`The 24th Day of the MONTH OF MARCH

Forefeast of the Annunciation of the All-holy Virgin

AT VESPERS

The usual kathisma.

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 10 stichera: From the Triodion, the idiomela of the day, twice, and the martyricon; 3 stichera prosomia; then these 4 stichera of the forefeast, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—

The Archangel Gabriel confirmeth the mystery hidden and unknown even to the angels; and he is now come to thee who alone art incorrupt, the comely turtledove, the restoration of our race, and crieth out to thee, O all-holy one: “Rejoice! Be thou made ready by my words to receive in thy womb God the Word!” Twice

A splendid palace hath been prepared for thee, O Master: the pure womb of the divine Maiden! Come Thou and enter therein, have pity on thy creation which in envy undertook to oppose Thee, is held in thrall to the deceiver, hath lost its primal beauty and awaiteth thy saving descent.

The Archangel Gabriel manifestly cometh to thee, O all-immaculate one, and crieth out to thee: “Rejoice, thou annulment of the curse, restoration of the fallen! Rejoice, thou who alone hast been chosen by God! Rejoice, chariot of the Sun of glory! Receive thou the Incorporeal One Who desireth to make His abode within thy womb!”

Glory…, Now & ever…, Idiomelon, in Tone II—

Today Gabriel maketh announcement to her who is full of grace: “Rejoice, O unwedded Mother who knewest not wedlock! Be not amazed at mine awesome appearance, neither be thou afraid; for I am an archangel! The serpent once deceived Eve; but now I announce joy to thee: Thou shalt remain incorrupt, and shalt give birth to the Lord, O all-pure one!”

Entrance. Prokimenon. Readings of the day (from the Triodion), and the rest of the liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

But where there is no liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, on “Lord, I have cried…” we chant the 3 stichera prosomia from the Triodion, and 3 stichera for the forefeast; Glory…, Now & ever…: “Today Gabriel…”

At the Aposticha, the idiomela of the Triodion, and the martyricon; Glory…, Now & ever…, of the forefeast, in Tone II—

Today is the mystery hidden from before time began revealed, and the Son of God becometh the Son of man, that, taking upon Himself that which is below Him, He might bestow upon me that which is higher. Of old Adam was deceived, and, desiring to become a god, he failed; but God becometh man, that He might make Adam a god. Let creation be glad! Let nature dance! For the archangel standeth in fear before the Virgin and offereth her his “Rejoice!”, the antidote to grief. O our God Who art become man in the loving-kindness of Thy mercy, glory be to Thee!

AT MATINS

Alleluia, and the trinitarian hymns of the tone.

But if it be Saturday or Sunday, we chant instead “God is the Lord…”, and this troparion, in Tone IV—

Today the first-fruits of universal joy command us to chant hymnody of the forefeast; for, lo! Gabriel cometh, bearing a salutation to the Virgin, and he crieth out to her: “Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!”

The appointed kathismata, and the rest, as usual.

Canon of the forefeast, with 6 troparia, including its irmos; and those of the Triodion, in their order.

Canon of the forefeast, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone IV—

Ode I

Irmos: Having traversed the depths of the Red Sea with dryshod feet, Israel of old vanquished the might of Amalek in the wilderness by Moses’ arms stretched out in the form of the Cross.

With gladness doth the world rejoice, sensing the descent of the Lord upon thee; for He descendeth to make His abode in the womb of the Virgin in the loving-kindness of His mercy.

Behold! the divine archangel is sent to thee, the Queen, to proclaim the arrival of God the King of all, and to exclaim to thee: “Rejoice, restoration of the first father!”

A lustrous and golden jar is prepared to receive the Manna of life; for at the voice of the archangel He cometh upon thee, making His abode within thee supernaturally.

The Lord Who dwelleth ever in heaven desireth to make His abode in thy pure womb; for He cometh to make heavenly the nature of mortal men, wisely clothing Himself therein.

Ode III

Irmos: Neither in wisdom, nor in power, nor yet in riches do we boast, but in Thee, O Christ, the hypostatic Wisdom of the Father; for none is holy save Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

O earth so sadly choked with the thorns of the passions, dance thou, leaping up; for, lo! the immortal Husbandman now cometh, removing the curse from thee.

Prepare thyself, O undefiled Virgin, thou divine fleece; for upon thee will God descend like rain, to dry up the torrents of transgression.

Be thou well adorned, O divine scroll; for by the finger of the Father will the divine Word incarnate be written upon thee, annulling the transgression of my irrationality.

O golden lamp, bear aloft the fire of the Godhead which shineth forth through thee, bestowing light upon the world; for thereby is the darkness of our evils broken.

Sessional hymn, in tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast appeared…”—

With the descent of the all-holy Spirit and at the cry of the archangel thou didst conceive Him Who is equally enthroned with the Father and of one essence with Him, O Theotokos, thou restoration of Adam.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Another sessional hymn, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Awed by the beauty of thy virginity…”—

Today all creation rejoiceth, for the angel crieth out to thee “Rejoice!”, O blessed Mary, all-pure Mother of Christ God. Today the arrogance of the serpent is cast into darkness; for the bond of the forefather’s curse hath been broken. Wherefore, we cry out to thee for all things: Rejoice, O joyous one!

Ode IV

Irmos: Beholding Thee lifted up upon the Cross, O Sun of righteousness, the Church stood rooted in place, crying out as is meet: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

The mystery appointed from of old before time began beginneth to be manifest; and the earth and the heavens rejoice together and joyously cry aloud.

O palace of the great King, unstop the divine openings of your ears, for Christ the Truth is already come and maketh His abode in the midst of thee.

