GOA Digital Chant Stand Services for Tuesday, Jan 6, 2026
Midnight Office → Matins → Divine Liturgy → Vespers, in one continuous scroll
Midnight Office
PRIEST
Blessed is our God always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
READER: Amen.
PRIEST
Glory to You, our 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.
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.
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.
If the Lity was not sung at Vespers, sing the following:
CHOIR
Idiomela of the Lity.
Mode 4.
He who covers himself with light as with a garment condescended for our sake to become like us. Today He wraps himself in the streams of the Jordan, not needing them for His own purification, but in His own person accomplishing our regeneration. Awesome is the miracle! Without melting it in fire, He reforges our nature, and remolds it, not by shattering, saving those who are baptized into Him, Christ our God, the Savior of our souls.
Mode 4.
The Baptist beheld You approaching him, O Lamb of God, who wash away the sin of the world with the Holy Spirit and with fire. In fear and trembling he cried aloud, “I do not dare to lay my hand upon your undefiled head; You, O Master, sanctify me in your divine Epiphany, only benevolent Lord.”
Mode 4.
Come, let us imitate those virgins who were wise. Come, let us go out to meet the Lord. For behold, as the bridegroom, He has come to John. When the Jordan saw You, O Lord, it cowered in fear and stood still in its course. John exclaimed, “I do not dare to lay my hand on Your immortal head.” The Spirit descended in the form of a dove and sanctified the waters, and a voice was heard from heaven: “This is my beloved Son who came into the world to save the human race.” O Lord, glory to You.
Mode 4.
Christ is baptized and, coming up out of the water, He lifts up the world together with himself. He beholds the heavens torn open, which Adam closed to himself and his posterity. The Spirit, testifying to His divinity, descends upon Him who shares Its own nature. The voice bears witness from heaven, showing by this the origin of Him who is the Savior of our souls.
Mode 4.
The hand of the Baptist trembled as he touched Your immaculate head. The Jordan river turned back in fear not daring to minister to you. Indeed, was it possible for the river that once stood back in respect of Joshua, son of Nun, not to turn away in fear and awe when it encountered Joshua’s Creator? O Savior, in Your Epiphany, you perfectly fulfilled the plan of your dispensation to save the world, only benevolent Lord.
Mode pl. 4.
O Lord, when You wished to accomplish what You had of old determined to do, You engaged ministers from all creation to perform Your mystery: Gabriel from the Angels; the Virgin from mankind; the Star from the heavens; and from the waters, the Jordan River, in which You blotted out the world’s transgression. O our Savior, glory to You!
Mode pl. 4.
Nature is illumined today. The universe celebrates today, everyone in heaven as well as on earth. Angels and humans are mingling; for wherever the King is, His retinue goes there as well. So let us all run to the Jordan River; and we shall see John there, and witness how he baptizes the Master’s head, which is spiritual and sinless. And now, in the words of the Apostle, let us sing together and cry out: “The grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men,” enlightening believers and granting them the great mercy.
Idiomela of the Aposticha.
Mode 2.
At the River Jordan, when John saw You coming to him, he said to You, O Christ our God, “Why have You come to a servant, for there is no dirt on You, O Lord? In whose name should I baptize You? In the name of the Father? But you have Him within You. In the name of the Son? But You are He incarnate. In the name of the Holy Spirit? But You know how to give It to the faithful by mouth.” O God, who have appeared, have mercy on us.
Mode 2.
The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You and were afraid. Neither the Cherubim nor the Seraphim can look directly at Your glory. But they stand by You with fear and awe. The former hold and the latter glorify Your power. We join them, O Compassionate Lord, and proclaim Your praise, saying, “O God, who have appeared, have mercy on us.”
Mode 2.
Today, the Creator of heaven and earth comes in the flesh to the Jordan, asking to be baptized, though He is without sin, in order to purge the world of the error of the foe. And so the Master of all is baptized by a servant, and He grants purification by water to the human race. Let us shout to Him, “O God, who have appeared, have mercy on us.”
Mode pl. 2.
When the shining lamp, who was born of a barren woman, saw the Sun, who was born of a Virgin, asking to be baptized, he said to Him with fear and joy, “You, sanctify me, O Master, by Your divine Epiphany.”
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.
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.
Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You!
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, bless.
PRIEST
May He who condescended to be baptized by John in the Jordan, 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.
READER (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.
READER: Amen.
Matins
CHOIR
Mode 1.
God is the Lord, and He revealed Himself to us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Verse 1: Give thanks to the Lord and call upon His holy name.
Verse 2: All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I defended myself against them.
Verse 3: And this came about from the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes.
Apolytikion of the Feast.
Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You! (3)
PRIEST
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For Yours is the dominion, and Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Kathisma I.
Mode 3. You were so beautiful.
To the melody, “Amazed at the beauty of your virginity.”
At Your epiphany at River Jordan, O Christ, * when by the Forerunner, O Savior, You were baptized, * the voice from heaven testified that You are the beloved Son. * Therefore You were shown to be * with the Father beginningless, * and the Holy Spirit came down * as a dove and alighted on You. * In Him we are illumined and cry out, * Glory to God in Trinity.
At Your epiphany at River Jordan, O Christ, * when by the Forerunner, O Savior, You were baptized, * the voice from heaven testified that You are the beloved Son. * Therefore You were shown to be * with the Father beginningless, * and the Holy Spirit came down * as a dove and alighted on You. * In Him we are illumined and cry out, * Glory to God in Trinity.
Kathisma II.
Mode 4. Joseph marveled.
To the melody, “Joseph was amazed.”
Jordan River, tell us do: * What did you see and were amazed? * I saw naked Him whom none * can see, and shuddered in fear. * And how was I not to shudder at Him and be frightened? * The Angels, when they saw Him also shuddered in awe. * And heaven was astonished, and astounded was earth. * The sea recoiled along with all things * both visible and invisible. * For Christ appeared in the River Jordan, * to sanctify the waters.
Jordan River, tell us do: * What did you see and were amazed? * I saw naked Him whom none * can see, and shuddered in fear. * And how was I not to shudder at Him and be frightened? * The Angels, when they saw Him also shuddered in awe. * And heaven was astonished, and astounded was earth. * The sea recoiled along with all things * both visible and invisible. * For Christ appeared in the River Jordan, * to sanctify the waters.
Kathisma III.
Mode 4. Come quickly.
To the melody, “Come quickly.”
You hallowed the waters of the Jordan River, O Lord; * and by Your own might You shattered sin’s dominion, O Christ our God. * You bowed yourself, O Savior, beneath the hand of the Baptist, * and saved the human race from deception and error. * Therefore we intently entreat You to save Your world.
You hallowed the waters of the Jordan River, O Lord; * and by Your own might You shattered sin’s dominion, O Christ our God. * You bowed yourself, O Savior, beneath the hand of the Baptist, * and saved the human race from deception and error. * Therefore we intently entreat You to save Your world.
PRIEST
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For blessed is Your name, and glorified is Your kingdom, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
CHOIR
Antiphon 1.
Mode 4.
From my youth, many passions war against me. O my Savior, I implore You, uphold me and save me. (2)
You who hate Zion, be shamed by the Lord; for you will be withered like grass in the fire. (2)
By the Holy Spirit every soul is animated, and when purified, it is mystically uplifted and brightened by the triune Godhead.
From the Holy Spirit the streams of grace well forth; they water all creation, so that life be engendered.
Prokeimenon. Psalm 113.
The sea saw them and fled, the Jordan turned back. (2)
Verse: What is it to you, O Sea, that you fled, and to you, O Jordan, that you turned back?
The sea saw them and fled, the Jordan turned back.
Stand for the Gospel reading.
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
For You, our God, are holy, and You rest among the holy ones, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Mode 2.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. (2) Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
DEACON
Let us pray to the Lord our God that we may be made worthy to hear the holy Gospel.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
Wisdom. Arise. Let us hear the holy Gospel.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
PRIEST
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark.
DEACON: Let us be attentive.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
PRIEST (from the gate)
Mk. 1:9 – 11
At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
READER
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.
CHOIR
Leap for joy today, O universe; for Christ has appeared in the Jordan
Leap for joy today, O universe; for Christ has appeared in the Jordan
Idiomelon. Mode pl. 2.
Verse: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the abundance of Your compassion, blot out my transgression.
God the Logos has appeared in the flesh to the human race. As He stood in the Jordan waiting to be baptized, the Forerunner said to Him, “How can I reach out with my hand and touch the head that controls the universe? Though as an infant You came from Mary, yet I know You to be the pre-eternal God. You walk on earth, You who are extolled by the Seraphim. And I do not know how a servant ought to baptize his Master. Incomprehensible Lord, glory to You.”
PRIEST
We beseech you, only merciful Lord, hear us sinners who pray to you and have mercy on us.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (12)
PRIEST
Through the mercy, compassion, and love for humankind of Your only-begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, and Your all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
READER
Kontakion.
Mode 4. Automelon.
To the melody, “You appeared today.”
You revealed yourself today on earth, O Master, * and Your light was stamped on us, who in the knowledge of the truth, * O Lord, extol Your epiphany. * You came; You revealed yourself, O unapproachable Light.
Oikos.
On Galilee of the Gentiles, on the region of Zebulon and the land of Nephthalim, as the Prophet declared, a great light has shone, which is the Christ. Dark-dwellers have seen a radiant dawn shining out of Bethlehem, rather out of Mary, as the Lord -- the Sun of Justice -- breaks His rays o’er the whole of civilization. Come then, all unclothed offspring of Adam: let us put on Christ and thus keep warm. For, as a mantle for the denuded and a beacon to the be-darkened, You came and shone forth, O Light unapproachable.
Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.
Synaxarion
From the Menaion.
On January 6 is the holy Epiphany of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory and dominion to the ages of ages. Amen.
CHOIR
Katavasias of Epiphany I and II
Ode i. Mode 2.
Behold, how the Lord, mighty in battle, * uncovered the bottom of the Red Sea, * and He led His people over it on dry ground, * and in it covered and drowned the enemies, for He is glorified.
Iambic. Mode 2.
The people of Israel walked on the Red Sea, * Once it was rendered again into dry land. * Dark waters, like a liquid tomb, then covered * All the chariots and riders of the Egyptians, * Yielding to the might of the right hand of the Master.
Ode iii.
In strength giving strength to those who govern us, He is the Lord, * exalting the horn of His anointed. * And He was from the Virgin born; and now He goes to baptism. * O faithful, let us cry aloud and say that there is no one holy like our God, * and no one is righteous except for You, O Lord.
Iambic.
You who have been delivered from the age-old * Snares of voracious lions whose teeth have been broken, * Greatly rejoice now, O logophiles, and let us open * Our mouths in melodic poems to the Logos * Of God, who delights in the gifts that He gave us.
Ode iv.
When You thundered on the many waters, * O Father, and to Your Son were bearing witness, * then John, who You said was the voice of one crying * in the wilderness, clearly heard Your voice. * Being filled with the Spirit who was also present, he cried aloud, * “You are the Christ, the wisdom and the power of God.”
Iambic.
Utterly purged by the fire of mystical * Revelations, the Prophet, moved by the Spirit, * Extolled humanity’s regeneration, * Signaling the incarnation of the ineffable Logos, * Praising Him who crushed the power of rulers.
Ode v.
It is Jesus, the Author of life, * who has come rescinding the penalty on first-created Adam. * Being God, and having no need to be purified, * He is purified for fallen Adam in the Jordan. * He put to death the enmity, and He grants to us the peace surpassing all understanding.
Iambic.
Now that we are washed of the dark and dirty * Enemy’s venom by the Spirit’s cleansing, * Let us take the new unerring path that leads us * Into happiness, which is unattainable except for those whom * God through Christ has reconciled to himself.
Ode vi.
As he is the voice and the lamp of the divine light, * the morning star before the Sun, the Forerunner John * now in the wilderness cries out to all, “Repent; prepare and cleanse yourselves. * Behold, among us is the Christ, who redeems the world from the pit of death.”
Iambic.
Unto Him, whom He produced from the womb, * Resounded the all-blessed voice of the Father, * Naming Him beloved, “This is My connatural * Son and My reflection, now born of mankind, * Both My living Logos and by providence human.
Ode vii.
Young and pious men were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. * The Angel of the Lord came down to them and drove out the fiery flame * and moist whistling wind preserved them free of harm. * Being thus refreshed in the flames, they gave glory, singing in gratitude, * “O supremely praised and most exalted Lord and God of our fathers, You are blessed.”
Iambic.
The Lord, who impeded the flames of the furnace * Holding the godly Young Men, has completely * Enkindled the dragons’ heads in the Jordan * River and has washed away the stubborn stain of sin * In the water by the dew of the Spirit.
Ode viii.
We praise and we bless and we worship the Lord.
Of old, the furnace in Babylon portended paradoxical mysteries, when dew was exuded; * for the River Jordan would admit the immaterial fire when its Maker, who became incarnate, was baptized in its waters. * All peoples bless Him as Lord, and exalt Him beyond measure, unto all the ages.
Iambic.
Overjoyed is creation, for it was liberated. * Those who once lay in darkness now are sons of light. * Rightly is the wretched prince of darkness groaning. * And as for us all, the formerly wretched * Nations, let us earnestly bless Him who caused this.
Stand for the singing of Ode ix.
DEACON
Let us honor and magnify in song the Theotokos and the Mother of the light.
CHOIR
Ode ix.
Canon 1.
Mode 2. Heirmos.
Ἀπορεῖ πᾶσα γλῶσσα.
O my soul, magnify the woman, who is higher in honor than the armies of heaven.
Troparia.
O my soul, magnify the Lord who came to the Jordan to be baptized.
As a prophet, O David, be with us in the Spirit. Sing to those who are to be baptized, “Come to God in faith and be enlightened. This poor man — and namely Adam who had fallen — cried, and indeed the Lord heard him. He came and revealed himself, and in the Jordan’s waters renewed injured humanity.
O my soul, magnify the Lord, who from the Forerunner accepted to be baptized.
Now Isaiah is saying, “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; and put away the evils from your souls before the Lord’s eyes. Let the thirsty go to the living water.” For Christ will sprinkle water, which cleanses and renews, on those who run to Him with faith; and He baptizes them in the Spirit, for everlasting life.
O my soul, magnify the Son, to whom the Father’s voice bore witness.
So, by grace and the seal let us preserve ourselves, O faithful. The Hebrews long ago escaped destruction, when the blood was on the lintel. Now for us this sacred laver of regeneration will be a passing over and exodus to life, where we shall see the never-setting light of the Trinity.
Iambic Canon.
Mode 2. Heirmos.
Ὢ τῶν ὑπὲρ νοῦν.
Today, the Master bows His head beneath the hand of John, the Forerunner and Baptist.
Today, the prophet John is baptizing the Lord in the waters of the Jordan.
Troparia.
O my soul, magnify the power of the Godhead that is three hypostases and also undivided.
Everyone knows how what in the bush was to Moses * Revealed is fulfilled now in an extraordinary manner. * Even as the Virgin who carried the fire * And gave birth to the Sun and Benefactor was preserved, * Likewise, the Jordan, when it received Him in its streams.
O my soul, magnify her, through whom we were freed from the curse and condemnation.
Having cleansed human nature in immaculate waters, * You anoint and perfect it by communion with the Spirit, * Master and eternal King, and You translate it * Now to unending life, as You are triumphant, * Subduing the imperious power of darkness.
Katavasias
Canon 1. Mode 2.
O my soul, magnify the woman, who is higher in honor than the armies of heaven.
Mortal tongues are unable to befittingly praise you. * Even celestial minds are dazed extolling you, O Lady Theotokos. * Nonetheless, since you are good, accept our faith and longing. * You know that we revere you with God-inspired love. * You are the protector of Christians, and we magnify you.
Iambic.
O my soul, magnify her, through whom we were freed from the curse and condemnation.
No one can comprehend the wonders of your childbirth. * Granted comprehensive salvation through you, O Lady, * Ever-virgin Bride and blessed Mother, * To you we bring a gift, striking up this worthy * Hymn of gratitude towards you, our Benefactress.
PRIEST
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For all the powers of heaven praise You, and to You they offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Exaposteilarion.
Mode 3. Automelon.
Ἐπεφάνη ὁ Σωτήρ.
Our Savior, grace and truth, * appeared in His Epiphany * in the streams of the Jordan; * and those who lay once in the dark * and shadow He illumined now. * He has come and appeared, * the Light unapproachable. (3)
Lauds. Mode 1.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest. It is fitting to sing a hymn to You, O God.
Praise Him, all you His angels; praise Him, all you His hosts. It is fitting to sing a hymn to You, O God.
Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars and light.
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. Let them praise the Lord’s name.
For He spoke, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created.
He established them forever and unto ages of ages; He set forth His ordinance, and it shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth, you dragons and all the deeps.
Fire and hail, snow and ice, stormy wind, which perform His word.
Mountains and all the hills, fruitful trees and all cedars.
Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds.
Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth.
Young men and maidens, elders with younger, let them praise the Lord’s name, for His name alone is exalted.
His thanksgiving is in earth and heaven. And He shall exalt the horn of His people.
A hymn for all His saints, for the children of Israel, a people who draw near to Him.
Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of His holy ones.
Let Israel be glad in Him who made him, and let the children of Zion greatly rejoice in their King.
Let them praise His name with dance; with tambourine and harp let them sing to Him.
For the Lord is pleased with His people, and He shall exalt the gentle with salvation.
The holy ones shall boast in glory, and they shall greatly rejoice on their beds.
The high praise of God shall be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand.
To deal retribution to the nations, reproving among the peoples.
To shackle their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron.
Stichera for the Feast.
Idiomelon. Mode 1.
To fulfill among them the written judgment: this glory have all His holy ones.
Light from Light, Christ our God, has shone upon the world. He is God and He appeared to us. O peoples, let us worship Him.
Idiomelon. Mode 1.
Praise God in His saints; praise Him in the firmament of His power.
Light from Light, Christ our God, has shone upon the world. He is God and He appeared to us. O peoples, let us worship Him.
Idiomelon. Mode 1.
Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness.
How shall we servants worthily honor You the Master, O Christ, for renewing us all in the waters?
Idiomelon. Mode 1.
Praise Him with the sound of trumpet; praise Him with the harp and lyre.
When You our Savior were baptized in the River Jordan, You sanctified the waters, You were touched by the hand of Your servant, and You cured the world’s passions. Great is the mystery of Your economy! O benevolent Lord, glory to You!
Idiomelon. Mode 1.
Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and flute.
The true Light has appeared and bestows illumination on all. Christ is baptized with us, even though He is above all purity; and thus He infuses sanctification into the water, which then becomes the purifying agent of our souls. What is seen belongs to earth; but what is understood transcends the heavens. By means of a bath comes salvation; by means of water comes the Spirit; by means of immersion does our ascent to God come to pass. How wonderful are Your works, O Lord! Glory to You!
