Apolytikion: Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath shined the light of knowledge upon the world; for thereby they that worshipped the stars were instructed by a star to Worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on high. O Lord, Glory be to Thee.
Kontakion: Today the Virgin gives birth to Him Who is above all being, and the Earth offers the Cave to Him Whom no one can approach; Angels with Shepherds give glory, and Magi journey with a star; for us there has been born a little Child: God before the ages.
Troparion: Prepare O Bethlehem, for Eden has been opened to all! Adorn yourself O Ephratha, for the Tree of Life blossoms forth from the Virgin in the cave! Her womb is a spiritual paradise planted with the Divine Fruit: For if we eat of it, we shall live forever and not die like Adam. Christ comes to restore the image which He made in the beginning.
Hymn: A strange and most wonderful mystery do I see. The cave is Heaven; the Virgin, the Throne of the Cherubim; the manger a room, in which Christ, the God Whom nothing can contain, is laid. Him do we praise and magnify!
Hymn: What shall we offer You, O Christ, Who for our sakes have appeared on Earth as a man? Every creature made by You offers You thanks: the Angels offer a Hymn; the Heavens, a star; the Wise Men, gifts; the shepherds, their wonder; the Earth, its cave; the wilderness, a manger, and we offer You a Virgin Mother! O Pre-Eternal God, have mercy on us!
Hymn: Let us purify our minds, washing ourselves with the Divine Mysteries; let us draw near in Soul and body to Bethlehem, that we may behold the fearful dispensation of the Birth of the Lord.
Hymn: Come, O faithful! Let us go to see where Christ is born. We shall follow the wise men, kings from the East, and be led by the guiding star to the place where Angels sing unceasing praise. Shepherds in the fields offer fitting hymns: “Glory in the Highest to Him Who today was born of the Virgin Theotokos in a cave in Bethlehem of Judah!”
Hymn: Why do you marvel, O Mary? Why are you amazed at what has come to pass? “I have given birth in time to a timeless son; I cannot explain how He was conceived in me. I have known no man; how then shall I bear a child? Who has ever seen a birth without seed?” When God so wills, as it is written, The order of nature is overcome. Christ is born of the Virgin in Bethlehem of Judah.
Hymn: We magnify You, O Christ the Giver of Life, Who for our sake now is born in the flesh of the Virgin Mary, unwedded and most pure.
Kathisma: How can a womb contain Him Whom nothing can contain? How can He remain in His Father’s Bosom, yet rest in His mother’s arms? It is His good pleasure to accomplish this. Having no flesh, He purposely assumes it for our sake. He Who Is becomes what He never was. He shares our substance without forsaking His own nature. Desiring to make us citizens of the world on high, Christ, the Only-begotten of the Father, is born on Earth as a Man.
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Hymn: Christ is born, Glorify Him; Christ is from Heaven, receive Him! Christ is on Earth, be lifted up. Sing to the Lord all the Earth and praise Him with joy all people, for He has been Glorified!
Hymn: Glory to You, Our God, Glory to You! Mankind fell from the Divine and better life: though made in the Image of God, he became wholly subject to corruption and decay through transgression. But now the wise Creator fashions him anew, for He has been Glorified.
Hymn: The Creator, when He saw mankind perishing whom He had made with His own hands, bowed the Heavens and came down; and from the Divine and Pure Virgin, He took all of mankind’s substance, being made truly flesh: for He has been Glorified.
Hymn: Wisdom and Word and Power, Christ our God is the Son and Brightness of the Father; and unknown to the powers both above and upon the Earth, He was made man, and so has won us back again: for He has been Glorified.
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Hymn: Glory to You, Our God, Glory to You! Adam, though formed from dust, shared in the higher breath of life; yet through woman’s beguilement he slipped and fell into corruption. But now, beholding Christ born of a woman, he cries aloud: For my sake You have become as I am: Holy are You, O Lord! Christ, made Yourself in the form of a creature of lowly clay, by Your sharing in our more corrupt flesh, You have made us partakers of the Divine Nature; For You became mortal, while remaining God. You have raised us from death to life. Holy are You, O Lord! Be glad, Bethlehem, for you are Queen among the princes of Judah; for in the sight of all, the Shepherd who tends Israel comes forth from you: He is Christ, who is seated upon the Cherubim! He has raised our horn, and rules over all. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Hymn: Calling the magi by a star, Heaven brought the first fruits of the Gentiles to You, A Babe lying in the manger: They were amazed to see neither scepter nor throne, but only utter poverty. For what is meaner than a cave, what is more humble than swaddling clothes? Yet there shone forth the wealth of Your Divinity: Glory to You, O Lord!
