The Third Antiphon
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Savior.
O Son of God, born of the virgin, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.
O Son of God, born of the virgin, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth.
O Son of God, born of the virgin, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
*******************************Entrance****************************
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ.
O Son of God, born of the virgin, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Liturgical Resources for Sunday, December 29th, 2024
Gospel: (Matthew 2:13-23)
When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son." When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: "A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more." When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarean."
The First Antiphon
With all my heart I will profess You, O Lord,* I will speak of your wonderful deeds.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Savior, save us.
I will profess You, O Lord, in the company and assembly of the righteous,* for your great works are to be acclaimed in accord with your will.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Savior, save us.
Majestic is his work and worthy of praise,* and his righteousness endures for ever and ever.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Savior, save us.
Apostolos (Galatians 1: 11-19)
Prokimenon: Awesome in his saints is God,* the God of Israel.
Stichon: In the churches, bless God,* the Lord out of Israel’s wellsprings.
Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians:
Brethren, I give you to understand that the Good News that was announced to you by me is not of man. For I did not receive it from man, nor was it taught to me [by man], but I received it by a revelation from Jesus Christ. For you have heard of the way I lived before in Judaism: how I persecuted the Church of God and ravaged it beyond any measure. And I advanced in Judaism above many of my contemporaries in my nation, showing much more zeal for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased him who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I may preach him among the Gentiles, immediately, without taking counsel with flesh and blood and without going up to Jerusalem to those who were appointed apostles before me, I returned to Arabia and again returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went to Jerusalem to see Peter, and I remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles, except James, the Lord’s brother.
Alleluia: O Lord, remember David* and all his anxious care!
Stichon: The Lord has made a truthful oath to David from which he shall never depart:* "Of the fruit of your loins, I will place one upon your throne."
Instead of: "It is truly right…"
Extol,* my soul,* the Christ, the King born in a cave.
Most wondrous is this strange mystery that I see.* A cave has become heaven,* a virgin- the throne of the cherubim,* a manger, a most noble place,* for in it there rest Christ, the unconfinable God.* In hymns and songs of praise and joy on this day we extol him.
Kinonikon
Praise the Lord from the heavens.* Praise him in the highest.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones.* Praise from the upright is fitting.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Tropars
By Your cross You destroyed death; You opened Paradise to the thief;* You changed the lamentation of the myrrh-bearers to joy,* and charged the apostles to proclaim that You are risen, O Christ our God,* offering great mercy to the world.
O saintly Joseph, go and joyfully tell all these wondrous things to his forefather David;* you witnessed the virgin giving birth, you joined the shepherds in glorifying him,* you worshipped him with learned men, and an angel spoke of these things to you.* Pray Christ God to save our souls.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Today, divinely-favored David is ecstatic with joy,* Joseph and James join in offering praise, for their crowning joy is their relationship with Christ.* They sing the praises of him born in a way that leaves us speechless and crying out:* O Gracious Lord, save all those who honor you.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Today the virgin gives birth to the Being who is beyond all created essences,* and the earth offers a cave to the God who is beyond our reach.* Angels join the shepherds in songs of praise.* Learned men make their way to him by following a star.* For the God who exists before the beginning of time itself* is born for us as a Child!