Idiomelon. Mode 1.
Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with triumphant cymbals; let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
He who wraps heaven in clouds wraps himself today in the streams of the Jordan. He who takes away the sin of the world washes himself in a wash that is meant for me. The cognate Spirit from above testifies of Him, that He is the Most High Father’s Only-begotten Son. To Him let us cry aloud, “O Christ our God who appeared to us and saved us, glory to You!”
Mode pl. 2.
You wrapped yourself in the waters of the Jordan, O Savior who puts on light as a garment; and You bowed Your head before the Forerunner, O Lord who measured heaven with the span of Your hand, so as to turn the world back from error and to save our souls.
The [second] choir sings the following Idiomelon, up to the asterisk; then the first choir begins the Great Doxology, starting with the last verse of the Idiomelon: “Glory be to God…”
Mode 2.
Today Christ came to be baptized in the Jordan. Today John touches the head of the Master. The hosts of heaven were astounded seeing the paradoxal mystery. The sea beheld it and fled; when the Jordan saw, it retreated. And we who are now illumined cry aloud, * “Glory be to God who appeared, and who was seen on earth, and who illumined the world.”
Stand for the Great Doxology.
Great Doxology
We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You, we give thanks to You for Your great glory.
Lord King, heavenly God, Father, Ruler over all; Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and You, O Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us, You who take away the sins of the world.
Accept our supplication, You who sit at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy on us.
For You alone are holy, You alone are Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Every day I will bless You, and Your name will I praise to eternity, and to the ages of ages.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day, that we be kept without sin.
Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your name to the ages. Amen.
Let Your mercy be on us, O Lord, as we have set our hope on You.
Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.
Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.
Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.
Lord, You have been our refuge from generation to generation. I said: Lord, have mercy on me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.
Lord, I have fled to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we shall see light.
Continue Your mercy to those who know You.
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.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
In most churches, today’s Great Blessing of Water is performed at the end of the Divine Liturgy.
Apolytikion.
Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You!
THE CEREMONY
OF THE GREAT BLESSING OF WATER
OF EPIPHANY
We process to the place where the vessel of water is prepared, the Deacon in front of the Priest, the latter holding a cross and aspergillum in his right hand and the Gospel book in his left. They stand before the vessel of water facing east, as the choirs sing the following hymns:
CHOIR
Mode pl. 4.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters, crying out and saying, “Come all, and receive the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of the fear of God, yes, of Christ, who has come in His epiphany.” (3)
Today the substance of water is made holy, for the Master is washed in the Jordan. When the River sees Him, it stops its flow and bursts forth. (2)
You have come to the River as a man, O Christ our King; and You urgently request to receive a Baptism befitting a servant, at the hands of the Forerunner, all because of our sins, O good and benevolent Lord. (2)
When You had taken the form of a servant, O Lord, You approached John, the voice of the one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord!” and You requested Baptism, although You were without sin. The waters saw You and were afraid. The Forerunner trembled in reaction, and he cried out and said, “How can I, who am the lamp, illumine You, who are the Light? How can I, the servant, lay my hand on You, my Master? I pray You sanctify me and the waters, O Savior, who takes away the sin of the world!”
The Readings
READER
The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.
DEACON
Wisdom. Let us be attentive.
READER
Is 35:1 – 10
Thus says the Lord: Be glad, you thirsty desert, and rejoice exceedingly, and let the desert blossom as a lily. The desert places of the Jordan shall blossom abundantly and rejoice exceedingly. The glory of Lebanon and the honor of Carmel shall be given to it, and My people shall see the glory of the Lord and the majesty of our God. Be strong, you relaxed hands and feeble knees. Be comforted, you fainthearted. Be strong, do not fear. Behold, our God renders judgment and will render it. He will come and save us. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will speak clearly. For water shall burst forth in the desert, and a valley in the thirsty land. The waterless desert shall become meadows, and the thirsty land springs of water. There will be the gladness of birds, a habitation of reeds and marshes. A pure way shall be there, and it shall be called a holy way. No unclean man shall pass through there, neither shall there be an unclean way there. But those dispersed shall walk in it, and they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous animals go up on it, nor at all be found there. But the redeemed shall walk in it, and those gathered by the Lord shall return and come to Zion with gladness, and with everlasting gladness over their head. For praise and exceeding joy will be on their head, and gladness shall possess them. Pain, sorrow, and sighing fled away.
READER
The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.
DEACON
Wisdom. Let us be attentive.
READER
Is 55:1 – 13
Thus says the Lord: “You who are thirsty, go to the water, and all who have no money, go and buy wine and fat, and eat and drink without money and price. Why do you value at the price of money, and give your toil for what does not satisfy? Listen to Me and eat good things, and your soul will delight in good things. Incline your ears and follow my ways. Listen to Me, and your soul shall live in good things; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the holy and faithful things of David. Behold, I made him a witness among the Gentiles, a ruler and commander to the Gentiles. The Gentiles, which did not know you, shall call upon you, and the peoples who did not understand you shall take refuge in you, because of your God, the Holy One of Israel; for He glorified you.” Seek God, and when you find Him, call upon Him when He draws near to you. Let the ungodly man abandon his ways, and the lawless man his counsels; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; for He shall forgive your sins abundantly. “For My counsels are not as your counsels, neither are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “But as heaven is distant from earth, so is My way distant from your ways, and your thoughts from My mind. For as rain comes down, or snow from heaven, and does not return until it saturates the earth, and it brings forth and produces, and gives seed to the sower and bread for food, so shall My word be, whatever proceeds from My mouth. It shall not return until it accomplishes whatever I willed, and I shall prosper your ways and My commandments. For you shall go forth with gladness and shall be taught with joy, for the mountains and hills shall exult to receive you with joy; and all the trees of the field shall applaud with their branches. Instead of the broom-tree shall come up the cypress, and instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle; and the Lord shall be for a name and for an everlasting sign, and He shall not fail.”
READER
The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.
DEACON
Wisdom. Let us be attentive.
READER
Is 12:3 – 6
Thus says the Lord: You will draw water with gladness from the wells of salvation. In that day, you will say, “Praise the Lord; call upon His name. Declare His glorious things among the Gentiles and make mention that His name is exalted. Sing to the name of the Lord, for He has done great things. Declare this in all the earth. Exult and be glad, O inhabitants of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is exalted in her midst.”
The Epistle
DEACON
Let us be attentive.
READER
Verse: The Lord is the defender of my life.
DEACON
Wisdom.
READER
The reading is from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.
DEACON
Let us be attentive.
READER
1 Cor. 10:1 – 4
Brethren, I want you to know that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
PRIEST
Peace be with you the reader.
CHOIR
Alleluia. Grave Mode. Psalm 28.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 1: The voice of the Lord is upon the waters.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 2: The God of glory thundered upon the waters.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
DEACON
Wisdom. Arise. Let us hear the holy Gospel.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
DEACON
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark.
PRIEST
Let us be attentive.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
DEACON
Mk. 1:9 – 11
At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
PRIEST
Peace be with you who read the Gospel.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
DEACON
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR (after each petition)
Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
For pious and Orthodox Christians, let us pray to the Lord.
For our Archbishop (name), for the honorable presbyterate, for the diaconate in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
For our country, the president, all those in public service, and for our armed forces everywhere, let us pray to the Lord.
For the Holy and Great Church of Christ of Constantinople, for our Sacred Archdiocese, [for this Holy Metropolis,] for this city and parish, for every city and land, and for the faithful who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
For those who travel by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
That this water become holy by the might, and operation, and descent of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
That the cleansing operation of the super-substantial Trinity descend upon these waters, let us pray to the Lord.
That the grace of redemption and the blessing of the Jordan be sent upon them, let us pray to the Lord.
That we be illumined with the light of knowledge and right belief through the descent of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
That this water become the gift of sanctification, redemption from sins, for the healing of soul and body, and for every beneficial purpose, let us pray to the Lord.
That it become water welling up to eternal life, let us pray to the Lord.
That it effect the averting of every plot of visible and invisible enemies, let us pray to the Lord.
For those who are sprinkled with it and take it for the blessing of homes, let us pray to the Lord.
That it effect purification of soul and body for all who take and drink it with faith, let us pray to the Lord.
That it be granted us to be filled with sanctification through drinking this water, by the invisible manifestation of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
That the Lord God listen to the voice of the prayer of us sinners and have mercy on us, let us pray to the Lord.
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
The Priest says the following prayer quietly.
When there is no Deacon, by necessity the Priest reads this prayer while the Prophecies are being read.
PRIEST (inaudibly)
PRIEST (aloud)
After the Priest has quietly said, “Amen,” and the Deacon has completed the Great Litany, the Priest commences reading aloud the preamble of the Epiphany prayer.
This preamble is not said on the eve of the feast, so the prayer commences with, “You are great, O Lord!” below. This preamble is said on the day of the feast of Epiphany.
By Sophronios Patriarch of Jerusalem.
PRIEST
Then, in a louder voice:
PRIEST
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
PRIEST
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
PRIEST
Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
The Priest bows his head and prays:
CHOIR: Amen.
Then the Priest holds the cross and the holy water sprinkler upright and dips them in and out of the water crosswise, as he sings the Apolytikion of the feast one time.
PRIEST
Apolytikion. Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You!
The Choirs sing this hymn two more times, and each time the Priest repeats his actions as described above.
