After the 2nd Reading of the Psalter, Kathisma

All the earth. Alleluia.

Sing to the Lord all the earth.
Sing to his name.
Give glory in his praise.
Recount all his wonders.
Say to God: How awesome your works.
Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad.
Sing to God, sing to his name.

[Make a way for him who rides upon the sunset.]
[The Lord is his name, and be glad before him.]

Splendour and majesty his work.

[And his justice abides from age to age.]

The Lord has sent redemption to his people.
Holy and fearful his name.

The Lord’s right hand has wrought power.

[The Lord’s right hand has exalted me.]
[A man will say: Mother Sion, and: A man has been born in her.]
[Fair in beauty beyond the sons of men.]
[The Most High has founded her.]

From Sion the loveliness of his beauty.
Our God is in heaven and on earth, has done whatever he willed.
Your mercies, O Lord, I will sing forever.

[To generation and generation I will announce your truth with my mouth.]
[That you may say for ever mercy will be established.]
[Your truth will be prepared in the heavens.]
[His seed abides for ever.]
[And his throne is as the sun before me.]
[And like the moon fixed for ever.]
[And I will establish his seed for ever,]
[And his throne as the days of heaven.]
[And he will rule from sea to sea,]
[And from the ends of the world to its ends.]

[He will call to me: You are my Father,]
[My God and helper of my salvation.]

And I will establish him as first born, high beyond all the kings of the earth,
And all the kings of the earth will worship him.
What god is great as our God? You are the God who alone works wonders.
By the arm of your power you have scattered your foes.

[You will shepherd them with an iron staff.]
[As a potter’s vessels you will smash them.]

Gird your sword upon your thigh, O powerful one, in your beauty and loveliness.
Your arrows are sharpened, O powerful one.

[Peoples will fall beneath you, in the heart of the king’s enemies.]

From the womb before the morning star I have begotten birth.
The Lord has sworn and he will not repent.
You are a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedek.
The Lord said to me: You are my son, today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will give you nations as your inheritance.
And the ends of the earth as your possession.
At the head of the book it is written of me.
Your throne, O God, is from age to age.
A staff of right is the staff of your kingdom.

[You have loved justice, and hated iniquity.]

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your fellows.
For you will inherit among all the nations.
Blessed is God for ever. So be it. So be it.

Let us worship the Father, and let us glorify the Son, and let us all praise together the all holy Spirit, crying out and saying: All holy Trinity, save us all.

Your people, O Christ, brings your Mother to intercede; at her entreaties grant us your pity, that we may glorify you, Loving Lord, who dawned for us from the grave.

The Anavathmi, the 1st Antiphon of the 4th Tone.

The Reading is from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

All things are filled with joy today, for Christ is born from the Virgin.

The Canons.

‘Christ is born, give glory! Christ comes from heaven, go to meet him! Christ is upon earth, be exalted! Sing to the Lord all the earth; and all you peoples raise the hymn with joy, for he has been glorified’.

Ruined through transgression, the one made in God’s image became wholly subject to corruption, fell stumbling from a better and divine life. Him the wise Creator now refashions, for he has been glorified.

The Creator, seeing humanity that he had made with his own hands perishing, bowed the heavens and came down; but he took its whole being from a divine, pure Virgin, being made truly flesh; for he has been glorified.

With songs of eloquence these hymns proclaim
God’s Son for mortals’ sake on earth now born,
Abolishing the world’s grim miseries.
But, King, deliver preachers from these pains.

‘Of old the Master who works wonders saved a people,
‘Turning the wat’ry waves of the sea into dry land;
‘And now he has been born of his own will from a Maiden,
‘Establishes a path for us to mount to heaven.
‘We glorify him, equal by essence to Father and to mortals’.

Clearly prefigured by the bush unburned
A hallowed womb has borne in it the Word,
God mingled with a mortal form, who now
Frees Eve’s unhappy womb from bitter curse
Of old. Him now we mortals glorify.

A star to Magi clearly showed the Word
Who was before the sun and yet he came
To make an end of sin, in a poor cave:
You, the compassionate, in swaddling clothes.
With joy they saw you, mortal man and Lord.

‘To the Son begotten of the Father without change before the ages, and in these last times without seed made flesh from a Virgin, to Christ God let us cry aloud: You have raised up our horn. Holy are you, O Lord!’

Adam, formed of dust, who had shared in a better breath of life and slipped down to corruption through a woman’s deception, seeing Christ born from a woman cries out: For me you have become as me; glory to you, O Lord!

