Nativity Vespers Service
VESPERS As a Readers’ Service
for The Saviour’s Heart Discord Server, Nativity 2023
From St. Jonah Orthodox Church, Spring, TX
( http://www.saintjonah.org/)
Including parts from Orthodox Mission Church in Florence, AZ
(www.orthodox-mission.org)
And Stichera from the Orthodox Church in America
(www.oca.org)
Bold parts are read or chanted by everyone present.
Ordinary text is read by the Senior Reader.
The Usual Beginning
Necessary
Through the prayers of our holy Fathers,
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fills all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come and abide in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Amen.
Lord have mercy. (twelve times)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ our King.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ our King and God.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and God.
Psalm 104
“Contemplation of the new creation in Christ”
By Saint King David the Psalmist.
About the composing of the good order.
Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God,
You have been greatly magnified.
You have put on confession and magnificence,
throwing light around Yourself as a mantle,
and stretching out Heaven just as a skin.
the LORD, covering His upper chambers with water,
making clouds His steps of approach:
He, walking about on the wings of the winds,
making His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire
He, laying the foundations of the earth for its stability
it shall not be bent unto the age of the age.
The abyss is His covering, like a mantle ;
the waters shall stand up above the mountains.
Because of Your rebuke, they shall flee ;
because of the voice of Your thunder, they shall be afraid.
The mountains go up, and the plains go down,
into the place where You founded them.
You placed a bound which they shall not pass,
nor shall they turn about, to cover the earth —
the LORD, sending out the springs in the ravines:
the waters shall pass between the mountains.
They shall give drink to all the wild beasts of the field;
the wild asses shall accept it for their thirst.
The birds of the sky shall make their nests by them;
from the midst of the rocks shall they give voice.
He it is, watering the mountains from His upper chambers:
from the fruit of Your works shall the earth be sated.
He it is, making grass spring up for the cattle,
and the green herb for the service of Men,
so that he may bring forth bread from the earth.
And wine makes glad the heart of Man,
so that he may make his face cheerful with oil,
and bread makes firm the heart of Man.
The trees of the plain shall be sated,
the cedars of Lebanon which You planted.
There the sparrows shall make their nests;
the habitation of the heron is chief amongst them.
The high mountains are for the hind;
the rocks are a refuge for the hedgehog.
He made the moon for seasons; the sun knows its setting.
You appointed darkness, and it became night;
in it shall move all the wild beasts of the thicket,
the cubs of the lion: roaring to snatch,
and to seek their food from God.
The sun has risen, and they have gathered together,
and in their dens shall they lie down.
Man shall go forth to his work, and to his tasks until evening.
How magnified are Your works, O LORD:
in Wisdom have You made them all.
The earth has been filled with Your creation: this sea, great and broad;
there, creeping things beyond number,
living things, the small with the great.
There ships move through; and this dragon which You fashioned to frolic in it.
All look to You to give them their nourishment in due time.
When You give to them, they shall gather:
when You open Your hand, all things shall be filled with loving-kindness.
But when You turn away Your Face, they shall be stirred up.
You will take away their spirit,
and they shall come to an end, and return to their dirt.
You will send out Your Spirit,
and they shall be created, and You will renew the face of the earth.
Let the glory of the LORD be unto the ages;
the LORD will be glad in His works —
He, looking attentively upon the earth, and making it tremble;
He, touching the mountains, and they smoke.
I shall sing to the LORD in my life;
I shall chant to my God as long as I exist.
May my conversation be sweet to Him, and I shall be glad in the LORD.
May sinners vanish from the earth,
and the lawless, so that they cease to exist.
Bless the LORD, O my soul.
O Lord,
I Have Cried
Necessary
Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hear me;
Hear me, O Lord.
Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hear me;
attend to the voice of my prayer,
when I cry unto Thee;
Hear me, O Lord. Let my prayer be directed
as incense before Thee,
the lifting up of my hands
as an evening sacrifice.
Hear me, O Lord
Set a watch, O Lord upon my mouth,
and a gate of enclosure about my lips.
Incline not my heart to words of evil, to contrive excuses for sins,
with men that work iniquity, and I shall not join with their elect.
The righteous man shall correct me in mercy and reproach me,
but the oil of the sinner shall not anoint mine head.
For my prayer is still against their pleasure;
their judges are swallowed up among the stones.
They shall hear my words that have prevailed.
As clods of earth are broken upon the earth,
so our bones are scattered on the brink of hell.
To thee, O Lord, Lord, I turn mine eyes,
in thee I hope take not away my soul.
Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me,
and from the pitfalls of the workers of iniquity.
Let sinners fall into their own net, whilst I alone shall pass.
With my voice I have cried unto the Lord,
with my voice I have prayed to the Lord.
I pour forth my prayer before him, and before him I declare my sorrow.
When my spirit departed from me thou knewest all my paths.
In this way where I was walking, they have hid a snare for me.
I looked to the right and I saw, and there is none that knew me.
A way of escape faileth me, and there is none that seeketh my soul.
I have cried unto thee, O Lord, and said,
thou art my hope, my portion in the land of the living.
Attend to my prayer for I am exceedingly humbled.
Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are become stronger than I.
Alleluias
Necessary
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia – Glory to Thee, O God
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia – Glory to Thee, O God
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia – Glory to Thee, O God
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia – Glory to Thee, O God
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia – Glory to Thee, O God
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia – Glory to Thee,
Our God and our King, O God, Glory to Thee
Lord Have Mercy (Twelve Times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
both now and ever, unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Stichera or Akathist Reading
A reading from the Liturgical materials
And then the stichera is read one section at a time, based on the day…followed by a response after each section.