CHOIR
Apolytikion. Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You! (2)
Then the Priest holds the holy water sprinkler in his right hand and the cross in his left, and he sprinkles crosswise the church and the congregation, as he sings the Kontakion.
On January 6:
Kontakion. For the Feast.
Mode 4. Automelon.
You revealed yourself today on earth, O Master, * and Your light was stamped on us, who in the knowledge of the truth, * O Lord, extol Your epiphany. * You came; You revealed yourself, O unapproachable Light.
On the day of the feast, the following hymn is sung (from Ode viii of the Canon).
Mode 2. Of old, the furnace in Babylon.
Μυστήριον παράδοξον.
Uncovered at the Jordan was the presence of the Trinity, the transcendently divine nature. For the Father’s voice declared, “He who is being baptized is my Son. He is my beloved.” There, too, was the consubstantial Spirit. All peoples bless Him as Lord, and exalt Him beyond measure, unto all the ages.
Apolytikion.
Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You!
Divine Liturgy · The Holy Epiphany of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.
DEACON
Master bless.
PRIEST
Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
DEACON
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For pious and Orthodox Christians, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our Archbishop (name), for the honorable presbyterate, for the diaconate in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our country, the president, all those in public service, and for our armed forces everywhere, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the Holy and Great Church of Christ of Constantinople, for our Sacred Archdiocese, [for this Holy Metropolis,] for this city and parish, for every city and land, and for the faithful who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For those who travel by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Lord, our God, whose dominion is incomparable and glory incomprehensible; whose mercy is immeasurable, and love for humankind ineffable: Look upon us and upon this holy house in Your loving-kindness, and grant to us and to those who pray with us Your abundant mercy and compassion.
PRIEST (aloud)
For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Antiphon 1. Mode 2. Psalm 113.
Verse 1: In the exodus of Israel from Egypt, the house of Jacob.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Verse 2: Judah became His sanctuary.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Verse 3: The sea saw them and fled, the Jordan turned back.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Verse 4: What is it to you, O Sea, that you fled, and to you, O Jordan, that you turned back?
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Small Litany
DEACON
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Lord, our God, save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Protect all the members of Your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house. Glorify them in return by Your divine power, and forsake us not who have set our hope in You.
PRIEST (aloud)
For Yours is the dominion, and Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Antiphon 2. Mode 2. Psalm 114.
Verse 1: I have loved, because the Lord shall hear the voice of my supplication.
Save us, O Son of God, who were baptized in the Jordan by John. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Verse 2: For He inclined His ear to me, and in my days I shall call upon Him.
Save us, O Son of God, who were baptized in the Jordan by John. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Verse 3: The pains of death surrounded me; the dangers of Hades found me.
Save us, O Son of God, who were baptized in the Jordan by John. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Verse 4: The Lord is merciful and righteous, and our God has mercy.
Save us, O Son of God, who were baptized in the Jordan by John. 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.
Small Litany
DEACON
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Lord, You have granted us to offer these common prayers in unison and have promised that when two or three agree in Your name, You will grant their requests. Fulfill now, O Lord, the petitions of Your servants as may be of benefit to them, granting us in the present age the knowledge of Your truth, and in the age to come eternal life.
PRIEST (aloud)
For You are good and benevolent God, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Antiphon 3. Mode 1. Psalm 117.
Verse 1: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.
Verse 2: Let the house of Israel say that He is good, for His mercy endures forever.
Verse 3: Let the house of Aaron say that He is good, for His mercy endures forever.
Verse 4: Let all who fear the Lord say that He is good, for His mercy endures forever.
Apolytikion of the Feast. Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You!
As the Third Antiphon is being sung (with its verses), the Priest and Deacon bow three times before the holy Table. Then the Priest gives the holy Gospel to the Deacon, who kisses the Priest’s hand as he receives it, and then circles the holy Table with the Priest following him. Preceded by altar servers holding candles and fans, they exit through the north door for the so-called Small Entrance. When there is no Deacon, the Priest takes the holy Gospel and holds it up in front of his face. When they reach the center of the church, they stop and bow their heads, and the Deacon says in a low voice:
DEACON (in a low voice)
Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Master, Lord our God, who has established the orders and hosts of angels and archangels in heaven to minister to Your glory, grant that holy angels may enter with us, that together we may celebrate and glorify Your goodness. For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Master, bless the holy entrance.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Blessed be the entrance of Your holy ones always, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
DEACON (aloud)
Wisdom. Arise.
CHOIR
Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. God is the Lord, and He revealed Himself to us. Save us, O Son of God, who were baptized in the Jordan by John.
We sing to You, Alleluia.
Hymns after the Entrance.
CHOIR
Apolytikion.
Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You!
Kontakion.
Mode 4. Automelon.
To the melody, “You appeared today.”
You revealed yourself today on earth, O Master, * and Your light was stamped on us, who in the knowledge of the truth, * O Lord, extol Your epiphany. * You came; You revealed yourself, O unapproachable Light.
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
O Holy God, who is resting among the holy ones, praised by the Seraphim with the thrice-holy voice, glorified by the Cherubim, and worshiped by every celestial power, You have brought all things into being out of nothing. You have created man according to Your image and likeness and adorned him with all the gifts of Your grace. You give wisdom and understanding to the one who asks, and You overlook not the sinner, but have set repentance as the way of salvation. You have granted us, Your humble and unworthy servants, to stand even at this hour before the glory of Your holy Altar of sacrifice and to offer to You due worship and praise. Master, accept the Trisagion Hymn also from the lips of us sinners, and visit us in Your goodness. Forgive all our voluntary and involuntary transgressions, sanctify our souls and bodies, and grant that we may worship You in holiness all the days of our lives, through the intercessions of the holy Theotokos and of all the saints who have pleased You throughout the ages.
PRIEST (aloud)
For You, our God, are holy, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever…
DEACON
and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Instead of Holy God
Mode 1.
As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia. (3)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Have put on Christ. Alleluia.
DEACON
Dynamis.
DEACON (in a low voice)
With your blessing, Master.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Master, bless the throne on high.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Blessed are You upon the throne of the glory of Your kingdom, enthroned upon the Cherubim always, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
CHOIR
Dynamis.
As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia.
The Epistle
DEACON
Let us be attentive.
READER
Verse: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.
DEACON
Wisdom.
READER
The reading is from Paul’s Letter to Titus.
DEACON
Let us be attentive.
READER
Tit. 2:11 – 14; 3:4 – 7
Titus, my son, the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
PRIEST
Peace be with you the reader.
CHOIR
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
(Alleluia is sung thrice. Verses may be found in the Liturgy - Variable Parts of the day.)
The Holy Gospel
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Shine in our hearts, O benevolent Lord, the pure light of Your divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our mind that we may comprehend the proclamations of Your Gospels. Instill in us the fear that Your blessed commandments inspire, so that, crushing carnal desires, we may seek the spiritual citizenship, thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to You. For You, Christ our God, are the illumination of our souls and bodies, and to You we offer up glory, and to Your Father, who is without beginning, and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
DEACON
Wisdom. Arise. Let us hear the holy Gospel.
PRIEST
Peace be with all.
CHOIR
And with your spirit.
DEACON
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
PRIEST
Let us be attentive.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
DEACON
Mt. 3:13 – 17
At that time, Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
PRIEST
Peace be with you who read the Gospel.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
(The litanies of Supplication and for the Catechumens and the First Prayer of the Faithful have been omitted.)
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Again and countless times we fall down before You, and we implore You, O good and benevolent Lord: That You, having regarded our prayer, may cleanse our souls and bodies from every defilement of flesh and spirit, and grant to us to stand before Your holy Altar of sacrifice, free of guilt and condemnation. Grant also, O God, to those who pray with us, progress in life, faith, and spiritual understanding. Grant that they always worship You with awe and love, partake of Your holy sacrament without guilt or condemnation, and be deemed worthy of Your celestial kingdom.
PRIEST (aloud)
That, ever guarded by Your might, we may ascribe glory to You, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
The Cherubic Hymn.
Let us, who mystically represent the Cherubim and who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity, now lay aside every worldly care. So that we may receive the King of all.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
No one bound by carnal desires and pleasures is worthy to approach, draw near, or minister to You, the King of Glory. For to serve You is great and awesome even for the heavenly powers. Yet, because of Your ineffable and immeasurable love for humankind, You impassibly and immutably became man. You, as the Master of all, became our high priest and delivered unto us the sacred service of this liturgical and bloodless sacrifice. Indeed, Lord our God, You alone reign over the celestial and the terrestrial; borne aloft on the cherubic throne, Lord of the Seraphim and King of Israel, the only holy and resting among the holy ones. I now beseech You, who alone are good and inclined to hear: Look down upon me, Your sinful and unprofitable servant, and cleanse my soul and heart of a wicked conscience. Vested as I am with the grace of priesthood by the power of Your Holy Spirit, make me sufficient to stand before Your holy Table and perform the sacrament of Your holy and pure Body and Your precious Blood. I come before You, with my head bowed, and I implore You: Turn not Your face away from me, nor reject me from among Your children, but make me, Your sinful and unworthy servant, worthy to offer these gifts to You. For You are the One who both offers and is offered, the One who is received and is distributed, O Christ our God, and to You we offer up glory, and to Your Father, who is without beginning, and Your all-holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Let us, who mystically represent the Cherubim and who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity, now lay aside every worldly care. * So that we may receive the King of all. Who is invisibly escorted by the angelic hosts. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. (3)
DEACON
May the Lord God remember all of you in His kingdom always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Who is invisibly escorted by the angelic hosts. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
DEACON
Let us complete our prayer to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the precious Gifts here presented, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
That the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For pardon and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For that which is good and beneficial for our souls, and for peace for the world, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
And let us ask for a Christian end to our life, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good defense before the awesome judgment seat of Christ.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Lord God Almighty, You alone are holy. You accept the sacrifice of praise from those who call upon You with their whole heart, even so, accept from us sinners our supplication, and bring it to Your holy Altar of sacrifice. Make us sufficient to offer You gifts and spiritual sacrifices for our own misdeeds and those committed in ignorance by the people. Deem us worthy to find grace in Your sight, that our sacrifice may be well pleasing to You, and that the good Spirit of Your grace may rest upon us and upon these gifts presented and upon all Your people.
