Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 31st Day of the Month of December

Apodosis of the Nativity of Christ

The service for the venerable Melania the Roman is transferred to December 30th, for the leave-taking of the feast of the Nativity of Christ falls on the 31st , and the service is comprised of hymns of the feast alone.

At Vespers

The usual kathisma. On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera (those chanted on the feast itself). Glory…, Now and ever…, the idiomelon of the feast. There is no entrance. Prokimenon of the day. We do not read the Old Testament readings. Then, “Vouchsafe, O Lord…”, and the litany: “Let us complete our evening prayer…” Aposticha stichera of the feast, with their stichoi. Glory…, Now and ever…, of the feast. After “Now lettest Thou Thy servant…” and the Trisagion prayers, the Troparion of the feast. Then, the litany: Have mercy on us, O God… Dismissal. (We commemorate the venerable Melania at the dismissal.)

We chant Nocturns as usual, with the kathisma, and read the appointed Troparia. We also read the prayer: Remember, O Lord, our fathers and brethren who have fallen asleep… Dismissal.

At Matins, on “God is the Lord…”, the Troparion of the feast, thrice. After the kathismata, the Sessional hymns of the feast. Canon I of the feast, with 8 Troparia, including the irmos; and Canon II, with 6 Troparia, including the irmos. The irmoi of the canons are chanted twice. Katavasia: the irmoi of Canon I, the singers descending to the middle of the church. After Ode III, the hypacoï of the feast. After Ode VI, the Kontakion and ikos of the feast. At Ode IX we do not chant the Magnificat, but sing instead the festal refrains, as we did on the feast itself. Exapostilarion of the feast, once; Glory…, Now and ever…, the same again. On the Praises, 4 stichera of the feast; Glory…, of the feast; Now and ever…, of the feast. Great Doxology. After the Trisagion prayers, the festal Troparion. Litanies and dismissal, after which we proceed to the narthex as usual. First Hour, at which we do the Troparion and Kontakion of the feast.

At Liturgy: On the Beatitudes, 8 Troparia, from Ode IX of the festal canons. We do not chant the festal antiphons. After the Entrance, the Troparion of the feast; glory…, Now and ever…, the Kontakion of the feast. Then, the Trisagion. Prokimenon, Alleluia and Communion Hymn of the feast. Epistle and Gospel of the day.

But if the Leave-taking of the Nativity of Christ fall on Sunday:

At Little Vespers

The stichera of the resurrection and the Theotokos as usual.

At Great Vespers

The first kathisma: “Blessed is the man…” On “Lord, I have cried…”, 10 stichera: 3 of the resurrection, 4 of the feast, and 3 of the saints; Glory…, of the saints; Now and ever…, of the feast. Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. At Litya, the stichera of the feast; Glory…, of the feast; Now and ever…, of the feast. Aposticha stichera of the resurrection; Glory…, of the saints; Now and ever…, of the feast. After the Blessing of the Loaves, the Troparion: “Virgin Theotokos, rejoice!…”, twice; and the Troparion of the saints, once.

At Matins

On “God is the Lord…”, the Troparion of the resurrection, twice; Glory…, that of the saints; Now and ever…, that of the feast. After the kathismata, the Sessional hymns of the resurrection and their Theotokia. Evlogitaria; hypacoï of the tone. Songs of ascent; prokimenon of the tone. “Let every breath…”. Resurrectional Gospel, and “Having beheld the resurrection of Christ…”. After Psalm 50, the resurrectional sticheron. Canon of the resurrection, with 4 Troparia, including the irmos; that of the saints, with 4 Troparia; and both canons of the feast, with 6 Troparia. Katavasia of the feast, the irmoi of Canon I of the feast. After Ode III, the Kontakion & ikos of the saints, and their Sessional hymns; glory…, Now and ever…, that of the feast. After Ode VI, the Kontakion & ikos of the feast. At Ode IX we chant the Magnificat. Exapostilarion of the resurrection; Glory…, that of the saint; Now and ever…, that of the feast. On the Praises, 8 stichera: 4 of the resurrection, and 4 of the feast with their refrains; Glory…, doxasticon of the saints; Now and ever…, All-blessed art thou… Great Doxology. After the Trisagion prayers, the resurrectional Troparion. Litanies and dismissal. We then depart for the narthex, chanting Glory…, Now and ever…, the evangelical sticheron. In the narthex we read First Hour. During First Hour, the Troparion of the resurrection; Glory…, that of the feast. Now and ever…, the Theotokion of the Hour. At the Hours we alternate the Kontakia of the feast and the saints.

At Liturgy

On the Beatitudes, 14 Troparia: 4 of the tone; 4 from Ode IX of Canon I of the feast; and 6 from Ode VI of the canon of the saints. After the Entrance, the Troparia of the resurrection, the feast and the saints; Glory…, Kontakion of the saints; Now and ever…, Kontakion of the feast. Prokimenon of the feast, and that of the saints, in Tone IV: Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel. Epistle to the Galatians, §200. Alleluia of the feast. Gospel according to Matthew, §4. Communion Hymn: Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest. And that of the feast: The Lord hath sent redemption unto His people.

If the Leave-taking, or any day of the postfestive period of the Nativity of Christ, fall on Saturday:

Friday evening, on “Lord, I have cried…”, at Glory…, Now and ever…, we chant the doxasticon of the feast, rather than the dogmaticon of the current tone.