The Deliverer appeareth, setting aright the stumbling of our first mother, making His abode within the womb of her who kneweth not wedlock; to Him let us cry out: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Of old Habbakuk called thee the mountain overshadowed by the virtues, from which our God desireth to manifest Himself, O all-immaculate ­Virgin, thou only restoration of men.

Ode V

Irmos: Thou hast come, O my Lord, as a light into the world: a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance those who hymn Thee with faith.

O unblemished Ewe-lamb! Our God, the Lamb, maketh haste to enter thy womb, taking away our offenses.

As it is written, the mystic rod doth gradually blossom forth a divine Flower, manifesting it to us from the root of Jesse.

Ripening like a vineyard at the cry of the angel, O Virgin, prepare thou to put forth the ripe and incorrupt Cluster.

Be glad, O Isaiah, thou greatest of the prophets, for the Virgin of whom thou didst prophesy conceived the Angel of great Counsel in her womb.

Ode VI

Irmos: I will sacrifice to Thee with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church crieth unto Thee, cleansed of the blood of demons by the blood which, for mercy’s sake, flowed from Thy side.

The Archangel Gabriel proclaimeth to thee, “Rejoice!”, for thou dost ineffably receive in thy womb the joy which Eve lost through her transgression, O Virgin.

The fire of the Godhead neither consumed nor in anywise outraged thy womb, O Maiden; for the bush of old, which burned yet was in nowise consumed, prefigured thee, O most pure one.

Rejoice, O Virgin, thou mountain which Daniel foresaw in the Spirit! For from thee was the noetic Stone cut which shall demolish the inanimate temples of the demons.

The King of peace cometh unto thee, and through thee He shall reconcile those who have been assailed and deceived by the wicked counsel of the serpent, O Mother of God.

Kontakion, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “To the ­chosen…”—

Thou art the beginning of the salvation of all of us mortals, O Virgin Theotokos; for Gabriel, the great supreme commander, the servant of God, sent from heaven to stand before thee, offered thee gladsome joy. Wherefore, we all cry out to thee: Rejoice, O Bride unwedded!

Ode VII

Irmos: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, Who saved the children of Abraham in the fire, slaying the Chaldæans whom justice rightly overtook: blessed art Thou!

O noetic tabernacle, which the true Bestower of the law, loving, desireth to make His habitation, thou hast been filled with sweet fragrance; for through thee doth He renew those who have become corrupt.

The divine choir of the prophets, perceiving the peaceful coming of the Deliverer upon thee, crieth out to thee: Rejoice, deliverance of all! Rejoice, thou who alone art the salvation of men!

Fear not the voice, neither marvel at him who speaketh; for he is the servant of God. He hath come to reveal a mystery to thee which is ineffable even to the angels, O blessed Virgin who knowest not ­wedlock.

Thou beholdest all creation enslaved by the enemy, O Virgin; but He Whose good pleasure it is desireth through thee to have mercy upon it, in the loving-kindness of His mercy. Wherefore, discount not the words of the angel.

Ode VIII

Irmos: Stretching forth his hands, Daniel shut the lions’ mouths in the pit; and the young lovers of piety, girded about with virtue, quenched the power of the fire, crying out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Prepare thyself, O thou who knowest not wedlock, thou light cloud of the Light! For the never-setting Sun shineth forth upon thee from on high, which, hidden within thee for a time, shall be revealed to the world and shall dispel the darkness of evil.

The first minister among the angels uttered to thee a cry of joy, O pure one, announcing to thee the Angel of great Counsel Who, in His goodness, is incarnate of thee. To Him do we cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

The Transcendent One Who sitteth at the right hand of the Father desireth to make His habitation within thee, O pure one, that He might set thee, the beloved and comely one, at His own right hand like a Queen, and extend His right hand to all the fallen, and save us.

The Lord our Creator, recognizing thee as a pure rose of the valley, as a fragrant lily, hath now desired thy beauty, O pure one, and wisheth to become incarnate of thy blood, that with goodness He may dispel the stench of deception.

Ode IX

Irmos: Eve, through weakness, abode under the curse of disobedience; but thou, O Virgin Theotokos, hast put forth blessing for the world through the Offspring of thy child-bearing. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.

Eve laid hold of the fruit, which resulted in all-destroying death; but in the midst of thee, O Mistress, the mediating Fruit of immortality groweth: Christ our sweetness. And chanting to Him, we glorify thee.

Bowing down Thy heavens, O Word, Thou hast come down to us, and the womb of the Virgin hath already been prepared for Thee as a throne; and seated thereon as a most mighty King, Thou dost lift up the creation of Thy right hand from its fallen state.

O pure one, thou unsown field, receive at the angel’s word the Word of heaven, Who springeth forth from thee like fruitful wheat and nourisheth the ends of the earth with the grain of understanding. Worshipping Him, we glorify thee.

Christ desired thy beauty, O all-immaculate one, and made His abode within thy womb, that He might deliver the human race from the ugliness of the passions and bestow upon it its ancient comeliness. Worshipping Him, we glorify thee.

If the forefeast fall on a Saturday, this exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “To the disciples…”—

Flying down from on high, Gabriel cried out: “Rejoice!”, O Theotokos; for He Who sprang forth from thee blessed the children of Adam, annulling the whole curse of our first mother.

Glory…, Now & ever…: The foregoing is repeated.

At the Aposticha, stichera of the Triodion: the idiomelon of the day, twice, and the martyricon; and Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone IV—

The Theotokos heard a tongue which she kneweth not; for the archangel spake unto her the words of the annunciation. And accepting his salutation with faith, she conceived Thee, the preëternal God. Wherefore, rejoicing, we cry out to Thee: O God Who wast immutably incarnate of her, grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls!

First Hour, with its kathisma and prostrations, as usual.