PRIEST (aloud)
Through the mercies of Your only-begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
DEACON
Let us love one another, that with oneness of mind we may confess:
CHOIR
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Trinity, one in essence and undivided.
Or, for concelebrations:
I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my foundation, my refuge, my deliverer.
DEACON
The doors! The doors! In wisdom, let us be attentive!
PEOPLE
The Creed
I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father; And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets. In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come.
CHOIR: Amen.
DEACON
Let us stand aright! Let us stand in awe! Let us be attentive, that we may present the Holy Offering in peace.
CHOIR
A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise.
PRIEST
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
CHOIR
And with your spirit.
PRIEST
Let us lift up our hearts.
CHOIR
We lift them up to the Lord.
PRIEST
Let us give thanks to the Lord.
CHOIR
It is proper and right.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
It is proper and right to hymn You, to bless You, to praise You, to give thanks to You, and to worship You in every place of Your dominion. For You, O God, are ineffable, inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible, existing forever, forever the same, You and Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. You brought us out of nothing into being, and when we had fallen away, You raised us up again. You left nothing undone until you had led us up to heaven and granted us Your kingdom, which is to come. For all these things, we thank You and Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit: for all things we know and do not know, for blessings manifest and hidden that have been bestowed on us. We thank You also for this Liturgy, which You have deigned to receive from our hands, even though thousands of archangels and tens of thousands of angels stand around You, the Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged, many eyed, soaring aloft upon their wings,
PRIEST (aloud)
Singing the triumphal hymn, exclaiming, proclaiming, and saying…
CHOIR
Holy, holy, holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Together with these blessed powers, benevolent Master, we also exclaim and say: Holy are You and most holy, You and Your only‐begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. Holy are You and most holy, and sublime is Your glory. You so loved Your world that You gave Your only-begotten Son so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. When He had come and fulfilled for our sake the entire plan of salvation, on the night in which He was delivered up, or rather when He delivered Himself up for the life of the world, He took bread in His holy, pure, and blameless hands, and, giving thanks and blessing, He hallowed and broke it, and gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying:
PRIEST (aloud)
Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
And likewise the cup after supper, saying:
PRIEST (aloud)
Drink of it, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Remembering, therefore, this saving commandment and everything that was done for our sake: the Cross, the tomb, the Resurrection on the third day, the ascent into the heavens, the seating at the right hand, and the glorious coming again,
PRIEST (aloud)
Your own of Your own we offer to You, in all and for all.
CHOIR
We praise You. We bless You. We give thanks to You, O Lord; and we pray to You, our God.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Once again we offer to You this spiritual worship without the shedding of blood, and we beseech and pray and entreat You: Send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon the gifts here presented,
DEACON (in a low voice)
Bless, Master, the Holy Bread.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
And make this Bread the precious Body of Your Christ.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Amen.
Bless, Master, the holy Cup.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
And that which is in this Cup, the precious Blood of Your Christ.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Amen.
Bless, Master, both the Holy Gifts.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Changing them by Your Holy Spirit.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Amen. Amen. Amen.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
So that they may be for those who partake of them for vigilance of soul, remission of sins, communion of Your Holy Spirit, fullness of the kingdom of Heaven, boldness before You, not for judgment or condemnation. Again, we offer You this spiritual worship for those who have reposed in the faith: forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics, and for every righteous spirit made perfect in faith,
PRIEST (aloud)
Especially for our most holy, pure, blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary.
CHOIR
Hymn to the Theotokos.
Ode ix. Heirmos.
Mode 2.
O my soul, magnify her who is higher in honor than the heavenly armies.
Mortal tongues are unable to befittingly praise you. * Even celestial minds are dazed extolling you, O Lady Theotokos. * Nonetheless, since you are good, accept our faith and longing. * You know that we revere you with God-inspired love. * You are the protector of Christians, and we magnify you.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
For Saint John the Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist; for the holy, glorious, and most praiseworthy apostles; for Saint(s) (name), whose memory we celebrate; and for all Your saints, through whose supplications, visit us, O God. And remember all who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection to life eternal (here the Priest commemorates by name those departed whom he wishes). Grant them rest, where the light of Your countenance keeps watch. Again we beseech You, Lord, remember all Orthodox bishops who rightly teach the word of Your truth, the presbyterate, the diaconate in Christ, and every priestly order. Again we offer You this spiritual worship for the whole world, for the holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, and for those living pure and reverent lives. For civil authorities and our armed forces, grant that they may govern in peace, Lord, so that in their tranquility we, too, may live calm and serene lives, in all piety and virtue.
PRIEST (aloud)
Among the first remember, Lord, our Archbishop (name): grant him to Your holy churches in peace, safety, honor, and health, unto length of days, rightly teaching the word of Your truth.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
And remember those whom each one of us has in mind, and all the people.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Remember, Lord, Your Holy Great Church of Constantinople, our Sacred Archdiocese, [this Holy Metropolis], this city in which we live, and every city and land, and the faithful who live in them. Remember, Lord, those who travel by land, sea, and air; the sick; the suffering; the captives; and their salvation. Remember those who bear fruit and do good works in Your holy churches and those who are mindful of the poor, and upon us all send forth Your mercies.
PRIEST (aloud)
And grant that with one voice and one heart we may glorify and praise Your most honorable and majestic name, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
And the mercies of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, be with you all.
CHOIR
And with your spirit.
DEACON
Having commemorated all the saints, again and again, in peace, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the precious Gifts here presented and consecrated, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
That our benevolent God, having accepted them at His holy and celestial and mystical altar as an offering of spiritual fragrance, may in return send down upon us the divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, let us pray.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
(The rest of this litany, which was previously said above, is nowadays usually and correctly omitted.)
DEACON
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
That the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For pardon and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For that which is good and beneficial for our souls, and for peace for the world, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
And let us ask for a Christian end to our life, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good defense before the awesome judgment seat of Christ.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
Having asked for the unity of the faith and for the communion of the Holy Spirit, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
We entrust to You, benevolent Master, our whole life and hope, and we beseech, pray, and implore You: Grant us to partake of Your heavenly and awesome sacraments from this sacred and spiritual table with a clear conscience for the remission of sins, the forgiveness of transgressions, the communion of the Holy Spirit, the inheritance of the kingdom of Heaven, and boldness before You, not unto judgment or condemnation.
PRIEST (aloud)
And grant us, Master, with boldness and without condemnation, to dare call You, the heavenly God, Father, and to say:
PEOPLE
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
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.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
DEACON
Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
We give thanks to You, invisible King, who by Your boundless power fashioned the universe, and in the multitude of Your mercy brought all things from nothing into being. Look down from heaven, O Master, upon those who have bowed their heads before You, for they have not bowed before flesh and blood, but before You, the awesome God. Therefore, O Master, make smooth and beneficial for us all, whatever lies ahead, according to the need of each: Sail with those who sail, travel with those who travel, heal the sick, Physician of our souls and bodies.
PRIEST (aloud)
Through the grace, compassion, and love for humankind of Your only-begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Hearken, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, from Your holy dwelling place and from the throne of glory of Your kingdom, and come to sanctify us, You who are enthroned with the Father on high and are present among us invisibly here. And with Your mighty hand, grant Communion of Your most pure Body and precious Blood to us, and through us to all the people.
DEACON: Let us be attentive.
PRIEST
The Holy Gifts for the holy people of God.
CHOIR
One is Holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
PEOPLE
The selection and text of the following prayers may be different from what is used in your parish.
I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that this is truly Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You, have mercy on me and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, in knowledge or in ignorance. And make me worthy, without condemnation, to partake of Your pure sacrament for the remission of sins and for eternal life. Amen.
As I am about to receive holy communion, * O Maker, I pray You not burn me partaking, * since You are fire consuming the unworthy, * but rather purge me of any defilement.
Receive me, today, O Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss, as did Judas. But like the Robber I confess to You. Remember me, O Lord, when You come in Your kingdom.
Seeing the deifying Blood, O human, shudder, * for it is a live coal that burns the unworthy. * The Body of God both deifies my spirit * and feeds my mind in extraordinary manner.
You have enraptured me, O Christ, * with Your longing and transformed me with love divine. * I pray, completely consume * with immaterial fire all my sins. * And count me worthy to be filled * fully with the delight in You, * that I may magnify * both Your Comings, O good Master, exultantly.
How shall I enter into the splendor of Your saints since I am unworthy? For if I dare to enter the wedding hall along with them, my garment will betray me, for it is not fit for the wedding; and then I shall be bound and cast out by the Angels. I pray You to wash away the stains on my soul, and save me, O benevolent Lord.
