Post-feast of the Encounter. Saint with Six Stichera.

VESPERS ON MONDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 1

If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

The Creator of all and our Deliverer* is borne into the temple by the Virgin Mother;* therefore, the elder, receiving Him, cried aloud with joy: Now You may let Yours servant depart in peace, O Good One,* as You have been pleased.

I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

Receiving in his arms from the Virgin the Saviour of all* who was begotten before all the ages,* Symeon cried aloud:* I have seen the effulgence of Your glory! to the ends of the earth.* Now You may let Your servant depart in peace, O Good One,* for I have beheld You today!

From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

Symeon, bearing in his arms the Saviour* who for the salvation of men was born in the fullness of time,* cried aloud, rejoicing:* I have beheld the light of the nations and the glory of Israel!* Now You may let Your servant depart, at Your command, from among those here, as You said,* in that You are God!

Tone 4

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

As one righteous and perfect and glorious in all, O divinely inspired one,* you took up in your arms the one perfect God, incarnate,* who came to justify the world;* and you cried out to Him, that you might be released from your body:* ‘Now You may let Your servant depart in peace,* for I have beheld You today,* O You who love mankind!

Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

Young in spirit, yet elderly of body, O Symeon,* you had received the promise that you would not see death* until you would behold a young Babe* who before time is the Creator and God of all,* yet humbled Himself by assuming flesh;* and beholding Him, you cried out* and asked to be loosed of the flesh,* passing over, rejoicing, to the mansions of God.

Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

The divinely inspired Anna and the all-rich Symeon,* resplendent in prophecy, manifest as blameless according to the law,* beholding the Bestower of the law manifest among us as a Babe,* now have worshipped Him.* Their memory do we now joyously celebrate,* glorifying Jesus who loves mankind, as is meet.

Tone 5, Glory… Now…

The Ancient of days, having become a babe,* is borne into the temple by the Virgin Mother,* fulfilling the promise of His own law;* and Symeon, receiving Him, said:* Now You may let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word;* for my eyes have seen Your salvation, O Holy One!

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

The Lord hears me* when I cry out to Him.

verse: Whenever I called, the God of my justice heard me.

Aposticha

Tone 1

Now let us celebrate the saving grace of the ineffable manifestation of God; * for Christ God, having without change become a babe through the Virgin Maiden,* is borne by His Mother into the temple of God the Father,* and Symeon, receiving Him,* embraces Him in his arms.

Now You may dismiss your servant, O Lord, according to your word, in peace.

Of old You were seen by the prophets,* insofar as they were able to see You, O Jesus;* but now, O Word of God,* You have of Your own will revealed Yourself to the whole world,* in the flesh, through the Virgin Mary, O Christ,* and You have manifested Your salvation to all who are descended from Adam,* in that You love mankind.

A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people, Israel.

O Christ who of old laid down the law on Mount Sinai,* now, fulfilling the provisions of the law on Mount Sion,* You have desired to be borne into the temple in the flesh,* in the arms of the Theotokos,* together with doves for sacrifice,* and to be held in the arms of Symeon.

Tone 1, Glory… Now…

Today, He who gave the law to Moses on Sinai* submits to the commands of the law,* having become like us for our sake, in that He is full of loving kindness.* Now our pure God, as a holy Infant,* having opened the womb of the pure one,* is offered to Himself, as God,* freeing our souls from the curse of the law* and enlightening them.

Troparia

Tone 4

The elderly Symeon is filled with happiness today,* receiving the eternal God as an infant into his arms.* He begs to be released from the bonds of the flesh,* for he cries: My eyes have seen* Your salvation for the world.

Tone 1, Glory… Now…

Rejoice, full of grace, Virgin Mother of God!* From you there dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,* who enlightens those who dwell in darkness.* And you, O righteous Elder, be glad!* You received in your embrace* the Liberator of our souls,* who grants us resurrection.

DIVINE LITURGY ON TUESDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 1: Rejoice, full of grace, Virgin Mother of God!* From you there dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,* who enlightens those who dwell in darkness.* And you, O righteous Elder, be glad!* You received in your embrace* the Liberator of our souls,* who grants us resurrection.

Troparion, Tone 4:The elderly Symeon is filled with happiness today,* receiving the eternal God as an infant into his arms.* He begs to be released from the bonds of the flesh,* for he cries: My eyes have seen* Your salvation for the world.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 4: The elderly Symeon prayed to be released* from the bonds of this passing life.* He received the Creator and Lord of all into his arms.* He found release and departed to life everlasting.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 1: By Your birth, You sanctified a virgin womb* and fittingly blessed the hands of Symeon.* You have come also now and saved us, O Christ our God;* give peace to Your community in time of war,* and strengthen its rulers, whom You love,* for You alone,* are the Lover of mankind.

Prokeimenon, Tone 3

My soul magnifies the Lord,* and my spirit has rejoiced in God, My Saviour.

verse: Because he has regarded the humility of His handmaid; for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him.

Epistle

Hebrews 9:11-14

Alleluia, Tone 8

verse: Now, O Master, You dismiss Your servant in peace according to Your word.

verse: For my eyes have seen Your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people, Israel. (Luke 2:29,32)

verse: Moses and Aaron are among His priests and Samuel among those who call upon His name.

Gospel

Luke 2:25-38

Hymn to the Theotokos

O God-bearing Virgin, hope of Christians, protect and guard and save all those who put their trust in you.

and the Irmos, Tone 3: In the law, the shadow, and the scriptures, we the faithful see a figure: every male child that opens the womb shall be sanctified to God. Therefore do we magnify the first-born Word and Son of the Father who is without beginning, the first-born Child of a Mother who had not known man.

Communion Hymn

I will take the chalice of salvation;* and I will call upon the name of the Lord (Psalm 116:13).* The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear (Psalm 111:6). Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.