V. (6) If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You.
Tone 2 (for the Dormition) (With what crowns)
With what unworthy lips shall we bless the Theotokos?
She is more honored than the creation,
and more holy than the Cherubim and all the Angels.
She is the immovable Throne of the King,
the Abode in which the Most High has dwelt.
She is the salvation of the world, the Holy Place of God,//
Who richly grants unto the faithful great mercy on this her holy feast.
V. (5) For Your Name’s sake I wait for You, O Lord. My soul has waited for Your word; my soul has hoped on the Lord.
What songs filled with awe
did all the Apostles of the Word offer you, O Virgin,
as they stood round your deathbed and cried aloud in wonder:
“The Palace of the King withdraws;
the Ark of Holiness is raised on high.
Let the gates be opened wide,
that the Gate of God may enter into abundant joy,//
she who without ceasing asks great mercy for the world!”
V. (4) From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope on the Lord!
What spiritual songs shall we now offer you, O most holy one?
For by your deathless Dormition you have sanctified the whole world,
and have been translated to the places above the world,
there to perceive the beauty of the Almighty,
and, as His Mother, to rejoice in it exceedingly.
You are attended by ranks of Angels and by the souls of the just, O pure Virgin.//
Join them to ask for us peace and great mercy!
V. (3) For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.
Tone 2 (for the Image) (With what crowns)
With what eyes shall we who dwell on earth
gaze upon Your image, O Christ,
upon which the hosts of Angels cannot look without fear,
for it flashes with rays of divine lightning?
Today it departs from a land of the godless
and journeys by the will of God to the royal city and the pious people,
where its arrival is greeted by all Orthodox Christians,//
who fall down before it in faith and fear.
V. (2) Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise Him, all peoples!
With what hands shall we who are earthly
touch Your image, O Word?
How shall we, polluted in sin,
dare to gaze upon the face of our sinless God?
How shall we, paralyzed in corruption,
come before Him Who cannot be approached?
The Cherubim veil their faces, not daring to look upon You;
the Seraphim who carry You cannot gaze upon Your glory.
All creation serves You in fear.
O merciful Christ, do not condemn us,//
who unworthily and with trembling venerate Your image in faith!
V. (1) For His mercy is confirmed on us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
The praiseworthy day of the Master has clearly appeared to us;
for He Who is enthroned on high
now looks down upon us through His most pure image.
He Who is above the Cherubim, upon Whom no one may gaze,
is made visible through His image
to those with whom He shares His own likeness,
formed ineffably by the immaculate finger of the Father according to His likeness.//
As we worship it with faith and love we are sanctified.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
Tone 8 (for the Image)
Great is the depth of Your providence,
O Master, Who love mankind,
for, bestowing Your bounties upon Your creation generation after generation,
You have depicted an image of Your most pure face,
which You sent to faithful Abgar, who desired to see You,
Who are invisible in Your divinity even to the Cherubim,
so that, gazing upon the image of You,
Who for our sake became incarnate and willingly suffered,
we may be set aflame with Your love,//
which You have poured out on us for the sake of Your great mercy.
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Tone 8 (for the Dormition)
Today, choirs of virgins,
mystically stand round the bed of the Virgin and Mother;
the souls of the righteous come to honor the Queen.
The virgins offer their virginity to her as a gift instead of myrrh;
the righteous offer the fruits of virtue
as an immaterial song of praise:
For it is fitting for the Mother of God, as Queen,
to be escorted with radiant royal virtues.
Let us also enter with them with a pure life,
and go forth to the burial of the Mother of our God,//
blessing her in hymns and spiritual songs!
O Gladsome Light!
O, Gladsome Light!
O Gladsome Light of the Holy Glory
of the Immortal, Heavenly, Holy, Blessed Father,
O Lord Jesus Christ!
Having come to the setting of the sun,
having beheld the evening light,
we praise the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: God.
It is always appropriate to praise you with happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life, O Source of All.
Therefore, the whole world glorifies Thee!
Prokeimenon
The Prokeimenon!
This section not read if there are no readings.
The Readings
Genesis 14:14-20
Deuteronomy 1:8-11, 15-17
Deuteronomy 10:14-21
Epistle
(44) Acts 20:16-18, 28-36
Gospel
(56) John 17:1-13
Continuing
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this evening without sin. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy name unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee. Blessed art Thou O Lord, teach me Thy statutes. Blessed art Thou O Master, give me understanding of Thy statutes. Blessed art Thou, O Holy One, enlighten me by Thy statutes.
O Lord, Thy mercy endureth forever; disdain not the work of Thy hands. To Thee is due all praise. To Thee is due a song. To Thee all glory is due, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
All Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Dismissal
Now let Your servants depart in peace, O Master, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples; a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (thrice)
Establish, O God, the Holy Orthodox Faith of Christians unto the ages of ages.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us.
O Lord, blot out our sins.
O Master, pardon our iniquities.
O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.
Theotokion
Kontakion to the Patron Saint
of this Chapel
Lord, have mercy (thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
O Hieromartyr Cyprian, who left the service of the devil for the worship of the One true God, and were numbered among the Saints! Entreat Christ our God that we may be delivered from the snares of the evil one, and may vanquish the world, the flesh and the devil, that we may cry unto you:
Rejoice, O Hieromartyr Cyprian,
speedy helper and intercessor for our souls!
both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, of the righteous and god-fearing parents of the Theotokos Joaquim and Anna, of our holy and God-bearing fathers among the saints, Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, of Heiromartyr Cyprian and (saint of the day), have mercy on us and save us, for Thou art good and the Lover of mankind.
Amen.