Benevolent Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these Holy Gifts be to my judgment because I am unworthy, but rather for the purification and sanctification of both soul and body and the pledge of the life and kingdom to come. It is good for me to cleave unto God and to place in Him the hope of my salvation.
Receive me, today, O Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss, as did Judas. But like the Robber I confess to You. Remember me, O Lord, when You come in Your kingdom.
CHOIR
Communion Hymn.
The grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men. Alleluia.
DEACON
With the fear of God, faith, and love, draw near.
The people come up to receive Holy Communion. The Priest receives the holy chalice from the hands of the Deacon and begins communing the people, saying to each one: The Body and Blood of Christ, for the remission of sins and life eternal.
PRIEST
Save, O God, Your people, and bless Your inheritance.
CHOIR
Hymn after Holy Communion.
Instead of “We have seen.”
Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You!
DEACON (in a low voice)
Exalt, Master.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Your glory be over all the earth. (3)
Blessed is our God.
PRIEST (aloud)
Always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
DEACON
Arise! Having partaken of the divine, holy, pure, immortal, heavenly, life-creating, and awesome Mysteries of Christ, let us worthily give thanks to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Having prayed for a perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless day, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
We give thanks to You, benevolent Master, benefactor of our souls, that even on this very day You have made us worthy of Your heavenly and immortal sacraments. Make straight our path, fortify us in Your fear, guard our life, make secure our steps, through the prayers and supplications of the glorious Theotokos and ever virgin Mary and of all Your saints.
PRIEST (aloud)
For You are our sanctification, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST: Let us go forth in peace.
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
O Lord, who blesses those who bless You and sanctifies those who put their trust in You, save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Protect the whole body of Your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house. Glorify them in return by Your divine power, and forsake us not who have set our hope in You. Grant peace to Your world, to Your churches, to the clergy, to our civic leaders, to the armed forces, and to all Your people. For every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from You, the Father of lights. To You we offer up glory, thanksgiving, and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and to the ages. (3)
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Christ our God, You are the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. You have fulfilled the Father’s entire plan of salvation. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness always, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Memorial Service
CHOIR
Evlogetaria for the Dead
Mode pl. 1.
Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.
The choir of Saints has found the fountain of life and the door of Paradise. May I also find the way through repentance. I am the lost sheep: O Savior, call me back and save me.
Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.
Of old, You created me from nothing and honored me with Your divine image. But when I disobeyed Your commandment, You returned me to the earth from which I was taken. Lead me back again to Your likeness, so that the ancient beauty may be refashioned.
Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.
I am an image of Your ineffable glory, though I bear the scars of my transgressions. Take pity on me, the work of Your hands, Master, and cleanse me by Your compassion. Grant me the desired homeland for which I long, making me again a citizen of Paradise.
Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.
Give rest, O God, to Your servant(s), and place him (her, them) in Paradise where the choirs of the Saints and the righteous, O Lord, will shine as the stars of heaven. To Your departed servant(s) give rest, O Lord, overlooking all his (her, their) offenses.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Let us devoutly praise the threefold radiance of the one God as we sing: Holy are You, the Father without beginning, the co-eternal Son, and the divine Spirit. Illumine us who worship You in faith and deliver us from the eternal fire.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice, gracious Lady, who gave birth to God in the flesh for the salvation of all, and through whom the human race has found salvation. Through you, pure and blessed Theotokos, may we find Paradise.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory to You, O God.
Kontakion. Mode pl. 4.
With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul(s) of Your servant(s) where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing, but life everlasting.
Among the spirits of the righteous perfected in faith, give rest, O Savior, to the soul(s) of Your servant, keeping it (them) in the blessed life which is from You, O loving One.
In your place of rest, O Lord, where all Your saints repose, give rest also to the soul of Your servant, for You alone are immortal.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
You are our God who descended into Hades and loosened the pains of those who were held captive. Grant rest also, O Savior, to the soul of Your servant.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
You the only pure and spotless Virgin, who ineffably gave birth to God, intercede for mercy and forgiveness of the soul of your servant(s).
DEACON
Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy, we pray You, hear us and have mercy.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
Again we pray for the repose of the soul of the departed servant of God (name), who has fallen asleep, and for the forgiveness of all his (her) sins, voluntary and involuntary.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
May the Lord God place their souls where the righteous repose. Let us ask for the mercies of God, the kingdom of Heaven, and the forgiveness of their sins from Christ our immortal king and God.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
O God of spirits and of all flesh, You trampled upon death and abolished the power of the devil, giving life to Your world. Give rest to the soul(s) of Your departed servant(s) (name) in a place of light, in a place of green pasture, in a place of refreshment, from where pain, sorrow, and sighing have fled away. As good and benevolent God, forgive every sin he (she, they) has (have) committed in word, deed, or thought, for there is no one who lives and does not sin. You alone are without sin. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your word is truth.
DEACON
Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
For You are the resurrection, the life, and the repose of Your departed servant(s) (name), Christ our God, and to You we offer up glory, and to Your Father, who is without beginning, and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
Eternal be your memory, brother worthy of blessedness and everlasting memory. (3)
CHOIR
Mode 3.
Eternal be his memory. Eternal be his memory. Eternal be his memory. (3)
In most churches, today’s Great Blessing of Water is performed at the end of the Divine Liturgy.
THE CEREMONY
OF THE GREAT BLESSING OF WATER
OF EPIPHANY
We process to the place where the vessel of water is prepared, the Deacon in front of the Priest, the latter holding a cross and aspergillum in his right hand and the Gospel book in his left. They stand before the vessel of water facing east, as the choirs sing the following hymns:
CHOIR
Mode pl. 4.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters, crying out and saying, “Come all, and receive the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of the fear of God, yes, of Christ, who has come in His epiphany.” (3)
Today the substance of water is made holy, for the Master is washed in the Jordan. When the River sees Him, it stops its flow and bursts forth. (2)
You have come to the River as a man, O Christ our King; and You urgently request to receive a Baptism befitting a servant, at the hands of the Forerunner, all because of our sins, O good and benevolent Lord. (2)
When You had taken the form of a servant, O Lord, You approached John, the voice of the one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord!” and You requested Baptism, although You were without sin. The waters saw You and were afraid. The Forerunner trembled in reaction, and he cried out and said, “How can I, who am the lamp, illumine You, who are the Light? How can I, the servant, lay my hand on You, my Master? I pray You sanctify me and the waters, O Savior, who takes away the sin of the world!”
The Readings
READER
The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.
DEACON
Wisdom. Let us be attentive.
READER
Is 35:1 – 10
Thus says the Lord: Be glad, you thirsty desert, and rejoice exceedingly, and let the desert blossom as a lily. The desert places of the Jordan shall blossom abundantly and rejoice exceedingly. The glory of Lebanon and the honor of Carmel shall be given to it, and My people shall see the glory of the Lord and the majesty of our God. Be strong, you relaxed hands and feeble knees. Be comforted, you fainthearted. Be strong, do not fear. Behold, our God renders judgment and will render it. He will come and save us. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will speak clearly. For water shall burst forth in the desert, and a valley in the thirsty land. The waterless desert shall become meadows, and the thirsty land springs of water. There will be the gladness of birds, a habitation of reeds and marshes. A pure way shall be there, and it shall be called a holy way. No unclean man shall pass through there, neither shall there be an unclean way there. But those dispersed shall walk in it, and they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous animals go up on it, nor at all be found there. But the redeemed shall walk in it, and those gathered by the Lord shall return and come to Zion with gladness, and with everlasting gladness over their head. For praise and exceeding joy will be on their head, and gladness shall possess them. Pain, sorrow, and sighing fled away.
READER
The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.
DEACON
Wisdom. Let us be attentive.
READER
Is 55:1 – 13
Thus says the Lord: “You who are thirsty, go to the water, and all who have no money, go and buy wine and fat, and eat and drink without money and price. Why do you value at the price of money, and give your toil for what does not satisfy? Listen to Me and eat good things, and your soul will delight in good things. Incline your ears and follow my ways. Listen to Me, and your soul shall live in good things; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the holy and faithful things of David. Behold, I made him a witness among the Gentiles, a ruler and commander to the Gentiles. The Gentiles, which did not know you, shall call upon you, and the peoples who did not understand you shall take refuge in you, because of your God, the Holy One of Israel; for He glorified you.” Seek God, and when you find Him, call upon Him when He draws near to you. Let the ungodly man abandon his ways, and the lawless man his counsels; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; for He shall forgive your sins abundantly. “For My counsels are not as your counsels, neither are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “But as heaven is distant from earth, so is My way distant from your ways, and your thoughts from My mind. For as rain comes down, or snow from heaven, and does not return until it saturates the earth, and it brings forth and produces, and gives seed to the sower and bread for food, so shall My word be, whatever proceeds from My mouth. It shall not return until it accomplishes whatever I willed, and I shall prosper your ways and My commandments. For you shall go forth with gladness and shall be taught with joy, for the mountains and hills shall exult to receive you with joy; and all the trees of the field shall applaud with their branches. Instead of the broom-tree shall come up the cypress, and instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle; and the Lord shall be for a name and for an everlasting sign, and He shall not fail.”
READER
The reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah.
DEACON
Wisdom. Let us be attentive.
READER
Is 12:3 – 6
Thus says the Lord: You will draw water with gladness from the wells of salvation. In that day, you will say, “Praise the Lord; call upon His name. Declare His glorious things among the Gentiles and make mention that His name is exalted. Sing to the name of the Lord, for He has done great things. Declare this in all the earth. Exult and be glad, O inhabitants of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is exalted in her midst.”