You have made yourself, O Christ, one in form with a moulding of vile clay, and by sharing in what is worse, our flesh, you grant a share in divine stock, becoming mortal, yet remaining God, and raising up our horn. Holy are you, O Lord!

‘Accept, O Benefactor, the praises of your servants,
‘Humbling the haughty, despiteful look of the foe,
‘O blessed Lord, who see all, raise us all above sin,
‘And establish your singers, firm and unshaken,
‘Upon the foundation of the faith’.

The shepherd choir, abiding in the fields,
Counted beyond all thought worthy to see
The all-blest Offspring of an all-pure Bride,
Were stunned by the strange sight: an angel host
Praising Christ King, incarnate without seed.

He, who rules heaven’s height, in his compassion
Became as us from Maiden without bridegroom;
Word without matter once, in the last times
Made solid by the flesh, that he might draw
The fallen first created to himself.

When we say an Ypakoï we do not say a Kathisma, as we have found in some Typika.

Let heaven rejoice and let earth be glad, because the Lamb of God has been born on earth, granting redemption to the world. The Word who is in the bosom of the Father has come forth from the Virgin without seed. The Magi were amazed when they saw him in Bethlehem, born as a babe; whom all things glorify.

‘Rod out of Jesse’s root, and flower that blossomed from his stem, O Christ, you have sprung from the Virgin, the praised from the mountain overshadowed by forest; you have come made flesh from her who knew not wedlock, yet God not formed of matter. Glory to your power, O Lord!’

O Christ, whom Jacob foretold in days of old as Expectation of the nations, you have dawned from the tribe of Juda, you have come to plunder the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria, turning error into faith beautiful to God. Glory to your power, O Lord!

O Master, by dawning as a star out of Jacob you filled with joy the watchers of the stars, wise interpreters of the words of Balaam the Seer of old, who were brought to you as first fruits of the nations; you received them openly as they offered you their acceptable gifts.

‘Of old Avvakoum the Prophet was found worthy
‘Ineffably to see the figure of the birth of Christ;
‘And he foretold in song the renewal of mankind;
‘For a young Babe, even the Word, has come forth from the mountain,
‘Which is the Virgin, for the renewal of our race’.

Equal to mortals, O Most High, you came
Forth from a Virgin, having taken flesh,
To cleanse the poison of the serpent’s head,
By nature God, leading from sunless gates
All mortals to life bringing radiance.

Nations that once were in corruption sunk
And have the foe’s destruction wholly fled,
Lift up your hands, clap them in songs of praise,
Honouring Christ alone as Benefactor,
Who in compassion has now come to us.

O Virgin, who have sprung from Jesse’s root,
The bounds of mortal nature you have passed,
Bearing the Father’s pre-eternal Word,
As it was his good pleasure to pass through,
In strange self-emptying, your womb still sealed.

‘As you are God of peace and Father of mercies, you have sent us your Angel of great counsel, who grants us peace; so we are guided by the knowledge of God, watching before dawn we glorify you, only lover of mankind’.

You were enrolled among Caesar’s slaves, obeying his decree, and you have freed us, your slaves, O Christ from foe and sin; Making yourself utterly poor like us, you have made our dust divine through union and participation.

‘From the night of deeds of error, in our darkness we keep watch,
‘And sing to you, O Christ, as to our Benefactor:
‘Come to us and grant forgiveness,
‘Make the pathway easy for us,
‘Whereby we may ascend, and so attain to glory’.

The Master by his coming in the flesh
Harsh hate against him utterly cut through,
Strength of the murderer of souls destroyed,
Unites the world to immaterial beings,
Making his Father gentle to creation.

The people that in darkness dwelt before
Saw in broad day light from a beacon fire
On high. The Son to God as heritage
Brings nations; grace ineffable bestows
Where sin once flourished more abundantly.

‘The monster from the deep spat Jonas from its bowels like a new born babe, just as it had received him; while the Word having dwelt in the Virgin and taken flesh, came forth, yet kept her incorrupt, for being himself not subject to decay, he preserved his mother free from harm’.

Christ our God, whom the Father begot from the womb before the morning star and who holds the reins of the immaculate Powers, is laid in a manger of dumb beasts; he is swaddled in rags, but looses the tangled cords of offences.

