2nd Sunday After Pentecost
/ The Nativity of St. John the Baptist
Beatitude Verses: Octoechos: 6; Forerunner: 4 from Ode 3.
1. Through
food did the enemy lead Adam forth from paradise; but by the Cross hath Christ led
back to it the thief who cried: Remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom!
2. With
Adam and the thief, I worship Thy sufferings and glorify Thy resurrection; and
I cry out with a splendid voice: Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom!
3. O
Sinless One, of Thine own will Thou wast crucified and placed in the Tomb, yet Thou
didst arise as God, raising up with Thyself Adam who crieth out: Remember me when
Thou comest in Thy kingdom!
4. Raising
up the temple of Thy body by Thy resurrection on the third day, O Christ God, Thou
didst raise up Adam and his descendants who cry: Remember me when Thou comest
in Thy kingdom!
5. Very
early, the myrrh-bearing women arrived, weeping, at Thy tomb, O Christ God; and
they found an angel sitting there, clad in white garments, who said: What seek
ye? Christ is risen! Lament no longer!
6. When
Thine apostles went to the mountain whither Thou hadst commanded them to go,
and saw Thee, O Savior, they worshipped Thee; and Thou didst send them unto the
nations, to teach and baptize them.
7
& 8. The birthgiving of the Master is accomplished through the Virgin,
while that of His beloved servant is through an elderly and barren mother;
wherefore, – wonder of wonders! – he goeth on before unto splendor.
9. The
elderly and barren woman kisseth the Virgin Mother, truly recognizing her birthgiving,
for the bond of her barrenness hath been loosed by the will of God.
10.
O thou who gavest birth unto God incarnate without having known wedlock, make me
steadfast who am beset by the assaults of the passions; for I have none other
helper than thee, O all-pure one.
Troparia and Kontakia
Tone 1: When
the stone had been sealed by the Jews, /
And the soldiers were
guarding Thine immaculate Body, /
Thou didst arise on the
third day, O Savior, /
granting life unto the
world. /
Wherefore, the Hosts of
the Heavens cried out to Thee, O Life-giver: /
Glory to Thy Resurrection,
O Christ. /
Glory to Thy kingdom. //
Glory to Thy dispensation,
O only Lover of mankind.
Tone 4: O
Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ, /
we who honor thee with love
are unable to extol thee worthily; /
for by thy holy and august
birth /
the barrenness of thy mother
and the speechlessness of thy father were loosened, //
and the incarnation of the
Son of God is proclaimed to the world.
Tone 1: As
God, Thou didst arise from the tomb in glory, /
and Thou didst raise the
world together with Thyself. /
And mortal nature praiseth
Thee as God, /
and death hath vanished. /
And Adam danceth, O
Master, /
and Eve, now freed from
fetters, rejoiceth as she crieth out: /
Thou art He, O Christ, //
that grantest unto all
resurrection.
Glory… Tone 3:
She
that was formerly barren giveth birth today to the Forerunner of
Christ,
/
Who
is the fulfillment of all prophecy; /
for
He Whom the prophets foretold is God the Word /
Who
hath appeared to the prophet, herald, and forerunner //
when
he laid his hand on Him in the Jordan.
Both now... Tone 6: O protection of Christians that cannot be
put to shame, /
O mediation unto the
Creator unfailing, /
disdain not
the suppliant voices of sinners, /
but be thou
quick, O good one, to help us who in faith cry unto thee; /
hasten to
intercession and speed thou to make supplication, //
thou who dost
ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.
The Epistle
Reader: The Prokimenon in
the 1st Tone: Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have
hoped in Thee.
Choir: Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have
hoped in Thee.
Reader: Rejoice in the
Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright.
Choir: Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have
hoped in Thee.
Reader: In the 7th tone: The righteous man
shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him.
Choir: The
righteous man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him.
Reader: The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul
to the Romans:
[Rom. 2:10-16 (§81) & Rom. 13:11-14:4
(§112)]
Reader: Alleluia in the 1st
Tone: O God who givest avengement unto me and hast subdued people under me.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: It is He that
magnifieth the salvation of His king and worketh mercy for His anointed, for
David and for His seed unto eternity.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: In the same tone:
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and wrought redemption
for His people.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel
[Matt. 4:18-23 (§9) & Luke 1:5-25, 57-68, 76, 80 (§1)]
Communion
Verse: Praise the Lord in the heavens, praise Him in the
highest! In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be; he shall not be
afraid of evil tidings. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!