The Epistle
DEACON
Let us be attentive.
READER
Verse: The Lord is the defender of my life.
DEACON
Wisdom.
READER
The reading is from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.
DEACON
Let us be attentive.
READER
1 Cor. 10:1 – 4
Brethren, I want you to know that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
PRIEST
Peace be with you the reader.
CHOIR
Alleluia. Grave Mode. Psalm 28.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 1: The voice of the Lord is upon the waters.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Verse 2: The God of glory thundered upon the waters.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
DEACON
Wisdom. Arise. Let us hear the holy Gospel.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
DEACON
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Mark.
PRIEST
Let us be attentive.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
DEACON
Mk. 1:9 – 11
At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
PRIEST
Peace be with you who read the Gospel.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
DEACON
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR (after each petition)
Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
For pious and Orthodox Christians, let us pray to the Lord.
For our Archbishop (name), for the honorable presbyterate, for the diaconate in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
For our country, the president, all those in public service, and for our armed forces everywhere, let us pray to the Lord.
For the Holy and Great Church of Christ of Constantinople, for our Sacred Archdiocese, [for this Holy Metropolis,] for this city and parish, for every city and land, and for the faithful who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
For those who travel by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
That this water become holy by the might, and operation, and descent of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
That the cleansing operation of the super-substantial Trinity descend upon these waters, let us pray to the Lord.
That the grace of redemption and the blessing of the Jordan be sent upon them, let us pray to the Lord.
That we be illumined with the light of knowledge and right belief through the descent of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
That this water become the gift of sanctification, redemption from sins, for the healing of soul and body, and for every beneficial purpose, let us pray to the Lord.
That it become water welling up to eternal life, let us pray to the Lord.
That it effect the averting of every plot of visible and invisible enemies, let us pray to the Lord.
For those who are sprinkled with it and take it for the blessing of homes, let us pray to the Lord.
That it effect purification of soul and body for all who take and drink it with faith, let us pray to the Lord.
That it be granted us to be filled with sanctification through drinking this water, by the invisible manifestation of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
That the Lord God listen to the voice of the prayer of us sinners and have mercy on us, let us pray to the Lord.
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
The Priest says the following prayer quietly.
When there is no Deacon, by necessity the Priest reads this prayer while the Prophecies are being read.
PRIEST (inaudibly)
PRIEST (aloud)
After the Priest has quietly said, “Amen,” and the Deacon has completed the Great Litany, the Priest commences reading aloud the preamble of the Epiphany prayer.
This preamble is not said on the eve of the feast, so the prayer commences with, “You are great, O Lord!” below. This preamble is said on the day of the feast of Epiphany.
By Sophronios Patriarch of Jerusalem.
PRIEST
Then, in a louder voice:
PRIEST
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
PRIEST
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
PRIEST
Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
The Priest bows his head and prays:
CHOIR: Amen.
Then the Priest holds the cross and the holy water sprinkler upright and dips them in and out of the water crosswise, as he sings the Apolytikion of the feast one time.
PRIEST
Apolytikion. Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You!
The Choirs sing this hymn two more times, and each time the Priest repeats his actions as described above.
CHOIR
Apolytikion. Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You! (2)
Then the Priest holds the holy water sprinkler in his right hand and the cross in his left, and he sprinkles crosswise the church and the congregation, as he sings the Kontakion.
On January 6:
Kontakion. For the Feast.
Mode 4. Automelon.
You revealed yourself today on earth, O Master, * and Your light was stamped on us, who in the knowledge of the truth, * O Lord, extol Your epiphany. * You came; You revealed yourself, O unapproachable Light.
On the day of the feast, the following hymn is sung (from Ode viii of the Canon).
Mode 2. Of old, the furnace in Babylon.
Μυστήριον παράδοξον.
Uncovered at the Jordan was the presence of the Trinity, the transcendently divine nature. For the Father’s voice declared, “He who is being baptized is my Son. He is my beloved.” There, too, was the consubstantial Spirit. All peoples bless Him as Lord, and exalt Him beyond measure, unto all the ages.
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
May the blessing and the mercy of the Lord come upon you by His divine grace and love for humankind, always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
May He who condescended to be baptized by John in the Jordan, for our salvation, 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, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
CHOIR
Lord, protect for many years the one who blesses and sanctifies us.
PRIEST
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
CHOIR: Amen.
Vespers
PRIEST
Blessed is our God always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Stand for the reading of the Introductory Psalm.
While the Introductory Psalm is being read, the Priest stands in front of the holy Table and reads the so-called Lamp-lighting Prayers.
READER
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 103 (104).
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, You are magnified exceedingly; You clothe Yourself with thanksgiving and majesty, who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, who stretch out the heavens like a curtain; You are He who covers His upper chambers with water, who makes the clouds His means of approach, who walks on the wings of the winds, who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire. He established the earth on its stable foundation; it shall not be moved unto ages of ages. The deep like a garment is His covering; the waters shall stand upon the mountains; at Your rebuke they shall flee; at the sound of Your thunder, they shall be afraid. The mountains rise up, and the plains sink down to the place You founded for them. You set a boundary they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth. You are He who sends springs into the valley; the waters shall pass between the mountains; they shall give drink to all the wild animals of the field; the wild asses shall quench their thirst; the birds of heaven shall dwell beside them; they shall sing from the midst of the rocks. You are He who waters the mountains from His higher places; the earth shall be satisfied with the fruit of Your works. You are He who causes grass to grow for the cattle, and the green plant for the service of man, to bring forth bread from the earth; and wine gladdens the heart of man, to brighten his face with oil; and bread strengthens man’s heart. The trees of the plain shall be full of fruit, the cedars of Lebanon, which You planted; there the sparrows shall make their nests; the house of the heron takes the lead among them. The high mountains are for the deer; the cliff is a refuge for the rabbits. He made the moon for seasons; the sun knows its setting. You established darkness, and it was night, wherein all the wild animals of the forest will prowl about; the young lions roar and snatch their prey, and seek their food from God. The sun arises, and they are gathered together; and they shall be put to bed in their dens. Man shall go out to his work and to his labor until evening. O Lord, Your works shall be magnified greatly; You made all things in wisdom; the earth was filled with Your creation. There is this great and spacious sea: the creeping things are there without number; the living things are there, both small and great; there the ships pass through; there is this dragon You formed to play therein. All things wait upon You, that You may give them food in due season. When You give it to them, they shall gather it; when You open Your hand, all things shall be filled with Your goodness. But when You turn Your face away, they shall be troubled; when You take away their breath, they shall die and return again to their dust. You shall send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Let the glory of the Lord be forever; the Lord shall be glad in His works; He looks upon the earth and makes it tremble; He touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I exist; may my words be pleasing to Him, and I shall be glad in the Lord. May sinners cease from the earth, and the lawless, so as to be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
The sun knows its setting. You established darkness, and it was night.
O Lord, Your works shall be magnified greatly; You made all things in wisdom.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory to You, O God. (3)
Our hope, O Lord, glory to You.
DEACON
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For pious and Orthodox Christians, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our Archbishop (name), for the honorable presbyterate, for the diaconate in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our country, the president, all those in public service, and for our armed forces everywhere, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the Holy and Great Church of Christ of Constantinople, for our Sacred Archdiocese, [for this Holy Metropolis,] for this city and parish, for every city and land, and for the faithful who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For those who travel by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
CHOIR
Mode 2.
Lord, I have cried to You; hear me. Hear me, O Lord. Lord, I have cried to You; hear me. Give heed to the voice of my supplication when I cry to You. Hear me, O Lord.
Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, a door of enclosure about my lips.
Incline not my heart to evil words, to make excuses in sins.
With men who work lawlessness; and I will not join with their choice ones.
The righteous man shall correct me with mercy, and he shall reprove me; but let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head.
For my prayer shall be intense in the presence of their pleasures. Their judges are swallowed up by the rock.
They shall hear my words, for they are pleasant. As a clod of ground is dashed to pieces on the earth, so their bones were scattered beside the grave.
For my eyes, O Lord, O Lord, are toward You; in You I hope; take not my soul away.
Keep me from the snares they set for me, and from the stumbling blocks of those who work lawlessness.
Sinners shall fall into their own net; I am alone, until I escape.
I cried to the Lord with my voice, with my voice I prayed to the Lord.
I shall pour out my supplication before Him; I shall declare my affliction in His presence.
When my spirit fainted within me, then You knew my paths.
For on the way I was going, they hid a trap for me.
I looked on my right, and saw there was no one who knew me.
Refuge failed me, and there was no one who cared for my soul.
I cried to You, O Lord; I said, “You are my hope, my portion in the land of the living.”
Attend to my supplication, for I was humbled exceedingly.
Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.
Bring my soul out of prison to give thanks to Your name, O Lord.
The righteous shall wait for me, until You reward me.
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice.
Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
Stichera for the Feast.
Idiomelon. Mode 2.
If You, O Lord, should mark transgression, O Lord, who would stand? For there is forgiveness with You.
O Lord, our illumination, who enlightens everyone, when the Forerunner saw You coming to be baptized, his soul rejoiced, while his hand trembled. He pointed at You and said to the people, “Behold, the One who delivers Israel, the One who frees us from corruption.” O sinless One, O Christ our God, glory to You!
Idiomelon. Mode 2.
Because of Your law, O Lord, I waited for You; my soul waited for Your word. My soul hopes in the Lord.