‘Enclosed in the uttermost depth of the sea,
‘Jonas entreated you to come and still the storm;
‘And I, O Christ, pricked by the dart of the tyrant,
‘Call upon you, the slayer of evil,
‘To come quickly and deliver me from my sloth’.

Who was with God in the beginning, God
The Word, seeing our nature powerless
To guard what it once was, now gives it strength,
Lowers himself, by second fellowship
Showing it once again from passions free.

From loins of Abraham for us he came,
To raise as sons those sadly fallen in
The dark of sins that bowed them low. He dwells
In light, yet in a manger now to dwell
For man’s salvation he has been well pleased.

Bethlehem has opened Eden, come, let us see;
We have found delight in secret, come let us receive
The joys of Paradise within the cave;
There the unwatered root has appeared whose blossom is forgiveness,
There has been found the undug well
From which David once wished to drink;
There a Virgin has borne a babe
And has at once quenched Adam’s and David’s thirst.
For this let us hasten to this place where there has been born
A little Child: God before the ages.

In those days there was a Seer called Balaam in the country of the Persians who prophesied many things, among which he said: ‘A star will dawn out of Jacob, and will crush the princes of Moab’. The other Seers then, holding this prophecy in succession, taught it to the kings of the Persians. And it came to these men, three in number, and they were keeping watch for when they might see such a star. But being astronomers, when they saw that Christ’s star did not follow a course like the other stars, from east to west, but from north to south, knew that it showed the birth of a great king; and having followed the star, they found Christ the Lord, and falling down they worshipped him and offered him gold, incense and myrrh. And so, on the orders of an Angel, they returned to their country.

‘The Youths brought up together in godliness, scorning the impious decree, feared not the threat of fire, but standing in the midst of the flame they sang: God of our Fathers, blessed are you!’

Shepherds abiding in the fields had a vision of light which filled them with fear; for the glory of the Lord shone round them and an Angel crying aloud: Sing praises, for Christ is born. God of our Fathers, blessed are you!’

Suddenly, at the word of the Angel, the armies of heaven cried: Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, among men good will, Christ, has shone forth. God of our Fathers, blessed are you!’

‘Caught and held fast by love for the King of all,
‘The Young Men despised the impious threats
‘Of the tyrant in his boundless fury;
‘And when the dread fire withdrew from them, they said
‘To the Master: Unto all ages, blessed are you!’

Seething and roaring in its wrath the flame
Burnt up when heated sevenfold the servants,
But the Young Men it saves, as victors crowns.
On whom the Lord, rewarding piety,
Bestows abundantly his cooling dew.

Christ our Defender, you shamed mortals’ foe,
Having your incarnation beyond speech
As shield, in human form bringing the joy
Of being like God; in hope of which we once
Fell from on high into the murky depths.

You have cast down by your almighty power
Fierce sin that raised its head in wanton pride,
And raged blaspheming through a world gone mad.
Those once dragged down today you save from snares,
O Benefactor, by your will made flesh.

‘The furnace moist with dew was the image and the figure of a wonder past nature; for it did not burn those it had received; even as the fire of the godhead did not consume the Virgin’s womb into which it has descended. Therefore in praise let us sing: Let all creation bless the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages’.

The daughter of Babylon once dragged to herself from Sion David’s children, taken by the spear; now she sends her children, Magi taking gifts, to entreat David’s daughter, who received God. Therefore in praise let us sing: Let all creation bless the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages.

Sorrow silenced the instruments of song, for Sion’s children did not sing among strangers; but Christ, shining forth from Bethlehem, abolishes all the error of Babylon and the harmony of her musicians. Therefore in praise let us sing: Let all creation bless the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages.

‘The young men of the old covenant, walking in the fire
‘Unburned are figures of the sealed womb of the Maiden,
‘When she gave birth in fashion past nature;
‘The same grace it was worked both by one wondrous power,
‘And raises the people to sing in praise’.

Fleeing the outrage of becoming God
By error, all creation like the youths
With trembling hymns the everlasting Word
Self emptied; fears to bring a prayer despised;
Subject to change, by wisdom though endures.

The nations Rising, you have come to turn
Back human nature from the desert hills
To pasture rich in flowers. Now destroy
The violent force of mortals’ murderer,
By providence now seen as God and man.

Magnify, O my soul, her who is greater in honour and more glorious than the hosts on high.

‘A strange and wonderful mystery I see, the Cave is heaven, the Virgin the Cherubim throne, the Manger the Place in which Christ, the God whom nothing can contain, is laid. Him we praise and magnify’.