Hymn: Greatly rejoice, O Heaven; be glad, O Earth. For the Lamb of God has been born on Earth, granting the world forgiveness. The Word Who is in the bosom of the Father, has come forth without seed from the Virgin. The magi were struck with wonder, seeing Him born in Bethlehem as a child; And all things give Him Glory!
Hymn: You descended into the womb of the Virgin, O Christ, as dew upon the fleece and drops of rain upon the earth. Ethiopia, Tarshish and the isles of Arabia, the kings of Saba, the Medes and all the Earth, fall down before You, O Saviour. Glory to Your might, O Lord!
Hymn: God of peace and Father of mercies, You have sent us the Angel of great council who grants us peace. So we are guided to the light of the Knowledge of God. Waking early from the night, we praise You, O Lover of mankind!
Hymn: Obedient to the decree of Caesar, You were enrolled among his servants, O Christ, setting us free who were servants of the enemy and sin.
Sharing wholly in our poverty, You have made our clay Divine through Your union and participation in it.
Hymn: Behold, the Virgin, as was said in days of old, has conceived in her womb and brought forth God made Man; and she remains still a Virgin. Reconciled to God through her, let us sinners sing her praises for she is truly the Theotokos.
Hymn: The shepherds abiding in the fields received a vision of light that filled them with terror. For the Glory of the Lord shone around them, and an angel cried out: Sing praises, for Christ is born! Blessed are You, O God of our fathers!
Hymn: At the word of the Angel, the Hosts of Heaven at once cried out: Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace to men of His will! Christ has shone forth: Blessed are You, O God of our fathers!
Hymn: What are these tidings? said the shepherds. Let us go and see this thing which has come to pass, even Christ our God! And coming to Bethlehem, they worshipped with her who had given Him birth, as they cried out: Blessed are You, O God of our fathers!
Hymn: I behold a strange, most Glorious Mystery! Heaven – the cave!
The Cherubic Throne – the Virgin! The manger – the place where Christ lay, the uncontainable God Whom we magnify in song!
Hymn: O my Soul, God born in the flesh from the Virgin. The Magi, beholding the strange course of an unknown and newly shining star that exceeded the brightness of all Heavenly light, learned that Christ the King was born on Earth in Bethlehem for our Salvation.
Hymn: Where is the new-born Child and King, whose star we have seen? Said the Magi: For we are come to worship Him. Herod, the enemy of God, was troubled, and in his wild madness he plotted how to kill Christ.
Hymn: Herod inquired what time the guiding star appeared, which brought the Magi to Bethlehem to worship Christ with gifts. Led back to their own land by that same star, they did not return to Herod, but mocked the wicked slayer of children.
Hymn: Our Savior, the dayspring from the East, has visited us from on High, and we, who were in darkness and shadow, have found the Truth, for the Lord is born of the Virgin!
Hymn: Celebrate, O righteous; rejoice greatly, O Heavens; dance for joy, mountains, for Christ is born; and like a Cherubim the Virgin makes a throne, carrying at her bosom God the Word made flesh. Shepherds Glorify the new-born Child, Magi offer the Master gifts. Angels sing praises saying: Lord past understanding, Glory to You!
Hymn: It was the good pleasure of the Father: the Word became flesh, and the Virgin bore God made man.
Hymn: Virgin Theotokos, you have borne the Saviour and have overthrown the curse of Eve. For you have become the mother of Him in Whom the Father was well pleased, and have carried at your bosom God the Incarnate Word. We cannot fathom the Mystery: but we all Glorify it by faith alone, and crying out with you we say: Lord past all understanding, Glory to You!
Hymn: Come, let us sing the praises of the Mother of the Saviour, who after bearing child still remained virgin. Rejoice, living City of the King in which Christ has dwelt, bringing to pass our Salvation. With Gabriel we sing your praises; with the shepherds we glorify you, crying: Theotokos, intercede for our Salvation with Him Who took flesh from you!
Hymn: When it was time for Your coming on Earth, the first taxation of the world was held; and then You made ready to enroll the names of all who believed in Your birth. For this cause Caesar published such a decree, since Your timeless and Eternal Kingdom was newly made manifest. Therefore as we pay our Earthly tribute money, we offer You also the wealth of our Orthodox faith O God and Saviour of our Souls!
Hymn: Today Christ is born of the Virgin in Bethlehem! Today He Who knows no beginning begins to be; today is the Word made flesh! The powers of Heaven greatly rejoice, and the Earth with mankind makes glad. The Magi offer gifts, the shepherds proclaim the marvel, and we cry aloud without ceasing: Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace to men of His will!