When our Redeemer was baptized by His servant, and the Holy Spirit was present and bore witness to Him, the armies of Angels watched and trembled, and from heaven a voice came from the Father, “He, on whom the Forerunner lays his hand, is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” O Christ our God, glory to You!
Idiomelon. Mode 2.
From the morning watch until night; from the morning watch until night, let Israel hope in the Lord.
The waters of the Jordan received You, who are the source; and the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove. You who bowed the heavens now bow Your head. The clay cries out to You, the Fashioner, and says, “Why do You command me to do what is beyond me? I need for You to baptize me.” O sinless One, O Christ our God, glory to You!
For the Forerunner.
Mode 1. O Martyrs, extolled.
To the melody, “O all-lauded Martyrs.”
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption; and He shall redeem Israel from all his transgressions.
O Baptist and Forerunner of Christ, * God-inspired and praised by all, we call you blest, and so doing we are glorifying Christ, * who in River Jordan * bowed His holy head to you, * and sanctified the nature of humankind. Now pray to Him for us, * and entreat Him that surpassing peace * and great mercy * be upon our souls bestowed.
Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; praise Him, all you peoples.
O wise John the Forerunner of Christ, * you beheld the Father’s ineffable glory from heaven, and you saw His only Son * standing in the water, * and the Spirit as a dove * which came upon Him, and which does purify and sanctify the world. * Thus, O mystic of the Trinity, we extol you, * and honor your sacred feast.
For His mercy rules over us; and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
By Christ’s grace divine you were made strong, * Forerunner and Baptist John, and thus you showed us the Lamb of God who takes away the sins * of the world. And back then * on this day you joyfully did send those two disciples to follow Him. Now pray to Him for us, * and entreat Him that surpassing peace * and great mercy * be upon our souls bestowed.
Mode pl. 2.
Light in the flesh and Forerunner of the Savior, ⁄ offspring of a barren mother. ⁄ and friend of the One born of a Virgin, ⁄ you have worshipped Him by leaping in the womb, ⁄ and have baptized him in the waters of the Jordan. ⁄ We entreat you to intercede with Him, prophet, ⁄⁄ that we may escape from the mighty tempests to come!
Mode pl. 2.
God the Logos has appeared in the flesh to the human race. As He stood in the Jordan waiting to be baptized, the Forerunner said to Him, “How can I reach out with my hand and touch the head that controls the universe? Though as an infant You came from Mary, yet I know You to be the pre-eternal God. You walk on earth, You who are extolled by the Seraphim. And I do not know how a servant ought to baptize his Master. Incomprehensible Lord, glory to You.”
Stand for the Entrance.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Let us pray to the Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
ENTRANCE PRAYER
In the evening, in the morning, and at midday, we praise You, we bless You, we give thanks to You, and we pray to You, Master of all, benevolent Lord. Let our prayer be set forth before You as incense. Incline not our hearts to evil words or thoughts, but deliver us all from those who pursue our souls. For our eyes, O Lord, O Lord, are toward You, and in You we hope. Leave us not embarrassed, O our God.
DEACON
Wisdom. Arise.
CLERGY AND PEOPLE
Mode 2.
Gladsome light of holy glory of the holy, blessed, heavenly, immortal Father, O Jesus Christ: arriving at the hour of sunset and having seen the evening light, we praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God. It is worthy for You to be praised at all times with happy voices, O Son of God and Giver of life; * and therefore the world glorifies You.
DEACON
The evening Prokeimenon!
CHOIR
Prokeimenon. Grave Mode.
Our God is in heaven and on earth, all things whatsoever He wills, He does.
Verse: In the exodus of Israel from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a foreign people.
Our God is in heaven and on earth, all things whatsoever He wills, He does.
Verse: The sea saw them and fled, the Jordan turned back.
Our God is in heaven and on earth, all things whatsoever He wills, He does.
Verse: What is it to you, O Sea, that you fled, and to you, O Jordan, that you turned back?
Our God is in heaven and on earth, all things whatsoever He wills, He does.
DEACON
Let us all say with all our soul and with all our mind, let us all say.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Lord, Ruler of all, God of our fathers, we pray You, hear us and have mercy.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy, we pray You, hear us and have mercy.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
Again we pray for pious and Orthodox Christians.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
Again we pray for our Archbishop (name).
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
Again we pray for our brethren: the priests, the hieromonks, the deacons, the monastics, and all our brotherhood in Christ.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, protection, forgiveness, and remission of the sins of the servants of God, all pious Orthodox Christians residing and visiting in this city: the parishioners, the members of the parish council, the stewards, and benefactors of this holy church.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
Again we pray for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy church, and for all our fathers and brethren who have fallen asleep before us, who here have been piously laid to their rest, as well as the Orthodox everywhere.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
Again we pray for those who bear fruit and do good works in this holy and all-venerable church, for those who labor and those who sing, and for the people here present who await Your great and rich mercy.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
PRIEST
For You are merciful and benevolent God, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Stand for the reading of prayer.
READER
O Lord, keep us this evening without sin. Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is your name to the ages. Amen. O Lord, let your mercy be upon us for we have set our hope in you. Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your commandments. Blessed are you, Master, grant me understanding of your commandments. Blessed are you, Holy One, enlighten me with your commandments. Lord, your mercy is forever. Do not despise the works of your hands. To you is due praise, to you is due song, to you is due glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
DEACON
Let us complete our evening prayer to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
That the whole evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For pardon and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For that which is good and beneficial for our souls, and for peace for the world, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
And let us ask for a Christian end to our life, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good defense before the awesome judgment seat of Christ.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For You are good and benevolent God, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
DEACON
Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Lord our God, who inclined the heavens and came down for the salvation of humankind, look upon Your servants and Your inheritance; for they have bowed their heads and bent their necks to You, the fearsome yet compassionate Judge, not expecting human help, but awaiting Your mercy and anticipating Your salvation. Guard them at all times, this evening and the coming night, from every enemy, from all demonic activity against them, from unprofitable reflections, and from wicked thoughts.
PRIEST (aloud)
Blessed and glorified be the majesty of Your kingdom, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Aposticha of the Feast.
Mode 4. You have given.
To the melody, “You have given a sign.”
Baptizing the people in the River Jordan, Your Forerunner * saw You coming to him, O Lord. * In his great astonishment, as a prudent servant, * fearfully he cried out, “O Savior, what is this I see? * You have assumed such a humble poverty! * For You have clothed yourself in humbled human nature and raised it up * in Your wealth of benevolence, and Your mercy and tender love.”
Verse: The sea saw them and fled, the Jordan turned back.
The Savior of all replied to John the Forerunner, “Come to Me * and do not be afraid to serve * the wonderful mystery that I am performing. * Crushed by sin is Adam, whose nature I have now assumed; * and now as human I will to be baptized * by you here in the Jordan River, where you see I have come today, * even though in divinity I am sinless and undefiled.”
Verse: What is it to you, O Sea, that you fled, and to you, O Jordan, that you turned back?
John replied to Jesus, “No one born on earth ever saw the sun * to be washed or be purified. * No one ever saw the One who has clothed the heavens * with clouds to be naked himself. No one has ever seen * Him who created the rivers and the springs * to step into their waters. Lord, I am amazed by Your masterplan. * I, Your servant, now beg that You not give orders too great for me.”
Mode 4.
As the lover of the Spirit, ⁄ the swallow that brings divine tidings of grace, Forerunner, ⁄ you have made known clearly to mankind the dispensation of the King, ⁄ Who shone forth in brightness from a pure Virgin for the restoration of mankind. ⁄ You banish the dominion of dark and evil ways, ⁄ and guide the hearts of those baptized in repentance to eternal life, ⁄⁄ blessed prophet inspired by God!
Mode 4.
Come, let us imitate those virgins who were wise. Come, let us go out to meet the Lord. For behold, as the bridegroom, He has come to John. When the Jordan saw You, O Lord, it cowered in fear and stood still in its course. John exclaimed, “I do not dare to lay my hand on Your immortal head.” The Spirit descended in the form of a dove and sanctified the waters, and a voice was heard from heaven: “This is my beloved Son who came into the world to save the human race.” O Lord, glory to You.
Stand for the reading of prayers
PRIEST
Song of Simeon
PEOPLE
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.
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.
CHOIR: Amen.
Apolytikion of the Feast.
Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You!
Mode 2.
The memory of the just is observed with hymns of praise; for you suffices the testimony of the Lord, O Forerunner. You have proved to be truly more ven’rable than the Prophets, since you were granted to baptize in the river the One whom they proclaimed. Therefore, when for the truth you had contested, rejoicing, to those in Hades you preached the Gospel, that God was manifested in the flesh, and takes away the sin of the world, and grants to us the great mercy.
Apolytikion of the Feast.
Mode 1.
When You were baptized in the River Jordan, O Lord, it was revealed that God is worshiped in Trinity. For the voice of the Father, who had begotten You, also bore witness to You, calling You “beloved Son,” and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed that what was said is true. In Your epiphany, O Christ God, You appeared and illumined the world. Glory to You!
DEACON: Wisdom.
READER: Master bless.
PRIEST
Blessed is Christ our God, the One who is, always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
HIERARCH or READER
The Lord God make firm the holy and pure faith of the pious Orthodox Christians, together with the Holy and Great Church of Christ of Constantinople, our Sacred Archdiocese, [this Holy Metropolis,] and this city, to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
May He who condescended to be baptized by John in the Jordan, for our salvation, 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, in whose honor we have congregated today; 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, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
CHOIR: Amen.