|
|
|
READINGS
FOR VESPERS DECEMBER 5th. Our Venerable Father Savvas the
Sanctified. [As on January 17th] 6th. Our Father among the saints
Nicolas, Archbishop of Myra in Lykia, 18th-24th. Sunday before the Nativity
of Christ. [See
July 13th] 24th. Eve of the
Nativity of Christ. ROYAL
HOURS FIRST HOUR Prokeimenon
of the Prophecy. Tone 4.
[Psalm 2:7-8] The
Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son, * today I have begotten you’. Verse: Ask
of me, and I shall give you the Nations as your inheritance. 85.
The Reading is from the Prophecy of Micheas. Thus
says the Lord: And you Bethlehem, house of Ephratha, are not least among the
thousands of Juda; for from you there will come forth for me the one who is to
be ruler in Israel, and his goings out are from the beginning, from eternity.
Because of this he will give them until the moment that she who bears child
shall bring to birth; and the remainder of his brethren will return to the
children of Israel. And he will stand and will see, and shepherd his flock in
the strength of the Lord, and they will abide in the glory of the name of the
Lord his God; for now they will be magnified even to the extremities of the
earth. 86.
The Reading
is from the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews. In
many and varied ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in
these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all
things, through whom also he created the ages. He is the radiance of his glory
and the very imprint of his substance, upholding the universe by the word of his
power. When he had made purification for our sins, he sat down at the right hand
of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he
has obtained is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God
ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’? Or again, ‘I will
be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son’? And again, when he brings
the first-born into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship
him.’ Of the angels he says, ‘Who makes his angels spirits and his ministers
flames of fire.’ But to the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is to age on
age, the sceptre of justice is the
sceptre of your kingdom. You have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore
God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your
comrades.’ And, ‘You, Lord, founded the earth in the beginning, and the
heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will
all grow old like a garment, like a mantle you will roll them up, and they will
be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.’ THIRD HOUR Prokeimenon of the Prophecy. Tone
4. [Isaias 9:6]
For
a Child has been born for us, * and a Son has been given to us. Verse: Whose government is upon his shoulder. 87.
The Reading is from the Prophecy of Jeremias. This
is our God, and there shall be none other reckoned in comparison with him. He
has found out all the way of knowledge, and given it to Jacob his servant and
Israel his beloved. After this he appeared on earth and lived among men. This is
the book of the commandments of God, and the law which exists for ever; all
those who keep it fast will have life; but those who abandon it will die. Turn
back Jacob, and lay hold of it, walk in the presence of its light to be
illumined. Do not give your glory to another, and what is profitable to you to a
foreign nation. 88.
The Reading
is from the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians. Brethren,
before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until
faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came,
that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no
longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God,
through faith. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on
Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there
is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are
Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. SIXTH HOUR Prokeimenon of the Prophecy. Tone
8. [Psalm 109:3.1] From
the womb before the Morning Star * I have begotten you. Verse:
The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a
footstool for your feet.’ 89.
The Reading
is from the Prophecy of Isaias. Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ‘Ask a sign of the Lord your God; in the depth or in the height.’ But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.’ And he [Isaias] said, ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it a little thing for you to contend with men, and how do you contend with the Lord? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey before he knows how to prefer evil or choose good. For before the child knows good or evil, he refuses the evil to choose the good. Then the Lord said to me, “Take for yourself a large new volume and write upon it in with a man’s pen, Of making a rapid plunder of spoils; for it is at hand. And get me witnesses, reliable men, Urias the priest and Zachary the son of Barachias. And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Despoil-quickly-plunder-rapidly; for before the child knows how to cry ‘Father’ or ‘Mother,’ he will take the power of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria before the king of the Assyrians.” Know you nations and be worsted; give ear, as far as the extremity of the earth; for if again you have become strong, again you will be worsted. And whatever counsel you take, the Lord will scatter it; and whatever word you speak, it will not remain in you, for God is with us.’ 90.
The Reading
is from the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews. ‘You,
Lord, founded the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your
hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all grow old like a garment,
like a mantle you will roll them up, and they will be changed. But you are the
same, and your years will never end.’ But to what angel has he ever said,
‘Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’?
Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those
who are to inherit salvation? Therefore we must pay the closer attention to what
we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken by angels was
sure and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how
shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first
by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him. NINTH HOUR Prokeimenon of the Prophecy. Tone
4. [Psalm 86:5.1] Sion
is our mother, a man will say; * and a man has been born in her. Verse: His
foundations are in the holy mountains. 91.
The Reading
is from the Prophecy of Isaias. A
child has been born for us, a son has been given to us; whose government is upon
his shoulder, and his name will be called ‘Angel of Great Counsel, Wonderful
Counsellor, Mighty God, Potentate, Prince of Peace, Father of the age to
come.’ For I will bring peace upon princes, peace and health to him. Great his
government, and of his peace there is no bound, upon the throne of David, and
upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgement and with
justice from henceforth and for ever more. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do
this. 92.
