow of death. ⁄ The shepherds proclaim the miracle; ⁄ the wise men bring gifts from the east. ⁄ We offer unworthily the angelic song: ⁄ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace! ⁄ The Expectation of the nations has come ⁄⁄ to save us from the works of the enemy. [OCA]

Mode 1.

Heaven and earth are united today, for Christ is born! ⁄ Today God has come upon earth, and mankind gone up to heaven. ⁄ Today, for the sake of mankind, ⁄ the invisible one is seen in the flesh. ⁄ Therefore let us glorify Him and cry aloud: ⁄ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace ⁄⁄ bestowed by Your coming, Savior: Glory to You! [OCA]

Mode 1.

“Glory to God in the highest!” I hear the Angels sing this today in Bethlehem to Him whose good will it was that there be peace on earth. Now the Virgin is wider than heaven. Light has risen for those in darkness, and has lifted up the lowly who, like the angels, are singing, “Glory to God in the highest.” [SD]

Mode 1.

Beholding him who was in God’s image and likeness ⁄ fallen through transgression, ⁄ Jesus bowed the heavens and came down, ⁄ without change taking up His dwelling in a Virgin womb: ⁄ that He might refashion Adam fallen in corruption, and crying out: ⁄⁄ Glory to Your Epiphany, my Savior and my God! [OCA]

From Menaion - - -

Mode pl. 1.

The Magi, kings of Persia, ⁄ know that You, the heavenly King, ⁄ were assuredly born on earth. ⁄ They came to Bethlehem, led by the light of a star, ⁄ and offered their chosen gifts: ⁄ Gold, and frankincense and myrrh! ⁄ Falling before You, they worshiped You: ⁄⁄ For they saw You, the timeless one, lying as a Babe in the cave. [OCA]

From Menaion - - -

Mode pl. 2.

All the Angels in heaven form a chorus and exult today; and all creation leaps for joy, because our Savior and Lord has been born in Bethlehem. All the deception of idols has ceased, and Christ reigns as King, forever and ever. [SD]

Idiomela of the Aposticha.

(without the verses coming before)

Mode 2.

A great and paradoxal miracle has taken place today. A Virgin has given birth, and there is no damage to her womb. The Word becomes flesh, and He is not separated from the Father. Angels and Shepherds give glory, and we join them in shouting: “Glory in the highest to God, and on earth let there be peace.” [SD]

Mode 3.

Today the Virgin gives birth to the Maker of the universe. Eden offers a cave, and a star announces Christ, the Sun to those in darkness. Magi were illumined by faith and came and worshiped Him with gifts. Shepherds saw the wonder, as Angels were singing: “Glory in the highest to God!” [SD]

Mode 3.

When the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, Magi came from the East, and they worshiped God become man. They readily opened their treasures, and they offered Him precious gifts: pure gold to the King of the ages; incense to the God of all; and myrrh to the immortal One, who would die for three days. Come, all nations, let us worship Him who was born to save our souls. [SD]

Glory.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 4.

Rejoice, Jerusalem; and all you who love Zion, celebrate! Today the age old bond of the condemnation of Adam has been released. Paradise is opened to us; the serpent is neutralized. He deceived a woman in Paradise of old, but now he sees a woman become the Mother of the Creator. What profound riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! Woman, who became the instrument of sin, and who brought death to all flesh, has now through the Theotokos become the beginning of salvation for the world. For the all-perfect God is born as an infant from her, and in birth He preserves her virginity, and being wrapped in swaddling clothes He breaks the chains of sins. Becoming an infant, He heals the labor pains of Eve. Therefore, let all creation dance and leap for joy. For Christ came to recall it, and to save our souls. [SD]

Both now.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 4.

You dwelt in a cave, O Christ our God, and a manger received you. Shepherds and Magi worshiped You. And then the message of the Prophets was fulfilled. The angelic hosts were filled with wonderment, and they shouted saying, “Glory to Your condescension, only benevolent Lord!” [SD]

READER

Trisagion Prayers.

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.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

PRIEST

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to ages of ages.

READER

Amen.

Apolytikion.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 4.

Your nativity, O Christ our God, has caused the light of knowledge to rise upon the world. For therein the worshippers of the stars were by a star instructed to worship You, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know You as Orient from on high. Glory to You, O Lord. [SD]

Lord, have mercy. (40)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify.

In the name of the Lord, Father, bless!

PRIEST

May God have compassion on us and bless us; may his face shine upon us and have mercy on us.

READER

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Holy father, give the blessing!

PRIEST

May He who was born in a cave and lay in a manger for our salvation, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, (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.

Let us pray for the peace of the world.

CHOIR (intoned after each petition)

Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST

For the pious and Orthodox Christians.

For our our Archbishop (name).

For our nation.

For the armed forces.

For our absent fathers, brothers and sisters.

For those who help us and those who serve us.

For those who hate us and those who love us.

For those who have asked us, the unworthy, to pray for them.

For the release of the captives.

For those sailing the seas.

For those laid up with illnesses.

Let us also pray for the abundance of the fruits of the earth.

And for all our fathers and brethren departed this life, those who lie here in peace, and the Orthodox everywhere.

Let us say for ourselves, also: Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

CHOIR

Amen.