Magnify, O my soul, her who is greater in honour and more glorious than the hosts on high.

‘A strange and wonderful mystery I see, the Cave is heaven, the Virgin the Cherubim throne, the Manger the Place in which Christ, the God whom nothing can contain, is laid. Him we praise and magnify’.

Magnify, O my soul, God born in flesh from a Virgin.

The Magi, seeing the strange course of an unusual, new and newly shining star, exceeding those of heaven concluded a King, Christ, had been born on earth in Bethlehem for our salvation.

Magnify, O my soul, the King born in a cave.

The Magi, seeing the strange course of an unusual, new and newly shining star, exceeding those of heaven concluded a King, Christ, had been born on earth in Bethlehem for our salvation.

Magnify, O my soul, God worshipped by the Magi.

Where is the new-born infant King, whose star we have seen? said the Magi. For we have come to worship him. Herod. God’s enemy, was troubled and in his mad folly plotted to destroy Christ.

Magnify, O my soul, him who was revealed to the Magi by a star.

Where is the new-born infant King, whose star we have seen? said the Magi. For we have come to worship him. Herod. God’s enemy, was troubled and in his mad folly plotted to destroy Christ.

Magnify, O my soul, the pure Virgin who has given birth to Christ the King.

Herod inquired the time of the star, under whose guidance the Magi in Bethlehem worship Christ with gifts. Led back to their own country by that star they abandoned the foul slayer of children, who was mocked.

Magi and Shepherds came to worship Christ, born in the city of Bethlehem.

To-day the Virgin bears the Master within the cave.

‘For us it is easier in fear to love silence,
‘For this is without danger, but it is hard indeed
‘With love to weave songs harmoniously composed,
‘O Virgin. But do you, O Mother, give us strength
‘That we may fulfil our intent’.

Today the Master is born as a babe of a Virgin Mother.

‘For us it is easier in fear to love silence,
‘For this is without danger, but it is hard indeed
‘With love to weave songs harmoniously composed,
‘O Virgin. But do you, O Mother, give us strength
‘That we may fulfil our intent’.

Today the Shepherds behold the Saviour wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.

Types of the Word, pure Mother, we have seen
That have no light and shadows that are past;
Newly he has appeared from the closed gate,
And we, found worthy of the light of truth,
Your womb, as is most fitting, now we bless.

Today the Master who cannot be touched is wrapped as a babe in swaddling rags.

Types of the Word, pure Mother, we have seen
That have no light and shadows that are past;
Newly he has appeared from the closed gate,
And we, found worthy of the light of truth,
Your womb, as is most fitting, now we bless.

Today all creation rejoices greatly and is glad, for Christ is born of a Virgin Mother.

Types of the Word, pure Mother, we have seen
That have no light and shadows that are past;
Newly he has appeared from the closed gate,
And we, found worthy of the light of truth,
Your womb, as is most fitting, now we bless.

The Powers of heaven declare to the world that the Saviour, Lord and Master has been born.

The people that delights in Christ has found
Its longing, counted worthy of God’s coming,
Now cries in supplication for rebirth
As giving life. Do you, pure Virgin, grant
The grace to worship then that radiant glory.

Glory.

Magnify, O my soul, the might of the undivided godhead in three Persons.

The people that delights in Christ has found
Its longing, counted worthy of God’s coming,
Now cries in supplication for rebirth
As giving life. Do you, pure Virgin, grant
The grace to worship then that radiant glory.

Both now.

Magnify, O my soul, her that has delivered us from the curse.
The people that delights in Christ has found
Its longing, counted worthy of God’s coming,
Now cries in supplication for rebirth
As giving life. Do you, pure Virgin, grant
The grace to worship then that radiant glory.

At Lauds we insert 4 stichera, and sing the following Idiomels in Tone 4.

Come, let us sing the praises of the Mother of the Saviour, who remained still a Virgin after bearing child. Rejoice living City of the King and God, in which Christ dwelt and wrought salvation. With Gabriel we sing your praise, with Shepherds we give glory as we cry: Mother of God, intercede with him who was incarnate of you that we may be saved.

When the moment came for your coming upon earth a first enrolment of the world took place; then you were about to enrol the names of all who believed in your birth; because of this such a decree was published by Caesar, for the timelessness of your eternal kingdom was newly revealed. And so we too offer beyond tribute in money the wealth of our orthodox faith to you, the God and Saviour of our souls.