The Reading
from the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews. Brethren,
the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from One. For this
reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: I will proclaim your
name to my brethren, in the midst of the church I will praise you. And again: I
will put my trust in him. And again: Here am I, and children whom God has given
me. Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise
shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has
the power of death, that is the devil, and free those who all their lives were
held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear he did not on himself the
nature of Angels, but he took on that of the descendants of Abraham. Therefore
he had to become like his brethren in every respect, so that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make atonement for
the sins of the people. For because he himself was tested by what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested. VESPERS
Reading 14. 93.
The Reading
is from Numbers. And
the Spirit of God came upon Balaam, and he took up his discourse, and said,
“How fair are your houses, O Jacob, your tents, O Israel! Like shady groves,
like gardens beside a river, like tents that the Lord has planted, like cedar
trees beside the waters. A man shall chrome forth from his seed and will be lord
over many nations, and his kingdom shall be exalted and increased. God led him
out of Egypt; he has as it were the glory of the unicorn, he shall eat up the
nations of his adversaries, and suck the marrow of their fat bones, and pierce
the foe through with his arrows. He couched, he lay down like a lion, and like a
young lion; who will rouse him? Blessed be every one who blesses you, and cursed
be every one who curses you.” A star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a man
shall rise out of Israel; and shall crush the princes of Moab, and plunder all
the sons of Seth. Edom shall be an inheritance, Esau his foe shall be an
inheritance, while Israel did valiantly. 94.
The Reading from the Prophecy of Micheas. In
those days, says the Lord, I will gather her that is bruised, and her that has
been driven out I will receive, and those whom I have driven out; and her that
has been bruised I will make into a remnant; and her that has been cast out into
a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Sion from this
henceforth and for ever more. Thus says the Lord: And you Bethlehem, house of
Ephratha, are not least among the thousands of Juda; for from you there will
come forth for me the one who is to be ruler in Israel, and his goings out are
from the beginning, from eternity. Because of this he will give them until the
moment that she who bears child shall bring to birth; and the remainder of his
brethren will return to the children of Israel. And he will stand and will see,
and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, and they will abide in the
glory of the name of the Lord his God; for now they will be magnified even to
the extremities of the earth. 95.
The Reading is from the Prophecy of Isaias. Thus
says the Lord: There shall come forth a rod from the root of Jesse, and a flower
shall grow out of the root. And the Spirit of the Lord God shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the
spirit of knowledge and piety. The spirit of the fear of the Lord will fill him.
He shall not judge by glory nor reprove by hearsay; but he will give judgement
for the lowly with justice, and reprove with equity the glorious ones of the
earth; and he shall smite the earth with the word of his mouth, and with the
breath of his lips he shall destroy the wicked. And he will have his loins girt
with justice, and his sides clothed with truth. Then the wolf shall feed with
the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the bull
and the lion will feed together, and a little child shall lead them. The ox and
the bear shall feed together; their young shall be together; and the lion shall
eat straw like the ox. An infant child shall put its hand over the hole of asps,
and the weaned child its hand on the nest of the offspring of asps. They shall
not hurt or be able to destroy anyone on my holy mountain; for the whole earth
shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as much water covers the sea. In that
day there shall be the root of Jesse, and he that shall arise to rule nations;
in him shall the nations hope, and his rest shall be honour. Reading 88. 96.
The Reading
is from the Prophecy of Daniel. Daniel said to Nabuchodonosor, “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was lightening. The head of this image was of pure gold, its hands, breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out from a mountain by no human hand, and it smote the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces; then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to another people. It shall crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever; just as you saw that a stone was cut from the mountain not by hands, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has informed the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation trustworthy.” 97.
The Reading is
from the Prophecy of Isaias. A
child has been born for us, a son has been given to us; whose government is upon
his shoulder, and his name will be called “Angel of Great Counsel, Wonderful
Counsellor, Mighty God, Potentate, Prince of Peace, Father of the age to
come.” For I will bring peace upon princes, peace and health to him. Great his
government, and of his peace there is no bound, upon the throne of David, and
upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgement and with
justice from henceforth and for ever more. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do
this. Reading 90. for
the dedication of a church
The
Reading is from the Third Book of Reigns. Solomon stood before the Altar of the Lord, in front of the whole Assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven and said, ‘Lord God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below. If heaven and the highest heaven will not be adequate for you, how much less then this House which I have built in your name? And you, Lord God of Israel, will look upon my supplication, to hear the supplication and the prayer which your servant makes before you this day, that your eyes may be open towards this house day and night, towards this place of which you have said, “My name will be there”, to hearken to the prayer which your servant makes at this place day and night. And you will hearken to the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel, whatever they may pray for at this place, and you will hearken in the place of your habitation in heaven, and you will act be merciful to them.’ |
|
All texts and
translations on this page are copyright to This page was last updated on 11 February 2001 |